Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of laser therapy on axillary hyperhidrosis after one year follow‐up: A randomized blinded controlled trial

Hyperhidrosis is a debilitating problem that is not only uncomfortable and inconvenient, but also embarrassing in work and social situations. In spite of the availability of several options for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis, recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of laser therapy. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a laser diode device emitting at wavelengths of 924 and 975 nm and classical curettage either alone, simultaneously or in combination.
A MEASUREMENT OF SECONDARY COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND ANISOTROPIES WITH TWO YEARS OF SOUTH POLE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS

We present the first three-frequency South Pole Telescope (SPT) cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra. The band powers presented here cover angular scales 2000 < ℓ < 9400 in frequency bands centered at 95, 150, and 220 GHz. At these frequencies and angular scales, a combination of the primary CMB anisotropy, thermal and kinetic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effects, radio galaxies, and cosmic infrared background (CIB) contributes to the signal. We combine Planck/HFI and SPT data at 220 GHz to constrain the amplitude and shape of the CIB power spectrum and find strong evidence for nonlinear clustering. We explore the SZ results using a variety of cosmological models for the CMB and CIB anisotropies and find them to be robust with one exception: allowing for spatial correlations between the thermal SZ effect and CIB significantly degrades the SZ constraints. Neglecting this potential correlation, we find the thermal SZ power at 150 GHz and ℓ = 3000 to be 3.65 ± 0.69 μK2, and set an upper limit on the kinetic SZ power to be less than 2.8 μK2 at 95% confidence. When a correlation between the thermal SZ and CIB is allowed, we constrain a linear combination of thermal and kinetic SZ power: D tSZ 3000 + 0.5D 3000 kSZ = 4.60 ± 0.63 μK2, consistent with earlier measurements. We use the measured thermal SZ power and an analytic, thermal SZ model calibrated with simulations to determine σ8 = 0.807 ± 0.016. Modeling uncertainties involving the astrophysics of the intracluster medium rather than the statistical uncertainty in the measured band powers are the dominant source of uncertainty on σ8. We also place an upper limit on the kinetic SZ power produced by patchy reionization; a companion paper uses these limits to constrain the reionization history of the universe.
Is contact allergy rare in psoriatics?

Patients and Methods In 3 patch test clinics, 305 consecutive psoriatic patients (143 women), aged 10 to 77 years, 219 with psoriasis vulgaris, 80 with palmoplantar lesions (including pustular), and 6 with other forms, were studied (group 1). None had been treated with phototherapy. Patients with psoriatic erythroderma were excluded. 96 age-matched patients (50 women), with dermatological diseases other than allergic contact dermatitis and psoriasis (group 2), served as controls. 743 consecutive non-psoriatic patients (478 women) attending a patch test clinic served as further controls (group 3). All were patch tested with the GIRDCA standard series.
Cutaneous Adverse Events and Gemifloxacin: Observations from the Clinical Trial Program

Abstract Cutaneous adverse events are seen with many antimicrobials. A signal was observed with gemifloxacin in the original clinical research program, however subsequent studies and analysis demonstrated a mild-moderate self-limited macularpapular rash seen most frequently when the duration of exposure was beyond 7 days, a non-approved duration. Following administration for 5 days for community acquired respiratory tract infections the rash rate is typically less than 1.5%, a rate similar to that for other fluoroquinolones and lower than other frequently used community antimicrobials. The rash associated with gemifloxacin has not been linked with cross or subclinical-sensitization nor any systemic manifestations such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. This review describes the extensive studies conducted to support the use of this agent for short durations in community infections.
Comparison of Characteristics of Patients Infected by Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter fetus

ABSTRACT A large database of Campylobacter isolates precisely identified at the species level was used to compare patients' characteristics. In a multivariate analysis, Campylobacter coli was found more often in older patients and in patients having traveled abroad and less often in summertime than Campylobacter jejuni. Campylobacter fetus infection occurred in much older patients and in hospitalized patients with a systemic disease.
Aromatase inhibitors and mammographic breast density in postmenopausal women receiving hormone therapy

