Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corneal Myxoma Arising in a Patient With Repeated Phototherapeutic Keratectomies

Purpose: We report the clinical and pathologic findings of a corneal myxoma that was diagnosed in a cornea that had undergone phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Methods: A corneal myxoma was identified in a full-thickness keratoplasty specimen obtained from a 51-year-old man with a history of a forceps injury to his right eye at birth. The patient had presented with corneal edema and bullous keratopathy, which was treated on 3 occasions with PTK, resulting in progressive, persistent milky-white clouding of the cornea. This represents the eighth case of corneal myxoma in the reviewed literature and the first described after PTK. Thorough histopathologic and ultrastructural analyses were conducted. Results: The histochemical, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic findings were consistent with previously reported corneal myxomas. Most of the reported myxomas arising in the cornea presented with a history of prior corneal disease or injury and showed absence or disruption of Bowman layer histopathologically, as was found in our patient. Conclusion: The pathogenesis of corneal myxomas involves a reactive process that requires an antecedent affliction, in contrast to the neoplastic mesenchymal histogenesis of myxomas characterized in other parts of the body.
Fourier domain optical coherence tomography achieves full range complex imaging in vivo by introducing a carrier frequency during scanning

The author describes a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) system that is capable of full range complex imaging in vivo. This is achieved by introducing a constant carrier frequency into the OCT spectral interferograms at the time when imaging is performed. The complex functions of the spatial interferograms formed by each single wavelength are constructed before performing the Fourier transformation to localize the scatters within a sample. Two algorithms, based on Fourier filtering and Hilbert transformation, respectively, are described to achieve the full range complex FDOCT imaging. It is shown that the Hilbert transformation approach delivers better performance than the Fourier filtering method does in terms of tolerating the sample movement in vivo. The author finally demonstrates experimentally the system and algorithms for true in vivo imaging at a rate of 20 000 axial scans per second.
Induction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki‐67 expression by cytomegalovirus infection

With the goal of facilitating viral reproduction, cytomegalovirus (CMV) induces changes in the host cell replication machinery. Very little information is available, however, on the effects brought about by CMV on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki‐67 expression in infected cells. Fifty‐five paraffin‐embedded tissue samples (43 gastrointestinal, 10 skin, and 2 kidney biopsies) with both histological and immunohistochemical evidence of CMV infection were investigated for PCNA and Ki‐67 expression by the avidin– biotin–peroxidase method. Of the 55 cases studied, 47 were positive for PCNA and 46 for Ki‐67. PCNA and Ki‐67 immunostaining was more striking in CMV‐immunoreactive, inclusion‐free cell nuclei, whereas cell nuclei exhibiting well‐developed CMV inclusions either showed a weak peripheral signal for both proliferation markers, or were completely negative. Enhanced PCNA and Ki‐67 expression appears to be among the changes induced by CMV infection in host cells. Moreover, this induction seems to reach its peak during the earlier phases of CMV infection and abate as the infection proceeds to its inclusion‐forming phases, when a sufficiently high viral load would have been attained. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calmodulin Regulation of Basal and Agonist‐Stimulated G Protein Coupling by the μ‐Opioid Receptor (OP3) in Morphine‐Pretreated Cell

Calmodulin (CaM) has been shown to suppress basal G protein coupling and attenuate agonist‐stimulated G protein coupling of the μ‐opioid receptor (OP3) through direct interaction with the third intracellular (i3) loop of the receptor. Here we have investigated the role of CaM in regulating changes in OP3‐G protein coupling during morphine treatment, shown to result in CaM release from plasma membranes. Basal and agonist‐stimulated G protein coupling by OP3 was measured before and after morphine pretreatment by incorporation of guanosine 5′‐O‐(3‐[35S]thiotriphosphate) into membranes, obtained from HEK 293 cells transfected with human OP3 cDNA. The opioid antagonist β‐chlornaltrexamine fully suppressed basal G protein coupling of OP3, providing a direct measure of basal signaling. Pretreatment of the cells with morphine enhanced basal G protein coupling (sensitization). In contrast, agonist‐stimulated coupling was diminished (desensitization), resulting in a substantially flattened morphine dose‐response curve. To test whether CaM is involved in these changes, we constructed OP3‐i3 loop mutants with reduced affinity for CaM (K273A, R275A, and K273A/R275A). Basal signaling of these mutant OP3 receptors was higher than that of the wild‐type receptor and, moreover, unaffected by morphine pretreatment, whereas desensitization to agonist stimulation was only slightly attenuated. Therefore, CaM‐OP3 interactions appear to play only a minor role in the desensitization of OP3. In contrast, release of CaM from the plasma membrane appears to enhance the inherent basal G protein coupling of OP3, thereby resolving the paradox that OP3 displays both desensitization and sensitization during morphine treatment.
Network Rhythms Influence the Relationship between Spike-Triggered Local Field Potential and Functional Connectivity

