Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Aspergillus and Mucorales PCR Testing of Different Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Fractions from Patients with Suspected Invasive Pulmonary Fungal Disease

ABSTRACT In patients with hematological malignancies, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens are commonly used for the diagnosis of mold infections. However, it is not clear whether the cell pellet (P) or the supernatant fraction (S) of the BALF specimen is optimal for molecular diagnostic testing. Thus, 99 BALF specimens were collected from 96 hematology patients with or without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The cell pellets and supernatants were processed alone and in combination (S/P) for testing by two fungus-specific real-time PCR assays compliant with international recommendations. The results achieved with S/P were revealed to be superior in comparison to those achieved with S and P alone, with the use of each single fraction showing a reduced sensitivity for the detection of Aspergillus DNA (82% and 43% for S and P, respectively). In 57% of the samples, testing of the combination of S and P generated a lower quantification cycle value than testing of S or P alone. Molds would have been missed in 5 and 16 out of 28 samples if only S or P, respectively, was analyzed. No sample was positive by testing of S or P only. Similar results were obtained for the detection of Mucorales DNA in BALF specimens (reduced sensitivity of 67% and 50% for S and P, respectively). Study patients were categorized according to the current European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group classification for invasive fungal disease (IFD), revealing that 35 patients had proven/probable IFD (36%), 47 patients had possible IFD (49%), and 14 patients had undetermined IFD (15%).
Patient characteristics in cases of chronic severe heart failure with different degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

It has not been determined previously whether patients with severe chronic congestive heart failure differ in demographic characteristics with respect to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVD). In patients with severe chronic congestive heart failure in NYHA IV, an optional protocol in the CONSENSUS-I trial was designed to ascertain whether there were any differences in patient characteristics regarding the degree of LVD defined as left ventricular fractional shortening (FS). A subgroup of 54 patients from the CONSENSUS-I trial were evaluated with M-mode echocardiography. Patients with FS above median (14%) were older (74 +/- 7 vs. 68 +/- 7, p < 0.01), more often female (48 vs. 15%, p < 0.05) and had lower heart rates (77 +/- 15 vs. 95 +/- 17, p < 0.01). Analysis of the 2-year follow-up from the end of the trial was also performed. In the placebo group, patients with FS > 14% had significantly better prognosis than patients with FS < 14%. In the enalapril-treated group no such difference in survival was seen. The difference between the original treatment groups remained, despite the fact that treatment with enalapril was then made available to all surviving patients. In conclusion, patients with advanced chronic congestive heart failure and less severe LVD have different demographic characteristics than patients with more severe LVD. In the placebo group, but not in the enalapril group, prognosis was better in patients with less severe LVD.
Transmission of Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria to Health Care Worker Gowns and Gloves during Care of Nursing Home Residents in Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers

ABSTRACT The objectives of the study were to estimate the risk of transmission of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (RGNB) to gowns and gloves (G&G) worn by health care workers (HCWs) when providing care to nursing home residents and to identify the types of care and resident characteristics associated with transmission. A multicenter, prospective observational study was conducted with residents and HCWs from Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing homes. Perianal swabs to detect RGNB were collected from residents. HCWs wore G&G during usual care activities, and the G&G were swabbed at the end of the interaction in a standardized manner. Transmission of RGNB from a colonized resident to G&G by type of care was measured. Odds ratios (ORs) associated with type of care or resident characteristics were estimated. Fifty-seven (31%) of 185 enrolled residents were colonized with ≥1 RGNB. RGNB transmission to HCW gloves or gowns occurred during 9% of the interactions (n = 905): 7% to only gloves and 2% to only gowns. Bathing the resident and providing hygiene and toilet assistance were associated with a high risk of transmission. Glucose monitoring and assistance with feeding or medication were associated with a low risk of transmission. In addition, antibiotic use by the resident was strongly associated with greater transmission (OR, 2.51; P < 0.01). RGNB were transferred to HCWs during ∼9% of visits. High-risk types of care were identified for which use of G&G may be prioritized. Antibiotic use was associated with 2.5 times greater risk of transmission, emphasizing the importance of antibiotic stewardship. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01350479.)
A Conditional Economic Incentive Fails to Improve Linkage to Care and Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Among HIV‐Positive Adults in Cape Town, South Africa

