Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occupational Contact Dermatitis in North American Production Workers Referred for Patch Testing: Retrospective Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data From the North American Contact Dermatitis Group 1998 to 2014.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the epidemiology of contact dermatitis in production workers (PWs). OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of contact dermatitis and characterize clinically relevant and occupationally related allergens among North American PWs undergoing patch testing. METHODS This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of North American Contact Dermatitis Group data from 1998 to 2014. RESULTS Of 39,332 patch-tested patients, 2732 (7.0%) were PWs. Among PWs, most were men (62.4%) and white (83.9%). A history of childhood eczema was uncommon (11.3%). Prevalent occupations included machine operators (27.3%); fabricators, assemblers, and hand-working occupations (16.8%); and precision metalworking occupations (16.1%). The most frequent sites of dermatitis were the hands (53.8%) and arms (29.4%), which were significantly more commonly affected compared with non-PWs (P < 0.0001). Occupationally related skin disease, allergic contact dermatitis, and irritant contact dermatitis were also significantly more common in PWs (49.9% vs 10.6%, 58.9% vs 53.7%, and 32.7% vs 25.7%, respectively; all Ps < 0.0001). Epoxy (15.3%), thiuram mix (8.3%), carba mix (8.1%), formaldehyde (6.3%), and cobalt (5.9%) were the most frequent occupationally related allergens. The top allergen sources included adhesives/glues (16.0%), metalworking fluids/cutting oils (6.8%), and coatings (6.3%). CONCLUSIONS Production workers had a high rate of occupationally related skin disease, as well as irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. Involvement of exposed body areas was common. Frequently identified allergens included adhesives/glues, rubber accelerators, metals, and preservatives.
Endothelial dysfunction and the effects of TNF inhibitors on the endothelium in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic data support the association of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Shared pathogenesis in endothelial dysfunction may underlie psoriasis and atherosclerosis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors may modulate endothelial dysfunction seen in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic review that investigated endothelial function in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and the effect of TNF inhibitors on endothelial function in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. METHODS MEDLINE (1980-October 2012), Web of Science, the EULAR abstract database, and the AAD annual meeting abstract archive were searched for cross-sectional or longitudinal studies that 1) examined endothelial function in patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, or 2) investigated the effect of TNF inhibitor therapy on endothelial function. RESULTS Twenty articles and four abstracts with 2261 patients evaluated endothelial function in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which was measured by pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilation, nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation, carotid intima-media thickness, peripheral arterial tonometry, or aortic stiffness parameters. The majority of the data suggests that patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have significantly increased arterial stiffness, impaired endothelial-dependent vasodilation, increased carotid intima-media thickness, and decreased aortic elasticity compared to the general population. Two out of three studies showed that TNF inhibitors improved endothelial function in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. LIMITATIONS Measurements of endothelial function were not standardized across studies. CONCLUSIONS The preponderance of literature suggests that endothelial function is significantly impaired in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis compared to the general population. Preliminary evidence suggests that TNF inhibitors may improve endothelial function in the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis populations.
Influence of Intravenous Anesthesia on Mucosal and Systemic Antibody Responses to Nasal Vaccines

ABSTRACT Inhalation of antigens may stimulate the immune system by way of the upper as well as the lower airways. We have shown that at least 1,000 times more live pneumococci were recovered from pulmonary tissue after being presented as drops of a liquid suspension onto the nares of anesthetized mice compared to the number of bacteria recovered from animals that were not anesthetized in the course of the challenge. Mice that were similarly immunized intranasally by inhalation of three different nonreplicating particulate vaccine formulations, i.e., a meningococcal outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine, a formalin-inactivated whole-virus influenza (INV) vaccine, and the INV vaccine with OMVs as a mucosal adjuvant, during general intravenous anesthesia developed concentrations of vaccine-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that were four to nine times higher than in mice that were fully awake during immunizations. The concentrations of IgA antibodies in serum were also higher in anesthetized than in nonanesthetized mice and correlated positively with the corresponding levels of serum IgG antibodies in the anesthetized but not in the nonanesthetized mice. In saliva and feces, however, the concentrations of IgA antibodies were equally high whether or not the animals were dormant during immunizations. The results indicate that intrapulmonary antigen presentation, as a part of an intranasal immunization strategy, is of importance for systemic but not for mucosal antibody responses. A major portion of IgA antibodies in serum may thus be derived from nonmucosal sites.
Lactate dehydrogenase kinetics and inhibition using a microplate reader

A lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme kinetics laboratory experiment has been developed in which students obtain kinetic data using a microplate spectrophotometer (reader). These instruments have the capability of reading absorbances of many samples in a very short time frame. In this experiment 12 samples are prepared at a time and the absorbances read in less than 1 min. In a 3‐hr laboratory period, students collect data at five different substrate concentrations without inhibitor and also in the presence of two different concentrations of inhibitor. Students have enough time to repeat each part if they obtain too much scatter in their data. The enzyme examined, LDH, correlates with the study of metabolism and has particular relevance for students who are interested in medical careers. The LDH assay itself is not new, but the microplate format and the use of urea as a quench reagent are novel features. Students plot Michaelis–Menten and Lineweaver–Burk plots and calculate values for Vmax, apparent Vmax (Vmaxapp), Km, apparent Km (Kmapp), kcat, and KI. Students typically obtain results correctly showing that oxalic acid is a competitive inhibitor and oxamic acid is a noncompetitive inhibitor when lactate is the substrate of the reaction.
Prenatal and neonatal risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia.

BACKGROUND Because the incidence of childhood acute lymphatic leukemia peaks between 2 and 4 years of age, the risk factors may exert their influence during the prenatal and/or the neonatal periods. Results of previous studies of perinatal risk factors have been contradictory, perhaps because most studies either have been hospital based or have been restricted to limited geographical areas. PURPOSE A nationwide case-control study was carried out to identify maternal and perinatal risk factors for this disease. METHODS The case-control study was nested in cohorts defined by all live births in Sweden recorded in the nationwide Medical Birth Register. Since 1973, this register has routinely collected information on all hospital births in regard to maternal demographic data, reproductive history, pregnancy, delivery, and the neonatal period. From the Swedish National Cancer Register, 613 case subjects were identified in successive birth cohorts from 1973 through 1989. Five control subjects per case subject were randomly selected from the pool of children matched by sex and month and year of birth. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for potential risk factors and to estimate their effects after adjustment for possible confounders. RESULTS Risk of childhood lymphatic leukemia at all ages increased with Down's syndrome (OR = 20.0; 95% CI = 4.2-94.2), maternal renal disease (OR = 4.4; 95% CI = 1.6-12.1), use of supplementary oxygen (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.5-3.6), postpartum asphyxia (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2-2.6), birth weight of more than 4500 g (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.1-2.7), and hypertensive disease during pregnancy (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.0-1.9). Down's syndrome affected risk mostly in children younger than 5 years, whereas other factors affected those children 5 years old or older. Being one of a multiple birth also increased risk among older children (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.0-6.0). Use of supplementary oxygen may act as a causal intermediate (surrogate) for postpartum asphyxia and its causes, as would high birth weight for its causes. CONCLUSIONS Several maternal and perinatal risk factors were found to be associated with childhood lymphatic leukemia, but they showed age-specific differences. Overall, only a few risk factors were identified, and these accounted for a small proportion of cases. We concluded that most risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia remain unidentified in very young children.
Intranasal Application of the α2-Adrenoceptor Agonist BHT-920 Produces Decongestion in the Cat

The effect of α2-selective adrenoreceptor activation on nasal cavity dimension in an experimental model of congestion has not been defined. Presently, we used acoustic rhinometry to evaluate the decongestant activity of BHT-920, a selective α2-adrenergic agonist against nasal congestion produced by intranasal compound 48/80. Administration of the mast cell liberator compound 48/80 (1%) into a nasal passageway decreased ipsilateral volume and minimum cross-sectional area by 73 ± 4% and 42 ± 6%, respectively. The congestant effect of compound 48/80 was blocked by topical BHT-920 (0.3 and 1%) in a dose related manner. In addition, the decrease in minimum cross-sectional area produced by compound 48/80 was attenuated after topical BHT-920 treatment. As a comparison we also evaluated the topical decongestant activity effects of the α1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine, and the nonselective α-agonist oxymetazoline. Both phenylephrine (0.1–1.0%) and oxymetazoline (0.01–0.3%) produced decongestion. The blood pressure effects of these three drugs also were evaluated. At doses of 0.3 and 1.0%, BHT-920 did not produce hypertension. In contrast, oxymetazoline (0.01–0.1%) produced a transient hypertension that peaked at 15 minutes and fully recovered 45 minutes after administration. The hypertensive effect of phenylephrine at 0.3 and 1.0% lasted over 60 minutes. The present findings indicate that selective α2-agonists may produce decongestant activity with an improved cardiovascular profile compared with current sympathomimetic drugs such as phenylephrine.
Properties of standing Kruskal-Schwarzschild-modes at the magnetopause

