Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Borås experience of endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy for palmar, axillary, facial hyperhidrosis and facial blushing.

OBJECTIVE To study the outcome of endoscopic thoracic sympaticotomy (ETS) for palmar, axillary, facial hyperhidrosis and facial blushing. SUBJECTS 1152 patients, 59% women and 41% men. INTERVENTION ETS was performed by transection of the sympathetic chain where it overlies the second and third rib. The nerve was divided also over the fourth rib in patients with axillary hyperhidrosis. Questionnaires were sent to all patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The effect of surgery was assessed by a 10 grad visual analogue scale (VAS) by the patients. The results were divided into effect rate (the effect on the symptom) and overall satisfaction rate, taking into account any side effects and complications apart from the effect. RESULTS The response rate was 90%. The mean follow up time, effect rate and overall satisfaction rate were: 38 months for palmar hyperhidrosis, 99.4% and 87%; 26 months for axillary hyperhidrosis, 94.5% and 68%; 31 months for facial hyperhidrosis, 97% and 76%; 8 months for facial blushing, 96% and 85%. CONCLUSION ETS is a very effective procedure in palmar, axillary and facial hyperhidrosis and facial blushing. The overall satisfaction rate is very good for palmar hyperhidrosis and facial blushing, not equally good but acceptable for facial hyperhidrosis. The lower satisfaction rate in patients with axillary hyperhidrosis makes this a questionable indication for ETS.
Transport of L-proline and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside by chicken proximal cecum during development.

We examined the characteristics of amino acid and sugar absorption by the proximal cecum (PC) of chickens during posthatch development. Rates of absorption of L-proline (Pro) and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside (MG) were measured at 2 days, 5 wk, and 13 wk after hatch with an in vitro everted-sleeve method. For each age, pieces of PC and midjejunum were incubated in solutions containing 0.1-50 mM Pro or MG, and the active and passive components of Pro and MG absorption were determined. Five conclusions may be stated. 1) There are two carrier-mediated transport systems for Pro in the PC: a higher capacity Na(+)-dependent system (Vmax between 1.6 and 3.2 nmol.mg-1.min-1), and a lower capacity Na(+)-independent system (Vmax 0.3-0.8 nmol.mg-1.min-1). 2) Whereas both Pro transport systems are present in the PC at 5 and 13 wk, only the Na(+)-dependent system was found at 2 days. Although rates of transport per milligram tissue by the Na(+)-dependent system fell during development, when rates were normalized to nominal surface area, Vmax was significantly higher in the 5-wk-old group than in the other groups. 3) MG transport is by a Na(+)-dependent system. Vmax values (nmol.mg-1.min-1) were 0.32 (2 days), less than 0.43 (5 wk), and = 0.55 (13 wk). These differences were not affected by normalization to surface area. 4) Because at physiological concentrations passive influx of Pro and MG would be negligible, absorption of amino acids and sugars by the PC would be dependent on the presence of carrier-mediated systems. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Distribution of emm types and subtypes among noninvasive group A, C and G streptococcal isolates in western Norway  

Characterization of the reservoir of beta‐hemolytic streptococci in a community may shed light on the pathogenesis of severe infections caused by these bacteria. We used emm sequence typing to characterize group A streptococci (GAS), group C streptococci (GCS) and group G streptococci (GGS) in community isolates associated with noninvasive disease in western Norway. A total of 165 isolates during a 13‐month period were examined. Skin and throat isolates accounted for 123 and 16, respectively, and the remaining 26 isolates were from other non‐sterile sites. We identified 18 previously validated emm types and one novel subtype, emm11.7, among the 101 GAS isolates. The two predominant types, emm28 and 12, were found in 40.6% of the GAS isolates. Compared to other recent studies of noninvasive GAS infections from elsewhere in the world, we found a higher frequency of emm82 (5.9%) and emm87 (12.9%) and a lower frequency of emm1 (4.0%) and emm3 (4.0%). We found a different distribution of GAS emm types compared to a previous study from western Norway. Among the 64 isolates of GCS and GGS, 15 previously described emm types and four novel subtypes, stC1400.5, stCK401.3, stG6.3 and stG652.3, were found. stG6, stG643 and stG485 were the most prevalent types and accounted for 59.4% of the GCS and GGS isolates. The high proportion of skin isolates in the present study may indicate the existence of GAS, GCS and GGS strains with predominantly skin and soft tissue tropism in our community.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Factor Structure of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale–Form A (DAS)

