Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C Virus in the Hemodialysis Setting: A Review with Recommendations for Control

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the causative agent of most cases of bloodborne non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis in the United States and throughout the wodd (1-3). Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 150,000 new infections with HCV occur each year and account for an estimated 21% of all acute viral hepatitis in the United States (CDC, unpublished data). Of particular concern are the chronic consequences that frequently occur as a result of HCV infection, potentially leading to chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer (4). Second-generation serologic assays for the detection of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) contain recombinant proteins derived from both structural (core) and nonstructural regions of the HCV genome. These assays have detected anti-HCV in 70%-mo of patients with NANB hepatitis ( 5 , 6). Among patients with HCV infection, second generation assays detect anti-HCV in approximately W o (5). One of the major advantages of second generation assays is detection of antibody earlier in the course of infection (7): five to six weeks after onset of hepatitis in WO ofpatients compared with W64090 with earlier assays (5 ; HJ Alter, personal communication). For some patients with hepatitis C, however, semconversion may not occur for six to nine months after exposure or onset of symptoms, and a negative test early in the course of the infection does not exclude the diagnosis of hepatitis C (5). Some patients with NANB hepatitis remain persistently negative for anti-HCV but have hepatitis C; in these patients, HCV infection can only be detected with the use of research-based assays such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or immunofluorescence techniques ( 5 ) . Other patients with NANB hepatitis who remain persistently negative for anti-HCV may be infected with another viral hepatitis agent (non-ABCDE) or their liver idammation may be due to another cause (5 , 8, 9). For these reasons, the diagnosis of hepatitis C should
Pathology and Clinical Manifestation of Epizootic Lymphangitis in Cart Mules in Ethiopia

The distribution and clinical lesion type of epizootic lymphangitis (EL) were investigated on 65 EL cases of cart-mules. Clinical, microscopic, histopathological, and mycological examinations were used. The proportion of cutaneous lesion was 92.3% (60/65) while only 4.6% (3/65), and 3.1% (2/65) had pulmonary and ocular lesions, respectively. The cutaneous lesions were characterized by suppurative multi-focal dermatitis and lymphangitis, which appeared as nodules or ulcers. The scrotal and axillary regions and the fore and hind legs were frequently involved while the neck and facial regions were less frequently involved. The pulmonary form was serious by causing dyspnoea, which lead to death. Unilateral ulcerating conjunctivitis with purulent ocular discharge was also observed. Hematoxylin-eosin stained histological section showed pyogranulomatous inflammation with fibroplasia. Therefore, once a mule is infected, the distribution and clinical lesion type of EL are with those in horses.
A new experimental inbred Wistar rat varicocele model: anatomy of the left spermatic vein and the effect on histology

Because of venous anatomical differences between rats and humans and the personal interpretation of these differences, there is neither consistent animal prototype nor consistent results in the study of varicocele. We established a new substrain of Wistar inbred rats, of which the left testis vein has no significant branches to the common iliac vein up pampiniform plexus, but instead enters the left renal vein directly (similar to humans) and used them to create experimental varicocele model by partial ligation of the left renal vein. One month later, the predominant lesion of the left testis in induced group was spermatogenic arrest at the spermatid and preliminary spermatocyte phases, and considerable interstitial and Sertoli cell vacuolation. The right testis also showed spermatogenic arrest. Most important, the characteristics of the lesions differed in both testes, with the left testis having more severe lesions. Allowing for the unique anatomy of the left spermatic vein, the standard of the surgical procedure, the high rate of varicocele induction, and identical histological alteration as occurs in humans, we believe that this inbred Wistar rat substrain is suitable for the creation of an experimental varicocele model, which has promise for practical application in humans.
Analysis of roles in engaging contentious online discussions in science

The prevalence of sites in which users can contribute content increases ordinary citizens' participation in emerging forms of knowledge sharing. This article investigates the practices associated with the roles of participants who actively contribute to the coproduction of knowledge in three online communities and how these roles differ in controversial and noncontroversial threads. The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine was selected as a contentious scientific topic because of persistent belief about an alleged link between the vaccine and autism. Contributions to three online communities that engage mothers with young children were analyzed to identify participant roles. No consistent roles were evident in noncontroversial threads, but the role of mediator consistently appeared in controversial threads in all three communities. This study helps to articulate the roles played in online communities that engage in knowledge collaboration. The variety of roles in online communities has implications for both the study for practice and the design of information technologies.
The effect of prediscussion note‐taking in hidden profile tasks

