Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections and the effects of other concomitant nosocomial infections in intensive care units

Abstract Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common nosocomial infections in intensive care units (ICUs). The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence, aetiology, and risk factors of CAUTIs in ICUs and to determine whether concomitant nosocomial infections alter risk factors. Methods: Between April and October 2008, all adult catheterized patients admitted to the ICUs of Zonguldak Karaelmas University Hospital were screened daily, and clinical and microbiological data were collected for each patient. Results: Two hundred and four patients were included and 85 developed a nosocomial infection. Among these patients, 22 developed a CAUTI alone, 38 developed a CAUTI with an additional nosocomial infection, either concomitantly or prior to the onset of the CAUTI, and 25 developed nosocomial infections at other sites. The CAUTI rate was 19.02 per 1000 catheter-days. A Cox proportional hazard model showed that in the presence of other site nosocomial infections, immune suppression (hazard ratio (HR) 3.73, 95% CI 1.47–9.46; p = 0.006), previous antibiotic usage (HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.11–3.83; p = 0.023), and the presence of a nosocomial infection at another site (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.04–3.20; p = 0.037) were the factors associated with the acquisition of CAUTIs with or without a nosocomial infection at another site. When we excluded the other site nosocomial infections to determine if the risk factors differed depending on the presence of other nosocomial infections, female gender (HR 2.67, 95% CI 1.03–6.91; p = 0.043) and duration of urinary catheterization (HR 1.07 (per day), 95% CI 1.01–1.13; p = 0.019) were found to be the risk factors for the acquisition of CAUTIs alone. Conclusions: Our results showed that the presence of nosocomial infections at another site was an independent risk factor for the acquisition of a CAUTI and that their presence alters risk factors.
THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE COMMON BILE DUCT: A SINGULAR OBSERVATION

Anatomic evidence 1 indicates that circular muscle fibers surround the duct of Wirsung and the common bile duct individually just before they join the ampulla and may serve as a sphincter for each. However, the fibers are frequently so knit together that it would appear that one could not contract without the other and so occluded both ducts. Burget and Brocklehurst, 2 observing the guinea-pig, report that there is a definite anatomic and physiologic sphincter at the junction of the common bile duct with the ampulla and that, when the ampulla contracts, the sphincter contracts to prevent regurgitation of the bile from the ampulla into the common duct. There is no physiologic evidence indicating the existence of such a sphincter in the dog and in man. However, we have recently made an observation in man which, according to one interpretation, indicates that such a sphincter may exist. A series of
Lopinavir/ritonavir trough concentrations with the tablet formulation in HIV-1-infected women during the third trimester of pregnancy

Abstract Objectives: An observational, open-label study was performed to assess changes of lopinavir/ritonavir plasma concentrations during pregnancy. Methods: Adult HIV-1-infected women during the third trimester of pregnancy and on stable antiretroviral treatment including zidovudine/lamivudine plus lopinavir/ritonavir tablets (400/100 mg twice daily) were asked to participate. This group was compared with a group of non-pregnant HIV-1-infected women receiving the same antiretroviral regimen. The trough plasma concentration (Ctrough) of lopinavir and ritonavir was assessed at steady-state by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry method. Results: A total of 41 HIV-positive female patients were enrolled in the study, with a median age of 28 y (range 20–37 y). These patients were stratified into 2 groups: 21 women in the third trimester of pregnancy (group A) and 20 non-pregnant women (group B). The geometric mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) plasma Ctrough of lopinavir was 4205 (2418–6896) ng/ml in group A and 5098 (3187–8084) ng/ml in group B. The reduction in lopinavir plasma levels observed in group A was not significant (geometric mean ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.62–1.32; p = 0.411). No correlation was found between lopinavir plasma levels and adverse events (such as diarrhoea and hyperlipidaemia) or immunological parameters of HIV disease, and no changes in plasma HIV viral load were reported. Conclusion: In this study, a slight but not significant decrease in the plasma lopinavir Ctrough was found during the third trimester of pregnancy, suggesting that standard dosing of the tablet formulation is also appropriate during the later stages of pregnancy.
Chronic Leukemia: A Statistical Study of Symptoms, Duration of Life, and Prognosis1

