Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arbekacin Activity against Contemporary Clinical Bacteria Isolated from Patients Hospitalized with Pneumonia

ABSTRACT Arbekacin is a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside licensed for systemic use in Japan and under clinical development as an inhalation solution in the United States. We evaluated the occurrence of organisms isolated from pneumonias in U.S. hospitalized patients (PHP), including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and the in vitro activity of arbekacin. Organism frequency was evaluated from a collection of 2,203 bacterial isolates (339 from VAP) consecutively collected from 25 medical centers in 2012 through the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. Arbekacin activity was tested against 904 isolates from PHP collected in 2012 from 62 U.S. medical centers and 303 multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms collected worldwide in 2009 and 2010 from various infection types. Susceptibility to arbekacin and comparator agents was evaluated by the reference broth microdilution method. The four most common organisms from PHP were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp. , and Enterobacter spp. The highest arbekacin MIC among S. aureus isolates from PHP (43% methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]) was 4 μg/ml. Among P. aeruginosa isolates from PHP, only one had an arbekacin MIC of >16 μg/ml (MIC50 and MIC90, 1 and 4 μg/ml), and susceptibility rates for gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin were 88.0, 90.0, and 98.0%, respectively. Arbekacin (MIC50, 2 μg/ml) and tobramycin (MIC50, 4 μg/ml) were the most potent aminoglycosides tested against Acinetobacter baumannii. Against Enterobacteriaceae from PHP, arbekacin and gentamicin (MIC50 and MIC90, 0.25 to 1 and 1 to 8 μg/ml for both compounds) were generally more potent than tobramycin (MIC50 and MIC90, 0.25 to 2 and 1 to 32 μg/ml) and amikacin (MIC50 and MIC90, 1 to 2 and 2 to 32 μg/ml). Arbekacin also demonstrated potent in vitro activity against a worldwide collection of well-characterized MDR Gram-negative and MRSA strains.
Outcome of patients experiencing progression or relapse after primary treatment with two cycles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for early-stage favorable Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE To evaluate treatment outcome of patients with early-stage favorable Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) who experience disease relapse after primary treatment with two cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS Of 1,129 patients with early-stage favorable HL enrolled onto the HD7/HD10/HD13 trials of the German Hodgkin Study Group, 42 patients were identified with treatment failure, of whom eight had primary progressive disease, seven had early relapse (< or = 12 months), and 27 had late relapse (> 12 months). We analyzed this group of patients for risk factors, salvage therapy, and treatment outcome. RESULTS The median age was 41 years (range, 19 to 72 years); 24 patients were male, 15 patients had outfield relapse, 13 patients infield relapse, and nine patients outfield and infield relapse. At relapse, 24 patients were treated with conventional salvage chemotherapy, 14 patients were treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation, and four patients were treated with RT alone. At 36 months median follow-up, freedom from second treatment failure (FF2F) and overall survival (OS) were 52% and 67%, respectively. According to the prognostic score for relapsed HL (duration of first remission, clinical stage, and anemia at relapse), patients with two or three poor prognostic features had a significantly worse outcome compared with patients with none or one of these factors (P < .05 for FF2F and OS). CONCLUSION Relapse after primary treatment with two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine followed by RT is rare. In our analysis, results were influenced by a high treatment-related mortality rate. Additional studies are needed to define the optimal salvage therapy.
Remarks on the inner ear of elasmobranchs and its interpretation from skeletal labyrinth morphology

