Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Molecular Analysis of the Gene Encoding Rickettsia typhi Hemolysin

ABSTRACT Rickettsia typhi, the causative agent of murine typhus, grows directly within the host cell cytoplasm, accumulating a large number of progeny, and eventually lyses the cells. Typhus group rickettsiae (R. typhi and R. prowazekii) adhere to and lyse human and sheep erythrocytes. However, the molecular mechanism underlying erythrocyte lysis by R. typhi has not been defined. Here we describe the cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene (tlyC) encoding a hemolysin fromR. typhi. DNA sequence analysis of R. typhi tlyC revealed an open reading frame of 912 bp, which encodes a protein of 304 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 38 kDa. To associate the R. typhi tlyC gene product with hemolytic activity, we performed complementation studies with hemolysin-negativeProteus mirabilis WPM111 (a HpmA− mutant of BA6163) transformed with R. typhi tlyC or R. typhi GFPuv-tlyC constructs. We demonstrated that the clonedtlyC gene conferred a hemolytic phenotype on an otherwise nonhemolytic mutant of P. mirabilis. The availability of the cloned R. typhi tlyC will permit further characterization and definition of its role in rickettsial virulence.
A Postoperative Nomogram for Local Recurrence Risk in Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas After Limb-Sparing Surgery Without Adjuvant Radiation

Purpose: To develop a nomogram based on clinicopathologic factors to quantify the risk of local recurrence (LR) after limb-sparing surgery without adjuvant radiation (RT). Methods: Review of our prospective sarcoma database identified 684 patients with primary, nonmetastatic, extremity STS treated with limb-sparing surgery alone between June 1982 and December 2006. No patient received adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. Age, sex, grade, depth, size, site, margin status and histology were analyzed for prognostic significance with respect to local recurrence rates using Gray's test. Variables which were significant in univariate analysis at the 0.05 level were entered into a multivariate competing risk regression model. On the basis of the multivariate analysis, a nomogram for predicting the 3- and 5-year risk of LR was developed using R libraries cmprsk and QHScrnomo. Concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate the discriminatory power of the prognostic model. Results: With a median follow-up of 58 months for censored patients (73 months for all patients), the overall 3- and 5-year actuarial local recurrence rates were 11% and 13%, respectively. Factors included in the nomogram were age (⩽50 vs. >50), size (⩽5 vs. >5 cm), margin status (negative vs. positive), grade (low vs. high), and histology (atypical lipomatous tumor/well differentiated liposarcoma vs. other). The STS nomogram predicted the local recurrence rate with a C-index of 0.73. Conclusions: A nomogram for extremity STS that includes age, size, margin status, grade of tumor, and histology predicts the 3- and 5-year risk of local recurrence after limb-sparing surgery in the absence of adjuvant RT.
Global Smooth Solutions in R3 to Short Wave-Long Wave Interactions Systems for Viscous Compressible Fluids

The short wave-long wave interactions for viscous compressible heat conductive fluids is modeled, following Dias and Frid [SIAM J. Math. Anal. , 43 (2011), pp. 764--787], by a Benney-type system coupling Navier--Stokes equations with a nonlinear Schrodinger equation along particle paths. We study the global existence of smooth solutions to the Cauchy problem in $\mathbb{R}^3$ when the initial data are small smooth perturbations of an equilibrium state.
Rotator cuff tendon tears: evaluation with fat-suppressed MR imaging with arthroscopic correlation in 100 patients.

PURPOSE To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fat-suppressed magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of rotator cuff tears in a large symptomatic population. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred patients underwent both MR imaging and arthroscopy of the shoulder. Ninety-two patients underwent fat-suppressed conventional spin-echo MR imaging (repetition time msec/echo time msec = 2,500/20, 60), and eight patients underwent fat-suppressed, fast spin-echo MR imaging (2,000/80). RESULTS With data combined for complete and partial tears of the rotator cuff (n = 31), MR imaging had an accuracy of 93%; sensitivity, 84%; and specificity, 97%. Seventeen of 20 complete tears and nine of 11 partial tears were properly identified with MR imaging. Two partial tears were not detected and three complete tears were incorrectly called partial tears at MR imaging. Of two false-positive MR imaging findings, one was called a complete tear and the other, a partial tear. CONCLUSION Fat-suppressed MR imaging has high diagnostic accuracy in evaluating tears of the rotator cuff tendon.
[Relationship between smoking and anxiety and depression in primary care].

