Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term safety of nebulized formoterol: Results of a twelve-month open-label clinical trial

Formoterol fumarate is a long-acting β2-agonist that is an effective bronchodilator for the maintenance management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The safety profile of the newly developed nebulized formoterol was evaluated over a twelve-month period in an open-label, active-control study. After completing a twelve-week double-blind double-dummy period, 569 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease entered an open-label extension study and received twice-daily 20 µg formoterol fumarate inhalation solution for nebulization (FFIS) or 12 µg formoterol fumarate dry powder inhalation (FA) for 52 weeks. Most of the FFIS-treated subjects (86%) completed at least six months of open-label treatment with over 90% compliance, comparable to the FA group (88%). Results of safety monitoring for adverse events, laboratory values, and cardiac changes were similar between treatment groups. Three hundred forty (73%) of FFIS-treated subjects and 83 (78%) of FA-treated subjects experienced an adverse event over the course of the study, the majority of which were mild to moderate and considered unrelated to treatment. COPD exacerbation occurred in 15.8% of FFIS-treated and 17.9% of FA-treated subjects. Deaths, serious adverse events, and discontinuations for adverse events occurred in 1.3, 16.2, and 5.4% of the nebulized group versus 1.9, 17.9, and 7.5% of the inhaled group, respectively. There were no clinically important changes from baseline in laboratory tests, including serum potassium and glucose, or vital signs and no treatment-related increases in cardiac arrhythmias, heart rate, or QTc prolongation. We conclude that nebulized formoterol fumarate twice daily is well tolerated over long-term treatment in moderate-to-severe COPD subjects and has a similar safety profile to the DPI formulation.
Factors Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infections in Men and Women

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains a serious healthcare problem costing approximately 13 billion dollars annually to treat. Men and women who contract STIs have a higher risk for reinfection and for developing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Determining the risk factors associated with STIs in a community would be helpful in designing culturally appropriate tailored interventions to reduce spread of STIs. Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to determine the frequency and type of STIs, as well as to determine the predictor variables associated with STIs among those seeking treatment at a local inner city health unit. Method: A total of 237 medical records were reviewed from a STI clinic. The sample comprised 119 men and 118 women, of whom 70.9% were African American. The mean age was 27, and 38% had a prior STI. Men used significantly more condoms (χ2 = 24.28, p = 0.000), had more sexual partners (χ2 = 18.36, p = 0.003), and had more prior infections of gonorrhea (χ2 = 10.04, p =0.002) than women. Women had significantly more prior infections of Chlamydia (χ2 = 11.74, p = 0.001). Using no type of birth control measures (pills, diaphragm, implants) was a significant predictor of number of sexual partners (t = 2.441, p < 0.015), but negatively associated with condom use (t = −12.290, p < 0.000). Conclusions: Over one-third had a prior STI, indicating that individuals do not perceive themselves to be at risk for another STI, and choose not to use condoms. Reasons why individuals continue to put themselves at risk need to be explored in gender specific focus groups so that tailored sexual risk reduction programs can be designed to meet the needs of different communities.
Analytic and clinical validation of a standardized cystatin C particle enhanced turbidimetric assay (PETIA) to estimate glomerular filtration rate

Abstract Background: Cystatin C is an alternative biomarker for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR), yet lack of standardization could hinder its widespread use. In this study we analytically and clinically validated a newer cystatin C particle-enhanced turbidimetric assay (PETIA) traceable to a certified reference material and compared it to the more commonly used particle-enhanced nephelometric assay (PENIA). Methods: Samples from four patient cohorts at the Mayo Clinic were studied: 1) clinical convenience samples (n=50); 2) samples from patients undergoing iothalamate urinary clearance testing for clinical indications (n=101); 3) volunteers without kidney disease (n=292); 4) samples from 1999–2000 with previous cystatin C measurements. Results: The cystatin C PETIA was analytically robust between 0.15 mg/L and 8.36 mg/L. PETIA cystatin C values were 27.5% higher than PENIA results. Furthermore, PENIA results were 12.9% lower in 2010 than in 2000. PETIA cystatin C values and existing equations performed reasonably well to estimate GFR with an overall –7.4% bias for all patients analyzed. Age and gender specific reference intervals were established for the PETIA cystatin C. Conclusions: Cystatin C can be precisely measured by PETIA traceable to the international reference material, ERM-DA471/IFCC, using a routine chemistry autoanalyzer. There are important biases between this assay and the widely employed Siemens PENIA. This study highlights the importance of assay standardization if cystatin C is to be widely used to estimate GFR.
The Watermark Benchmark for Underwater Acoustic Modulation Schemes

