Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Chronically Infected Open Mastoid Cavities With Medical Honey: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To investigate the efficacy of medical honey as topical treatment of chronically discharging open mastoid cavities in comparison with conventional eardrops. Study Design Single-center, prospective, randomized controlled, double-dose trial of 12 weeks. Patients and Intervention Twenty-eight patients diagnosed as having a chronically discharging open mastoid cavity underwent medical honey gel (intervention) or conventional eardrops (control) treatment. Treatment interventions were repeated after 4 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Visual analogue scale of ear complaints, cavity inflammation, and bacterial infection. Results Most patients had a cavity with localized granulation. After treatment, inflammation score decreased in both groups (p < 0.05), with more pronounced inflammation-free cavities in the honey group. Honey treatment resulted in less discomfort (p < 0.001) and otorrhea (p < 0.001), even after correction for additional medication use (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). This decrease was not seen in the control group. Pain and itching did not change on treatment. Most cavities were infected with Pseudomonas species and Staphylococcus aureus. After treatment, a 23% increase of negative culture was seen with honey compared with 30% in the control group (nonsignificant). No serious adverse reactions were found. Conclusion Medical honey gel is a safe alternative treatment option for patients with a chronically discharging open mastoid cavity and beneficial in reducing discomfort, otorrhea, and inflammation with a bactericidal effect.
Damage criteria for cerebral cortex cells subjected to hyperthermia

Abstract Temperatures above the normal physiological threshold may cause damage to cells and tissue. In this study, the response of a culture of dissociated cerebral cortex cells exposed to laser-induced temperature gradients was examined. The cellular response was evaluated using a fluorescent dye indicating metabolic activity. Furthermore, by using a finite element model of the heating during the pulsed laser application, threshold temperatures could be extracted for the cellular response at different laser pulse lengths. These threshold temperatures were used in an Arrhenius model to extract the kinetic parameters, i.e. the activation energy (Ea), and the frequency factor (Ac), for the system. A damage signal ratio was defined and calculated to 5% for the cells to increase their metabolism as a response to the heat. Furthermore, efficient stimulation with 20-ms long laser pulses did not evoke changes in metabolism. Thus, 20 ms could be a potential pulse length for functional stimulation of neural cells.
Mouse primitive streak forms in situ by initiation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition without migration of a cell population

Background: During gastrulation, an embryo acquires the three primordial germ layers that will give rise to all of the tissues in the body. In amniote embryos, this process occurs via an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epiblast cells at the primitive streak. Although the primitive streak is vital to development, many aspects of how it forms and functions remain poorly understood. Results: Using live, 4 dimensional imaging and immunohistochemistry, we have shown that the posterior epiblast of the pre‐streak murine embryo does not display convergence and extension behavior or large scale migration or rearrangement of a cell population. Instead, the primitive streak develops in situ and elongates by progressive initiation EMT in the posterior epiblast. Loss of basal lamina (BL) is the first step of this EMT, and is strictly correlated with ingression of nascent mesoderm. Once the BL is lost in a given region, cells leave the epiblast by apical constriction in order to enter the primitive streak. Conclusions: This is the first description of dynamic cell behavior during primitive streak formation in the mouse embryo, and reveals mechanisms that are quite distinct from those observed in other amniote model systems. Unlike chick and rabbit, the murine primitive streak arises in situ by progressive initiation of EMT beginning in the posterior epiblast, without large‐scale movement or convergence and extension of epiblast cells. Developmental Dynamics 241:270–283, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Energy Choices and Risk Beliefs: Is It Just Global Warming and Fear of a Nuclear Power Plant Accident?

