Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of cefazolin, cefamandole, vancomycin, and LY146032 for prophylaxis of experimental Staphylococcus epidermidis endocarditis

We evaluated antibiotic prophylaxis in the rabbit model of experimental endocarditis with three strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis of differing susceptibility patterns. For the first strain, which was highly susceptible to methicillin and cephalosporins, vegetations grew S. epidermidis for all 15 untreated rabbits compared with 1 of 20 rabbits receiving cefazolin, 3 of 20 receiving cefamandole, none of 20 receiving vancomycin, and none of 20 receiving LY146032. For the second strain, which was methicillin resistant but cephalosporin susceptible, vegetations were positive for 14 of 15 untreated controls, 4 of 20 receiving cefazolin, 5 of 22 receiving cefamandole, none of 20 receiving vancomycin, and none of 20 receiving LY146032. For the third strain, which was methicillin resistant and only intermediately susceptible to cephalosporin antibiotics, vegetation cultures were positive for 15 of 17 untreated controls, 14 of 21 receiving cefazolin, 11 of 20 receiving cefamandole, 5 of 20 receiving vancomycin, and 0 of 22 receiving LY146032. In conclusion, these studies in the endocarditis model indicate that cefazolin and cefamandole have some protective value against certain strains of S. epidermidis. Vancomycin and LY146032, however, were more active than cephalosporins for all three strains included in this analysis. These findings support the need for trials of vancomycin and LY146032 prophylaxis in patients undergoing placement of prosthetic heart valves.
Frequency of nodular goiter and autoimmune thyroid disease and association of these disorders with insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a frequent endocrine disease in women. Nodular goiter and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) are endocrinologic abnormalities that have high prevalence. The purpose of our study was to detect the prevalence of AITD and nodular goiter in patients with PCOS and investigate whether PCOS-related hormones and metabolic factors affect these thyroid disorders. Material and Methods: Ninety-seven women with PCOS and 71 healthy female volunteers were recruited into the study. Serum-free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, anti-thyroperoxidase antibody and anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels were evaluated. Thyroid volume (TV) was calculated using ultrasonography. Results: The body mass index (BMI), Waist/Hip ratio, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and low-density lipoproteins, and fasting insulin were significantly higher in the PCOS group (p<.05). The control group had significantly higher serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol results (p=.005). The mean TV was 11.4±4.7 mL in the PCOS group and 9.9±2.8 mL in the controls (p=.022). Twenty-nine patients with PCOS (29/97; 29.9%) had thyroid nodules, whereas only eleven control subjects had thyroid nodules (11/71; 15.5%) (p=.043). The frequency of AITD was significantly higher in the PCOS group (p=.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between TV and age, fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, BMI, and fasting insulin (p<.05). Participants with thyroid nodules were older and had higher fasting glucose, BMI, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR values compared with those without thyroid nodules (p<.05). Conclusion: We demonstrated that TV and frequency of nodular goiter were increased in patients with PCOS. This result was related with insulin resistance. Therefore, we recommend that patients with PCOS must be investigated for the development of nodular goiter and AITD.
Forms of lung lymphatics: A scanning electron microscopic study of casts

In a recent study, rats given monocrotaline underwent angiogenesis on their pleural surfaces. The rats also had novel structures in their bronchovascular bundles that were detected by scanning electron microscopy of vascular casts. These vessels could have been either new blood capillaries or dilated lymphatic capillaries. To determine if these structures were lymphatics or new blood vessels, specimens from animals that were undergoing angiogenesis were compared to those that were not. Finding similar structures in normal animals would imply that they were lymphatic. The second purpose of this work was to describe the three‐dimensional anatomy of the lymphatics of the lung. Cast lymphatics were found in most lungs with edema or angiogenesis, but were rare in other conditions. The vascular structures in question were found in animals not undergoing angiogenesis and were, therefore, lymphatic. Additionally, scanning electron angiogenesis and were, therefore, lymphatic. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy of casts showed several distinct forms of lymphatics in the lung. Prelymphatics are tissues planes beneath the pleura and around bronchovascular structures. They join reservoir, conduit or tubulo‐saccular lymphatics. Reservoir lymphatics are broad ribbon‐like structures with textured surfaces and small laterally branching pouches. They occur on the pleural surface, are closely linked with prelymphatics, and join conduit lymphatics. Conduit lymphatics are tubular structures that may contain valves, twist and go great distances without accepting tributaries. On the pleural surface, they may wind around blood vessels and vary greatly in diamater. Sacculo‐tubular lymphatics surround arteries, veins and bronchioles. They have thin walls with wide saccular segments. They may be so dense that they form cylinders around the vessels or airways. Different forms of lung lymphatics suggest different function and potential. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparisons of the Efficacy and Tolerability of Extended-Release Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine, and Paroxetine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Double-Blind, Randomized Pilot Study in a Chinese Population