The structure and function of the craniate inner ear is reviewed, with 33 apomorphic characters of the membranous labyrinth and associated structures identified in craniates, gnathostomes, and elasmobranchs. Elasmobranchs are capable of low‐frequency semi‐directional phonoreception, even in the absence of any pressure‐to‐displacement transducer such as ear ossicles. The endolymphatic (parietal) fossa, semicircular canals, and crista (macula) neglecta are all adapted toward phonoreception. Some (but not all) of the morphological features associated with phonoreception can be inferred from the elasmobranch skeletal labyrinth. Endocranial spaces such as the skeletal labyrinth also provide suites of morphological characters that may be incorporated into phylogenetic analyses, irrespective of how closely these spaces reflect underlying soft anatomy. The skeletal labyrinths of Squalus and Notorynchus are compared using silicone endocasts and high‐resolution CT‐scanning. The latter procedure offers several advantages over other techniques; it is more informative, nondestructive, preserves relationships of surrounding structures, and it can be applied both to modern and fossil material. J. Morphol. 250:236–264, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hypoxia‐induced modifications in plasma membranes and lipid microdomains in A549 cells and primary human alveolar cells

We evaluated the response to mild hypoxia exposure of A549 alveolar human cells and of a continuous alveolar cell line from human excised lungs (A30) exposed to 5% O2 for 5 and 24 h. No signs of increased peroxidation and of early apoptosis were detected. After 24 h of hypoxia total cell proteins/DNA ratio decreased significantly by about 20%. Similarly, we found a decrease in membrane phospholipid and cholesterol content. The membrane fluidity assessed by fluorescence anisotropy measurements was unchanged. We also prepared the detergent resistant membrane fraction (DRM) to analyze the distribution of the two types of lipid microdomains, caveolae and lipid rafts. The DRM content of Cav‐1, marker of caveolae, was decreased, while CD55, marker of lipid rafts, increased in both cell lines. Total content of these markers in the membranes was unchanged indicating remodelling of their distribution between detergent‐resistant and detergent‐soluble fraction of the cellular membrane. The changes in protein markers distribution did not imply changes in the corresponding mRNA, except in the case of Cav‐1 for A30 line. In the latter case we found a parallel decrease in Cav‐1 and in the corresponding mRNA. We conclude that an exposure to a mild degree of hypoxia triggers a significant remodelling of the lipid microdomains expression, confirming that they are highly dynamic structures providing a prompt signalling platform to changes of the pericellular microenvironment. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 503–513, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Persistence, Transmission, and Virulence Characteristics of Aeromonas Strains in a Duckweed Aquaculture-Based Hospital Sewage Water Recycling Plant in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The persistence and transmission of Aeromonas in a duckweed aquaculture-based hospital sewage water treatment plant in Bangladesh was studied. A total of 670 samples from different sites of the hospital sewage water treatment plant, from feces of hospitalized children suffering from diarrhea, from environmental control ponds, and from feces of healthy humans were collected over a period of three years. In total, 1,315 presumptive Aeromonas isolates were biochemically typed by the PhenePlate rapid screening system (PhP-AE). A selection of 90 