Chronic leukemia varies greatly in the severity of its symptoms and in the duration of life. At the present time radiotherapy is the only method of treatment which appears to have a significant effect on the clinical manifestations and course. Yet only a few statistical studies of the symptoms and signs and their relation to prognosis and life expectancy have been published. The following analysis is based on 64 patients with myeloid and 64 with lymphatic leukemia treated by x-rays at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York between the years 1919 and 1939, inclusive. Cases in which the duration of life was less than four months from onset of symptoms were classified as acute and are not included in this study. The few cases diagnosed as monocytic, basophilic, and eosinophilic leukemia were placed under the two main classifications of myeloid and lymphatic. Treatment Technic and Rationale All patients with chronic leukemia received x-ray therapy according to the technic set forth in Table I. Local applicatio.
The WIC program: A classic example of where individuals do make a difference

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is viewed as one of the most successful public health nutrition programs in the United States. Senator George McGovern, at the May 2000, National Nutrition Summit, referred to WIC as the perfect program. Despite the broad, bipartisan support the program has enjoyed, WIC has had an often stormy history. This paper chronicles the events that were instrumental in shaping the progam as we now know it. The influence of key organizations and individuals in the WIC program are discussed.
Thymosin (cid:1) 4 is differentially expressed in the cerebrospinal fluid of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients: a MALDI-TOF MS protein profiling study

MALDI-TOFprotein profiling analysis permits the detection of peptides and small proteins in complex protein mixtures with great accuracy. We applied this analysis to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 15patientsaffectedbyCreutzfeldt-Jakobdisease(CJD). Wecomparedthelevelsofthenormalizedion signalsof 11 sporadicand4geneticCJD formswiththosefromten healthy control subjectsand eight non-CJD relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. In so doing, we detected 61 differentially expressed ion signals in CJD samples compared to controls. Among the 61 signals, 3 signals had significantly increased levels with high statistical significance ( p , 0.0001) and were located at 3238.3 m/z , 4963.7 m/z , and 8565.3 m/z . We characterized the 5.0 and 8.6 kDa proteins as thymosin b 4 N-acetylated and free ubiquitin, respectively, while the 3.2-kDa peptide remained uncharacterized. Al-thoughelevatedubiquitinlevelshavepreviouslybeendescribedinCJD,wehavedemonstratedforthe first time the involvement of thymosin b 4 in a neurodegenerative disease. To support the validity of thymosin b 4 levels obtained by MALDI-TOFanalysis, an independent enzyme immunoassay analysis was performed. Moreover, a validation cohort consisting of CSF from three CJD patients, five healthy subjects, and six non-CJD relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients was analyzed in a similar way, yielding superimposable results. We propose that thymosin b 4 is a potential new candidate marker for the ante mortem diagnosis of CJD disease.
Are ESR/CRP ratios helpful in differentiating West Nile encephalitis from non-West Nile virus meningitis/encephalitis?

Abstract West Nile encephalitis (WNE) may mimic other acute central nervous system infections in endemic areas. The laboratory diagnosis of WNE often takes several days. We review our recent experience of WNE to determine if the erythrocyte sedimentation rate/C-reaction protein ratio would be helpful in the early/presumptive diagnosis of WNE in hospitalized adults.
Functional Gap Junctions Accumulate at the Immunological Synapse and Contribute to T Cell Activation