Prior research has discovered that groups tend to discuss shared information while failing to discuss unique information in decision‐making processes. In our study, we conducted a lab experiment to examine the effect of prediscussion note‐taking on this phenomenon. The experiment used a murder‐mystery hidden profile task. In all, 192 undergraduate students were recruited and randomly assigned into 48 four‐person groups with gender being the matching variable (i.e., each group consisted of four same‐gender participants). During the decision‐making processes, some groups were asked to take notes while reading task materials and had their notes available in the following group discussion, while the other groups were not given this opportunity. Our analysis results suggest that (a) the presence of an information piece in group members' notes positively correlates with its appearance in the subsequent discussion and note‐taking positively affects the group's information repetition rate; (b) group decision quality positively correlates with the group's information sampling rate and negatively correlates with the group's information sampling/repetition bias; and (c) gender has no statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between note‐taking and information sharing. These results imply that prediscussion note‐taking could facilitate information sharing but could not alleviate the biased information pooling in hidden profile tasks.
Enzymatische Bestimmung von Gesamt-Cholesterin im Serum

: Cholesterol can be specifically measured without difficulty and without complex reagents by means of a newly developed enzymatic colour test. Intensive technical evaluation confirmed its accuracy. Manual use gave a day-to-day coefficient of variation of 2-3 per cent; the sensitivity at a cholesterol concentration of 200 mg/dl was E equals 0.153 (gamma equals 405 nm), with a linearity up to 1000 mg/dl. Recovery of added pure cholesterol solution was 100 plus or minus 2 percent. A quantitative study of 53 representative drugs, anti-coagulants and metabolites was performed both in test tube and on patients. Accuracy of the result was unaffected by any of the substances (alpha equals 0.05). Comparison with the multi-step extraction method used at present as a reference (Abell-Kendall) gave a regression equation of y equals 0.99 times plus 1.1 (x axis: extraction method; y axis: enzymatic colour test). The direct chemical method after Liebermann and Burchard gave, in part, markedly differing results because of considerable systematic and accidental errors.
APOE ε4 is associated with impaired verbal learning in patients with MS

Objective: To investigate the effect of APOE ε4 on different cognitive domains in a population of Greek patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: A total of 125 patients with MS and 43 controls were included in this study and underwent neuropsychological assessment with Rao’s Brief Repeatable Battery. All patients with MS were genotyped for APOE. The effect of APOE ε4 on different cognitive domains was investigated. Results: Fifty-one percent of patients with MS were cognitively impaired. E4 carriers had a sixfold increase in the relative risk of impairment in verbal learning vs noncarriers (OR 6.28, 95% CI 1.74 to 22.69). This effect was domain-specific and was not observed in other cognitive domains assessed by the battery. Conclusion: We found an association of APOE ε4 with impaired verbal learning in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Proteasome activity and proteasome subunit transcripts in human spermatozoa separated by a discontinuous Percoll gradient

Human semen is composed of a heterogeneous population of spermatozoa with varying degrees of structural and functional differentiation and normality, which result in subpopulations of different quality. Using a discontinuous Percoll gradient, we separated three subsets of spermatozoa (65/45%, 90/65% and 90% fractions) from normozoospermic semen samples from healthy donors and proceeded to characterise their morphology, viability, motility and proteasome activity. In addition, the presence of proteasome subunit transcripts was investigated using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The results obtained showed significant differences in sperm motility, viability and morphology between the cells collected from each of the fractions. In particular, normal sperm morphology was 4.5 times higher in the 90% pellet in comparison with the 65/45% interface. In addition, there were significant differences in proteasomal activity between spermatozoa recovered from the 90% pellet and spermatozoa recovered from the 65/45% interface. Finally, there was a positive correlation between sperm proteasomal enzymatic activity and sperm motility and normal morphology after separation by a discontinuous Percoll gradient. The results of the RT‐PCR revealed the presence of transcripts for the proteasome subunits β1, β2 and β5 in the human spermatozoa analysed. In conclusion, poor quality spermatozoa isolated from a Percoll gradient display an intrinsic proteasome activity deficiency, which may be associated with their low fertilising potential.
From ‘directing them’ to ‘it's up to them’: The physician's perceived professional role in the physician−patient relationship