representative isolates was further analyzed with PhenePlate (PhP) extended typing (PhP-48), fatty acid methyl ester analysis, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting. In addition, the prevalence of the putative virulence factors hemolysin and cytotoxin and the presence of the cytolytic enterotoxin gene (AHCYTOEN) were analyzed. Aeromonas was found at all sites of the treatment plant, in 40% of the samples from environmental control ponds, in 8.5% of the samples from hospitalized children suffering from diarrhea, and in 3.5% of samples from healthy humans. A significantly high number of Aeromonas bacteria was found in duckweed, which indicates that duckweed may serve as a reservoir for these bacteria. PhP-AE typing allowed identification of more than 192 distinct PhP types, of which 18 major PhP types (MTs) were found in multiple sites and during several occasions. AFLP fingerprinting revealed the prevalence of genotypically indistinguishable Aeromonas isolates among certain PhP MTs recovered from different sampling occasions and/or at multiple sites. Hemolytic and cytotoxic activities were observed in 43% of the tested strains, whereas 29% possessed the cytolytic enterotoxin gene AHCYTOEN. Collectively, two specific MTs associated with diarrhea were shown to exhibit high cytotoxicity. Furthermore, all tested isolates of these major types were positive for the cytolytic enterotoxin gene. In conclusion, our data indicate that certain phenotypically and genotypically stable clonal lineages of Aeromonas have persisted in the treatment system for a prolonged period and might spread from the hospitalized children suffering from diarrhea to fish produced for human consumption through the sewage water treatment system.
Efficacy of the nicotine vaccine 3'-AmNic-rEPA (NicVAX) co-administered with varenicline and counselling for smoking cessation: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Nicotine vaccination has been proposed as a possible treatment to aid smoking cessation. First efficacy results of the nicotine vaccine 3'-AmNic-rEPA (NicVAX) showed that only a subgroup of the top 30% antibody responders achieved higher abstinence rates than placebo. The present study examined the efficacy of adding NicVAX versus placebo to varenicline and behavioural support as an aid in smoking cessation and relapse prevention. DESIGN Randomized placebo-controlled trial. SETTING Two research centres (Maastricht University Medical Centre and Slotervaart Hospital) in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS A total of 558 smokers were assigned randomly to six injections with NicVAX (n = 278) or placebo (n = 280) both co-administered with open label varenicline and behavioural support. MEASURES Outcomes were prolonged carbon monoxide-validated abstinence from weeks 9 to 52 (primary) and weeks 37 to 52 (secondary). We also performed a pre-planned subgroup analysis in the top 30% antibody responders. FINDINGS There was no difference in abstinence rates between NicVAX and placebo from weeks 9 to 52 [27.7 versus 30.0%, odds ratio (OR) = 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.62-1.29] or weeks 37 to 52 (33.8 versus 33.2%, OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.73-1.46). The top 30% antibody responders, compared to the placebo group, showed a non-significant tendency towards higher abstinence rates from weeks 37 to 52 (42.2 versus 33.2%, OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.89-2.42). CONCLUSION The nicotine vaccine, NicVAX, does not appear to improve the chances of stopping smoking when given in addition to varenicline and behavioural support.
Neuropsychological performance of patients with soft bipolar spectrum disorders