Gap junction (GJ) mediates intercellular communication through linked hemichannels from each of two adjacent cells. Using human and mouse models, we show that connexin 43 (Cx43), the main GJ protein in the immune system, was recruited to the immunological synapse during T cell priming as both GJs and stand-alone hemichannels. Cx43 accumulation at the synapse was Ag specific and time dependent, and required an intact actin cytoskeleton. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and Cx43-specific inhibitors were used to prove that intercellular communication between T cells and dendritic cells is bidirectional and specifically mediated by Cx43. Moreover, this intercellular cross talk contributed to T cell activation as silencing of Cx43 with an antisense or inhibition of GJ docking impaired intracellular Ca2+ responses and cytokine release by T cells. These findings identify Cx43 as an important functional component of the immunological synapse and reveal a crucial role for GJs and hemichannels as coordinators of the dendritic cell–T cell signaling machinery that regulates T cell activation.
Netting Neutrophils Induce Endothelial Damage, Infiltrate Tissues, and Expose Immunostimulatory Molecules in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

An abnormal neutrophil subset has been identified in the PBMC fractions from lupus patients. We have proposed that these low-density granulocytes (LDGs) play an important role in lupus pathogenesis by damaging endothelial cells and synthesizing increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and type I IFNs. To directly establish LDGs as a distinct neutrophil subset, their gene array profiles were compared with those of autologous normal-density neutrophils and control neutrophils. LDGs significantly overexpress mRNA of various immunostimulatory bactericidal proteins and alarmins, relative to lupus and control neutrophils. In contrast, gene profiles of lupus normal-density neutrophils do not differ from those of controls. LDGs have heightened capacity to synthesize neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs), which display increased externalization of bactericidal, immunostimulatory proteins, and autoantigens, including LL-37, IL-17, and dsDNA. Through NETosis, LDGs have increased capacity to kill endothelial cells and to stimulate IFN-α synthesis by plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Affected skin and kidneys from lupus patients are infiltrated by netting neutrophils, which expose LL-37 and dsDNA. Tissue NETosis is associated with increased anti-dsDNA in sera. These results expand the potential pathogenic roles of aberrant lupus neutrophils and suggest that dysregulation of NET formation and its subsequent responses may play a prominent deleterious role.
The alcohol use and associated mental health problems of student service members/veterans in higher education

Aims: This study examined: (a) whether student service members/veterans attending college drank more frequently or in greater quantities than non-service peers; and (b) whether links between student service members/veterans’ alcohol use and mental health-related outcomes differed from civilian students. Methods: Participants included 145 student service members/veterans and 136 civilian students attending 16 different higher education institutions within one Midwestern state. Data were collected via web-based survey assessing alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours, problem drinking, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Findings: In general, the current sample of veterans/student service members drank similarly to younger, civilian students. Furthermore, compared to civilian students, veterans/student service members’ binge drinking was differentially associated to indicators of problem drinking and mental health symptoms such as depression/anxiety and PTSD. Conclusions: In general, findings suggest that binge drinking among student service members/veterans was associated with greater problems, highlighting potential adjustment difficulties/risks for this group.
Reliability of one-repetition maximum test in untrained young adult men and women

BACKGROUND: The one repetition maximum (1RM) test is the most widely used method to analyze muscular strength. However, the 1RM reliability may be dependent on gender. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the reliability of one-repetition maximum (1RM) test in untrained young adult men and women. METHODS: Thirteen men and eleven women between 18–35 years were recruited. All subjects performed the 1RM tests in the bench press (BP), Smith machine squat (SQ), and arm curl (AC) in four sessions separated by 48 to 72 hours of recovery. At each measurement session, the subjects performed exercise-specific warm-ups and were given three attempts to reach a peak strength level for each exercise. RESULTS: There was a significant session-by-time interaction ( P< 0.05) in BP and SQ, while men reached a stabilized load between sessions 2–3, women stabilized their load between sessions 1–2. Significant increases ( P< 0.05) in maximal strength occurred between session 1 and 4 in BP (men =+ 10.5%, women =+ 13.1%), SQ (men =+ 17.6%, women =+ 20.7%), and AC (men =+ 7.5%, women =+ 11.7%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the reliability of the 1RM tests in multiple-joint exercises may be gender dependent.
T Cell Dynamics during Induction of Tolerance and Suppression of Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis

The cell dynamics associated with induction of peripheral T cell tolerance remain largely undefined. In this study, an in vivo model was adapted to two-photon microscopy imaging, and T cell behavior was analyzed on tolerogen-induced modulation. FcγR-deficient (FcγR−/−) mice were unable to resist or alleviate experimental allergic encephalomyelitis when treated with Ig-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) tolerogen, an Ig carrying the MOG35–55 peptide. However, when FcγR+/+ dendritic cells (DCs) are adoptively transferred into FcγR−/− mice, uptake and presentation of Ig-MOG occurs and the animals were able to overcome experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. We then fluorescently labeled FcγR+/+ DCs and 2D2 MOG-specific TCR-transgenic T cells, transferred them into FcγR−/− mice, administered Ig-MOG, and analyzed both T cell–DC contact events and T cell motility. The results indicate that tolerance takes place in lymphoid organs, and surprisingly, the T cells do not become anergic but instead have a Th2 phenotype. The tolerant Th2 cells displayed reduced motility after tolerogen exposure similar to Th1 cells after immunization. However, the Th2 cells had higher migration speeds and took longer to exhibit changes in motility. Therefore, both Th1 immunity and Th2 tolerance alter T cell migration on Ag recognition, but the kinetics of this effect differ among the subsets.
Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy: A meta-analysis of 39 studies involving more than 20,000 participants

Abstract Background: Helicobacter pylori infects more than half of the world's population. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between H. pylori infection and the risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy, and to detect at which stage the infection might have higher pathogenicity in the disease-free status–diabetes mellitus–diabetic nephropathy process. Methods: A literature search was performed to identify studies published between 1997 and 2012 for relative risk estimates. Fixed and random effects meta-analytical techniques were conducted for diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy. Results: Thirty-seven case–control studies and 2 cohort studies were included. H. pylori was associated with an increased risk of each type of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio (OR) 2.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.82–2.20, p for heterogeneity = 0.07). The infection was also associated with increased risks of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, separately (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.52–2.60, p for heterogeneity = 0.15, and OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.81–2.55, p for heterogeneity = 0.24, respectively). In addition, we found a significant association between H. pylori infection and diabetic nephropathy risk (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.10–2.33, p for heterogeneity = 0.44). Conclusions: Our meta-analyses suggest a relationship between H. pylori infection and the risk of diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy. The bacterium may be able to play its pathogenic role in the whole disease process, and this action may be stronger in type 2 diabetic patients than in type 1 diabetic patients.
Colonic Epithelial Cells Express Specific Ligands for Mucosal Macrophage Immunosuppressive Receptors Siglec-7 and -9

Immune cells are known to express specific recognition molecules for cell surface glycans. However, mechanisms involved in glycan-mediated cell–cell interactions in mucosal immunity have largely been left unaccounted for. We found that several glycans preferentially expressed in nonmalignant colonic epithelial cells serve as ligands for sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins (siglecs), the immunosuppressive carbohydrate-recognition receptors carried by immune cells. The siglec ligand glycans in normal colonic epithelial cells included disialyl Lewisa, which was found to have binding activity to both siglec-7 and -9, and sialyl 6-sulfo Lewisx, which exhibited significant binding to siglec-7. Expression of these siglec-7/-9 ligands was impaired upon carcinogenesis, and they were replaced by cancer-associated glycans sialyl Lewisa and sialyl Lewisx, which have no siglec ligand activity. When we characterized immune cells expressing siglecs in colonic lamina propriae by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, the majority of colonic stromal immune cells expressing siglec-7/-9 turned out to be resident macrophages characterized by low expression of CD14/CD89 and high expression of CD68/CD163. A minor subpopulation of CD8+ T lymphocytes also expressed siglec-7/-9. Siglec-7/-9 ligation suppressed LPS-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression and PGE2 production by macrophages. These results suggest that normal glycans of epithelial cells exert a suppressive effect on cyclooxygenase-2 expression by resident macrophages, thus maintaining immunological homeostasis in colonic mucosal membranes. Our results also imply that loss of immunosuppressive glycans by impaired glycosylation during colonic carcinogenesis enhances inflammatory mediator production.
A Novel Pathway Responsible for Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Translational Regulation of TNF-α and IL-6 Expression Involves Protein Kinase C and Fascin