Abstract One of the oldest goals of the medical profession is to benefit, and do no harm to, the patient. The role of the physician was once a paternal one, with total physician control, and little value given to patient knowledge of their own illness experiences. With changing patient expectations and medical education reform, patient-centeredness has emerged as a dominant ideal in doctor–patient communication. Patient autonomy is increasingly valued. In this changing time of increased patient involvement in medical decision making, how do physicians describe their professional roles/identities? Self-described professional identity is often quite reflective of professional beliefs and practice. The present study offers a qualitative perspective on self-perceived physician professional roles from primary care physicians of three age groups, in their 50s, 40s, and 30s. Younger physicians in the sample expect patients to have the most autonomy and most control over their decision making, while older physicians still expect to have the most control. It is possible that these age-based patterns of physician professional identity reflect an increasingly autonomous patient role and a decreasing role for physician beneficence. Implications and practical applications of these results for the medical interview will be discussed.
Predictors of Persistent Burnout in Internal Medicine Residents: A Prospective Cohort Study

Purpose Resident burnout continues to be a major problem despite work hours restrictions. The authors conducted a longitudinal study to determine whether burnout in internal medicine residents is persistent and what factors predispose residents to persistent burnout. Method The authors mailed a survey to internal medicine residents at the University of Colorado Denver Health Science Center each May, from 2003 through 2008. The survey measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory organized into three subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment. The authors defined burned-out residents as having a high EE or DP score and persistent burnout as being burned out during all three years of residency. Results Of the 179 eligible residents, 86 (48%) responded to the survey during all three years of their residency. Sixty-seven residents (78%) were burned out at least once: 58 residents (67%) were burned out during their internship, 58 (67%) during their second year, and 50 (58%) during their third year (P < .08). Of the 58 burned-out interns, 42 (72%) continued to be burned out through their three years of training. Persistent burnout was more likely to occur in men (OR = 3.31, P < .01) and was associated with screening positive for depression as an intern (OR = 4.4, P < .002). Conclusions Once present, burnout tends to persist through residency. Men and residents who screened positive for depression as interns are at the highest risk for persistent burnout. Interventions to prevent burnout during internship may significantly decrease burnout throughout residency.
Ethnic Differences in Predictors of HPV Vaccination: Comparisons of Predictors for Latina and Non-Latina White Women

The purpose of this study was to examine how social and behavioral factors such as age of first intercourse, mother–daughter communication, and perceived norms are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination behaviors, and whether ethnicity moderates those associations (non-Latina White versus Latina participants). From June through December 2009, we surveyed a community sample of 309 White and Latina women, ages 15 to 30. We recruited participants from local health care clinics in Des Moines, Iowa. Vaccination status was not significantly different for Whites versus Latinas. The effects of age at first intercourse, mother–daughter communication about values related to sex, and descriptive norms of HPV vaccine uptake were all significantly moderated by ethnicity. The current findings reveal that sociocultural and behavioral factors that affect HPV vaccine uptake do not affect White and Latina women in the same fashion. In the future, public health campaigns about HPV and the HPV vaccine may be more effective if their messages are sensitive to these differences.
Seroprevalence and factors associated with herpes simplex virus type 2 and Chlamydia trachomatis among women attending AIDS care unit at the Bonassama district hospital.

Background: Infections with Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 (HSV-2) and Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of genital ulcer disease and cervicitis worldwide. There is little information on the prevalence of these sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Cameroon. The aim of this Original Research Article Luther et al.; BJMMR, 7(3): 224-230, 2015; Article no. BJMMR.2015. 327 225 study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and behavior factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis and HSV-2 seropositvity among women attending AIDS care unit in the district hospital in Douala. Methodology: One hundred and fifty seven consenting women (80 HIV-1 positive and 77 HIV-1 negative) were invited to participate in this study. A structured questionnaire was used for each woman to obtain informations about socio-demographic characteristics and sexual risk behavior. Peripheral venous blood sample were collected, labeled and sent to the laboratory, where the presence of IgG antibody against HSV-2 and Chlamydia trachomatis was detected, using ELISA test. Data management was carried out using the SPSS 16.0 statistical software. Results: The mean age of women was 37.22±9.13 years (range, 20 to 74 years). Of the 157 women tested, 122 (77.7%) were HSV-2 positive and 60 (38.2%) were positive for chlamydial infection. The prevalence of HSV-2 and chlamydial infections in HIV positive patients were 73.7% and 43.7% respectively versus 81.8% and 32.5% in HIV negative individuals. Women with multiple infections were those belonging to the group aged 30-39 years old, single and having had more than three sexual partners during the six months preceding the study. Conclusion: HIV status appears tobe a factor in the acquisition of chlamydial infection in our population. These results suggest the need for extension and expansion of the current study in Cameroon.
Activation of the Supraspinal Pain Inhibition System by Ketamine Hydrochloride