There is much evidence that shows that a substantial number of individuals with DSM‐IV‐defined unipolar depression (UP) manifest hypomanic sub‐syndrome and bipolar diathesis. Other definitions have conceptualized the term soft bipolar spectrum (SBP) for these individuals. Little is known about the cognitive profiles of individuals with SBP. We hypothesized that they are representative of individuals with bipolar II disorder and are different from that of ‘strict’ UP.
Selective foraging of fungi by collembolans in soil

Soils contain highly diverse communities of microorganisms and invertebrates. The trophic interactions between these species are largely unknown. Collembolans form an abundant part of the invertebrate community in soils. A prevailing view is that soil collembolans are generalist feeders on fungi, lichens, fragmented litter and bacteria. However, in laboratory food choice experiments, it has been shown that collembolans preferentially select certain taxa of fungi. To examine this apparent contradiction, we developed a molecular technique based on the analysis of 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences to explore the diversity of fungi in soils and in the guts of collembolans. We report that the diversity of fungi found in the natural soil was 33 times higher than that in the guts of the collembolan Protaphorura armata. The data support the view that collembolan species can be highly selective when foraging on fungi in soils.
Bone loss in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is less than expected: a follow-up study.

BACKGROUND In spite of the accumulating evidence of an increased prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), the time course of bone loss is not well described, and there is little knowledge about factors indicating an increased risk of rapid bone loss. METHODS We conducted a follow-up study in 80 IBD patients (45 men and 25 premenopausal and 10 postmenopausal women), 19 with ulcerative colitis and 61 with Crohn disease, with a mean follow-up time of 568 +/- 60 days, to assess bone loss, risk factors of rapid bone loss, and value of bone markers to predict bone loss. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, bone formation by bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and bone resorption by N-terminal telopeptide of type-I collagen (NTX) and free deoxypyridinoline (DPD). RESULTS Bone density changes per year were 0.46% +/- 3% at the spine, 0.06% +/- 5.1% at the femoral neck, -1.1% +/- 7.7% at the triangle of Ward, and -0.52% +/- 1.86% at total body level. Type and duration of disease, sex, age, and level of NTX, DPD, and BAP at base line did not show significant differences between patients who lost and those who did not lose bone mass. Bone loss was significantly higher in patients with (n = 28) than in those without steroids (n = 52) at the femoral neck and Ward triangle but not at the spine and total body. CONCLUSIONS Change in bone mass in IBD patients during short-term follow-up is low on average, but there is great heterogeneity within the population, which cannot be explained by the use of steroids alone. Bone loss cannot be predicted by analysis of bone markers.
Do clinical breast examination skills improve during medical school?

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of stage of training, gender, and specialty interest on medical students' breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and clinical breast examination (CBE) skills as a case study of the progression of physical examination skills during medical education. METHOD: In 1996, questionnaires assessing breast cancer knowledge and attitudes were administered to 493 premedical and first-, second-, and third-year medical students at Northwestern University Medical School. Silicone breast models were used to evaluate the CBE proficiency of a subset of 151 students. RESULTS: Breast cancer knowledge was positively correlated with stage of training (r = .62), with significant differences between all levels (p < .001). In contrast, first-year medical students attained the highest mean lump-detection sensitivity (61.5%), followed by second-year (53.9%) and third-year (43.5%) students (p < .001, first- vs third-year students; p < .10, second- vs third-year students). There was no significant difference in specificity among the four stages. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that breast cancer knowledge and attitudes are not related to CBE proficiency, which is a practiced tactile skill. The decline in lump-detection sensitivity with increased stage of training may demonstrate the need for increased attention to palpation skills during the clinical years. These findings are consistent with those of earlier reports that suggest the need for the reinforcement of physical examination skills during clinical education.
Epidemiology of cutaneous melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancer in Schleswig‐Holstein, Germany: incidence, clinical subtypes, tumour stages and localization (epidemiology of skin cancer)

Background Population‐based figures on skin cancer are essential for a realistic assessment of the personal disease burden, prevention modes and the need for caring. The Robert Koch Institute in Germany estimates the incidence of melanoma skin cancer as seven cases in 100 000 persons (age‐standardized by the European standard rate). Population‐based studies presumably show higher incidence rates of 10–16 cases in 100 000 persons. Few data exist for non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) as this is not systematically registered in Germany.
Interplay of leukemia inhibitory factor and retinoic acid on neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have great potential for cell replacement in neurodegenerative disorders. Implantation of these cells into the brain, however, requires their prior differentiation. We examined the interplay between leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and retinoic acid (RA) on neural differentiation of mouse ES (mES) cells. Mouse embryonic stem cells were allowed to form cell aggregates, the so‐called embryoid bodies (EBs), in the absence or presence of LIF. In the absence of LIF, mES cells downregulated the expression of the undifferentiated mES cell marker Oct‐3/4, and increased mRNA levels of two neural precursor markers, Sox‐1 and Nestin, as well as the neuronal marker β‐tubulin III. This neuronal differentiation was enhanced by treating EBs with RA. Moreover, RA irreversibly increased the number of postmitotic neurons in culture, as shown by the reduction of proliferating mES cells and the increase in β‐tubulin III‐positive cells 6 days after RA removal, which in turn affected mES cell viability. The addition of LIF during EBs formation, however, blocked completely this neuronal differentiation. Our findings also showed that pre‐differentiation of mES cells in vitro avoided the teratocarcinoma formation observed when proliferating mES cells were grafted into the brain. In addition, mES cells pre‐differentiated with RA in culture showed a reduction in proliferation and the presence of neural phenotypes after grafting. In conclusion, the present results indicate that RA enhances neuronal differentiation of mES cells in the absence of LIF, although it compromises cell viability and transplantation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Development of Standard English 1300–1800: Historical description and the ideology of the standard language