A survey of 3,200 U.S. residents focused on two issues associated with the use of nuclear and coal fuels to produce electrical energy. The first was the association between risk beliefs and preferences for coal and nuclear energy. As expected, concern about nuclear power plant accidents led to decreased support for nuclear power, and those who believed that coal causes global warming preferred less coal use. Yet other risk beliefs about the coal and nuclear energy fuel cycles were stronger or equal correlates of public preferences. The second issue is the existence of what we call acknowledged risk takers, respondents who favored increased reliance on nuclear energy, although also noting that there could be a serious nuclear plant accident, and those who favored greater coal use, despite acknowledging a link to global warming. The pro‐nuclear group disproportionately was affluent educated white males, and the pro‐coal group was relatively poor less educated African‐American and Latino females. Yet both shared four similarities: older age, trust in management, belief that the energy facilities help the local economy, and individualistic personal values. These findings show that there is no single public with regard to energy preferences and risk beliefs. Rather, there are multiple populations with different viewpoints that surely would benefit by hearing a clear and comprehensive national energy life cycle policy from the national government.
Anxiety and HIV infection.

HIV-positive individuals are at high risk of developing an anxiety disorder, with a prevalence rate as high as 38 percent. The symptoms may occur anytime during the course of the infection, and can become excessive in some patients, impairing the person's ability to cope with their circumstances. Signs and symptoms include chest pain, headache, numbness, and insomnia. HIV treatments that may cause anxiety symptoms include ddI, d4T, AZT, fluconazole, foscarnet, and isoniazid. Health care providers need to thoroughly evaluate anxiety symptoms during an initial evaluation to rule out substance abuse and pre-existing anxiety. Treatment of anxiety in HIV/AIDS ranges from benzodiazepines to alternative therapies such as massage and acupuncture. A chart lists potential drug interactions between common antidepressive and HIV antiretroviral drugs.
Experimental granulomatous inflammation: The ultrastructure of the reaction of guinea pigs to bentonite injection

Bentonite, a silicate, induces a classical non-immunological foreign body reaction when injected intradermally into guinea pigs. The cellular response consists of a mass of macrophages and large macrophage polykaryons, surrounded and infiltrated by an extensive fibrous reaction. The bentonite granuloma shows no signs of intercellular organisation of the reacting cells. Study of its ultrastructure suggests a low turnover lesion with a stable, long-lived cell population. The bentonite granuloma is contrasted with the tuberculous, immunologically mediated epithelioid cell granuloma produced in sensitised guinea pigs.
Modulation of rat cardiac sodium channel by the stimulatory G protein alpha subunit.

1. Modulation of cardiac sodium currents (INa) by the G protein stimulatory alpha subunit (Gsalpha) was studied using patch-clamp techniques on freshly dissociated rat ventricular myocytes. 2. Whole-cell recordings showed that stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors with 10 microM isoprenaline (isoproterenol, ISO) enhanced INa by 68.4 +/- 9.6 % (mean +/- s.e.m.; n = 7, P < 0.05 vs. baseline). With the addition of 22 microgram ml-1 protein kinase A inhibitor (PKI) to the pipette solution, 10 microM ISO enhanced INa by 30.5 +/- 7.0 % (n = 7, P < 0.05 vs. baseline). With the pipette solution containing both PKI and 20 microgram ml-1 anti-Gsalpha IgG or 20 microgram ml-1 anti-Gsalpha IgG alone, 10 microM ISO produced no change in INa. 3. The effect of Gsalpha on INa was not due to changes in the steady-state activation or inactivation curves, the time course of current decay, the development of inactivation, or the recovery from inactivation. 4. Whole-cell INa was increased by 45.2 +/- 5.3% (n = 13, P < 0.05 vs. control) with pipette solution containing 1 microM Gsalpha27-42 peptide (amino acids 27-42 of rat brain Gsalpha) without altering the properties of Na+ channel kinetics. Furthermore, application of 1 nM Gsalpha27-42 to Na+ channels in inside-out macropatches increased the ensemble-averaged INa by 32.5 +/- 6.8 % (n = 8, P < 0.05 vs. baseline). The increase in INa was reversible upon Gsalpha27-42 peptide washout. Single channel experiments showed that the Gsalpha27-42 peptide did not alter the Na+ single channel current amplitude, the mean open time or the mean closed time, but increased the number of functional channels (N) in the patch. 5. Application of selected short amino acid segments (Gsalpha27-36, Gsalpha33-42 and Gsalpha30-39) of the 16 amino acid Gsalpha peptide (Gsalpha27-42 peptide) showed that only the C-terminal segment of this peptide (Gsalpha33-42) significantly increased INa in a dose-dependent fashion. These results show that cardiac INa is regulated by Gsalpha via a mechanism independent of PKA that results in an increase in the number of functional Na+ channels. In addition, a 10 residue domain (amino acids 33-42) near the N-terminus of Gsalpha is important in modulating cardiac Na+ channels.
Impact of a Weekly Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Conference on the Management of Women With Gynecologic Malignancies