Watermark is a freely available benchmark for physical-layer schemes for underwater acoustic communications. It allows researchers to test and compare algorithms for the physical layer under realistic and reproducible conditions. The benchmark is a shell around the validated channel simulator Mime, which is driven by at-sea measurements of the time-varying impulse response. The first release of Watermark is issued with a library of channels measured in Norway (two sites), France, and Hawaii, offering three frequency bands (4–8, 10–18, and 32.5–37.5 kHz), single-hydrophone and array receivers, and play times varying from 33 s to 33 min.
Contingent negative variation and individual differences. A new approach in brain research.

Contingent negative variation (CNV) is a slow surface-negative cortical potential in the human brain that is related to individual differences in psychological functions. Major sources of interindividual variability in CNV development among normal adults, children, and psychiatric patients involve attention and arousal functions. Consequently, a two-process theoretical model is postulated to account for individual differences in CNV, namely, that CNV amplitude is positively and monotonically related to attention functions and nonmonotonically (inverted- U ) related to arousal functions. CNV also appears to be reflecting motor processes. Although CNV is a potentially useful tool in psychiatric research, eye movements can drastically alter CNV and are a serious methodological problem requiring further study. The neurophysiological genesis of CNV involves both cortical (apical dendrites in upper layers of frontal cortex) and subcortical (brain stem reticular formation) mechanisms.
Prevalence and Severity of Hepatopulmonary Syndrome and Its Influence on Survival in Cirrhotic Patients Evaluated for Liver Transplantation

The prevalence of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and its influence on survival before and after liver transplantation (LT) remain controversial. Additionally, the chronology of post‐LT reversibility is unclear. This study prospectively analyzed 316 patients with cirrhosis who were evaluated for LT in 2002–2007; 177 underwent LT at a single reference hospital. HPS was defined by a partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) <70 mmHg and/or an alveolar‐arterial oxygen gradient (A‐a PO2) ≥20 mmHg in the supine position and positive contrast echocardiography. The prevalence of HPS was 25.6% (81/316 patients), and most patients (92.6%) had mild or moderate HPS. High Child‐Pugh scores and the presence of ascites were independently associated with HPS. Patients with and without HPS did not significantly differ in LT waiting list survival (mean 34.6 months vs. 41.6 months, respectively; log‐rank, p = 0.13) or post‐LT survival (mean 45 months vs. 47.6 months, respectively; log‐rank, p = 0.62). HPS was reversed in all cases within 1 year after LT. One‐fourth of the patients with cirrhosis who were evaluated for LT had HPS (mostly mild to moderate); the presence of HPS did not affect LT waiting list survival. HPS was always reversed after LT, and patient prognosis did not worsen.
Percutaneous core needle biopsy of radial scars of the breast.