To compare the efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants switch with extended-release venlafaxine (venlafaxine-XR), mirtazapine, and paroxetine in Chinese patients with major depressive disorder who had 2 consecutive unsuccessful antidepressant trials. One hundred fifty adult patients with treatment-resistant depression according to their medical records and/or response to current treatments were randomly assigned to receive fixed-dosage treatment of venlafaxine-XR 225 mg/d (n = 50), mirtazapine 45 mg/d (n = 55), or paroxetine 20 mg/d (n = 45) for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the remission rates that were defined as a score 7 or lower on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17). Secondary outcomes included the remission rate defined by the Self-Rating Depression Scale of 50 or lower and the response rate defined by a 50% reduction or greater on the HRSD-17 total score, and the improvement of patients' general health functions. The completion rates were 82% for venlafaxine-XR, 81.8% for mirtazapine, and 82.2% for paroxetine. Only one patient in paroxetine arm discontinued the study owing to an adverse event. The remission rates based on the HRSD-17 were 42.0% for venlafaxine-XR, 36.4% for mirtazapine, and 46.7% for paroxetine. There were no statistical significances between treatment arms in remission rates. Similarly, there were also no significant differences between groups in secondary outcome measure. Venlafaxine-XR, mirtazapine, and paroxetine were equally effective in the treatment of Chinese patients with major depressive disorder who failed at least 2 previous antidepressant treatments. Selecting any of these 3 antidepressants as a third-step antidepressant is a reasonable choice for this group of patients.
ASTER DEM performance

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Terra spacecraft has an along-track stereoscopic capability using its a near-infrared spectral band to acquire the stereo data. ASTER has two telescopes, one for nadir-viewing and another for backward-viewing, with a base-to-height ratio of 0.6. The spatial resolution is 15 m in the horizontal plane. Parameters such as the line-of-sight vectors and the pointing axis were adjusted during the initial operation period to generate Level-1 data products with a high-quality stereo system performance. The evaluation of the digital elevation model (DEM) data was carried out both by Japanese and U.S. science teams separately using different DEM generation software and reference databases. The vertical accuracy of the DEM data generated from the Level-1A data is 20 m with 95% confidence without ground control point (GCP) correction for individual scenes. Geolocation accuracy that is important for the DEM datasets is better than 50 m. This appears to be limited by the spacecraft position accuracy. In addition, a slight increase in accuracy is observed by using GCPs to generate the stereo data.
Residential Mobility of the European Elderly

With the ageing of the European population, the housing choices of the elderly will have consequences on the whole housing market. In this paper we use data from the first two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to analyse the residential mobility decisions of the elderly and the factors influencing them in eleven European countries.
The impact of person-organization fit on innovative work behavior: the mediating effect of knowledge sharing behavior.

PURPOSE The direct relationship between person-organization (P-O) fit and employee's positive work attitudes and behaviours have been well researched. However, there has been no study on the impact of P-O fit on innovative work behaviour (IWB) of the nurses. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap in the literature. In order to give a complete understanding of the psychology surrounding P-O fit, this study has longitudinally analysed the relationship between P-O fit and IWB along with the impact of a potential mediator, i.e. knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) on this relationship. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A total of 357 nurses and 71 doctors from three government hospitals of Thailand filled out the questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationships. FINDINGS Results of the study indicate that a nurse's P-O fit is positively associated with both self and doctor ratings of innovative behaviours; and KSB acts as a partial mediator between P-O fit and IWB at both Times 1 and 2. These results imply that a nurse's perceived fit in the hospital impacts his/her engagement into IWB. As nurses share knowledge with their co-workers frequently, it tends to strengthen the relationship between P-O fit and IWB. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Study findings begin to explain how P-O fit impacts IWB of nurses. Specifically, the author find that KSB explains the relationship between P-O fit and IWB.
Relationship between lung cancer and distance of residence from nonferrous smelter stack effluent.