A number of studies have attempted to identify the factor structure of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS). However, no studies have done so using a clinical sample of outpatients likely to generalize to the clinical trials in which the DAS is commonly used. The current investigation utilized exploratory structural equation modeling in an outpatient sample (N = 982) and found support for a one-factor solution (composed of 19 items). This solution was largely confirmed in a second outpatient sample (N = 301). Construct validity was demonstrated in correlations with measures of depression, social interaction anxiety, and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Migrant mental health: a model for indicators of mental health and health care consumption.

OBJECTIVE This study explores the relationship between mental health and health care consumption among migrants in the Netherlands. DESIGN Samples of the Turkish (n = 648), Moroccan (n = 102), and Surinamese (n = 311) populations in Amsterdam were examined. The study tested a hypothesized model of risk factors for psychiatric morbidity, indicators of well-being, and indicators of health care consumption. The model was specified on the basis of information from earlier research on the sample and literature on the topic. The model was tested and refined using structural equation modeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Psychiatric morbidity and well-being measures were assessed with the CIDI 1.1 and MOS-sf-36 subscales, respectively. Health care consumption was assessed by the question "Have you ever consulted one or more of these professionals or health care facilities with respect to mental health problems or problems related to alcohol or drugs usage? " RESULTS The primary result of this study was the confirmation that health care consumption among migrants is predicted by need and predisposition factors, such as health condition and sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, mental health care consumption of migrants is predicted by acculturation characteristics. This result suggests an effect of cultural and migrant-specific factors in help-seeking behavior and barriers to mental health care facilities. CONCLUSIONS Findings confirm the existence of migrant-specific mechanisms in health care consumption. Mental health care professionals should be aware of these. However, ignoring common ground for interventions unnecessarily creates distance between migrant groups and between migrant and indigenous Dutch groups.
Distinctive Gene Expression Profiles Characterize Donor Biopsies From HCV-Positive Kidney Donors

Background. Because of the shortage of organs for transplantation, procurement of kidneys from extended criteria donors is inevitable. Frequently, donors infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are used. To elucidate an initial compromise of molecular pathways in HCV graft, gene expression profiles were evaluated. Methods. Twenty-four donor allograft biopsies (n=12 HCV positive (+) and n=12 HCV negative (−)) were collected at preimplantation time and profiled using microarrays. Donors were age, race, gender, and cold and warm ischemia time matched between groups. Probe level data were read into the R programming environment using the affy Bioconductor package, and the robust multiarray average method was used to obtain probe set expression summaries. To identify probe sets exhibiting differential expression, a two sample t test was performed. Molecular and biologic functions were analyzed using Interaction Networks and Functional Analysis. Results. Fifty-eight probe sets were differentially expressed between HCV (+) versus HCV (−) donors (P<0.001). The molecular functions associated with the two top scored networks from the analysis of the differentially expressed genes were connective tissue development and function and tissue morphology (score 34), cell death, cell signaling, cellular assembly, and organization (score 32). Among the differentially affected top canonical pathways, we found the role of RIG1-like receptors in antiviral innate immunity (P<0.001), natural killer cell signaling (P=0.007), interleukin-8 signaling (P=0.048), interferon signaling (P=0.0 11; INFA21, INFGR1, and MED14), ILK signaling (P=0.001), and apoptosis signaling. Conclusions. A unique gene expression pattern was identified in HCV (+) kidney grafts. Innate immune system and inflammatory pathways were the most affected.
Incorporation of Target Specific Knowledge for Sentiment Analysis on Microblogging