Fascin, as a substrate of protein kinase C (PKC), is a well-known cytoskeletal regulatory protein required for cell migration, invasion, and adhesion in normal and cancer cells. In an effort to identify the role of fascin in PKC-mediated cellular signaling, its expression was suppressed by stable transfection of specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in mouse monocytic leukemia RAW264.7 cells. Suppression of fascin expression resulted in impaired cellular migration and invasion through extracellular matrix proteins. Unexpectedly, the specific shRNA transfectants exhibited a marked reduction in LPS-induced expression of TNF-α and IL-6 by blocking the translation of their mRNAs. Transient transfection assay using a luciferase expression construct containing the 3′ untranslated region of TNF-α or IL-6 mRNA revealed a significant reduction in both LPS- and PMA- (the direct activator of PKC) induced reporter activity in cells transfected with fascin-specific shRNA, indicating that fascin-mediated translational regulation targeted 3′ untranslated region. Furthermore, LPS-induced translational activation of reporter expression was blocked by a pharmacological inhibitor of PKC, and the dominant-negative form of PKCα attenuated LPS-induced translational activation. The same type of regulation was also observed in the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 and in mouse peritoneal macrophages. These data demonstrate the involvement of fascin in the PKC-mediated translational regulation of TNF-α and IL-6 expression during the LPS response.
Time to talk: Evaluation of a staff – resident quality time intervention on the perceptions of staff in aged care

Aged care research has found that relationships between care-providing staff and residents are often not satisfying for either staff or residents. The study evaluated the effects of a simple relationship intervention, Staff – Resident Quality Time, on staff perceptions of relationship satisfaction and control in two aged care facilities. The intervention increased the amount of interpersonal interaction that occurred between staff and residents, and was evaluated by staff as a valuable intervention that allowed them to get to know residents better. Staff perceptions of control in their work significantly increased. The intervention was cost-effective and simple to implement from a management perspective and reinforced the importance of relating to residents on an interpersonal level as a part of core daily aged care.
Level of Gastrin Serum and Ulcer Size on Gastric Ulcer Correlated to Helicobacter pylori Infection

Background : Previously has been defined that peptic ulcer has strongly correlated to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. But it hasn’t determined about correlation of gastrin serum level to the ulcer severity on H. pylori infection. The aims of this study were to find the percentage of H. pylori infection on peptic ulcer cases and its correlation to the gastrin serum level. Method : This is analytic cross sectional study in 50 patients with gastric ulcer who came to Adam Malik hospital from February to October 2007. The correlation between gastrin serum level and the size of ulcer with positive and negative Urea Breath Test (UBT) group was analyzed by unpaired student t- test. The correlation between gastrin serum level and ulcer size were investigated with Pearson correlation test and linier regression. Result : Fifty eligible patients, 33 (66%) had positive UBT and 17 (34%) were negative. There were statistically significant difference on gastrin serum level in positive UBT and negative respectively (p = 0.017). There were also significant difference between mean of ulcer size in positive UBT and negative respectively (p = 0.025). There were correlation between gastrin serum level and ulcer size (r = 0.315; p = 0.026). It can predict the increasing ulcer size in 0.012 mm every 1 pg/mL of gastrin serum elevated. Conclusion : Patients with positive UBT has greater ulcer size and higher gastrin level as compared to the negative group. There were positive correlation between gastrin serum level to the size of ulcer in peptic ulcer patients and increase of ulcer size followed with elevated of gastrin serum level. Keywords: Helicobacter pylori infection, gastrin serum level, ulcer size