&NA; Interventions to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) access are urgently needed to maximize the multiple benefits from ART. This pilot study examined the effect of a conditional economic incentive on linkage to care and uptake of treatment following ART referral by a mobile health clinic. Between April 2015 and May 2016, 86 individuals (≥18 years old) referred for ART in a resource‐limited setting were randomized (1:1) to a control group or to an incentive: R300 cash (˜$23, or 3.5 days minimum wage in the domestic worker sector), conditional upon starting ART within 3 months. Outcome data were obtained from clinic records. The incentive effects on linkage to care (first clinic visit within 3 months) and ART initiation (treatment uptake within 3 months) were assessed using logistic regression. Overall, 67% linked to care and 42% initiated ART within 3 months after referral. No significant differences were found between the incentive and non‐incentive group in terms of linkage to care [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26‐1.91] and initiation of ART (aOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.26‐1.78). Ordinary least‐squares regression analysis showed that incentivized individuals linked to care in fewer days (‐7.9, 95% CI: ‐18.09 to 2.26) and started treatment in fewer days (‐7.3, 95% CI: ‐27.01 to 12.38), but neither result was statistically significant. Our findings demonstrate poor treatment uptake by both the intervention and control participants and further highlight the challenge in achieving universal early treatment access. Further research is required to understand how economic incentives, which have been shown to have many benefits, can be applied to improve linkage to HIV care and treatment.
GFZF, a Glutathione S-Transferase Protein Implicated in Cell Cycle Regulation and Hybrid Inviability, Is a Transcriptional Coactivator

ABSTRACT The core promoters of protein-encoding genes play a central role in regulating transcription. M1BP is a transcriptional activator that associates with a core promoter element known as Motif 1 that resides at thousands of genes in Drosophila. To gain insight into how M1BP functions, we identified an interacting protein called GFZF. GFZF had been previously identified in genetic screens for factors involved in maintenance of hybrid inviability, the G2-M DNA damage checkpoint, and RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, but its contribution to these processes was unknown. Here, we show that GFZF resides in the nucleus and functions as a transcriptional coactivator. In addition, we show that GFZF is a glutathione S-transferase (GST). Thus, GFZF is the first transcriptional coactivator with intrinsic GST activity, and its identification as a transcriptional coactivator provides an explanation for its role in numerous biological processes.
Is saphenous nerve radio frequency an effective treatment for advanced gonarthrosis in elders with cardiac comorbidity?

BACKGROUND Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) used for knee pain originating from osteoarthritis is one of these methods. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate the knee functional status and pain palliation following the application of pulse radiofrequency in patients with cardiac comorbid disease who were diagnosed with advanced stage osteoarthritis. METHODS Thirty-eight patients with high surgical risk having cardiac comorbidities with grade 3-4 gonarthrosis according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification were retrospectively analyzed. PRF was applied to the saphenous nerve of each patient. Visual Analog Scale for knee pain evaluation both at rest and on movement and the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale for function evaluation were used. The patient status was evaluated before the procedure and at the first and sixth months after the procedure. RESULTS The mean age was 68.8 years (range, 53-82 years). Both the rest and movement post-procedural Visual Analog Scale scores at first and sixth months were significantly lower than pre-procedural values (p< 0.001). A statistically significant improvement was also determined when pre- and one and six months post-procedural Lysholm scores were compared (p< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS PRF is a safe and function sparing minimally invasive pain palliation method for knee osteoarthritis in elders with cardiac comorbidity.
Subchondral Trabecular Rod Loss and Plate Thickening in the Development of Osteoarthritis

Developing effective treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent and disabling disease, has remained a challenge, primarily because of limited understanding of its pathogenesis and late diagnosis. In the subchondral bone, rapid bone loss after traumatic injuries and bone sclerosis at the advanced stage of OA are well‐recognized hallmarks of the disease. Recent studies have further demonstrated the crucial contribution of subchondral bone in the development of OA. However, the microstructural basis of these bone changes has not been examined thoroughly, and the paradox of how abnormal resorption can eventually lead to bone sclerosis remains unanswered. By applying a novel microstructural analysis technique, individual trabecula segmentation (ITS), to micro‐computed tomography (μCT) images of human OA knees, we have identified a drastic loss of rod‐like trabeculae and thickening of plate‐like trabeculae that persisted in all regions of the tibial plateau, underneath both severely damaged and still intact cartilage. The simultaneous reduction in trabecular rods and thickening of trabecular plates provide important insights to the dynamic and paradoxical subchondral bone changes observed in OA. Furthermore, using an established guinea pig model of spontaneous OA, we discovered similar trabecular rod loss and plate thickening that preceded cartilage degradation. Thus, our study suggests that rod‐and‐plate microstructural changes in the subchondral trabecular bone may play an important role in the development of OA and that advanced microstructural analysis techniques such as ITS are necessary in detecting these early but subtle changes. With emerging high‐resolution skeletal imaging modalities such as the high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR‐pQCT), trabecular rod loss identified by ITS could potentially be used as a marker in assessing the progression of OA in future longitudinal studies or clinical diagnosis. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birth weight infants