INTRODUCTION Smoking prevalence in Portugal is estimated to be 19.7% (2005). Smoking is prevalent in anxiety disorders. Studies report that 60% of smokers have a history of depression. The Fagerström scale can be used to assess smoke dependence. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale allows an estimate of anxiety and depression. Our goal was to find whether there is a relationship between smoking and anxiety / depression in eight clinics within primary care practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS We designed an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, analytical study. Anonymous survey. We considered as inclusion criteria the over 18 years of age and literate clinic users and as exclusion criteria the under 18 years old users or incomplete surveys. We defined as variables: Fagerström, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, age, marital status, gender, profession, schooling. RESULTS We obtained a total of 608 valid surveys of which there were 64% women and 21% smokers. We found no differences in the prevalence of anxiety or depression when comparing non-smokers, ex-smokers and smokers. We found that the degree of nicotine addiction varies directly with anxiety and depression, however, the only statistically significant relationship observed was in women, even after correcting the effect of age. DISCUSSION There is a relationship between nicotine dependence and the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depression, most relevant in women. LIMITATION selection bias. CONCLUSION This study supplies information regarding psychological factors associated with tobacco consumption, allowing for its inclusion in treatment options for nicotine dependence.
A hybrid approach for the actuation of upper limb prostheses based on computer vision

When a prosthesis that has a complicated process of selecting grip modes is presented to an amputee, he tends to give up using the device. Nowadays, most of the commercial interfaces for prosthetic hands are based on electromyography (EMG), and they are difficult to control due to the complexity of the activation methods. The multimodal approaches proposed in the literature to succeed in dealing with this problem have either limited the user to one way of interaction with objects or did not overcome the gap between research and clinical application. To change this scenario, we propose a hybrid technique based on computer vision and EMG for the activation of an upper limb prosthesis. With this interface, the user sends a simple command using an EMG interface to take a picture of the object they want to interact with, leaving the system to suggest the user which interaction is more likely correct from the recognized object name. The main contribution is a prosthetic control interface that allows the user to choose among types of interactions to accomplish the desired task using only three different movements. Without the need to learn more than three different patterns of contractions, the control interface becomes easier and less cognitive effort is required from users. Moreover, the platform presented in this paper does not limit the user regarding the number of possible interactions the user can perform.
Language Changes Implicit Associations Between Ethnic Groups and Evaluation in Bilinguals

How does the language one speaks influence one’s thoughts? This issue has been debated since the Sapir-Whorf linguistic relativity hypothesis proposed that a language’s characteristics determine the thoughts of its speakers (Whorf, 1957). Although it is an overstatement to claim that language determines thought (Boroditsky, Schmidt, & Phillips, 2003), there are numerous findings showing an influence of language structure on cognition. For example, research with monolingual speakers has found that color terms within a language influence color perception (Drivonikou et al., 2007; Winawer et al., 2007) and that people who speak languages that mark gender perceive inanimate objects as having characteristics typical of their grammatical gender (Boroditsky et al., 2003). In the study we report here, we did not look at the specific influence of language structure, but rather examined the way in which language use can selectively influence the accessibility of socially relevant associations. In many multilingual, multicultural communities, there is tension between ethnic groups. This is definitely the case in Israel, where there is tension between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority. We tested whether Arab Israelis’ implicit associations regarding Arabs and Jews differ depending on whether these associations are elicited in Hebrew or in Arabic. Building on the notion that when the associative representation of an object varies across contexts, automatic evaluations become context sensitive (Rydell & Gawronski, 2008), we predicted that participants would exhibit more positive associations to Arabs and less positive associations to Jews when using Arabic than when using Hebrew. Put differently, we predicted that the language used to elicit associations between ethnic groups and evaluation would selectively activate the heterogeneous associations experienced by Arab Israelis: associations that are more positive for Jews in a Hebrew-speaking environment and more positive for Arabs in an Arab-speaking environment.
A Taxonomic Study of Oconnorella (Enchytraeidae, Oligochaeta) from Changbaishan Mountain, China

Abstract We describe three enchytraeid species, including two new species, from Mt. Changbaishan, Jilin Province, northeastern China. Oconnorella cheni sp. nov. is characterized by a simple spermatheca; absence of the oesophageal appendages and seminal vesicle; and nephridia from 6/7, with a distinct funnel and the efferent duct arising from the anterior part of the postseptale. Oconnorella globula sp. nov. is distinguished by a spermatheca with two diverticula; lack of oesophageal appendages and seminal vesicle; and nephridia from 6/7, with distinct funnel and the efferent duct arising from the mid-ventral or posteroventral part of the postseptale. We redescribe Oconnorella changbaishanensis (Xie et al., 2000) from type and live specimens, and amend some characters that cannot be investigated clearly from mounted specimens. We revise the generic diagnosis of Oconnorella.
Outcomes after periviable ultrasound-indicated cerclage