275 Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Radial Scars of the Breast We read with interest the article by Brenner et al. [1] on core needle biopsy of radial scars or complex sclerosing lesions of the breast. We agree with the author’s conclusion that the histologic finding of radial scar on core biopsy does not necessarily warrant excision. Our experience in nine patients who had a primary histopathologic diagnosis of radial scar on core biopsy (five presented radiologically as calcifications; two, as architectural distortions; and two, as masses) supports the findings of the study. No carcinoma was revealed on subsequent excisional biopsies; however, in three patients, associated atypical intraductal hyperplasia was found adjacent to the area of the radial scar. However, we cannot agree with the authors’ interpretation of their findings. The authors concluded that excisional biopsy is indicated when there is radial scar with associated atypical intraductal hyperplasia at percutaneous biopsy (when the biopsy does not include at least 12 specimens and when mammographic findings are not reconciled with histologic findings). They based their conclusion on the findings of carcinoma at excision in 28% (8/29) of radial scar lesions with associated atypical intraductal hyperplasia at percutaneous biopsy and 4% (5/128) of radial scars without associated atypical intraductal hyperplasia. However, the authors did not submit any data on the frequency of carcinoma in excisions of atypical intraductal hyperplasia without radial scar at core biopsy. The incidence of carcinoma at surgical excision after core biopsy for atypical intraductal hyperplasia varies from 4% to 60% from institution to institution [2]. Radial scars are benign breast lesions and are part of the sclerosing lesions–sclerosing adenosis spectrum [3]. The current recommendation for atypical intraductal hyperplasia is surgical excision. Any radial scar occurring in association with epithelial proliferations such as atypical intraductal hyperplasia must be separately considered and diagnosed. We think that the authors cannot draw their conclusions without providing their frequency of subsequent carcinoma using the core needle biopsy finding of atypical intraductal hyperplasia in the absence of radial scar. Eva C. Gombos Robert J. Poppiti, Jr. Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami Beach, FL 33140
Carbon Nanotube Coatings for Enhanced Capillary-Fed Boiling from Porous Microstructures

Due to their high intrinsic thermal conductivity, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have previously been incorporated into a variety of thermal management applications to improve cooling performance. Implementation of controlled CNT growth techniques and functionalization methods are applied herein to enhance boiling heat transfer from the porous capillary wicking surfaces widely used in high heat flux thermal management devices. A microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) synthesis process resulted in growth of a permeable CNT coating, and physical vapor deposition of copper over these nanotubes yielded the requisite hydrophilic wicking surface. An array of test samples was fabricated and then evaluated using an experimental test facility to determine the reduction in surface temperature resulting from CNT coating and micropatterning of the porous surfaces under two-phase heat transfer conditions with water as the working fluid. Both CNT coating and micropatterning techniques were able to provide significant performance enhancements, reducing the surface superheat up to 72% compared to baseline tests and eliminating disadvantageous temperature overshoot corresponding to boiling incipience. Such performance gains are attributable to the formation of nanoporous cavities that increase nucleation site density and high permeability vents through which vapor can readily depart the surface under vigorous boiling conditions. The synthesis procedures developed that result in the observed enhancement can be readily incorporated into currently employed devices.
Differentiation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Subtypes: Application of a Neuropsychological Model of Attention

This study represents a neuropsychological attempt to differentiate subtypes of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants (N 80) were grouped by gender and ADHD subtypePredominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I) versus Combined (ADHD-C)resulting in four age-matched groups. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in performance on selective attention tasks for those with ADHD-I and those with ADHD-C. Relative to their counterparts without hyperactivity, participants with ADHD-C earned disproportionately lower scores on tasks associated with executive control. Both subgroups with ADHD-I and ADHD-C demonstrated significant difficulty on some tasks assessing complex mental operations relative to age-standardized normative data. Discriminant analysis revealed that a combination of five neuropsychological measures discriminated between the ADHD-I and ADHD-C subgroups with 80 accuracy. Results provide support for the notion of the Predominantly Inattentive and Combined subtype classifications as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Further, findings from this study lend preliminary support for the utility of a neurophysiologically sensitive model of attention in the differentiation of these subtypes.
Protective effects of curcumin against mercury-induced hepatic injuries in rats, involvement of oxidative stress antagonism, and Nrf2-ARE pathway activation