Skin‐to‐skin contact, otherwise known as Kangaroo Maternity Care (KMC), is where the baby is placed skin‐to‐skin after birth with a parent. The documented benefits of this practice are that the baby's temperature, heart and breathing rates are more stable, and the baby's blood sugar more elevated, it supports optimal brain development and facilitates attachment, which promotes the infant's self‐regulation over time (Puig & Sguassero, 2007), as well as increased lactogenesis (Díaz‐Rossello & Ferreira‐Castro, 2008). Kangaroo Maternity Care has been proposed as an alternative to conventional neonatal care for low birth weight (LBW) infants. Low birth weight is defined as weight at birth of less than 2500 g, irrespective of gestational age, and is a major contributor to both neonatal and child mortality (Lawn et al., 2014; UNICEF, 2015). Conventional neonatal care of LBW infants is expensive and requires both highly skilled personnel and permanent logistical support. Kangaroo Maternity Care has been proposed as an alternative to conventional neonatal care of LBW infants. The purpose is to empower the mother/parent by gradually facilitating the responsibility for meeting every physical and emotional need of the infant (Nyqvist et al., 2010). Some researchers have claimed that KMC is the best option if neonatal care units are unavailable or if they are overwhelmed by demand, and would allow rationalization of resources by freeing up incubators for sicker infants. The intervention assumes that the mother maintains the infant's body temperature and is the main source of nutrition and stimulation, which are the main components of conventional neonatal care.
Effects of Resistance Training of Peripheral Muscles Versus Respiratory Muscles in Older Adults With Sarcopenia Who are Institutionalized: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study compares the effects of two resistance training programs in peripheral and respiratory musculature on muscle mass and strength and physical performance and identifies the appropriate muscle mass parameter for assessing the intervention effects. Thirty-seven institutionalized older Spanish adults with sarcopenia were analyzed: control group (n = 17), respiratory muscle training group (n = 9), and peripheral muscle training group (n = 11). Measured outcomes were appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM/height2, ASM/weight, and ASM/BMI), isometric knee extension, arm flexion and handgrip strength, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and gait speed pre- and postintervention. Trained groups participated in a 12-week program and improved in maximum static inspiratory pressure, maximum static expiratory pressure, knee extension, and arm flexion (p < .05), whereas nonsignificant changes were found in gait speed and ASM indexes pre- and postintervention in the three groups. In conclusion, resistance training improved skeletal muscle strength in the studied population, and any ASM index was found to be appropriate for detecting changes after physical interventions.
A waiting time of 7 min is sufficient to reduce bleeding in oculoplastic surgery following the administration of epinephrine together with local anaesthesia

The time taken to reach maximal haemostatic effect following local anaesthesia with epinephrine is generally believed to be <10 min. This is based on clinical experience and indirect measurements of perfusion using methods such as laser Doppler flowmetry and oxygen spectroscopy. However, the only study in which bleeding has been measured quantitatively in an intra‐operative setting in humans showed that the full haemostatic effect was not achieved until 30 min after anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine the time taken to reach maximum haemostatic effect when using epinephrine for local anaesthesia in oculoplastic surgery.
Comparison of Neurological and Cognitive Deficits in Children With ADHD and Anxiety Disorders

Objective:To compare the neuro-cognitive profiles among initial clinic referred medication naive sample of children with anxiety disorders (ANXs) and ADHD in a youth sample. Method: Three groups of patients, ANX (n = 40), ADHD (n = 48), and ANX + ADHD (n = 33), aged 7 to 12 years, were compared with respect to their Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle Signs (PANESS) and cognitive measures (digit span, digit symbol, Trail Making Test [TMT]-A and TMT-B, Stroop test). Results: ADHD group performed worse than the other two groups with regard to soft signs and cognitive test performance; ANX + ADHD were impaired relative to ANX but better than ADHD. Significant differences were found for gait and station problems, overflows and timed movements, TMT error points, and Stroop interference scores. ADHD patients had more difficulty in warding off irrelevant responses and lower speed of time-limited movements. Conclusion: This clinical evaluation study suggested that ANX and ADHD seem to have significantly different neuro-cognitive features: Poorest outcomes were observed among children with ADHD; rather than problems of attention, inhibitory control deficits were the most prominent differences between ANX and ADHD; and the presence of ANX appears to have mitigating effect on ADHD-related impairments.
Prognosis of adult obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with different morphological types after surgical myectomy†