Abstract. The radial, oscillatory motion of the Earth's magnetopause has been found to occur predominantly with some distinct, sometimes called "magic" frequencies, which have been attributed to magnetospheric wave guide modes, typical solar wind variations or, more recently, surface waves on the magnetopause standing between the northern and southern ionospheres. In this paper we present for the first time a derivation of these surface waves, denominated as Kruskal-Schwarzschild-modes (KS-modes), in the approximation of the ideal, single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic theory for incompressible plasmas. The calculations are performed in the simplified geometry of the box magnetosphere with the magnetopause being a plane between two plasma regimes of homogeneous conditions. The reflection of the KS-modes at the ionospheres is being discussed. Under the given assumptions and realistic conditions the validity of the calculations is shown to be limited to cases of parallel or anti-parallel background magnetic fields on both sides of the magnetopause, respectively. For these cases a detailed discussion of the mode structure is presented. The magnetopause when affected by a KS-mode is found to resemble a membrane under tension with respect to its motion; the ionospheres act as supporting points of the membrane and the KS-modes correspond in this picture to their eigenmodes of oscillation. Localized pressure enhancements in the magnetosheath are discussed as possible excitation mechanism for the KS-modes.
Acetabular Deficiency in Spastic Hip Subluxation

Background: The direction of spastic hip subluxation is generally agreed to be posterolateral; however, the location of acetabular deficiency is still controversial. This study aims to define the degree and location of acetabular deficiency that is crucial in choosing acetabuloplasty method. Methods: Twenty-five children with spastic cerebral palsy, average aged 7.1 years (range, 4.4 to 9.6 y), underwent 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) studies of the pelvis. Mean Reimers migration percentage of the 50 hips was 32.6% (range, 16% to 66%). Twenty-eight hips were nonsubluxated and the other 22 hips were subluxated (migration percentage >30%). The 3-dimensional image of pelvis was realigned and a series of 9 section planes were formed to represent the whole iliac root. The CT acetabular indexes were measured and compared to define the deficiency. The data of 5 children without hip problem was retrieved as control. Results: Spastic nonsubluxated hips had similar CT acetabular indexes to normal hips. The differences between spastic subluxated hips and normal hips, from anterosuperior to posterosuperior aspects of acetabulum, were 14.8 degrees (A60 degrees), 11.2 degrees (A45 degrees), 10.8 degrees (A30 degrees), 9.9 degrees (A15 degrees), 9.7 degrees (0 degree), 9.5 degrees (P15 degrees), 9.8 degrees (P30 degrees), 9.8 degrees (P45 degrees), and 5.3 degrees (P60 degrees). The differences were significant in all directions and greater in the anterior aspect of the acetabulum. Conclusions: The definition of pathology is defined by the deviation from normal physiological status. Acetabular dysplasia in spastic hip subluxation is global and more apparent in the anterior aspect. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic II.
A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials of omega-3 fatty acid augmentation in schizophrenia: Possible stage-specific effects.

BACKGROUND Omega-3 fatty acids have shown promise as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia. However, efficacy across studies has been inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis of published controlled studies with the goal of detecting different efficacy profiles at various stages of schizophrenia. METHODS An online search was conducted for randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, and a meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS Ten studies met the criteria for inclusion. Among patients in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia, omega-3 supplementation reduced psychotic symptom severity and lowered conversion rates to first-episode psychosis. In patients with first-episode schizophrenia, omega-3 decreased nonpsychotic symptoms, required lower antipsychotic medication dosages, and improved early treatment response rates. Omega-3 had mixed results in patients with stable chronic schizophrenia, with only some patients experiencing significant benefits. Among patients with chronic schizophrenia, use of omega-3 fatty acids both by those experiencing acute exacerbations and those who had discontinued antipsychotic medications resulted in worsening of psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may be efficacious in reducing clinical symptoms for patients in the earlier stages of schizophrenia (prodrome and first episode), while producing mixed results for patients in the chronic stages. Based on these results, omega-3 fatty acids would not be recommended for acute exacerbations in patients with chronic schizophrenia nor for relapse prevention after discontinuation of antipsychotics.
Virion Instability of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Mutated in the Protease Cleavage Site between RT p51 and the RT RNase H Domain

ABSTRACT Each of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pol-encoded enzymes, protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT), and integrase (IN), is active only as a dimer (or higher-order oligomer in the case of IN), but only RT comprises subunits of different masses. RT is a heterodimer of 66-kDa and 51-kDa subunits. The latter is formed by HIV PR-catalyzed cleavage of p66 during virion maturation, resulting in the removal of the RNase H (RNH) domain of a p66 subunit. In order to study the apparent need for RT heterodimers in the context of the virion, we introduced a variety of mutations in the RT p51-RNH protease cleavage site of an infectious HIV-1 molecular clone. Surprisingly, rather than leading to virions with increased RT p66 content, most of the mutations resulted in significantly attenuated virus that contained greatly decreased levels of RT that in many cases was primarily p51 RT. IN levels were also reduced in several mutants. However, most mutants showed normal levels of the Pr160gag-pol precursor polyprotein, suggesting that reduced virion RT arose from proteolytic instability rather than decreased incorporation. Mutant virion p24 Gag levels were equivalent to wild type, indicating that Gag incorporation and processing were not affected. Repeated passage of MT-2 cells exposed to mutant viruses led to the appearance of virus with improved replication capacity; these virions contained normally processed RT at near-wild-type levels. These results imply that additional proteolytic processing of RT to the p66/p51 heterodimer is essential to provide proteolytic stability of RT during HIV-1 maturation.
Phase I trial of intravesical docetaxel in the management of superficial bladder cancer refractory to standard intravesical therapy.