Sentiment analysis of microblogging has become an important classification task because a large amount of user-generated content is published on the Internet. In Twitter, it is common that a user expresses several sentiments in one tweet. Therefore, it is important to classify the polarity not of the whole tweet but of a specific target about which people express their opinions. Moreover, the performance of the machine learning approach greatly depends on the domain of the training data and it is very time-consuming to manually annotate a large set of tweets for a specific domain. In this paper, we propose a method for sentiment classification at the target level by incorporating the on-target sentiment features and useraware features into the classifier trained automatically from the data created for the specific target. An add-on lexicon, extended target list, and competitor list are also constructed as knowledge sources for the sentiment analysis. None of the processes in the proposed framework require manual annotation. The results of our experiment show that our method is effective and improves on the performance of sentiment classification compared to the baselines. key words: sentiment analysis, machine learning, microblogging, sentiment lexicon, polarity of target
Corporate Entrepreneurship and Codification of the Knowledge Acquired from Strategic Partners in SMEs

This work proposes that the level of codification of acquired knowledge positively influences the corporate entrepreneurship activities of SMEs and argues that this relationship is enhanced by the relational diversity of the partner that provides the knowledge and the strength of the relationship with this partner. The results obtained in a sample of 181 Spanish SMEs in the ITC sector confirm the hypotheses proposed. This research contributes to the corporate entrepreneurship literature by showing which types of knowledge (codified), sources of knowledge (the most important strategic partner), and relational conditions (tie strength and partner's relational diversity) can enhance corporate entrepreneurship.
Partial benefit of anastrozole in the long-term treatment of precocious puberty in McCune-Albright syndrome

Abstract We report a long-term follow-up on the use of anastrozole in the treatment of peripheral precocious puberty (PP) in McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). A girl, age 3 years and 9 months, was diagnosed with MAS due to PP, café-au-lait spots, and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. Serum estradiol was elevated, and gonadotropins were suppressed. Pelvic ultrasound showed an enlarged uterus and a follicle cyst (13 mm) in the left ovary. Bone scintigraphy showed osteogenic lesions on the skull, humerus, tibia, and acetabulum. Bone age was 3 years and 5 months at the chronological age of 3 years. After 36 months of treatment with anastrozole (1 mg/day), there was suppression of breast growth, normalization of growth velocity and serum estradiol, and disappearance of ovarian cysts. However, there was increase in uterine volume, advancement of bone age, and two episodes of vaginal bleeding (18th and 24th months). This report shows the partial benefit of anastrozole in the treatment of peripheral PP of girls with MAS.
The Source of the River as a Nursery for Microbial Diversity

Bacteria are highly diverse and ubiquitous organisms that play a key role as drivers for ecosystem processes. The application of NGS (next-generation sequencing technologies) for 16S analysis has been broadly used for understanding bacterioplankton composition and structure. Most of studies conducted on aquatic ecosystems with 16S NGS have been in seawater and lakes. A few studies using NGS have been conducted in river environments and have suggested the presence of a bacterial seed-bank. We performed 16S highly variable V4 region high-throughput analysis in the Sinos River, which is located in one of most important Brazilian industrial centers. This region has several contrasts in its environmental characteristics, presenting a longitudinal gradient of eutrophication and making it a remarkable study site for observing the dynamics of bacterioplankton. We demonstrated consistent evidence for the existence of a bacterial seed-bank and its longitudinal persistence. Seasonal shifts reinforce the importance of the source of the river in maintaining the bacterial seed-bank that spreads throughout the river. Therefore, the preservation of the source of the river is important not only for hydrologic reasons but also to maintain the microbial composition and the ecological integrity of the river.
Apoptosis induction by phencyclidine in the brains of rats of different ages