Characterizing the functional connectivity between neurons is key for understanding brain function. We recorded spikes and local field potentials (LFPs) from multielectrode arrays implanted in monkey visual cortex to test the hypotheses that spikes generated outward-traveling LFP waves and the strength of functional connectivity depended on stimulus contrast, as described recently. These hypotheses were proposed based on the observation that the latency of the peak negativity of the spike-triggered LFP average (STA) increased with distance between the spike and LFP electrodes, and the magnitude of the STA negativity and the distance over which it was observed decreased with increasing stimulus contrast. Detailed analysis of the shape of the STA, however, revealed contributions from two distinct sources—a transient negativity in the LFP locked to the spike (∼0 ms) that attenuated rapidly with distance, and a low-frequency rhythm with peak negativity ∼25 ms after the spike that attenuated slowly with distance. The overall negative peak of the LFP, which combined both these components, shifted from ∼0 to ∼25 ms going from electrodes near the spike to electrodes far from the spike, giving an impression of a traveling wave, although the shift was fully explained by changing contributions from the two fixed components. The low-frequency rhythm was attenuated during stimulus presentations, decreasing the overall magnitude of the STA. These results highlight the importance of accounting for the network activity while using STAs to determine functional connectivity.
The impact of benign gene expression classifier test results on the endocrinologist-patient decision to operate on patients with thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine-needle aspiration cytopathology.

BACKGROUND Seventy-five percent of thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology are found to be benign postoperatively. A novel genomic test, the Afirma gene expression classifier (AGEC), has been available for clinical use in the United States, since late 2010. In 2010, two modest-sized validation studies showed that the AGEC could identify a benign gene expression signature in indeterminate cytology thyroid FNA samples with a negative predictive value >95%. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the AGEC impacted the joint decision of the endocrinologist and patient to operate when FNA cytology was indeterminate, but the AGEC reading of the nodule was benign. METHODS In this cross-sectional cohort study, data were contributed retrospectively by 51 endocrinologists at 21 practice sites that had previously obtained ≥3 benign AGEC readings in ≥1 cm nodules with indeterminate FNA cytology readings. Information regarding demographic data, nodule size and location, decision to operate, surgery type (hemithyroidectomy [HT] or total thyroidectomy [TT]), and reason for recommending surgery was retrospectively collected. RESULTS Compared to a 74% previous historical rate of surgery for cytologically indeterminate nodules, the operative rate fell to 7.6% during the period that AGEC were obtained in the clinical practices, a highly significant reduction in the decision to operate (p<0.001). The rate of surgery on cytologically indeterminate nodules that were benign by the AGEC reading did not differ from the historically reported rate of operation on cytologically benign nodules (p=0.41). The four primary reasons reported by the physicians for operating on nodules with a benign AGEC reading, in descending order: large nodule size (46.4%), symptomatic nodules (25.0%), rapidly growing nodules (10.7%), or a second suspicious or malignant nodule in the same patient (10.7%). These reasons are concordant with those typically given for operation on cytologically benign nodules. CONCLUSIONS In a substantial group of medical practices, obtaining an AGEC test in patients with cytologically indeterminate nodules was associated with a striking reduction in the rate of diagnostic thyroidectomy. Approximately, one surgery was avoided for every two AGEC tests run on thyroid FNAs with indeterminate cytology.
Factors related to the prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica on pig farms

SUMMARY A survey of 788 pigs from 120 farms was conducted to determine the within-farm prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and a questionnaire of management conditions was mailed to the farms afterwards. A univariate statistical analysis with carriage and shedding as outcomes was conducted with random-effects logistic regression with farm as a clustering factor. Variables with a P value <0·15 were included into the respective multivariate random-effects logistic regression model. The use of municipal water was discovered to be a protective factor against carriage and faecal shedding of the pathogen. Organic production and buying feed from a certain feed manufacturer were also protective against total carriage. Tonsillar carriage, a different feed manufacturer, fasting pigs before transport to the slaughterhouse, higher-level farm health classification, and snout contacts between pigs were risk factors for faecal shedding. We concluded that differences in management can explain different prevalences of Y. enterocolitica between farms.
Medical students' attitudes to and contact with the pharmaceutical industry: a survey at eight German university hospitals.