Mercury (Hg) represents a ubiquitous environmental heavy metal that could lead to severe toxic effects in a variety of organs usually at a low level. The present study focused on the liver oxidative stress, one of the most important roles playing in Hg hepatotoxicity, by evaluation of different concentrations of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) administration. Moreover, the protective potential of curcumin against Hg hepatotoxic effects was also investigated. Eighty-four rats were randomly divided into six groups for a three-days experiment: control, dimethyl sulfoxide control, HgCl2 treatment (0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 mg kg−1 day−1), and curcumin pretreatment (100 mg kg−1 day−1) groups. Exposure of HgCl2 resulted in acute dose-dependent hepatotoxic effects. Administration of 2.4 mg kg−1 HgCl2 significantly elevated total Hg, nonprotein sulfhydryl, reactive oxygen species formation, malondialdehyde, apoptosis levels, serum lactate dehydrogenase, and alanine transaminase activities, with an impairment of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver. Moreover, HgCl2 treatment activated nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) signaling pathway in further investigation, with a significant upregulation of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1, and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase heavy subunit expression, relative to control. Pretreatment with curcumin obviously prevented HgCl2-induced liver oxidative stress, which may be due to its free radical scavenging or Nrf2-ARE pathway-inducing properties. Taking together these data suggest that curcumin counteracts HgCl2 hepatotoxicity through antagonizing liver oxidative stress.
Antibiotic resistance among gram-negative bacilli in US intensive care units: implications for fluoroquinolone use.

CONTEXT Previous surveillance studies have documented increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance in US intensive care units (ICUs) in the early 1990s. OBJECTIVES To assess national rates of antimicrobial resistance among gram-negative aerobic isolates recovered from ICU patients and to compare these rates to antimicrobial use. DESIGN AND SETTING Participating institutions, representing a total of 43 US states plus the District of Columbia, provided antibiotic susceptibility results for 35 790 nonduplicate gram-negative aerobic isolates recovered from ICU patients between 1994 and 2000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Each institution tested approximately 100 consecutive gram-negative aerobic isolates recovered from ICU patients. Organisms were identified to the species level. Susceptibility tests were performed, and national fluoroquinolone consumption data were obtained. RESULTS The activity of most antimicrobial agents against gram-negative aerobic isolates showed an absolute decrease of 6% or less over the study period. The overall susceptibility to ciprofloxacin decreased steadily from 86% in 1994 to 76% in 2000 and was significantly associated with increased national use of fluoroquinolones. CONCLUSIONS This study documents the increasing incidence of ciprofloxacin resistance among gram-negative bacilli that has occurred coincident with increased use of fluoroquinolones. More judicious use of fluoroquinolones will be necessary to limit this downward trend.
Microscopic Colitis: Pathologic Considerations, Changing Dogma

Microscopic colitis as an entity was first recognized in 1976, and has become one of the most frequent diseases to exclude on colonic mucosal biopsies. In some pathology practices, up to 30% of colonic biopsies received are from patients in whom microscopic colitis is the clinical question. In this review, the evolution of the terminology and early studies describing the pathology of microscopic colitis are discussed. The pathology of lymphocytic and collagenous colitis is reviewed in detail, including common diagnostic pitfalls, and what is currently known about the pathogenesis of these diseases. The differential diagnosis of microscopic colitis includes other idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), infections, and drug reactions. The distinction between these entities and microscopic colitis is discussed in detail. Finally, recent studies have revealed new histopathologic changes in microscopic colitis that challenge the currently held concepts of how microscopic colitis fits into the spectrum of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Virologic, clinical and immunologic responses following failure of first-line antiretroviral therapy in Haiti

Since HIV‐1 RNA (viral load) testing is not routinely available in Haiti, HIV‐infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) are monitored using the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical and/or immunologic criteria. Data on survival and treatment outcomes for HIV‐1 infected patients who meet criteria for ART failure are limited. We conducted a retrospective study to compare survival rates for patients who experienced failure on first‐line ART by clinical and/or immunologic criteria and switched to second‐line ART vs. those who failed but did not switch.
Content based video retrieval based on bounded coordinate of motion histogram