Abstract Background: Cerclage placed for a sonographically short cervix has been shown to reduce the risk of preterm delivery in women with a history of prior preterm birth. While short cervix is traditionally placed before viability, the threshold gestational age at which viability is achieved continues to decrease, and, as a result, a larger subset of women may be ineligible to receive this potentially beneficial procedure. Objective: To evaluate the association between obstetric outcomes and perioperative complications after placement of an ultrasound-indicated cerclage at periviability compared to placement in the previable period. Methods: This retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent ultrasound-indicated cerclage evaluated obstetric outcomes and perioperative complications based on gestational age at cerclage placement. Ultrasound-indicated cerclage was considered to have been placed at periviability if placed at 22 to <24 weeks (exposed) and at previability if placed at 16 to <22 weeks gestational age (unexposed). The primary outcome was preterm delivery <36 weeks. Secondary outcomes included mean gestational age at delivery, preterm delivery <32 weeks, <28, and <24 weeks, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), chorioamnionitis, and perioperative complications. Adjusted analyses were performed to account for demographic and obstetric factors. Results: Of the 426 patients included in the analysis, 94 (22%) had cerclage placed between ≥22 weeks to <24 weeks, while 332 (78%) had cerclage placed at <22 weeks. On univariate analysis, women who had a periviable cerclage placed were less likely to have a recurrent preterm delivery <36 weeks compared to women with previable cerclage placement (26.6 versus 38.3%, respectively, p = .04). The adjusted model did not demonstrate a significant difference in risk for preterm delivery <36 weeks associated with periviable versus previable cerclage (odds ratio 0.66, 95%CI 0.37–1.17). Secondary outcomes were similar between the previable and periviable groups, including mean gestational age at delivery (35.1 versus 36.2 weeks, respectively, p = .08) and preterm delivery before 32-week gestation (20.7 versus 13.8%, respectively, p = .17). Intraoperative and postoperative complications were rare and rates were similar between groups. Conclusions: Obstetric outcomes between patients receiving periviable and previable cerclage are similar. Ultrasound-indicated cerclage placement is associated with a relatively low rate of complications. Given the evidence supporting benefit of cerclage for women with short ultrasound cervical length and prior preterm birth, our findings demonstrate that benefits of placement at ≥22 weeks to <24 weeks may outweigh risks.
Impaired kidney function at hospital discharge and long-term renal and overall survival in patients who received CRRT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Critically ill patients with AKI necessitating renal replacement therapy (RRT) have high in-hospital mortality, and survivors are at risk for kidney dysfunction at hospital discharge. The objective was to evaluate the association between impaired kidney function at hospital discharge with long-term renal and overall survival. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Degree of kidney dysfunction in relation to long-term effects on renal survival and patient mortality was investigated in a retrospective cohort study of 1220 adults admitted to an intensive care unit who received continuous RRT between 1994 and 2010. RESULTS After hospital discharge, median follow-up of survivors (n=475) was 8.5 years (range, 1-17 years); overall mortality rate was 75%. Only 170 (35%) patients were discharged with an estimated GFR (eGFR) >60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that age, nonsurgical type of admission, preexisting kidney disease, malignancy, and eGFR of 29-15 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 2.58) and eGFR <15 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.23 to 3.02) at discharge were independent predictors of increased mortality. Renal survival was significantly associated with degree of kidney dysfunction at discharge. An eGFR of 29-15 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (HR, 26.26; 95% CI, 5.59 to 123.40) and <15 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (HR, 172.28; 95% CI, 37.72 to 786.75) were independent risk factors for initiation of long-term RRT. CONCLUSIONS Most critically ill patients surviving AKI necessitating RRT have impaired kidney function at hospital discharge. An eGFR <30 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) is a strong risk factor for decreased long-term survival and poor renal survival.
Electron microscopy of frozen-hydrated bacteria

Amorphous, unstained, frozen-hydrated sections of bacteria provide a faithful high-resolution image of procaryotic cells. Conventional preparation artifacts due to fixation, staining, and dehydration are nonexistent. Freezing damage is avoided by using glucose as a cryoprotectant. Cutting damage on frozen material is severe, but sectioning artifacts, being always related to the cutting direction, can be systematically recognized and thus taken into consideration. Geometry and density distribution of the bacterial envelope can be resolved to about 3 nm. The following main features have been observed. In Escherichia coli the inner and outer membranes have an approximately uniform density profile. The distance between the two membranes is constant, ca. 33 nm. In Staphylococcus aureus the cell wall is ca. 40 nm wide. It is bordered on the cytoplasmic side by an asymmetric 5.5-nm-wide bilayer. The bacterial nucleoid, clearly visible with conventional preparation methods, appears in exponentially growing bacteria as an ill-defined central region with approximately the same density as the rest of the cytoplasm. It becomes more clearly visible when bacteria are in the stationary phase, plasmolysed, fixed, or stained. We confirm that "mesosomes," hitherto quite often considered to be essential organelles in all procaryotes, are artifacts. They appear in large numbers during osmium fixation.
Determination of levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil contaminated with spent motor Engine oil in Abakaliki Auto-Mechanic Village