Because of a reported association between residence in counties with nonferrous smelters and increased risk of lung cancer, we studied the relationship between distance of residence from nonferrous smelters and lung cancer. Patients with lung cancer and patients with other cancers not known to be associated with smelter effluent (breast, prostate, and colon) were compared. All patients lived within a 20-kilometer radius around one of 10 nonferrous smelters in five western states during 1970-1977. Data were obtained from cancer registries or death certificates and were examined separately for each area. Addresses at the time of diagnosis or death were plotted on U.S. Geological Survey maps to calculate distance from each smelter. The distribution of lung cancer near the smelters was not significantly different from the distribution of control cancers in any of the areas studied.
Treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Later stage Parkinson's disease, sometimes referred to as advanced disease, has been characterized by motor complication, as well as by the potential emergence of nonlevodopa responsive motor and nonmotor symptoms. The management of advanced stage Parkinson's disease can be complex. This review summarizes the currently available treatment strategies for addressing advanced Parkinson's disease. RECENT FINDINGS We will discuss the latest pharmacological strategies (e.g., inhibitors of dopamine-metabolizing enzymes, dopamine agonists, and extended release dopamine formulations) for addressing motor dysfunction. We will summarize the risks and benefits of current invasive treatments. Finally, we will address the current evidence supporting the treatment of nonmotor symptoms in the advanced Parkinson's disease patient. We will conclude by detailing the potential nonpharmacological and multidisciplinary approaches for advanced stage Parkinson's disease. SUMMARY The optimization of levodopa is, in most cases, the most powerful therapeutic option available; however, medication optimization requires an advanced understanding of Parkinson's disease. Failure of conventional pharmacotherapy should precipitate a discussion of the potential risks and benefits of more invasive treatments. Currently, there are no comparative studies of invasive treatment. Among the invasive treatments, deep brain stimulation has the largest amount of existing evidence, but also has the highest individual per patient risk. Nonmotor symptoms will affect quality of life more than the motor Parkinson's disease symptoms, and these nonmotor symptoms should be aggressively treated. Many advanced Parkinson's disease patients will likely benefit from multi and interdisciplinary Parkinson's disease teams with multiple professionals collaborating to develop a collective and tailored strategy for an individual patient.
Orthotopic liver transplantation using low‐dose tacrolimus and sirolimus

Although sirolimus (SRL) binds the immunophilin FK506‐binding protein‐12 (FKBP‐12) with greater avidity than tacrolimus (TAC), animal studies have shown that SRL and TAC act synergistically to prevent rejection. Dose‐related toxicity is more often the cause of TAC discontinuation than rejection. We hypothesized that SRL would allow for a substantial reduction in the concomitant dose of TAC after liver transplantation to levels less than the threshold for toxicity. A series of 56 liver transplant recipients were administered a combination of SRL and TAC (target trough levels, 7 and 5 ng/mL, respectively). Planned weaning of steroids commenced after 3 months. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were undertaken. Patient and graft survival were 52 patients (93%) and 51 grafts (91%), with a follow‐up of 23 months (range, 6 to 35 months). One episode (1.8%) of hepatic artery thrombosis was seen. The rate of acute cellular rejection was 14%. No extra treatment was administered in 3 of 8 patients, and the other 5 episodes responded to a single course of steroids. Cytomegalovirus infection occurred in 4 patients (7%). Renal function, glucose control, and lipid metabolism are near normal in 47 patients (84%) without additional medication. Steroid elimination is completed in 51 patients (91%). Bioavailability of SRL and TAC varied between transplant recipients, but trough levels strongly correlated with the area under the curve (r2 = 0.82 and r2 = 0.84, respectively). Simultaneous administration did not affect the PK profile of the drugs at this dose. The ratio of trough level to daily dose correlated between SRL and TAC. The synergistic effect seen in animal models also occurs in clinical liver transplant recipients on SRL‐TAC combination immunosuppression. A low‐dose combination of SRL and TAC should be compared with conventional immunosuppression in a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.
Retina Comparison Between Multifocal Electroretinography and Microperimetry in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

METHODS. Sixty AMD participants underwent multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and microperimetry testing in one eye, and 44 control participants were included to provide normative values for each test. Thirteen hexagons in the central three rings of a 103-hexagon stimulus grid for mfERG and retinotopically matched points on microperimetry were chosen and converted into standard deviations (SDs) away from that of normal participants (Z-score) to represent the magnitude of measured functional deficit and to allow a comparison of the two measures.
Viability and Function of Stored Sickle Erythrocytes

Functional and metabolic characteristics of fresh and three‐week stored erythrocytes from patients with sickle cell anemia were compared. The storage‐related changes in ATP, 2,3‐DPG, and P50 in sickle erythrocytes were similar to those in control (HbA) red blood cells. After storage in CPD, sickle erythrocytes maintained significantly higher levels of 2,3‐DPG (mean 2.20 ± 0.73 mm/ml RBC) than did control cells (mean 0.36 ± 0.13 mm/ml RBC). The posttransfusion recovery and survival of stored SS erythrocytes in autologous recipients and in an animal test system were at least as good as those before storage. Tolerance of the storage lesion by sickle erythrocytes is probably related to their young mean cell age. These results also suggest that the option of autotransfusion should be explored for selected patients with sickle cell disease in special clinical settings.
An in-depth numerical study of the two-dimensional Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation

The Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation in one spatial dimension (1D KSE) is one of the most well-known and well-studied partial differential equations. It exhibits spatio-temporal chaos that emerges through various bifurcations as the domain length increases. There have been several notable analytical studies aimed at understanding how this property extends to the case of two spatial dimensions. In this study, we perform an extensive numerical study of the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation (2D KSE) to complement this analytical work. We explore in detail the statistics of chaotic solutions and classify the solutions that arise for domain sizes where the trivial solution is unstable and the long-time dynamics are completely two-dimensional. While we find that many of the features of the 1D KSE, including how the energy scales with system size, carry over to the 2D case, we also note several differences including the various paths to chaos that are not through period doubling.
LQR Controller with Kalman Estimator Applied to UAV Longitudinal Dynamics

The aim of this study is designing an optimal controller with linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method for a small unmanned air vehicle (UAV). To better evaluate the effect of disturbances on the obtained measurements a Kalman filter is also used in the system. For this purpose a small UAV that is normally used as a radio controlled plane is chosen. The linearized equations for a wings level flight condition and the state space matrices are obtained. An optimal controller using LQR method to control the altitude level is then designed. The effect of the disturbances on the measurements are taken into account and the effectiveness of the Kalman filter in obtaining the correct measurements and achieving the desired control level are shown using the controller designed for the system. The small UAV is commanded to the desired altitude using the LQR controller through the control inputs elevator deflection and thrust rate. The LQR effectiveness matrices are chosen to find the gains necessary to build an effective altitude controller. Firstly the controller is tested under the situation where disturbances are absent. Then a Kalman filter is designed and the system under disturbances is tested with the designed controller and the filter. The results reveal the effectiveness of the Kalman filter and the LQR controller.
Imaging Cerebral Microhemorrhages in Military Service Members with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

PURPOSE To detect cerebral microhemorrhages in military service members with chronic traumatic brain injury by using susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The longitudinal evolution of microhemorrhages was monitored in a subset of patients by using quantitative susceptibility mapping. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was approved by the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center institutional review board and is compliant with HIPAA guidelines. All participants underwent two-dimensional conventional gradient-recalled-echo MR imaging and three-dimensional flow-compensated multiecho gradient-recalled-echo MR imaging (processed to generate susceptibility-weighted images and quantitative susceptibility maps), and a subset of patients underwent follow-up imaging. Microhemorrhages were identified by two radiologists independently. Comparisons of microhemorrhage number, size, and magnetic susceptibility derived from quantitative susceptibility maps between baseline and follow-up imaging examinations were performed by using the paired t test. RESULTS Among the 603 patients, cerebral microhemorrhages were identified in 43 patients, with six excluded for further analysis owing to artifacts. Seventy-seven percent (451 of 585) of the microhemorrhages on susceptibility-weighted images had a more conspicuous appearance than on gradient-recalled-echo images. Thirteen of the 37 patients underwent follow-up imaging examinations. In these patients, a smaller number of microhemorrhages were identified at follow-up imaging compared with baseline on quantitative susceptibility maps (mean ± standard deviation, 9.8 microhemorrhages ± 12.8 vs 13.7 microhemorrhages ± 16.6; P = .019). Quantitative susceptibility mapping-derived quantitative measures of microhemorrhages also decreased over time: -0.85 mm(3) per day ± 1.59 for total volume (P = .039) and -0.10 parts per billion per day ± 0.14 for mean magnetic susceptibility (P = .016). CONCLUSION The number of microhemorrhages and quantitative susceptibility mapping-derived quantitative measures of microhemorrhages all decreased over time, suggesting that hemosiderin products undergo continued, subtle evolution in the chronic stage.
Use of epidural steroids after discectomy may predispose to infection.

STUDY DESIGN This is a report of three cases of epidural abscess occurring after use of intraoperative epidural methylprednisolone in 31 patients who had undergone lumbar microdiscectomy. The possible role of epidural steroids in the cause of these abscesses is discussed, and a review the literature concerning its value is provided. OBJECTIVE To evaluate experiences with the efficacy and safety of perioperative methylprednisolone. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA No previous study has described a high infection rate with the use of epidural methylprednisolone. The literature supporting epidural steroids is equivocal, and reports supporting their perioperative use are scant. METHODS In an 8-month period, 31 patients received 1 mL (40 mg) epidural methylprednisolone at the conclusion of microdiscectomy. Therapy was discontinued after an increased postoperative deep infection rate was noted. Results in these patients were compared with those in more than 400 others who did not receive intraoperative steroids during a 7-year period. RESULTS In the steroid group, three epidural abscesses were encountered. There were no deep infections in the nonsteroid group. CONCLUSION The use of perioperative epidural methylprednisolone in the currently reported cases was associated with three incidences of infection. A prospective study is needed to examine its use.