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a weekly tumor board conference on the management of patients with gynecologic malignancies. Methods: The medical records of consecutive patients referred to a multidisciplinary gynecologic oncology tumor board were reviewed. Patient demographics were abstracted from medical records and tumor board minutes. An evaluation was made whether the pathological or radiological findings were changed by the tumor board consultants. If a discrepancy existed, it was determined whether the change impacted clinical management. Results: From January 2004 to December 2006, 741 patients presented at the tumor board were evaluable. Seventy-one percent of the patients were presented for pathology review and 29% for radiology review. The most common diagnoses were ovarian cancer (29%), endometrial cancer (26%), and cervical cancer (12%). Of the 526 pathology reviews, 27% had a change in diagnosis; this discrepancy altered clinical management 74% of the time (20% of all reviews). Of the 215 radiology presentations, 89% were reviewed to confirm recurrent or persistent disease; malignant disease was confirmed 74% of the time. Review of imaging studies resulted in a new diagnosis or upstaging 10% of the time. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary tumor board allows a wide range of gynecologic diagnoses and clinical scenarios to be discussed. Careful review of pathology results in a change in the clinical management of 20% of patients presented at the tumor board. The majority of radiology reviews are presented to confirm persistent or recurrent cancer before recommending further therapy.
An analysis of outcome of stoma formation, reversal and their complications

Department of Surgery, Stafford Hospital, Weston Road, Stafford, ST16 3SA, United Kingdom *Corresponding Author’s E-Mail: dalmiasanjay@hotmail.com Tel: 07584834041 To analyse the outcome of patients who had stoma formation done in a single institution. 210 patients underwent non-urological stoma formation in our hospital over a 4 year period out of which 16 died in the postoperative period within 48 hrs. We retrospectively analysed age, sex, indications, emergency or elective stoma formation, complications, reversal rate and complications of reversal in remaining 194 patients. Mean age of remaining 194 patients was 69 years (range 34-87 years). 112 out of these 194 patients were females and remaining 82 were males. Of the 194 patients 64 (32.9%) procedures were done as an emergency and 130 (67.1%) were done on an elective basis. Ninety four of these stomas were end colostomies, 10 were loop colostomies, 20 were end ileostomies and 70 were loop ileostomies. Of 138 patients who had temporary stomas only 70 (50.7%) subsequently had them reversed. Hernia at the stoma site occurred in 18 (25.7%) out of 70 patients. Patients who have stoma formation have a high mortality due to the primary disease. Parastomal hernia (PSH) is common and difficult to cure permanently. The morbidity of stoma reversal is appreciable with hernia at stoma site being most common.
Nef Enhances Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infectivity in the Absence of Matrix

ABSTRACT Nef enhances the serine phosphorylation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 matrix (MA) protein, which suggests that MA may be a functional target of Nef. Using mutants that remain infectious despite the absence of most or all of MA, we show in the present study that the ability of Nef to enhance virus infectivity is not compromised even if MA is entirely replaced by a heterologous lipid anchor.
Characteristics of Body Composition and Nutritional Status in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis Therapy for More than 30 Years