Soil samples contaminated with spent motor engine oil collected from Abakaliki auto-mechanic site were analyzed to determine the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components which are often targets in environmental check. Identification and quantification of the PAH components was accomplished using a gas chromatographic system (6890 series and 6890 plus) equipped with a quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (Agilent 5975 MSD) after ultrasonic extraction of the sample and clean up of the extract. The results showed that out of the sixteen USEPA target PAHs (EPA-16) assayed, only six were detected in varying concentrations in mg/kg. These include Phenanthrene with concentration range of 0.0172 ± 0.01 to 0.0193 ± 0.02, fluorene (0.0189 ± 0.01), benzo(a)anthracene (0.0162 ± 0.05), chrysene (0.0209 ± 0.02), benzo(b)fluoranthrene (0.0453 ± 0.02) and benzo(k)fluoranthrene (0.0389 ± 0.1). The concentration of total PAH components detected in the samples ranged from 0.0184 ± 0.02 to 0.1385 ± 0.2 mg/kg. Implications of PAHs on health were discussed. ©JASEM
How We Teach The use of team-based , guided inquiry learning to overcome educational disadvantages in learning human physiology : a structural equation model

Rathner JA, Byrne G. The use of team-based, guided inquiry learning to overcome educational disadvantages in learning human physiology: a structural equation model. Adv Physiol Educ 38: 221– 228, 2014; doi:10.1152/advan.00131. 2013. —The study of human bioscience is viewed as a crucial curriculum in allied health. Nevertheless, bioscience (and particularly physiology) is notoriously difficult for undergraduates, particularly academically disadvantaged students. So endemic are the high failure rates (particularly in nursing) that it has come to be known as “the human bioscience problem. ” In the present report, we describe the outcomes for individual success in studying first-year human physiology in a subject that emphasises team-based active learning as the major pedagogy for mastering subject learning outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to develop a model of the impact team learning had on individual performance. Modeling was consistent with the idea that students with similar academic abilities (as determined by tertiary entrance rank) were advantaged (scored higher on individual assessment items) by working in strong teams (teams that scored higher in team-based assessments). Analysis of covariance revealed that students who studied the subject with active learning as the major mode of learning activities outperformed students who studied the subject using the traditional didactic teaching format (lectures and tutorials, P 0.000). After adjustment for tertiary entrance rank (via analysis of covariance) on two individual tests (the final exam and a late-semester in-class test), individual student grades improved by 8% (95% confidence interval: 6–10%) and 12% (95% confidence interval: 10–14%) when students engaged in team-based active learning. These data quantitatively support the notion that weaker students working in strong teams can overcome their educational disadvantages.
Rationale for Combination Therapy in Hypertension Management: Focus on Angiotensin Receptor Blockers and Thiazide Diuretics

Despite recognition that hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality, blood pressure control rates remain low in the US population. Reflecting clinical trial results, hypertension management guidelines assert the clinical benefit of achieving current blood pressure goals and indicate that most patients will require 2 or more drugs to reach goal. Well-designed drug combinations counter hypertension via complementary mechanisms that increase antihypertensive efficacy, potentially with lower rates of adverse events than higher dose monotherapy regimens. Lower adverse event rates, in turn, may contribute to greater adherence with treatment. The combination of a low-dose diuretic with agents that block the effects of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), such as angiotensin receptor blockers, has been found in numerous clinical trials to be highly effective for lowering blood pressure in patients with uncomplicated as well as high-risk hypertension, with a comparable favorable side effect profile compared with monotherapy. Moreover, agents that block the RAS are associated with a lower risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus than other antihypertensive classes. Complementary combinations of antihypertensive agents provide an efficient and effective approach to hypertension management.
Development of autoimmune hepatitis following liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis

Two patients undergoing liver transplantation for classical end‐stage primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are described, who went on to develop de novo autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in the transplanted liver. The presentation, in both instances, was with malaise and lethargy. Markedly elevated serum transaminases were found, together with a raised serum IgG and/or globulin fraction and histological features on liver biopsy typical of AIH. Both cases had had changes in their immunosuppressive therapy before the onset of AIH episodes, and both rapidly responded to reinstitution of steroid therapy. The finding, in each case, of a coincidental multiple HLA class I allele match between the recipient and their liver donor suggests that HLA class I–restricted mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AIH
Angiographic pattern of atherosclerotic involvement of lower extremity arteries in patients with and without diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease. Previous studies have shown that the pattern of atherosclerotic disease is more diffuse in diabetes, with more severe involvement of the distal segments. These studies considered the occlusive pattern but did not report the incidence and severity of plaques, stenoses and other types of arteriographic changes. In an effort to compare the relative frequency of various angiographic presentations of atherosclerosis (occlusion, stenosis, tortuosity, mural irregularity and calcification of arterial walls) between subjects with and without diabetes, we performed the present survey.