Introduction It has been observed (Coulmas 1992: 175) that ‘traditionally most languages have been studied and described as if they were standard languages’. This is largely true of historical descriptions of English, and I am concerned in this paper with the effects of the ideology of standardisation (Milroy and Milroy 1991: 22–3) on scholars who have worked on the history of English. It seems to me that these effects have been so powerful in the past that the picture of language history that has been handed down to us is a partly false picture – one in which the history of the language as a whole is very largely the story of the development of modern Standard English and not of its manifold varieties. This tendency has been so strong that traditional histories of English can themselves be seen as constituting part of the standard ideology – that part of the ideology that confers legitimacy and historical depth on a language, or – more precisely – on what is held at some particular time to be the most important variety of a language. In the present account, the standard language will not be treated as a definable variety of a language on a par with other varieties. The standard is not seen as part of the speech community in precisely the same sense that vernaculars can be said to exist in communities.
Outcome for psychiatric emergency patients seen by an outreach police-mental health team.

OBJECTIVE The study examined whether outreach teams of mental health professionals and police officers could assess and make appropriate dispositions for psychiatric emergency cases in the community, even in situations involving violence or potential violence. The study also assessed whether such teams could reduce criminalization of mentally ill persons. METHODS One hundred and one consecutive referrals to law enforcement-mental health teams in Los Angeles were studied through records review. Subjects' status during a six-month follow-up period was also examined. RESULTS Referral had a high rate of past criminal arrests, violence, and major psychopathology. Sixty-three had a history of violence against persons, 59 had a criminal arrest history, 79 had prior psychiatric hospitalizations, and 66 were serious substance abusers. At referral, 70 manifested severe psychiatric symptoms, 20 were overtly violent, and 29 others exhibited threatening behavior. However, only two of the group were arrested; 80 were taken to hospitals. At six-month follow-up of 85 referrals, 22 percent had been arrested (12 percent for crimes of violence), and 42 percent had been rehospitalized. CONCLUSIONS Outreach emergency teams composed of a police officer and a mental health professional are able to deal appropriately with persons who have acute and severe mental illness, a high potential for violence, a high incidence of substance abuse, and long histories with both the criminal justice and mental health systems. Such teams apparently avoid criminalization of the mentally ill.
Enhancement of &bgr;-Cell Regeneration by Islet Transplantation After Partial Pancreatectomy in Mice

Background. Pancreatic &bgr; cells are known to regenerate, especially when insulin requirements are increased. Islet transplantation (ITx) is one strategy for insulin replacement in patients with diabetes. ITx can provide not only insulin in a physiological manner but also can exert additional effects such as &bgr;-cell regeneration. This study examined the effects of ITx on endogenous &bgr;-cell mass in mice. Methods. Male Balb/c mice were 70% pancreatectomized and transplanted with syngeneic islets, then compared with pancreatectomized mice with or without insulin treatment. Blood glucose levels and weight were evaluated for 10 days, with remnant pancreas obtained for evaluation of &bgr;-cell mass and turnover. Results. Hyperglycemia and weight loss were induced after pancreatectomy (Px). After ITx or insulin treatment, blood glucose levels recovered to normal, and body weight started to increase. At 10 days after Px, fasting serum insulin levels, &bgr;-cell mass, and insulin content in the remnant pancreas were higher in the ITx group than they were in the Px group. Insulin treatment after Px also increased &bgr;-cell mass, but did not increase pancreatic insulin content compared with those in the Px group. The enhanced &bgr;-cell mass and insulin content in the remnant pancreas of the ITx group resulted from increased &bgr;-cell proliferation/neogenesis and from prevention of &bgr;-cell apoptosis. Conclusions. These findings suggest that ITx after partial Px in mice enhances endogenous &bgr;-cell regeneration and survival, rendering &bgr;-cell mass increased and glucose homeostasis improved.