OBJECTIVES This study aims to assess the impact of morphological type on the prognosis of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients who underwent myectomy. METHODS We recruited 469 obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients refractory to medicinal treatment who have undergone surgical myectomy at a nationwide referral centre. All patients were divided into 3 groups based on the morphological classification of left ventricular hypertrophy and were followed up by telephone every year. The primary end-points were sudden cardiac death, aborted sudden cardiac death and death due to heart failure or stroke. The secondary end-points were non-fatal cardiovascular events. RESULTS Typical hypertrophy limited to the basal septum, hypertrophy of the whole ventricular septum and hypertrophy that involved the whole left ventricle were presented in 248 (52.9%), 141 (30.1%) and 80 (17.0%) patients, respectively. During the follow-up of 2.5 ± 1.4 years after myectomy, 10 (2.1%) and 43 (9.2%) patients met the primary end-point and secondary end-points, respectively. The maximal thickness of the ventricular septum, the left ventricular mass and the presence of extensive late gadolinium enhancement were lower in patients with hypertrophy limited to the basal septum than in other patients. Patients with the basal septum hypertrophy showed better survival after myectomy compared with other patients. For the secondary and composite end-points, there was no significant difference between the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients with hypertrophy limited to the basal septum represented a special clinical subtype of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy showing better clinical outcomes, while diffuse hypertrophy of the ventricular septum and free wall indicated lower survival after surgical myectomy.
Dog Ownership and Dog Walking: The Relationship With Exercise, Depression, and Hopelessness in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

Background:Dog ownership has been associated with increased physical activity in the general adult population. Objective:The objective of this study was to examine dog ownership and dog walking and their relationship with home-based and phase II cardiac rehabilitation exercise, depression, and hopelessness in patients with ischemic heart disease. Methods:A total of 122 patients with ischemic heart disease were included in this prospective observational study. Patients completed dog ownership/walking questions during their hospitalization. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Participation Tool, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and State-Trait Hopelessness Scale were completed by mail at 3, 8, or 12 months later. Regression modeling was used to evaluate the significance of dog ownership/walking on exercise, depression and hopelessness. Results:The sample was 34.4% female and had a mean age of 64.7 ± 9.1 years. Forty-two patients (34.4%) reported owning a dog. Patients who owned but did not walk their dog reported significantly lower levels of home exercise compared with patients who walked their dogs at least 1 day per week (36.8% for non–dog walkers vs 73.9% for dog walkers, P = .019). The odds of participating in home exercise were significantly higher for dog walkers compared with non–dog walkers (odds ratio, 8.1 [1.7, 38.5] vs 1.0). There were no differences in phase II cardiac rehabilitation exercise, depression, or hopelessness between dog owners and non–dog owners or between dog walkers and non–dog walkers. Conclusions:These findings show a beneficial effect on home-based exercise for those who dog-walk at least 1 day per week. Healthcare professionals should encourage dog walking to increase dog owners' physical activity levels.
Nutritional Determinants of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in Mexico

Background: Variations in the incidence of cancer can be influenced by diet and specific lifestyles. In the last years, diet has been evaluated as an important factor in the development of ovarian cancer, even though the results have not been consistent. Dietary factors related to the risk of ovarian cancer in Mexican women were evaluated. Methods: A case-control study in Mexico City was done during 1995–1997 in a social security hospital, evaluating 84 new cases of ovarian cancer and 629 controls. A validated questionnaire with 116 items about the frequency and type of food intake was used. The analysis of nutrients was done with the residual method adjusted for total energy intake and other predictor variables through logistic regression methods. Also, partition models estimated the total caloric intake for other sources. Results: The nutrients negatively associated with ovarian cancer in the highest versus the lowest tertile were retinol (OR 0.52; p for trend = 0.03) and vitamin D (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.23–0.80; p = 0.01; residual model). Additionally, carbohydrates were positively associated (partition model: OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.00–1.15), and tortilla intake did not show an association with ovarian cancer (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.78–1.17). Conclusions: The diet of the Mexican population is rich in carbohydrates; in Mexico corn intake is the main energy source. On the other hand, vitamins such as retinol and vitamin D were shown to be associated with this neoplasm in a protective way; nevertheless, further studies are necessary to allow us to corroborate our results. This is the first attempt in our country that relates the Mexican diet to ovarian cancer.
Modern Electronic Devices: An Increasingly Common Cause of Skin Disorders in Consumers

&NA;The modern conveniences and enjoyment brought about by electronic devices bring with them some health concerns. In particular, personal electronic devices are responsible for rising cases of several skin disorders, including pressure, friction, contact dermatitis, and other physical dermatitis. The universal use of such devices, either for work or recreational purposes, will probably increase the occurrence of polymorphous skin manifestations over time. It is important for clinicians to consider electronics as potential sources of dermatological ailments, for proper patient management. We performed a literature review on skin disorders associated with the personal use of modern technology, including personal computers and laptops, personal computer accessories, mobile phones, tablets, video games, and consoles.