Objective: One of the main concerns regarding long-term use of hormone therapy (HT) in symptomatic menopausal women is the perceived increased risk of breast cancer. A method to reduce breast cancer risk in this population of women is urgently needed. We hypothesized that adding aromatase inhibitors (AIs) to HT would reduce local breast estrogen exposure and breast cancer risk without altering the beneficial systemic effects of HT on menopausal symptoms or bone density. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of AIs and HT on mammographic breast density (MBD) as a surrogate marker of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women receiving low-dose HT. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at private clinics affiliated with a university hospital. One group of postmenopausal women (n = 28) received low-dose HT daily plus letrozole 2.5 mg three times weekly. Postmenopausal women receiving HT alone (n = 28) served as controls. MBD, the primary outcome, was measured using quantitative image analysis software as well as by visual analysis by a radiologist. Hypoestrogenic effects, adverse reactions, and bone mineral densities were secondary outcome measures. Results: The mammograms of 18 women in the study group and 22 women in the control group were suitable for comparison. A statistically significant reduction in MBD occurred in the women who received HT plus an AI, whereas no significant change was observed in the women receiving HT alone. There was no significant increase in hypoestrogenic symptoms during the use of AIs, and bone mineral densities were not significantly reduced. Conclusions: Adding an AI to HT may lower MBD in postmenopausal women. AIs could be good candidates for primary chemoprevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women using HT.
A Deafness- and Diabetes-associated tRNA Mutation Causes Deficient Pseudouridinylation at Position 55 in tRNAGlu and Mitochondrial Dysfunction*

Several mitochondrial tRNA mutations have been associated with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness. However, the pathophysiology of these tRNA mutations remains poorly understood. In this report, we identified the novel homoplasmic 14692A→G mutation in the mitochondrial tRNAGlu gene among three Han Chinese families with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness. The m.14692A→G mutation affected a highly conserved uridine at position 55 of the TΨC loop of tRNAGlu. The uridine is modified to pseudouridine (Ψ55), which plays an important role in the structure and function of this tRNA. Using lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from a Chinese family, we demonstrated that the m.14692A→G mutation caused loss of Ψ55 modification and increased angiogenin-mediated endonucleolytic cleavage in mutant tRNAGlu. The destabilization of base-pairing (18A-Ψ55) caused by the m.14692A→G mutation perturbed the conformation and stability of tRNAGlu. An approximately 65% decrease in the steady-state level of tRNAGlu was observed in mutant cells compared with control cells. A failure in tRNAGlu metabolism impaired mitochondrial translation, especially for polypeptides with a high proportion of glutamic acid codons such as ND1, ND6, and CO2 in mutant cells. An impairment of mitochondrial translation caused defective respiratory capacity, especially reducing the activities of complexes I and IV. Furthermore, marked decreases in the levels of mitochondrial ATP and membrane potential were observed in mutant cells. These mitochondrial dysfunctions caused an increasing production of reactive oxygen species in the mutant cells. Our findings may provide new insights into the pathophysiology of maternally inherited diabetes and deafness, which is primarily manifested by the deficient nucleotide modification of mitochondrial tRNAGlu.
Herniation of the Disc between the First and Second Lumbar Vertebrae with a Monoradiculopathy of the Fifth Lumbar Nerve Root. A Case Report*