The neurophysiologic mechanism of ketamine‐induced analgesia was studied in cats under conditions of electrolytic decerebration or pentobarbital anesthesia. Injection of bradykinin into the femoral artery served as the noxious stimulus and the neural response in the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord was recorded by the multi‐unit activity technique. Ketamine depressed the bradykinin‐induced response more markedly in decerebrate, non‐anesthetized cats than in pentobarbital‐anesthetized cats. The depressant action disappeared following cervical cord transection at C1, in both decerebrate non‐anesthetized and pentobarbital‐anesthetized cats. Thus, the analgesic action of ketamine is probably exerted mainly through activation of the supraspinal pain inhibition system and a direct action on the spinal cord nociceptive neural mechanism, if any, is slight. The excitatory action of ketamine on the supraspinal pain inhibition system is susceptible to the depressant action of pentobarbital.
Women's Unprotected Sex Intentions: Roles of Sexual Victimization, Intoxication, and Partner Perception

Sexually victimized women may make sexual decisions differently than nonvictimized women. This study used an eroticized scenario and laboratory alcohol administration to investigate the roles of victimization history, intoxication, and relationship context in women's perceptions of a male partner and their subsequent intentions for unprotected sex. A community sample of 436 women completed childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent/adult sexual assault (ASA) measures. After random assignment to an alcohol or control condition, participants read and projected themselves into a sexual scenario that depicted the male partner as having high or low potential for a lasting relationship. Participants rated their perceptions of his intoxication, sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk level, and anticipated reactions to insistence on condom use. They then indicated their likelihood of allowing the partner to decide how far to go sexually (abdication) and of engaging in unprotected sex. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed that intoxication predicted greater unprotected sex likelihood indirectly via abdication. CSA and ASA predicted partner perceptions, which in turn predicted unprotected sex likelihood. These findings indicate that, compared to their nonvictimized counterparts, sexually victimized women may respond differently in sexual encounters partly as a function of their perceptions of partners' STI risk and anticipated reactions to condom insistence.
Humanism at Heart: Preserving Empathy in Third-Year Medical Students

Purpose Research suggests that medical student empathy erodes during undergraduate medical education. The authors evaluated the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy Medical Student Version (JSPE-MS) scores of two consecutive medical school classes to assess the impact of an educational intervention on the preservation of empathy. Method The authors conducted a before-and-after study of 209 Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) students enrolled in the classes of 2009 and 2010. Students' clerkships included a mandatory, longitudinal “Humanism and Professionalism” (H&P) component, which included blogging about clerkship experiences, debriefing after significant events, and discussing journal articles, fiction, and film. Students completed the JSPE-MS during their first and last clerkships. Results The results showed that (1) contrary to previous studies' findings, third-year students did not show significant decline in empathy as measured by the JSPE-MS (these students, from two consecutive RWJMS classes, experienced the H&P intervention), (2) students selected for the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) were significantly different from their peers in empathy scores as measured by JSPE-MS, and (3) knowledge of selection for the GHHS seems to positively influence students' JSPE-MS scores. Conclusions Maintaining empathy during the third year of medical school is possible through educational intervention. A curriculum that includes safe, protected time for third-year students to discuss their reactions to patient care situations during clerkships may have contributed to the preservation of empathy. Programs designed to validate humanism in medicine (such as the GHHS) may reverse the decline in empathy as measured by the JSPE-MS.
Evaluation of donor semen quality provided by six sperm banks: a retrospective study of 1877 artificial insemination cycles

This study aimed at evaluating the impacts of sperm quality of six national sperm banks on pregnancy rates (PRs) of artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID) in China. A large retrospective analysis was performed on 1877 insemination cycles in 1209 women in a unique setting during a 3.5‐year period. Global PRs of 22.1% per cycle and 34.2% per patient were achieved. The PRs of the six banks varied from 15.5% to 29.0% (P = 0.011). Significant differences were observed in the quality of donor semen provided by the six sperm banks. Moreover, in some banks, the poor sperm quality was related to the suboptimal PRs. However, in certain banks, high values of sperm parameters did not result in satisfactory PRs accordingly. These data demonstrated that variability of donor semen quality existed in the different banks. But, sperm parameters after thawing may not be detrimental factors affecting the success rate of AID treatment. Further studies are needed to seek potential molecular markers for predicting fertility potency of donor sperm.