BACKGROUND Drug companies maintain close contact with physicians. We studied the extent to which medical students are already in contact with drug companies, and their attitudes toward them. METHODS An anonymous questionnaire containing 74 questions was distributed to 1151 medical students at eight German universities. 1038 (90.3%) of the questionnaires were filled out, returned, and evaluated. RESULTS 12.1% of the students had never received any kind of gift from a drug company or participated in any drug company-sponsored event. 13.0% had received at least one sponsored lunch, and 24.6% had attended at least one sponsored lecture or CME event. 65.6% had received at least one non-informational gift, 50.8% an informational gift, 39.3% a reprint, and 8.6% a drug sample. 39.8% considered sponsored lectures informative and helpful, but simultaneously judged the presentation of content as biased. 45.6% and 49.7% of students, respectively, considered it all right to accept gifts because their influence was minimal in any case or because they considered themselves in a bad financial situation. 24.6% of the students thought gifts would influence their future prescribing behavior, while 45.1% thought gifts would influence their classmates' future prescribing behavior (p<0.001 for this difference). CONCLUSION Medical students have extensive contact with the pharmaceutical industry even before they are out of medical school. Therefore, the medical school curriculum should include information about the strategies drug companies use to influence physicians' prescribing behavior, so that medical students can develop an appropriately critical attitude.
N-nitrosamines in the southern Swedish rubber industries - exposure, health effects, and immunologic markers.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to evaluate the air levels of N-nitrosamines in the Swedish rubber industry and (ii) to estimate the risk of symptoms and changed levels of immunologic markers in relation to these levels. METHODS Using adsorption tubes, we collected samples of N-nitrosamines in the breathing zone of 96 rubber workers and analyzed them with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Of these 96 workers, 66 were included in a medical examination and blood analysis together with an additional 106 rubber workers and 118 unexposed subjects. Medical and occupational histories were obtained in structured interviews, symptoms were recorded and immunologic markers analyzed in blood. RESULTS The sum of N-nitrosamines ranged from less than the limit of detection to 36 microg/m (3)and differed with the vulcanization (ie, curing process) method used. Workers vulcanizing with a salt bath had the highest levels (median 4.2 microg/m (3)). Compared to the unexposed subjects, the rubber workers had an increased risk of nosebleeds, eye and throat symptoms, hoarseness, cough, nausea, headache, and changed levels of eosinophils and total immunoglobulin G (IgG). However, we found no clear exposure-response relationship with the symptoms or the immunologic markers studied. CONCLUSIONS High levels of N-nitrosamines were found and must be lowered considerably in order to decrease the risk of cancer. There is a need for an occupational exposure limit for N-nitrosamines in Sweden. The lack of exposure-response relationships with the subacute symptoms examined in this study may be due to a healthy-worker selection or to the possibility that the symptoms are caused by an exposure not co-varying with N-nitrosamines.
Living conditions are associated with increased antibiotic resistance in community isolates of Escherichia coli.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to measure the associations between domains of deprivation and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli. METHODS Routine surveillance data for antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli isolates were obtained from urine specimens taken from patients presenting with suspected urinary tract infection in 2010-12 to healthcare practitioners based in the community in Leeds and Bradford. Eight antibiotics were included in the analyses. Postcodes were linked to lower super output areas (average populations of 1500). The 2010 Indices of Deprivation were used as neighbourhood characteristics for each lower super output area. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate the independent effect of structural components on the odds of resistance to each antibiotic. RESULTS With respect to living conditions, residence in the most-deprived areas compared with the least-deprived areas was associated with increased odds of antibiotic resistance for all eight antibiotics analysed. The magnitude of these associations included an OR of 2.04 (95% CI 1.03-3.07) for cefalexin, 2.16 (95% CI 1.16-4.05) for ciprofloxacin, 2.47 (95% CI 1.08-5.66) for nitrofurantoin and 1.33 (95% CI 1.07-1.75) for trimethoprim. CONCLUSIONS Social deprivation in the form of living conditions is associated with increased antibiotic resistance for E. coli. This evidence suggests there is a need for further individual-level studies to explore the potential mechanism for these associations.
Neurophysiologic effect of GWAS derived schizophrenia and bipolar risk variants

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as disease associated variants for schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), or both. Although these results are statistically robust, the functional effects of these variants and their role in the pathophysiology of SCZ or BPD remain unclear. Dissecting the effects of risk genes on distinct domains of brain function can provide important biological insights into the mechanisms by which these genes may confer illness risk. This study used quantitative event related potentials to characterize the neurophysiological effects of well‐documented GWAS‐derived SCZ/BPD susceptibility variants in order to map gene effects onto important domains of brain function. We genotyped 199 patients with DSM‐IV diagnoses of SCZ or BPD and 74 healthy control subjects for 19 risk SNPs derived from previous GWAS findings and tested their association with five neurophysiologic traits (P3 amplitude, P3 latency, N1 amplitude, P2 amplitude, and P50 sensory gating responses) known to be abnormal in psychosis. The TCF4 SNP rs17512836 risk allele showed a significant association with reduced auditory P3 amplitude (P = 0.00016) after correction for multiple testing. The same allele was also associated with delayed P3 latency (P = 0.005). Our results suggest that a SCZ risk variant in TCF4 is associated with neurophysiologic traits thought to index attention and working memory abnormalities in psychotic disorders. These findings suggest a mechanism by which TCF4 may contribute to the neurobiological basis of psychotic illness. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Financialization and Neoliberalism and the Fall in the Labor Share: A Panel Data Econometric Analysis for the European Union Countries