The clinical presentation of a herniated lumbar disc depends on which nerve root is affected. Therefore, the diagnosis of the level of herniation is initially based on the neurological symptoms and signs and is confirmed by a radiographic examination. Herniation of a disc at a level between the first and fourth lumbar vertebrae usually causes compression of the second, third, or fourth lumbar nerve roots. In addition, the herniation is associated with characteristic findings, including pain and sensory loss over the anterior portion of the thigh or the medial aspect of the leg, or both; a positive femoral-nerve-stretch test; weakness of the quadriceps or the iliopsoas muscle, or both; and a diminished or absent patellar ligament reflex3. Our report describes a patient who had a herniated disc between the first and second lumbar vertebrae with sciatica and a monoradiculopathy of the fifth lumbar nerve root. A sixty-seven-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of low-back pain, sciatica on the left, and weakness of the left lower extremity. For two months she had had low-back pain, and for three weeks pain had radiated from the left buttock to the lateral aspect of the thigh, the anterolateral portion of the leg, and the dorsal part of the foot. She had slight difficulty walking because of muscular weakness. She had no bowel or bladder incontinence. The pain was aggravated with movement of the trunk, especially forward bending, and was relieved by bed rest. The initial physical examination revealed diffuse tenderness over the low back and localized tenderness over the posterior portion of the left thigh and calf. A straight-leg-raising test was positive at 60 degrees on the left, and the femoral-nerve-stretch test was negative. No atrophy or fasciculation of the muscles was found. A neurological examination demonstrated weakness (grade 4 …
Does the E/e′ Index Predict the Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm after Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation?

Introduction: The role of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation remains unknown. We investigated LV diastolic function using the ratio of early transmitral flow velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e′) and evaluated its predictive value for AF recurrence. Methods: One hundred three AF patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography before ablation and during 3 months of follow‐up. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters of patients with maintained sinus rhythm were compared with those with recurrent AF. Results: Of 103 patients, 26 had recurrent AF during follow‐up. The E/e′ index was the best independent predictor of AF recurrence in a multivariate logistic regression model. A cutoff value of 11.2 for the E/e′ measured before ablation was associated with a sensitivity of 80.8% and specificity of 81.8% (area under ROC curve, 0.840; 95% CI, 0.754–0.926) for AF recurrence. E/e′ measured in sinus rhythm after ablation had an even better predictive power (area under ROC curve, 0.917; 95% CI, 0.850–0.983). Conclusion: LV diastolic function was closely associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation. The E/e′ index can be used as an incremental predictor for AF recurrence after catheter ablation. (Echocardiography 2010;27:630‐636)
Biologically inspired risk assessment in cyber security using neural networks

The only suitable option for risk assessment systems designed with real-time constraints in mind, in the present seems to be the one based on attack graphs. Even though it is not computationally feasible for every circumstance, it is elastic enough for the usual use case. Paper [8] proposes an interesting approach based on attack graphs. An attack graph is a graph that represents all possible sequences of the attacker's actions that lead him/her to the established goals. These action sequences are also called attack traces. The main disadvantage of this approach is its high computational complexity. Thus, attack modeling needs to represent not only the sequences of actions, but also the attack impact, as well as how countermeasures can mitigate this impact and at which cost. However, the human body, based on the immune system, calculates risk every second for offering the correct manner of immune response to foreign threats, without hampering normal cell operation. Why don't we use this behavior in cyber defense systems? Applying Matzinger's danger theory, with the key concept of a distress signal, involved in risk assessment seems to be the logical decision, due to its lite resource consumption and categorical nature, which rapidly defines an attack surface, when correlating information gathered from local agents dispersed on protected hosts. As a proof of concept in favor of supporting this idea, a feed-forward backward-propagating neural network was setup to correlate threat data from agents installed on remote protected hosts. This intelligent system assesses the risk of a cyber-attack taking place and bringing the defense systems to an alarmed state in a timely manner, which can help offer a quick response against an attacker.
MRI and biologic behavior of desmoid tumors in children.