PURPOSE Up to 50% of patients treated with intravesical agents for superficial bladder cancer will experience recurrence. Response rates to second-line intravesical therapies range from 20% to 40%. For these high-risk patients, novel agents are necessary to prevent recurrence. Docetaxel is a microtubule depolymerization inhibitor with unique physiochemical properties, making it an excellent candidate for investigation as an intravesical agent. PATIENTS AND METHODS This phase I trial included patients with recurrent Ta, T1, and Tis transitional cell carcinoma who experienced treatment failure with at least one prior intravesical treatment. Docetaxel was administered as six weekly instillations at a starting dose of 5 mg, with a dose-escalation model used until a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was achieved. Primary end points were dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and MTD. Efficacy was evaluated by cystoscopy with biopsy, cytology, and computed tomography imaging. RESULTS Eighteen patients (100%) completed the trial, and the distribution of stages included six patients with Tis, seven with Ta, and five with T1 disease. No grade 3 or 4 DLTs occurred in 108 infusions, and no patient had systemic absorption of docetaxel. Eight (44%) of 18 patients experienced grade 1 or 2 toxicities, with dysuria being the most common. Ten (56%) of 18 patients had no evidence of disease at their post-treatment cystoscopy and biopsy. None of the patients who experienced relapse had disease progression. CONCLUSION Intravesical docetaxel exhibited minimal toxicity and no systemic absorption in the first human intravesical clinical trial. This suggests that docetaxel is a safe agent for further evaluation of efficacy in a phase II trial.
The heart and the oesophagus: intimate relations

The close anatomical relations of the heart and oesophagus, and the similarity of symptoms attributable to disorders of either organ, often lead to diagnostic difficulty in patients with chest pain. A definitive diagnosis of non-cardiac chest pain attributable to oesophageal reflux or spasm is hampered, both by the need for prolonged ambulatory monitoring of pH, manometry, and endoscopy, and by the common occurrence of asymptomatic reflux and spasm, and the corresponding difficulty in linking an episode of reflux or spasm with an episode of pain. Moreover, some patients with non-cardiac chest pain and normal tests of oesophageal structure and function have centrally mediated hypersensitivity, both within and without the oesophagus. Rather than proceed with investigations, in the absence of symptoms to suggest structural disease of the oesophagus, it would be reasonable to attempt symptomatic treatment with a proton pump inhibitor or an antidepressant.
Alveolarization continues during childhood and adolescence: new evidence from helium-3 magnetic resonance.

RATIONALE The current hypothesis that human pulmonary alveolarization is complete by 3 years is contradicted by new evidence of alveolarization throughout adolescence in mammals. OBJECTIVES We reexamined the current hypothesis using helium-3 ((3)He) magnetic resonance (MR) to assess alveolar size noninvasively between 7 and 21 years, during which lung volume nearly quadruples. If new alveolarization does not occur, alveolar size should increase to the same extent. METHODS Lung volumes were measured by spirometry and plethysmography in 109 healthy subjects aged 7-21 years. Using (3)HeMR we determined two independent measures of peripheral airspace dimensions: apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of (3)He at FRC (n = 109), and average diffusion distance of helium (X(rms)) by q-space analysis (n = 46). We compared the change in these parameters with lung growth against a model of lung expansion with no new alveolarization. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS ADC increased by 0.19% for every 1% increment in FRC (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.25), whereas the expected change in the absence of neoalveolarization is 0.41% (95% CI, 0.31-0.52). Similarly, increase of (X(rms)) with FRC was significantly less than the predicted increase in the absence of neoalveolarization. The number of alveoli is estimated to increase 1.94-fold (95% CI, 1.64-2.30) across the age range studied. CONCLUSIONS Our observations are best explained by postulating that the lungs grow partly by neoalveolarization throughout childhood and adolescence. This has important implications: developing lungs have the potential to recover from early life insults and respond to emerging alveolar therapies. Conversely, drugs, diseases, or environmental exposures could adversely affect alveolarization throughout childhood.