Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmaceutical industry interactions in family medicine residencies decreased between 2008 and 2013: a CERA study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Most medical residents have some interaction with the pharmaceutical industry. It is not known if this interaction has changed over time. We determined whether interactions between family medicine residencies and the pharmaceutical industry have changed in the past 5 years. METHODS We surveyed program directors of US family medicine residencies with questions addressing industry-sponsored gifts, drug samples, access of industry representatives to trainees, and industry-sponsored residency activities. The questions were part of a larger 2013 survey administered by the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA). The authors compared results from 2008 and 2013. RESULTS The response rate to the 2013 CERA program director survey was 56% (251/445); 47% (208/445) of surveyed directors viewed and answered all survey questions. Between 2008 and 2013, residency programs that accept no gifts or industry-sponsored food increased from 48% (137/286) to 73% (151/208). Residencies refusing samples increased from 52% (148/286) to 78% (166/212), and residencies that do not allow industry representatives to have access to learners increased from 43% (124/286) to 74% (157/212). Residency programs that forbade industry-sponsored activities remained stable (67% versus 73%). About half (49%) (101/208)) of programs in 2013 qualified as "pharma-free," compared to 26% (75/286) in 2008. CONCLUSIONS In 2013, one of two family medicine residencies disallow gifts, drug samples, interactions between residents and pharmaceutical sales representatives, and pharmaceutical industry-sponsored activities. This proportion is twice what was observed in 2008. Restrictions increased in all categories except industry-sponsored activities.
Comparative evaluation of predictive value of three caries activity tests-snyder, lactobacillus count and cariostat in mixed dentition children with and without caries

Introduction: Dental caries is a disease with multifactorial etiology. Early detection and preventive measures are essential for caries control. Caries activity tests are one of the methods of early detection, but all these are based on microbiological study. Aims: Compare the sensitivity and specificity of Snyder test (ST), lactobacillus count (LBC) and Cariostat in mixed dentition children with and without caries. Materials and Methods: 90 healthy mixed dentition children (79 boys and 11 girls) were selected and were divided into two groups, one with Decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) 0 and another group with DMFT 3-5. The salivary samples were collected for ST and LBC and plaque samples were collected for Cariostat. Caries activity was assessed. Results: The data obtained were analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and over all accuracy. Conclusions: Our present study showed that the LBC was found to have a higher correlation in caries as the caries increased the count also increased with positive caries activity. A good correlation was found between Snyder and LBC for the caries activity 1, 2 and 3. But no correlation was seen for score 0. To conclude, a combination of all these tests was found to be good for assessing caries risk groups.
Improved prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET using a simple visual analysis of tumor characteristics in patients with cervical cancer.

UNLABELLED In patients with cervical cancer, it is important to estimate prognosis at the time of diagnosis. This study using PET with (18)F-FDG was undertaken to determine whether a simple and fast visual analysis of characteristics of the primary tumor before initiation of treatment could achieve this goal. METHODS Forty-seven patients with cervical cancer who were to be treated by combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy were imaged before beginning treatment. They were then followed for up to 3 y for evidence of recurrence or death. Images of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis were obtained 40-90 min after administration of 370-555 MBq (10-15 mCi) (18)F-FDG. Three observers then independently graded the primary tumor for size (0 = small, 1 = moderate, 2 = large), shape (0 = spherical, 1 = nonspherical), heterogeneity of uptake (0 = none, 1 = moderate, 2 = marked), and presence of lymph nodes (0 = none, 1 = pelvic, 2 = paraaortic, 3 = distant). The scores were summed to achieve a total score. A statistical calculation demonstrated that a score cutoff of 4 best separated patients with a good prognosis from patients with a bad prognosis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compute progression-free survival and overall survival. Evaluation of lymph nodes alone was compared with the grading of tumor characteristics. RESULTS Observers 1 and 2 scored 26 patients as having a good prognosis and 21 as having a bad prognosis. Observer 3 scored 30 and 17, respectively, a statistically insignificant difference. Survival curves were almost identical for the 3 observers. For progression-free survival, approximately 12% of patients with a good score had disease recurrence whereas approximately 75% with a bad score had disease recurrence. For overall survival, approximately 10% (good) and 80% (bad) died. Evaluation of lymph nodes also separated the groups, but not as well as did visual analysis alone. The combination of the 2 was only slightly superior to visual assessment alone. CONCLUSION A simple, rapid, and highly reproducible system is described for visual grading of characteristics of the primary tumor in patients with cervical cancer at the time of diagnosis. This approach separates patients with a poor prognosis from those who will do well, thus providing a new tool for accurate estimation of prognosis.
The distribution of leucocyte subsets in the small intestine of healthy cats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of leucocyte subsets in the small intestine of healthy adult cats (n=16). Immunohistochemical methods were used to identify leucocyte subsets within the mucosa of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Computer-aided morphometry was used to enumerate cells within the epithelial compartment, villous lamina propria and lamina propria adjacent to upper and lower crypt. Throughout the small intestine, IgA+ and IgM+ plasma cells were more prominent in the lamina propria adjacent to the lower crypt than in the villus, whereas IgG+ plasma cells were present in equal numbers in the crypt and villous regions. Overall, IgA+ plasma cells predominated and IgM+ plasma cells were higher in number than IgG+ plasma cells at each of the three anatomical locations. By contrast, T cells (CD3+) and T-cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) were present in greater numbers in the villous lamina propria than in the lamina adjacent to the crypts. Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) were also characterized phenotypically, the majority being CD8+ T lymphocytes. Lamina propria macrophages and dendritic cells were characterized by expression of L1 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, and MHC class II expression by enterocytes overlying Peyer's patches, although rare, was also shown. The qualitative and quantitative data from this study provide a basis for comparison with cats with inflammatory enteropathies.
Fluoroquinolones and Tetracycline Antibiotics in a Portuguese Aquaculture System and Aquatic Surroundings: Occurrence and Environmental Impact