OBJECTIVE The outcome of desmoid tumor in children cannot be reliably predicted on the basis of histologic findings. We sought to determine whether the postoperative presence of residual or recurrent tumor can be predicted on the basis of demographic variables and baseline MRI features of the tumor. We also aimed to determine how imaging features change during adjuvant treatment and how the imaging features relate to the histologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed images from 281 MRI examinations performed at baseline and during postoperative therapy for desmoid tumor. The examinations had been performed on 17 children treated between September 1991 and March 2003. Tumor volume; distinctness of margins; involvement of bone and neurovascular bundle; and T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and STIR signal intensity and contrast enhancement pattern were recorded. Baseline imaging and demographic features were correlated with the postoperative presence of residual or recurrent tumor. Imaging changes during follow-up were compared with treatment response and outcome. The imaging features of eight tumors were compared with percentage cellularity and collagen deposition in biopsy samples obtained within 30 days of imaging. RESULTS Baseline involvement of the neurovascular bundle approached significance as a predictor of the presence of residual or recurrent tumor (p = 0.08). Other baseline imaging and demographic features were not predictive (p > or = 0.4). Changes in imaging features were variable during follow-up. T2-weighted and STIR signal intensity may be correlated with percentage cellularity and collagen deposition. CONCLUSION MRI has limited value in prediction of the postoperative presence of residual or recurrent desmoid tumor in children. It is useful, however, for detecting disease and monitoring postoperative adjuvant therapy.
blaCTX-M Genes in Clinical Salmonella Isolates Recovered from Humans in England and Wales from 1992 to 2003

ABSTRACT Cefotaximases (CTX-M) are a rapidly growing class A β-lactamase family that has been found among a wide range of clinical bacteria. One hundred and six isolates were selected from 278,308 Salmonella isolates based on resistance to ampicillin and cephalosporins and subjected to further characterization. Fourteen isolates were blaCTX-M PCR positive, and cefotaxime MICs for these isolates were ≥16 mg/liter. Furthermore, sequence analysis revealed the presence of type CTX-M9, -15, or -17 to -18. All 14 isolates presented different PFGE restriction profiles, although six Salmonella enterica serotype Virchow isolates formed a tight cluster. The blaCTX-M genetic determinants were present in transferable plasmids of ∼63, 105, and >148 kb. Plasmid restriction analysis showed that both horizontal transfer of similar plasmids among different clones and transfer of genes between different plasmids were likely mechanisms involved in the spread of blaCTX-M genes. We have found that CTX-M enzymes have emerged in community-acquired infections both linked to foreign travel and domestically acquired. This is the first report of a CTX-M enzyme in Salmonella in the United Kingdom. Also, it represents the first report of a blaCTX-M gene in Salmonella enterica serotype Stanley and a blaCTX-M-15 gene in Salmonella enterica serotypes Anatum, Enteritidis, and Typhimurium.
Voltage‐dependent facilitation of a neuronal alpha 1C L‐type calcium channel.

Calcium entry into excitable cells through voltage‐gated calcium channels can be influenced by both the rate and pattern of action potentials. We report here that a cloned neuronal alpha 1C L‐type calcium channel can be facilitated by positive pre‐depolarization. Both calcium and barium were effective as charge carriers in eliciting voltage‐dependent facilitation. The induction of facilitation was shown to be independent of intracellular calcium levels, G‐protein interaction and the level of phosphatase activity. Facilitation was reduced by the injection of inhibitors of protein kinase A and required the coexpression of a calcium channel beta subunit. In contrast, three neuronal non‐L‐type calcium channels, alpha 1A, alpha 1B and alpha 1E, were not subject to voltage‐dependent facilitation when coexpressed with a beta subunit. The results indicate that the mechanism of neuronal L‐type calcium channel facilitation involves the interaction of alpha 1 and beta subunits and is dependent on protein kinase A activity. The selective voltage‐dependent modulation of L‐type calcium channels is likely to play an important role in neuronal physiology and plasticity.
Performance of a digital symbol synchronizer in cochannel interference and noise