This paper conducts an empirical analysis of the relationship between financialization and neoliberalism and the labor share using panel data composed of twenty-seven European Union countries over nineteen years (from 1995 to 2013). Adopting a Kaleckian perspective, framed in the post-Keynesian literature, financialization and neoliberalism exert a negative influence on the labor share through three different channels: the change in the sectorial composition of economies (the increasing importance of financial activity and the decreasing importance of general government activity), the proliferation of shareholder value orientation, and the deterioration of general workers’ bargaining power. We estimate a labor share equation with the traditional variables (lagged labor share, technological progress, globalization, education, and output growth) and four further measures of financialization and neoliberalism (financial activity, general government activity, shareholder value orientation, and the trade union density rate). The findings show a disruptive relationship between financialization and neoliberalism and the labor share in European Union countries, mainly through the channels of general government activity and shareholder value orientation. It is also found that financialization and neoliberalism have contributed to a fall in the labor share in European Union countries. The technological progress was the main driver of the fall in the labor share in European Union countries, while the output growth was the main supporter. This suggests that the trend of decline in the labor share could intensify in the future taking into account the fears of potential secular stagnation in the current era of financialization and neoliberalism. JEL Classification: C23, D33, E25, E44
Paramedic Training for Proficient Prehospital Endotracheal Intubation

Abstract Background. Emergency airway management is an important component of resuscitation of critically ill patients. Multiple studies demonstrate variable endotracheal intubation (ETI) success by prehospital providers. Data describing how many ETI training experiences are required to achieve high success rates are sparse. Objectives. To describe the relationship between the number of prehospital ETI experiences and the likelihood of success on subsequent ETI and to specifically look at uncomplicated first-pass ETI in a university-based training program with substantial resources. Methods. We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospectively collected cohort of paramedic student prehospital intubation attempts. Data collected on prehospital ETIs included indication, induction agents, number of direct laryngoscopy attempts, and advanced airway procedures performed. We used multivariable generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis to determine the effect of cumulative ETI experience on first-pass and overall ETI success rates. Results. Over a period of three years, 56 paramedic students attempted 576 prehospital ETIs. The odds of overall ETI success were associated with cumulative ETI experience (odds ratio [OR] 1.097 per encounter, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.026–1.173, p = 0.006). The odds of first-pass ETI success were associated with cumulative ETI experience (OR 1.061 per encounter, 95% CI = 1.014–1.109, p = 0.009). Conclusion. In a training program with substantial clinical opportunities and resources, increased ETI success rates were associated with increasing clinical exposure. However, first-pass placement of the ETT with a high success rate requires high numbers of ETI training experiences that may exceed the number available in many training programs.
Protein biomarkers and microbial profiles in peri-implantitis.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the present investigation was to determine the profile of peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) biomarkers combined with microbial profiles from implants with healthy peri-implant tissues and peri-implantitis to assess real-time disease activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-eight patients were included in this cross-sectional study. They were divided into two groups: 34 patients with at least one healthy implant (control) and 34 with at least one peri-implantitis affected implant (test). Total DNA content and qPCR analysis for periodontal bacteria obtained from subgingival plaque samples (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola) and a PICF analysis for IL-1β, VEGF, MMP-8, TIMP-2, and OPG were performed. The individual and combined diagnostic ability of each biomarker for peri-implantitis and target bacterial species were analyzed. RESULTS The mean concentration of IL-1β (44.6 vs. 135.8 pg/ml; P < 0.001), TIMP-2 (5488.3 vs. 9771.8 pg/ml; P = 0.001), VEGF (59.1 vs. 129.0 pg/ml; P = 0.012), and OPG (66.5 vs. 111.7 pg/ml; P = 0.050) was increased in the peri-implantitis patients. The mean expression of MMP-8 (6029.2 vs. 5943.1 pg/ml; P = 0.454) and did not reveal a meaningful difference among groups. Total bacterial DNA of selected microorganisms was associated with a threefold or greater increase in peri-implantitis although no statistical significant difference. The ability to diagnose diseased sites was enhanced by T. denticola combined with IL-1β, VEGF, and TIMP-2 PICF levels. CONCLUSION The present data suggest that the increased levels of the selected PICF-derived biomarkers of periodontal tissue inflammation, matrix degradation/regulation, and alveolar bone turnover/resorption combined with site-specific microbial profiles may be associated with peri-implantitis and could have potential as predictors of peri-implant diseases.