The growth of aquaculture over the past few years is widely recognized as one of the main sources of antibiotics, mainly fluoroquinolones (FQ) and tetracyclines (TC), in the aquatic environment, consequently, increasing the risk of the emergence of antibiotic bacterial resistance and promoting the spread of resistant genes. This study aimed to (1) develop and validate a multiresidue method for determination and quantification of ciprofloxacin (CIP), difloxacin (DIFL), enrofloxacin (ENR), norfloxacin (NOR), sarafloxacin (SARA), and oxytetracycline (OXY) in aquaculture waters and surrounding water bodies and (2) provide the first Portuguese data to utilize in assessment of risk of adverse effects. In addition, the potential environmental impact posed by these antibiotics to aquatic organisms, belonging to different trophic levels, when exposed to the studied aquaculture waters was also assessed. The analytical strategy comprised of solid-phase extraction (SPE) through Oasis HLB cartridges, and detection and quantification by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MSn). Method detection limits (MDL) and method quantification limits (MQL) were in the range of 0.7–3 ng/L and 2.4–10 ng/L, respectively. Recoveries varied between 57.4 and 122.8%. The method was applied to 31 water samples collected from an aquaculture and surrounding water bodies located in north of Portugal. Residues of all antibiotics, except SARA and DIFL, were detected at concentrations ranging from 3 to 75.1 ng/L. Norfloxacin was the antibiotic present at highest frequency and concentration. Regarding the environmental impact assessment (EIA), a risk quotient higher than 1 was observed for NOR.
Genetic relatedness among human rotaviruses

The genetic relatedness of 81 clinical rotavirus isolates to the human rotavirus prototype strains Wa (subgroup 2, serotype 1) and DS‐1 (subgroup 1, serotype 2) was examined by RNA hybridization techniques. Labeled single‐stranded ( + ) transcripts of Wa or DS‐1 virus were incubated with denatured genomic rotaviral RNAs, and the resulting hybrids were subjected to gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Nineteen of the specimens contained subgroup 1 rotavirus with a “short” RNA migration pattern. These viruses were found to be closely related to the DS‐1 strain and were associated with illness of short duration. The remaining 62 isolates belonged to subgroup 2 and exhibited a “long” RNA migration pattern. Fifty‐four of these isolates exhibited significant hybridization with the Wa strain probe. Four isolates yielded multiple hybrid bands with the Wa probe but also possessed at least one gene segment homologous to the DS‐1 strain. The remaining four subgroup 2 rotaviruses did not exhibit significant homology in the form of labeled hybrid bands when tested with either the Wa or DS‐1 probe. These findings suggest that most clinical rotavirus isolates belong to one of two human rotavirus “families” defined as Wa‐like or DS‐1‐like. Our observations also suggest that reassortment occurs in vivo between rotaviruses belonging to the two human rotavirus “families” and that there are one or more additional families of human rotavirus.
Anti-miR182 Reduces Ovarian Cancer Burden, Invasion, and Metastasis: An In Vivo Study in Orthotopic Xenografts of Nude Mice