The performance of a binary-quantized data-transition tracking loop symbol synchronizer operating in cochannel interference (CCI) and noise is examined for both binary phase-shift keying and quaternary phase-shift keying modulations. The CCI can be included in a previously known Markov chain model without increasing the number of states in the chain, but the cost of computing the transition probabilities increases exponentially with the number of interferers. It is shown that a first-order Markov model and simulation are in close agreement for some important applications. The effect of interferer epoch on the degradation caused by the interference is investigated and the degradations in performance caused by CCI and by Gaussian noise are compared.
Climatic Conditions and the Onset of Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: An Investigation of the Influence of Solar Terms

Objective: To study the correlation between climatic changes and the development of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Subjects and Methods: We retrospectively studied the relationship between 337 patients with conservatively treated PSP and meteorological conditions during a 3-year period in the urban area of Xi’an, China. The comparison was made depending on solar terms and on different aspects of atmospheric pressure, outdoor temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Results: Significant differences were found between PSP and non-PSP days depending on daily mean values of outdoor temperature and atmospheric pressure (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). However, no obvious differences of meteorological factor variations between the ‘PSP day’ and the ‘pre-PSP day’ on days with and without PSP were found. The occurrence of PSP was associated with the solar terms Spring Equinox (p < 0.05) and End of Heat (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Among the factors examined in our study, daily mean outdoor temperature and atmospheric pressure showed a strong correlation with the occurrence of PSP. The solar terms Spring Equinox and End of Heat were found to be closely related with PSP development, which shed light on a new way for PSP incidence evaluation.
Prevalence of biopsied oral lesions in a Department of Oral Surgery (2007 - 2009)

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of the hard and soft tissue lesions biopsied in the Department of Oral Surgery of the Barcelona University Dental Clinic (Barcelona, Spain). Study design: A retrospective descriptive study was made of the biopsies performed between January 2007 and April 2009 in our Department of Oral Surgery. The following variables were recorded: age, the sex, location of the lesion, the biopsy technique, the reason for consultation, and the histological result obtained. Results: A total of 460 lesions amenable to histological analysis and corresponding to 450 patients were analyzed. The most frequently biopsied lesions were maxillary cysts, including particularly root cysts (20%). Other very common disorders in our series were epithelial hyperplasias (10.6%) and fibromas (10%). There was a broad range of histopathological results, with un total of 36 different diagnoses. Three of the 460 biopsies yielded two squamous cell carcinomas and one ameloblastoma. Conclusions: The most prevalent hard tissue lesions were chronic maxillary periapical lesions, while epithelial hyperplasias and fibromas were the most frequent soft tissue lesions. Emphasis is placed on the need for biopsy particularly for studying premalignant and malignant lesions, in view of the importance of securing an early diagnosis.
Topological change disturbs object continuity in attentive tracking

The question of what is a perceptual object is one of the most central and also controversial issues in cognitive science. According to the topological approach to perceptual organization, the core intuitive notion of an object—the holistic identity preserved over shape-changing transformations—may be characterized precisely as topological invariance. Here we show that, across a series of multiple-object tracking tasks, performance was not disrupted when the moving items underwent massive featural changes. However, performance was significantly impaired when the items changed their topological properties of holes, demonstrating that topological invariance constrains what counts as an object in the first place. Consistent with previous findings, fMRI studies indicated that the anterior temporal lobe may be involved in the formation of object representation defined by topological constraints.
Cation channels of the rabbit outer medullary collecting duct.

The outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) produces high rates of proton secretion, and previous data show a significant role for an H+,K+-ATPase in luminal acidification. This mechanism of acidification requires proton secretion to occur in exchange for potassium absorption. Because net transport of potassium is small in the OMCD, pathways for potassium secretion would appear essential to explain the contribution of an H+,K+-ATPase under potassium-replete conditions. A significant issue is whether a potassium exit pathway (i.e., cation channel) is present at the apical and/or the basolateral membrane. In this report, using patch-clamp techniques to examine single channel conductances from the native rabbit OMCD, we show that the apical membrane has potassium permeable cation channels.