We examined whether acute administration of phencyclidine (PCP), an antagonist of the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐channel complex, can cause neuronal toxicity that is associated with apoptosis. Three‐ and 24‐month‐old rats were placed in locomotor activity chambers. PCP (50 mg/kg) or saline (0.15 M NaCl) were simultaneously administered to the treated and age‐matched controls. After observing changes of locomotor activities, the animals were killed 24 h after treatment. The brains were processed for in situ analysis of apoptosis either by propidium iodide (PI) staining, or for the terminal dUTP nick‐end labelling (TUNEL) method. The regional distribution of apoptotic nuclei was established using PI staining. Apoptosis was additionally confirmed and quantified by the TUNEL technique. PI and TUNEL staining revealed that PCP‐mediated neurotoxicity in the prefrontal and enthorhinal cortices, the striatum and hippocampus was associated with a significant number of neurons exhibiting apoptotic morphology. We found that the total number of apoptotic cells was higher in the brains of 24‐month‐old rats. Compared to the respective controls the number of apoptotic cells was 3.8‐fold greater in the cortex of old rats, followed by the striatum (three‐fold), and hippocampus (1.4‐fold). Accordingly, we concluded that ageing was accompanied by DNA‐damage that was most pronounced in the prefrontal cortical neurones. The most prominent elevation in the degree of apoptosis in the young‐treated compared to young‐untreated rats was detected in the striatum. Comparison of the number of TUNEL‐positive cells in treated‐aged versus treated‐young rats revealed that in all the examined regions of the brain PCP exerted a stronger apoptotic effect in younger animals.
Inhibitory Effects of a Soluble Dietary Fiber from Amorphophallus konjac on Cytotoxicity and DNA Damage Induced by Fecal Water in Caco-2 Cells

The aims of this study were to determine the effects of konjac glucomannan (KGM), a water-soluble dietary fiber from Amorphophallu konjac C. Koch, on the cytotoxicity and DNA damage of fecal water-treated Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, and to compare these effects with those of inulin, oligofructose (FO), cellulose and no fiber diet. In addition, the possible mechanisms by which dietary fibers modulated the toxicity of feces were investigated. Seven-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly allocated to consume an AIN-93 diet that contained no dietary fiber (FF) or 5 % (w/w) KGM, inulin, FO, or cellulose for 3 weeks. Fresh feces were collected during days 18 - 21. Our results indicated that the survival rate (%) of fecal water-treated Caco-2 cells was similarly enhanced by each dietary fiber as compared with that of FF group, respectively. The inhibition of fecal water-induced DNA damage of Caco-2 cells was in the descending order of inulin> FO> cellulose, KGM group. Cellulose significantly exerted a bulk effect, while KGM, inulin and FO significantly increased the ratio of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in feces, respectively, as well as the ferrous ion-chelating ability of fecal water, respectively. Therefore, this study suggests that KGM, inulin and FO may reduce the toxicity of fecal water mainly by increasing the fecal probiotics and ferrous ion-chelating activities while cellulose may act mainly by increasing the fecal bulk. FF: fiber free FO: oligofructose KGM: konjac glucomannan.
Screening for bacterial pathogens in semen samples from infertile men with and without leukocytospermia

We aimed to study the correlation between leukocyte counts in semen and bacterial pathogens in seminal samples of infertile men, and to establish the minimum leukocyte count associated with significant bacteriospermia. A total of 116 patients who underwent evaluation of fertility were investigated using routine semen analysis according to the guidelines of the WHO and bacterial pathogens analysis by culture and in‐house PCR assay. The overall prevalence of bacteriospermia in semen samples was 56.9% independent of the presence of leukocytes. The most common bacterial species detected were Chlamydia trachomatis (41.4%), Ureaplasma urealyticum (15.5%) and Mycoplasma hominis (10.3%). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the sensitivity/specificity for detecting bacteria at a cut off level of ≥1 × 106 leukocytes per ml (which is the WHO defined level for leukocytospermia) was 20.3%/81.5%. The highest sensitivity/specificity ratio was found in semen samples with a cut‐off level of ≥0.275 × 106 leukocytes per ml, which is best shown with the odds ratio of 2.47. A significant correlation was found between bacteriospermia and leukocytospermia at the cut‐off level of ≥0.275 × 106 leukocytes per ml of semen samples (P = 0.032). We proposed that this is a possible new cut‐off level to predict the presence of bacteria in semen of infertile men.
Stroke in diabetic and non‐diabetic patients: Course and prognostic value of admission serum glucose