Background/Aims: We investigated the body composition and nutritional status of extremely long-term (more than 30 years) hemodialysis patients. Methods: Eighty outpatients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (including 18 for more than 30 years) were enrolled. We classified the patients according to the duration of hemodialysis therapy (less than 10 years, 10–20 years, 20–30 years, or over 30 years) and compared the laboratory and anthropometric data. Results: No significant differences in age or the total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, triglyceride or CRP levels were observed. The corrected body mass index (BMI) was significantly lower in the more than 30 years than in the less than 10 years group. The corrected arm muscle area (AMA) was significantly lower in the more than 30 years group than in the other groups. Conclusion: In extremely long-term hemodialysis outpatients, the BMI and AMA were reduced, whereas nutritional markers were relatively preserved.
Usefulness of the measurement of saccadic refixation in the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder/hyperkinetic disorder in adults

Abstract Background: The aim of the research is to evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of saccadic refixation in the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) in adults. Methods: Seventy-eight individuals were examined: 40 with ADHD/HKD and 38 healthy ones. A noninvasive eye movement examination using the Saccadometer (Advanced Clinical Instrumentation, Cambridge, UK) was applied. Two saccadic tests, prosaccades task (PT) and antisaccades task (AT), were carried out. Results: Based on the results, we can assume that selected parameters, such as latency, standard deviation of latency, promptness, and correctness (directional errors), in individuals with ADHD/HKD differ statistically in the relevant parameters from the healthy ones. The latency and the standard deviation of latency in ADHD/HKD participants are greater when compared to healthy ones. ADHD/HKD participants have a greater number of directional errors in comparison to healthy ones. Conclusions: The standard deviation of latency prosaccades is a good parameter for distinguishing people from both groups. An important and innovative solution in this study in comparison to the studies of other authors, who reached similar results, is the use of an automatically calibrating system (autonomous) adapted for clinical use as well as a quantitative analysis of the saccadic parameters.
Properties of a subalgebra of H∞(D) and stabilization

Let D denote the open unit disk in C. Let T denote the unit circle, and let S ⊂ T. We denote by AS(D) the set of all functions f : D ∪ S → C that are holomorphic in D and are bounded and continuous in D ∪ S. Equipped with the supremum norm, AS(D) is a Banach algebra, and it lies between the extreme cases of the disk algebra A(D) and the Hardy space H∞(D). We show that AS(D) has the following properties: P1. The corona theorem holds for AS(D). P2. The integral domain AS(D) is not a Bézout domain, but it is a Hermite ring. P3. The stable rank of AS(D) is 1. P4. The Banach algebra AS(D) has topological stable rank 2. The classes AS(D) serve as appropriate transfer function classes for infinite dimensional systems that are not exponentially stable, but stable only in some weaker sense. Consequences of the above properties to stabilizing controller synthesis using a coprime factorization approach are discussed.
Haptoglobins and transferrins in Melanesia: relation to hemoglobin, serum haptoglobin and serum iron levels in population groups in Papua--New Guinea.

This paper reports haptoglobin and transferrin typping of 2687 serum specimens from Melanesians of New Guinea and New Britain. The specimens were obtained from members of 27 different cultural and linguistic groups residing in over 100 different villages in six different administrative districts. They were divided among the Districts as follows: New Britain 821, Sepik 623, Morobe 349, Eastern Highlands 613, Southern Highlands 222, and Western Highlands 59. In addition serum haptoglobin levels, serum iron levels and total serum iron binding capacity have been determined on these subjects. In the field hemoglobin determinations, blood smears for examination for malaria parasite rates, and spleen palpations were done on a proportion of the subjects, mostly children under ten years whose sera have been examined in this study. These field and laboratory results are correlated with the transferrin and haptoglobin gene frequency findings.
A field study of the adoption of software process innovations by information systems professionals