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a fatal disease, and its grave outcome is largely because of widespread metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Current chemotherapies reduce tumor burden, but they do not provide long-term benefits for patients with cancer. The aggressive tumor growth and metastatic behavior characteristic of these tumors demand novel treatment options such as anti-microRNA treatment, which is emerging as a potential modality for cancer therapy. MicroRNA-182 (miR182) overexpression contributes to aggressive ovarian cancer, largely by its negative regulation of multiple tumor suppressor genes involved in tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and DNA instability. In this study, we examined the therapeutic potential of anti-miR182 utilizing the animal orthotopic model to mimic human ovarian cancer using ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 (intrabursal xenografts) and OVCAR3 (intraperitoneal injection). These models provide a valuable model system for the investigation of ovarian cancer therapy in vivo. Through a combination of imaging, histological, and molecular analyses, we found that anti-miR182 treatment can significantly reduce tumor burden (size), local invasion, and distant metastasis compared with its control in both models. The bases of anti-miR182 treatment are mainly through the restoration of miR182 target expression, including but not limited to BRCA1, FOXO3a, HMGA2, and MTSS1. Overall, our results strongly suggest that anti-miR182 can potentially be used as a therapeutic modality in treating HGSOC. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(7); 1729–39. ©2014 AACR.
Use of Immunoglobulin Enriched Bovine Colostrum against Oral Challenge with Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Mice

An immunoglobulin enriched bovine colostrum preparation, IMMULAC™ (New Zealand Dairy Group, Cambridge, New Zealand), contains antibodies against various bacterial antigens. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of a commercial bovine colostrum preparation against infections with enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 in a murine model. Balb/c mice were given drinking water containing streptomycin for 3 days before and following oral challenge with streptomycin‐resistant EHEC O157:H7 strain (O157‐SMR). In mice pretreated with streptomycin, EHEC O157:H7 maintained stable levels of bacterial colonization in the intestines for the 3‐week experimental time period. Oral administration of colostrum resulted in rapid decrease in the bacteria numbers compared with administration of skim‐milk. Colostrum showed no direct in vitro bactericidal properties against either EHEC O157:H7. When sections prepared from cecum walls of streptomycin‐pretreated mice were incubated in vitro with EHEC O157:H7, the colostrum significantly prevented the attachment of the organisms to the sections when compared with skim‐milk. These results indicate that oral administration of bovine colostrum effectively protects mice against food‐borne infections by inhibiting bacterial attachment to the intestinal mucous membrane, colonization and growth in the intestinal tract.
Relationship between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Gregorc Style Delineator

The relationship between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Gregorc Style Delineator, and achievement was examined by administering these instruments to 259 first-year nursing students enrolled in an introductory human anatomy and physiology course. A principal component factor analysis using a varimax rotation of the scores from the two psychometric instruments, achievement examinations, and an over-all grade point average indicated that each learning style from the Gregorc Style Delineator corresponds to certain traits on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. An individual who had a preference for the learning style of Concrete Sequential tended to have the traits of sensing and judging on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, while an individual who used the learning style of Concrete Random tended to have the traits of intuition and perceiving on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. One who had a preference for the learning style of Abstract Sequential tended to use the trait of thinking while another who used the learning style of Abstract Random tended to have the trait of feeling. The factor analysis also indicates no relationship of any scores of the traits on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or learning styles of the Gregore Style Delineator with the examination scores achieved in the human anatomy and physiology course or to the students' over-all grade point average. However, factor analysis indicates that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator traits of Judging vs Perceiving collapsed into the Sensing vs Intuition scale, and that the Gregore Style Delineator consists of two bipolar scales that are different from those proposed by Gregorc.
Outcome of nucleoplasty in patients with radicular pain due to lumbar intervertebral disc herniation

Background: Nucleoplasty (percutaneous lumbar disc decompression) is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes radiofrequency energy as a treatment for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation, against open microdiscectomy, which would be the mainstay treatment modality. The literature reports a favorable outcome in up to 77% of patients at 6 months. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of nucleoplasty in the management of discogenic radicular pain. Materials and Methods: The medical notes of 33 patients, admitted for nucleoplasty between June 2006 and September 2007, were reviewed retrospectively. All had radicular pain, and contained herniated disc as seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of lumbosacral spine. Patients were followed up at 1 and 3 months post-procedure. The outcome measures employed in this study were satisfaction with symptoms and self-reported improvement. Results: Thirty-three cases were examined (18 males and 15 females). Twenty-seven procedures were performed with no complications and six were abandoned due to anatomical reasons. There were 18 and 15 cases of disc herniation at L5/S1 and L4/5 levels, respectively. Four weeks following the procedure, 13 patients reported improvement in symptoms, and 14 remained symptomatically the same and subsequently had open microdiscectomy. Conclusion: Nucleoplasty has been shown to be a safe and minimal-access procedure. Less than half of our selected cohort of patients reported symptomatic improvement at 1-month follow-up. We no longer offer this procedure to our patients. Possible reasons are discussed.
Tolcapone improves motor function in parkinsonian patients with the"wearing-off" phenomenon: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial

We studied the new catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor tolcapone, 100 and 200 mg, three times daily (tid) in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial involving 202 parkinsonian patients who were experiencing the "wearing-off" phenomenon on levodopa therapy. After 3 months, patients receiving tolcapone had a significant decrease in mean daily levodopa dose requirement compared with placebo-treated patients (p< 0.01). In patients treated with tolcapone 200 mg tid, daily "off" time, measured using patient diaries, was reduced from baseline by 3.25 hours; this reduction was significantly different from that seen in the placebo group(p < 0.01). Moreover, the number of daily levodopa intakes was reduced significantly in each tolcapone group compared with placebo(p < 0.01). We found significant improvements in motor function and overall efficacy in the tolcapone groups (p < 0.01). The most frequent adverse events were associated with levodopa treatment. Dyskinesia developed or worsened in 18% of patients receiving placebo, in 51% receiving tolcapone 100 mg tid, and in 64% receiving 200 mg tid, with most cases occurring within the first 30 days of the study. Diarrhea was the most frequent nondopaminergic event, occurring in 14% on placebo, 13% on tolcapone 100 mg tid, and 19% on 200 mg tid. Overall 18% of patients withdrew because of adverse events: 15% on placebo, 17% on tolcapone 100 mg tid, and 22% on 200 mg tid. We conclude that tolcapone as an adjunct offers promise for the relief of the "wearing-off" phenomenon in levodopa-treated parkinsonian patients.
Improved detection of rhinoviruses in nasal and throat swabs by seminested RT‐PCR

A seminested RT‐PCR (nRT‐PCR) was used to detect picornavirus (PV) RNA in cell cultures inoculated with rhinoviruses (HRVs) and enteroviruses (EVs). PCR tests in which a primary "touchdown" PCR was followed by secondary reactions using PV or HRV specific primers were able to differentiate HRVs of 48 serotypes from EVs. PVnRT‐PCR and HRVnRT‐PCR were then used to test nasal and throat swabs from adult subjects with naturally acquired respiratory virus infections. The swabs were also analysed for respiratory viruses by cell culture techniques and the rates of PV identification by the two methods were compared. PVnRT‐PCR was found to be at least five times more sensitive than cell culture for the detection of PVs in these clinical specimens. Paired acute and convalescent serum samples were tested for complement fixing antibodies to adenovirus, influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, and 3, Myco plasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydia psittaci. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect rises in antibody level to coronavirus types 229E and OC43. The overall rate of pathogen identification in 159 swabs from adult asthmatics increased from 28% when only cell culture and serology were used to 57% when these methods were supplemented by PVnRT‐PCR. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PUBLIC POLICY AND BUSINESS CREATION IN THE UNITED STATES

This paper empirically examines business starts and deaths in relation to US public policy. Controlling for economic conditions, bankruptcy laws, venture capital investment and other factors, and using the most recent (as at 07/2009) US state level census data which covers the 1995-2005(Q1) period, we find robust evidence of more business starts with 1-4 employees in states with fewer government transfers, lower taxation, and lower minimum wages. Transfers and subsidies are associated with fewer business deaths. The data indicate business starts with over 10 employees are unrelated to government subsidies and taxation but do show a strong negative relation with labor frictions. Apart from the quantity of business creation, proxies for the quality of entrepreneurial activities show government policy in a more favorable light in terms of a positive effect associated with government transfers and subsidies.
An Intense Intervention for Improving Gait, Balance, and Mobility for Individuals With Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. At present, there is a paucity of experimental evidence available to indicate what physical therapy techniques are effective for improving mobility in an individual with chronic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and effect size of an intensive mobility training program for people with chronic stroke. Methods: A convenience sample of eight individuals with chronic stroke received an intensive mobility intervention for 3 hours per day for 10 consecutive weekdays. Treatment outcomes were assessed using standardized outcomes of gait, balance, and mobility including the GAITRite to collect spatial and temporal parameters of gait, the Falls Efficacy Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, and Timed Up and Go. Data were collected at four different time points: baseline, pre-test, post-test, and 3 months after intervention. Results: The overall effect size of the intervention was 0.72, with changes in balance having much greater effects than changes in gait or mobility. The group demonstrated an average improvement from pre- to post-tests of 12 points on the Berg Balance Scale where a change of 6 is considered a minimal detectable change. Conclusions: This intense mobility training was a feasible intervention for this sample and demonstrated large effect sizes for balance outcome measures. Future studies incorporating more participants, a standard control, and more emphasis on gait would provide insight into the effectiveness and clinical relevance of this intervention.