Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resting state cortical electroencephalographic rhythms are related to gray matter volume in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Cortical gray matter volume and resting state cortical electroencephalographic rhythms are typically abnormal in subjects with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we tested the hypothesis that in amnesic MCI and AD subjects, abnormalities of EEG rhythms are a functional reflection of cortical atrophy across the disease. Eyes‐closed resting state EEG data were recorded in 57 healthy elderly (Nold), 102 amnesic MCI, and 108 AD patients. Cortical gray matter volume was indexed by magnetic resonance imaging recorded in the MCI and AD subjects according to Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative project (http://www.adni‐info.org/). EEG rhythms of interest were delta (2–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha1 (8–10.5 Hz), alpha2 (10.5–13 Hz), beta1 (13–20 Hz), beta2 (20–30 Hz), and gamma (30–40 Hz). These rhythms were indexed by LORETA. Compared with the Nold, the MCI showed a decrease in amplitude of alpha 1 sources. With respect to the Nold and MCI, the AD showed an amplitude increase of delta sources, along with a strong amplitude reduction of alpha 1 sources. In the MCI and AD subjects as a whole group, the lower the cortical gray matter volume, the higher the delta sources, the lower the alpha 1 sources. The better the score to cognitive tests the higher the gray matter volume, the lower the pathological delta sources, and the higher the alpha sources. These results suggest that in amnesic MCI and AD subjects, abnormalities of resting state cortical EEG rhythms are not epiphenomena but are strictly related to neurodegeneration (atrophy of cortical gray matter) and cognition. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognostic Significance of Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase in Saudi Patients with Mycosis Fungoides: A Retrospective Study of 47 Patients

Background: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and its advanced-stage (MF; stage IIB to IV)) has aggressive behavior. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been demonstrated to correlate with progression of malignancy specially lymphoma and leukemia. The LDH level is expected to be useful clinical tool for evaluating the progression of MF. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the pretreatment LDH as a prognostic factor in Saudi patients with Mycosis fungoides. Methods: We designed a retrospective study using biopsy-based data collected from 1997 to 2015 at King Khalid University Hospital. The correlation of LDH levels with clinical stages of Mycosis fungoides was studied. Results: Of the 47 MF patients, there were 25 male and 22 female patients for a male: female ratio of 1.4:1. The mean patient age was 39 years; 87.2% (n=31) had limited stage of MF and 12.8 (n=6) had an advanced stage >IIA. There were 13 patients with a raised LDH at the time of diagnosis. All stage IA patients had normal LDH levels while stage IB, IIA and advanced stage had 20%, 50% and 100% elevated LDH, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that high LDH level may be used as an independent prognostic factor to measure the progression of Mycosis fungoides.
How Many Nosocomial Infections are Associated with Cross-Transmission? A Prospective Cohort Study in A Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Objective: To determine the percentage of cross-transmissions in an intensive care unit (ICU) with high nosocomial infection (NI) rates according to the data of the German Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System. Setting: A 14-bed surgical ICU of a 1,300-bed, tertiary-care teaching hospital. Method: Prospective surveillance of NIs during a period of 9 months. If an NI was present, the isolates of the following indicator pathogens were stored and typed by species: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterobacter species. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed for typing of S. aureus strains and arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction was applied for the other pathogens. The presence of two indistinguishable strains in two patients was considered as one episode of cross-transmission. Results: Two hundred sixty-two patients were observed during a period of 2,444 patient-days; 96 NIs were identified in 59 patients and the overall incidence density of NI was 39.3 per 1,000 patient-days. For 104 isolates, it was possible to consider typing results. Altogether, 36 cross-transmissions have lead to NIs in other patients. That means at least 37.5% of all NIs identified were due to cross-transmissions. Conclusion: Because of the method of this study, the percentage of NIs due to cross-transmission identified for this ICU is an “at least number”. In reality, the number of cross-transmissions, and thus the number of avoidable infections, may have been even higher. However, it is difficult to assess whether the percentage of NIs due to cross-transmission determined for this ICU may be the crucial explanation for the relatively high infection rate in comparison to other surgical ICUs.
Does working with the Veder Contact Method influence the job satisfaction of caregivers? A non-randomized controlled trial in nursing homes for people with dementia