With spiraling demand for applications software, the adoption of software development process innovations by systems developers represents a problem of considerable magnitude confronting information systems managers. We report the results of a study focused on the issue of facilitating the movement of experienced COBOL programmers to become users of the C programming language. The study, conducted at a major financial services firm, is based upon a behavioral model of the acceptance of innovations that derives its foundations from research in social psychology, information technology acceptance, and innovation adoption. The model posits a relationship between beliefs about a target new technology and the subsequent adoption of the technology. Beliefs, in turn, are hypothesized to be influenced by a variety of external factors such as training and individual characteristics. Results suggest that certain beliefs do play a central role in determining acceptance behavior. Results also point to external factors such as organizational tenure, prior technical knowledge, training experiences, and perceived job insecurity that have significant effects on these beliefs. Theoretical and practical implications that follow are discussed.
A value-based analysis of hemodynamic support strategies for high-risk heart failure patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND The economic burden of heart disease is heavy and growing. As advanced technologies for treating heart disease become available, decision makers need to be able to assess the relative value of such options against existing standards of care. OBJECTIVES To compare the clinical and economic benefits of a percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) versus an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) observed during the 90-day duration of the PROTECT II clinical trial, and to supplement these findings with a simulation of the longer-term value of this technology through the use of a Markov model to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of a pVAD relative to an IABP, in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). METHODS Hospital bills were collected for patients enrolled in the PROTECT II trial who received hemodynamic support for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) provided by a pVAD (Impella 2.5) versus a conventional IABP during a 90-day episode of care (EOC). Length of stay, charges, and costs were analyzed for the index admissions, intensive care unit confinements, readmissions, and overall EOC. In addition, a probabilistic Markov model was used to project these parameters and their impact on a patient's quality of life for up to 10 years in relation to a pVAD versus an IABP. RESULTS Hospital costs for the index admission were lower for the IABP compared with the pVAD ($33,684 vs $47,667; P <.001), whereas readmission length of stay and costs were lower for the pVAD versus the IABP (5 days vs 7 days; and $11,007 vs $21,834, respectively; P <.001). The total 90-day hospital charges were similar for the pVAD and the IABP ($172,564 vs $172,758, respectively; P = .785); however, the total 90-day EOC cost was lower for the IABP than for the pVAD ($44,032 vs $53,171, respectively; P <.001). The median hospital days for the entire EOC were 7 days for the pVAD versus 9 days for the IABP (P = .008). Critical care stays were considerably shorter for a pVAD than for an IABP on readmissions (3.88 days vs 7.00 days; P = .145). Reduction in major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events resulted in a projected gain of 0.26 QALYs over 10 years, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $39,389/QALY. CONCLUSIONS For high-risk patients with advanced heart failure undergoing PCI, the new pVAD reduced major adverse events, critical care and readmission length of stay, and readmission cost over the 90-day EOC, and was determined to be cost-effective over the long-term. These findings can assist decision makers in forming value-based judgments with regard to new hemodynamic support strategies.
Reorganization of raccoon somatosensory cortex following removal of the fifth digit

The organization of part of the primary somatosensory cortex was examined in anesthetized raccoons at 2, 8, or 16 weeks after the normal peripheral input to this region of cortex had been removed by amputation of the fifth digit. Electrophysiological recordings were made in and around the cortical area representing the fifth digit. Eight intact animals were used to verify that this specific area could be accurately localized on the basis of the sulci and to determine the normal response characteristics of this area. The results from nine animals with the fifth digit removed provided evidence for a gradual reorganization of the cortical area which had been functionally denervated. At 2 weeks postamputation the field was almost totally unresponsive to sensory input. At 8 weeks many sites were responsive to high intensity stimulation of rather extensive regions of the hand. At 16 weeks the cells fired more readily to peripheral stimulation than at 8 weeks and tended to have smaller, more restricted receptive fields. The location of receptive fields in this latter group suggested that the fifth digit area was taken over primarily by input from the fourth digit. The time course of this reorganization is suggestive of extensive anatomical changes either within the cortex itself or at subcortical levels.