In this paper, the authors present a novel Content-Based Video Retrieval (CBVR) system based on Bounded Coordinate of Motion Histogram (BCMH). The authors propose to characterize videos by using spatio-temporal features (e.g. motion direction, intensity and the residual information features). Bounded Coordinate of Motion Histogram is introduced to characterize and compare video subsequences in a reduced computation time. Moreover, the proposed approach is adaptive: a training procedure is presented. For instance, the cost — expressed in similarity measurement — has its precision increased by more than twice 38%) in comparison with extended fast dynamic time warping approach on a dataset of 1707 movie clips.
Altered social and non-social decision-making in recreational and dependent cocaine users

Background Maladaptive decision-making is assumed to be a core feature of cocaine addiction. Indeed, numerous studies have reported deficits in non-social decision-making tasks and reward-related impulsivity in dependent cocaine users. However, social decision-making has not been examined in cocaine users yet. Moreover, it is unknown if even recreational and non-dependent cocaine use is linked to decision-making deficits. Therefore, we investigated whether recreational and dependent cocaine users exhibit alterations in social and non-social decision-making. Method The performance of healthy controls (n = 68), recreational cocaine users (n = 68) and dependent cocaine users (n = 30) in classical decision-making paradigms (Iowa Gambling Task, Delay Discounting) and in social interaction paradigms (Distribution Game, Dictator Game) was assessed. Results Decisions in the social interaction tasks of both cocaine user groups were more self-serving compared with controls as cocaine users preferred higher monetary payoffs for themselves. In the Iowa Gambling Task, only dependent cocaine users were more likely to choose disadvantageous card decks, reflecting worse decision-making. They were also more likely to choose immediate smaller rewards over larger delayed rewards in the Delay Discounting task. Conclusions Our results imply that both recreational and dependent cocaine users are more concerned with their own monetary gain when interacting with another person. Furthermore, primarily dependent cocaine users are less foresighted and more impulsive regarding immediate reward. Overall, social interaction deficits are already present in recreational users, while non-social decision-making deficits occur predominantly in dependent cocaine users. Thus, social interaction training and cognitive remediation strategies may improve treatment success and quality of life in cocaine dependence.
Incidence of chloramphenicol use and the effect on corneal scrape results in bacterial keratitis

tients for a first eye check 1year or more after initial diagnosis of diabetes. Almost all the GPs (97%) reported to refer patients with type 2 diabetes at least biennially for DR screening. Communication with eye care providers was inconsistent: Only 55% (n=96) of the GPs verified patient uptake of the first eye referral and 39% (n=68) confirmed receiving a report back from the eye health professional, following this first eye assessment. Nearly half of the GPs were interested in being involved in a national screening programme for DR (42%). The barriers toDR screening cited byGPswere lack of education related to diabetes and its complications for patients (34%), lack of GP skills or education (22%), lack of time (20%), lack of a recall system (i.e. reminders for GPs and patients; 13%) and cost (13%). The average delay of 3.1 years for an initial diabetes eye exam found in this survey is alarming, given that deferral in screening is significantly associated with more severe DR upon first assessment. GP-described high referral rates at least biennially do not correlate with 34% of people with diabetes reported not having an eye test within the past 2years. It is possible that GP overestimation of referrals, breakdown in the referral chain and challenges in utilizing the referral could contribute to this disparity. A limitation of our study is the relatively low response rate. This increases the possibility of response bias and may present an overly optimistic picture, limiting the generalizability of our results to the broader GP population. This is the first cross-sectional survey of DR referral practices of Australian GPs in comparison with current NHMRC guidelines. We found that our sample of GPs did not adhere closely to the NHMRC guidelines for DR screening referral at diagnosis of diabetes and suboptimal communication with eye care providers was revealed. This study signals the need for better systems of care to support DR screening and, ultimately, improve long-term visual outcomes for persons with diabetes.