ABSTRACT Background: Person-centered care interventions can improve the quality of life and decrease behavioral problems of people with dementia. Although not convincingly proven, person-centered care interventions may benefit the caregivers as well. This study aims to gain insight into how working with the Veder Contact Method (VCM) – a new person-centered care method – influences the job satisfaction of caregivers. Methods: Within a quasi-experimental study, the job satisfaction of caregivers of six experimental wards (n = 75) was compared with caregivers of six control wards (n = 36) that applied Care-As-Usual. The Leiden Quality of Work Questionnaire (LQWQ) was filled in by caregivers in both conditions. Additionally, on the experimental wards, qualitative research, i.e. focus groups with 42 caregivers and interviews with 11 managers, was conducted to obtain a deeper understanding of the influence of applying VCM on caregivers’ job satisfaction. The transcripts were analyzed using deductive analysis. Results: No quantitatively significant differences were found on the subscales of the LQWQ: work and time pressure, job satisfaction, autonomous decision making, social support from colleagues, and social support from supervisors. From the qualitative research, some caregivers and managers reported that implementing VCM contributed to their job satisfaction and that applying VCM supported handling difficult behavior and depressed mood of residents and contributed to team building. Conclusions: No significant effects on job satisfaction were demonstrated. Qualitative findings indicate that VCM positively influences the daily work performances of nursing home caregivers. The relation between the experience of offering quality care and job satisfaction of caregivers needs further investigation.
Metformin use and asthma outcomes among patients with concurrent asthma and diabetes

Metformin is a first‐line treatment for patients with diabetes. Recent animal studies indicated that metformin can reduce airway inflammation. However, it remains unclear whether the use of metformin can help patients maintain asthma control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the use of metformin and asthma‐related outcomes, which include asthma‐related hospitalization, asthma‐related emergency room visits and asthma exacerbation, among patients with concurrent asthma and diabetes.
PREVALENCE OF AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS AT CARDIAC ARREST HIGH-RISK SITES

Objective. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) distributed throughout communities may improve survival from cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to determine if AEDs were present at high-risk locations for cardiac arrest in King County, Washington. Methods. The authors compiled a list of sites based on a five-year study that identified public sites with the highest incidence of cardiac arrests in King County. They conducted a structured telephone survey with the manager, director, or owner of those high-risk sites. Results. Of the 263 identified high-risk cardiac arrest sites, we obtained information for 228 (87%) sites. Overall, 87 of 228 (38%) high-risk sites had one or more AEDs. The AED dissemination varied greatly by type of site. The airport, the two county jails, the five public sports venues, and the nine ferries/train terminals each reported at least one AED on site. In contrast, none of the 13 shelters and 19% of health clubs/gyms reported an AED on site. Nearly half (44%) of sites without AEDs cited cost as a factor preventing them from purchasing AEDs in the future. Conclusion. Although AEDs have diffused into high-risk sites in this community, the diffusion appears to vary by the type of site.
"Gamification" from the perspective of service marketing

The developments in game industry and service design have led to an increased use of so-called game mechanics to drive customer retention and engagement outside the realm of, what can traditionally be seen as, games. This act of enhancing services with game-like features has largely been coined as „gamification‟. The phenomenon has been thus far discussed atomically, without ties to existing literature on service marketing, to which the goals of gamification are strongly related to. This paper presents a definition for gamification from the perspective of service marketing and lays ground for future studies on gamification and marketing.
Organizational Approach to Studies of Job Demands, Control and Health

This paper presents an organizational approach to studies of job demands, control, and health. The main issue is whether the two dimensions, demands and control, are rooted in organizational conditions or in factors related to the individual person. In this paper, theoretical support and empirical evidence for organizational determinants of job stress are described, and conclusions for future studies of job stress are drawn. It was concluded that organizational approaches facilitate evaluations of exposure-outcome relationships in light of contextual factors, and knowledge about the organizational factors involved in shaping healthy work conditions is of great value in preventing job stress. Therefore, several levels of data and analysis should be involved in empirical studies. In addition, more knowledge is needed about the processes that give both managers and workers in organizations the discretion to act in ways that lead to healthy workplaces.
Long-Term Virologic Response and Genotypic Resistance Mutations in HIV-1 Infected Kenyan Children on Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

Background:HIV-infected children may require the use of combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) into adulthood. However, regimens are limited to first line and second line in many African settings. Therefore, understanding the long-term rate of virologic failure and drug resistance during prolonged antiretroviral treatment is important for establishing treatment strategies in African pediatric cohorts. Methods:Children aged 18 months to 12 years initiated first-line cART and were followed every 1–3 months, for up to 5.5 years. Treatment was switched to second-line cART based on clinical and immunologic criteria according to national guidelines. Virologic failure was determined retrospectively as defined by ≥2 viral loads >5000 copies per milliliter. Drug resistance was assessed during viral failure by population-based sequencing. Results:Among 100 children on first-line cART followed for a median of 49 months, 34% children experienced virologic failure. Twenty-three (68%) of the 34 children with viral failure had detectable resistance mutations, of whom 14 (61%) had multiclass resistance. Fourteen (14%) children were switched to second-line regimens and followed for a median of 28 months. Retrospective analysis revealed that virologic failure had occurred at a median of 12 months before switching to second line. During prolonged first-line treatment in the presence of viral failure, additional resistance mutations accumulated; however, only 1 (7%) of 14 children had persistent viremia during second-line treatment. Discussion:Virologic suppression was maintained on first-line cART in two-thirds of HIV-infected children for up to 5 years. Switch to second line based on clinical/immunologic criteria occurred ∼1 year after viral failure, but the delay did not consistently compromise second-line treatment.
Associations between antiretroviral use and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis

Objectives:HIV infection is associated with increased prevalence of subclinical coronary plaque. The extent to which such plaque reflects effects of HIV infection or effects of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) use remains unclear and was the goal of this analysis. Design and methods:We compared the prevalence and extent of coronary plaque and stenosis between users of specific ART drugs or drug classes using coronary computed tomography (CT) among HIV-infected men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. To account for time-dependent confounders, including cardiovascular disease risk factors and time-varying reasons for using specific treatments, we conducted fully adjusted logistic and linear models with inverse probability of treatment weighting. Results:There were 618 men who underwent noncontrast coronary CT; 450 also underwent coronary CT angiography. At the time of scanning, 81% had undetectable plasma HIV RNA. In fully adjusted models, cumulative use of zidovudine, abacavir, darunavir, and protease inhibitors as a drug class were inconsistently associated with specific forms of plaque presence or extent. Conclusion:Among virally suppressed HIV-infected men with extensive ART exposure, no consistent associations between use of specific ART drugs and both subclinical coronary plaque presence and extent were apparent. Our findings support the hypothesis that, among virally suppressed persons, type of ART used is not in general a major determinant of subclinical coronary plaque risk.
Mosaicism in the expression of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens in human colonic and gastric cancers.

Serial sequential sections from a single tumor were examined by immunohistological staining with several monoclonal antibodies directed, respectively, to different tumor-associated carbohydrate epitopes. Staining patterns were compared with those of conventional staining with hematoxylin-eosin or periodate/Schiff's reagent. Each tumor showed different areas of staining with different antibodies, and the combined staining map shows a clear mosaicism of antigen expression within the same tumor. For example, some areas of a given tumor were stained by FH4 (defining dimeric Le(x)), while other complementary areas were strongly stained, in a mutually exclusive manner, by SH1 (defining Le(x)), AH6 (defining Le(y)), FH6 (defining sialosyl dimeric (Le(x)), or TKH2 (defining sialosyl-Tn). Some areas were stained by two or three of these antibodies. Comparisons of the mosaic-staining patterns with cytohistological properties of tumor cells within specific areas suggested that the pattern of antigen expression is correlated with degree of differentiation; e.g., poorly-differentiated cells with severe dysplasia did not express high levels of Le(x) or Le(y) but did express sialyl-Le(x) or dimeric Le(x); on the other hand, moderately or well-differentiated tumor cells in some areas expressed high levels of Le(x) or Le(y) but lower levels of sialyl-Le(x). Areas showing strong expression of sialyl-Tn in their secretions were consistently correlated with presence of well-differentiated tumor cells, whereas secretions from normal mucosae were consistently characterized by lack of sialyl-Tn expression. It is postulated that the original in situ tumors (which had homogeneous glycosylation patterns) evolved into several spatially discrete cell populations displaying different degrees of glycosylation, reflecting stages of tumor cell differentiation and progression.
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli associated with a foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis.

This study investigated two foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis that occurred 10 days apart among individuals who had meals at the restaurant of a farm holiday resort. Mild gastrointestinal symptoms were reported and none of the patients needed hospitalization. Mean incubation times were 45 and 33 h, and the overall attack rates were 43.5 and 58.3%, respectively. Stool sample examination was negative for common enteric pathogens in both outbreaks. Specimens from 13 people involved in the second outbreak and 3 restaurant staff were examined for diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli. An enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) strain of serotype O92:H33 was isolated from six participants and one member of staff. In particular, the EAEC strain was isolated from five of the six cases of diarrhoea examined. The strain showed an aggregative pattern of adherence to HEp-2 cells, did not produce a biofilm and possessed the virulence-related genes aat, aggR, aap and set1A, but not the astA gene. A retrospective cohort study indicated a pecorino cheese made with unpasteurized sheep milk as the possible source (P<0.001). Samples of the cheese had E. coli counts higher than 10(6) c.f. u. g(-1), but the outbreak EAEC strain was not isolated. This report confirms that EAEC infections are probably underdiagnosed because of the limited availability of laboratories capable of identifying this group of pathogenic E. coli.
Effect of anastrozole on bone mineral density: 5-year results from the 'Arimidex', Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination (ATAC) trial.