Background, Aims. Whether diabetes mellitus affects the prognosis of stroke patients, and whether admission hyperglycemia influences prognosis similarly in diabetic as in non‐diabetic patients is assessed controversially. The aims of the study were: 1) to compare the course of diabetic and non‐diabetic acute stroke patients, and 2) to assess the influence of admission serum glucose levels on case fatality. Methods. In 57 Austrian medical departments the hospital course of consecutive stroke patients was documented prospectively between June 1999 and October 2000. Results. Two hundred and ninety‐six (30%) of 992 patients had a history of diabetes mellitus. Intracerebral hemorrhage was more frequent in non‐diabetic patients than diabetic (13% versus 5%, P = 0.0001). Coronary heart disease was more frequent in diabetic than in non‐diabetic patients (35% versus 24%, P = 0.0003). The case fatality was 18% among non‐diabetic and 16% among diabetic patients (P = 0.3559). Among patients who were discharged alive, the Barthel Index increased from 50 to 90 in non‐diabetic and from 45 to 75 in diabetic patients (P = 0.0403). In non‐diabetic patients, admission serum glucose>9.2 mmol/L was associated with a more than 4‐fold increase in case fatality, compared with patients with serum glucose<5.7 mmol/L (P<0.0001). Conclusions. Diabetic stroke patients need special care since they tend to have a poorer recovery than non‐diabetic patients. Admission hyperglycemia in non‐diabetic acute stroke patients predicts a poor prognosis.
M3-mAChR Stimulation Exerts Anti-apoptotic Effect Via Activating the HIF-1&agr;/HO-1/VEGF Signaling Pathway in H9c2 Rat Ventricular Cells

Background: The protective role of M3-mAChR against apoptosis has been identified previously. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study was performed to clarify the signaling pathways of the anti-apoptotic effect mediated by activation of M3-mAChR in cultured cardiac H9c2 cells. Methods: Both H9c2 rat ventricular cells and H9c2 cells with stable expression of M3-mAChR were used. Results: Activation of M3-mAChR by cabarchol produced protective effect on etoposide-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. Forced overexpression of M3-mAChR in H9c2 cells further enhanced this effect. Application of 4-diphenyl-acetoxy-N-methyl-piperidine methiodide (inhibitor of M3-mAChR), YC-1 [inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor 1, (HIF-1], or ZnPP (inhibitor of heme oxygenase-1)abrogated carbacol-induced cardioprotection, respectively. Moreover, the expression of HIF-1&agr;, HO-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were enhanced after the activation of M3-mAChR, and the induction of HO-1 and VEGF was reversed by HIF-1&agr; inhibitor YC-1. Conclusions: These findings indicated that M3-mAChR upregulates HO-1 and VEGF expression likely through induction of HIF-1&agr;, which at least partly underlies the cytoprotection of M3-mAChR activation in H9c2 cells.
Cytogenetic and Immunological Effects Associated with Occupational Formaldehyde Exposure

Formaldehyde (FA) is a widely used industrial chemical for which exposure is associated with nasopharyngeal and sinonasal cancer. Based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from human investigations, supporting studies on mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis, and experimental evidence in animals, FA status was recently revised and reclassified as a human carcinogen. The highest level of exposure to FA occurs in occupational settings. Although several studies reported FA ability to induce genotoxic responses in exposed workers, not all findings were conclusive. In addition, published studies on the immunological effects of FA indicate that this compound may be able to modulate immune responses, although data in exposed subjects are still preliminary. In this study a group of pathology anatomy workers exposed to FA was evaluated for cytogenetic and immunological parameters. A control group with similar sociodemographic characteristics and without known occupational exposure to FA was also included. Genotoxicity was evaluated by means of micronucleus (MN) test, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), and T-cell receptor (TCR) mutation assay. Percentages of different lymphocyte subpopulations were selected as immunotoxic biomarkers. The mean level of FA environmental exposure was 0.36 ± 0.03 ppm. MN and SCE frequencies were significantly increased in the exposed group. A significant decrease of the percentage of B cells in the exposed group was also found. Data obtained in this study indicate that genotoxic and immunotoxic increased risk due to FA occupational exposure cannot be excluded. Implementation of effective control measures along with hazard prevention campaigns may be crucial to decrease the risk.