511 Background: Since reporting the 1- and 2-year results from the ATAC trial bone sub-protocol, 68-month analysis results from the main ATAC trial have shown that, for postmenopausal women with invasive primary breast cancer, adjuvant treatment with anastrozole results in superior efficacy and tolerability compared with tamoxifen. Here we report 5-year bone mineral density (BMD) results from the monotherapy arms (anastrozole, n=81; tamoxifen, n=86) of the bone sub-protocol. METHODS Lumbar spine and total hip BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after 1, 2, and 5 years. RESULTS The median percentage changes in BMD at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively, are shown in the table . Percentage changes in BMD from baseline to 5 years showed a statistically significant difference in favor of tamoxifen for both lumbar spine (treatment effect [percentage decrease of BMD on anastrozole relative to tamoxifen] -8.1; 95% confidence intervals [CI] -10.1, -6.1; p<0.0001) and total hip (treatment effect -7.4; 95% CI -9.6, -5.3; p<0.0001). For patients with data at baseline, 2, and 5 years, the rate of loss of lumbar spine BMD in the anastrozole group was significantly less from 2 to 5 years than from baseline to 2 years (mean difference in annual rate of change 0.0113, 95% CI 0.006, 0.017; p=0.0002), but there was no evidence of slowing down in the loss of total hip BMD. Five patients with osteopenia at baseline developed osteoporosis on treatment with anastrozole (4) or tamoxifen (1). No patients with normal BMD at baseline became osteoporotic at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Significant bone loss occurred throughout the 5 years in the anastrozole group, although there appeared to be a slowing down of the rate of bone loss in years 2-5. Although no patients with normal BMD at baseline had become osteoporotic at 5 years, regular monitoring of BMD and bone protection strategies are likely to be required in patients receiving anastrozole in the presence of pre-existing osteopenia. [Table: see text] [Table: see text].
Properties and mutation studies of a bacteriophage-derived chimeric recombinant staphylolytic protein P128

P128 is a chimeric anti-staphylococcal protein having a catalytic domain from a Staphylococcus bacteriophage K tail associated structural protein and a cell wall targeting domain from the Staphylococcus bacteriocin-lysostaphin. In this study, we disclose additional properties of P128 and compared the same with lysostaphin. While lysostaphin was found to get inactivated by heat and was inactive on its parent strain S. simulans biovar staphylolyticus, P128 was thermostable and was lytic towards S. simulans biovar staphylolyticus demonstrating a difference in their mechanism of action. Selected mutation studies of the catalytic domain of P128 showed that arginine and cysteine, at 40th and 76th positions respectively, are critical for the staphylolytic activity of P128, although these amino acids are not conserved residues. In comparison to native P128, only the R40S mutant (P301) was catalytically active on zymogram gel and had a similar secondary structure, as assessed by circular dichroism analysis and in silico modeling with similar cell binding properties. Mutation of the arginine residue at 40th position of the P128 molecule caused dramatic reduction in the Vmax (∆OD600 [mg/min]) value (nearly 270 fold) and the recombinant lysostaphin also showed lesser Vmax value (nearly 1.5 fold) in comparison to the unmodified P128 protein. The kinetic parameters such as apparent Km (Km APP) and apparent Kcat (KcatAPP) of the native P128 protein also showed significant differences in comparison to the values observed for P301 and lysostaphin.
Elevated levels of β‐chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of individuals infected with human T lymphotropic virus type‐1 (HTLV‐1)

Pulmonary complications are known to develop in HTLV‐1 carriers, including T lymphocytic alveolitis, and increased IL‐2 receptor α (CD25)‐bearing T cells have been found in BALF. Several chemokines may contribute to accumulation of T lymphocytes in the lungs of HTLV‐1 carriers. Here, we compared the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets and β‐chemokines, such as macrophage inflammatory peptide‐1α (MIP‐1α), regulated on activation normal T expressed and secreted (RANTES), and macrophage chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), in BALF and peripheral blood between HTLV‐1 carriers and non‐infected healthy normal subjects. Flow cytometric analysis with MoAbs to cell surface antigens was used to identify T lymphocyte subsets in BALF samples from HTLV‐1 carriers (n = 13) and non‐infected healthy controls (n = 10). The levels of different β‐chemokines were estimated by ELISA. High percentages of CD3+ cells, CD3 expressing HLA‐DR antigen and CD3+CD25+ cells were detected in BALF of HTLV‐1 carriers compared with non‐infected controls. The concentration of MIP‐1α in BALF of patients was significantly higher than in non‐infected healthy controls and correlated well with the percentage of CD3+CD25+ cells. The level of RANTES in BALF was also significantly high in HTLV‐1 carriers, but did not correlate with the percentage of CD3+CD25+ cells. On the other hand, the level of MCP‐1 in BALF of HTLV‐1 carriers was not different from that of controls. Our results suggest a possible interaction between activated T cells bearing CD25 and β‐chemokines, especially MIP‐1α, which may contribute to the pulmonary involvement in HTLV‐1 carriers.