Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Results of the Weil and Helal Osteotomies for the Treatment of Metatarsalgia Secondary to Dislocation of the Lesser Metatarsophalangeal Joints

We retrospectively reviewed the outcome of 30 patients who were treated surgically for metatarsalgia resulting from dislocation of one or more lesser metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints. We used two treatments, including an osteotomy of the metatarsal head (Weil osteotomy, N = 15) or an osteotomy of the metatarsal shaft (Helal osteotomy, N = 15). Before surgery, all patients had been treated with various nonoperative modalities for a minimum of 6 months. Between 1991 and 1993,15 consecutive patients underwent a Helal osteotomy (22 metatarsals), and 15 consecutive patients were subsequently treated between 1994 and 1995 with a Weil osteotomy (25 metatarsals). All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically at a mean follow-up period of 22 months (range, 12–39 months), noting especially persistent subluxation or dislocation, recurrent metatarsalgia, and transfer lesions. Patients managed with a Weil osteotomy had significantly higher satisfaction (P = 0.049), lower incidence of recurrent metatarsalgia (0 vs 27%, P = 0.107), and fewer transfer lesions (0 vs 41%, P = <0.001) than those managed with a Helal osteotomy. Furthermore, those managed with the Weil procedure had a higher percentage of radiographic reduction and maintenance of the MTP joint dislocation (21 of 25, 84% vs 8 of 22,36% P = 0.002) than those managed with the Helal procedure. In the Weil group, there was also no malunion or pseudoarthrosis; in the Helal group there were five malunions and three pseudoarthroses. Although the follow-up period for the Weil osteotomy (15 months) was shorter than that for the Helal osteotomy (26 months), the former group had higher American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society forefoot scores, which were significantly different from the results attained with the Helal osteotomy. A telephone update was performed on the Weil osteotomy group at an average of 27 months postsurgery, and no patient had experienced changes since the clinical follow-up. We concluded that the Weil procedure is a satisfactory method for correcting metatarsalgia caused by dislocation of the MTP joint and that, because of the high complication rate, the Helal osteotomy is not an acceptable procedure for correcting this condition.
Large-scale copy number analysis reveals variations in genes not previously associated with malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor that is often causally associated with asbestos exposure. Comparative genomic hybridization techniques and arrays demonstrated a complex set of copy number variations (CNVs) in the MPM-genome. These techniques however have a limited resolution, throughput and flexibility compared to next-generation sequencing platforms. In this study, the presence of CNVs in the MPM-genome was investigated using an MPM-cohort (N = 85) for which genomic microarray data are available through ‘The Cancer Genome Atlas’ (TCGA). To validate these results, the genomes of MPMs and matched normal samples (N = 21) were analyzed using low-pass whole genome sequencing on an ‘Illumina HiSeq’ platform. CNVs were detected using in-house developed analysis pipelines and frequencies of copy number loss and gain were calculated. In both datasets, losses on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13 and 22 and gains on chromosomes 1, 5, 7 and 17 were found in at least 25% and 15% of MPMs, respectively. Besides the well-known MPM-associated genes, CDKN2A, NF2 and BAP1, other interesting cancer-associated genes were listed as frequently involved in a copy number loss (e.g. EP300, SETD2 and PBRM1). Moreover, four cancer-associated genes showed a high frequency of copy number gain in both datasets (i.e. TERT, FCGR2B, CD79B and PRKAR1A). A statistically significant association between overall survival and the presence of copy number loss in the CDKN2A-containing region was observed in the TCGA-set. In conclusion, recurrent CNVs were detected in both datasets, occurring in regions harboring known MPM-associated genes and genes not previously linked to MPM.
Effectiveness of Pulsed Dye Laser in the Treatment of Recalcitrant Warts in Children

BACKGROUND To determine the efficacy and safety of the 585‐nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) in the treatment of recalcitrant warts in children. METHODS AND MATERIAL Retrospective survey of the medical records of children with recalcitrant warts who were treated with PDL between March 1995 through January 1999 at the Children's Memorial Hospital outpatient subspecialty center, Chicago, Illinois. RESULTS Sixty‐one children with recalcitrant warts were treated with PDL; 75% of them had total clearance of warts after an average of 3.1 treatment sessions. Overall success rates were 100% for both perineal and perianal and face‐only warts, 93% for hands, 69% for plantar warts, 67% when both face and extremities were involved, and 60% when multiple extremities were involved. Pain and other side effects were minimal. Mild scarring occurred in 2% of patients; 75% of patients remained free of warts after a follow‐up period of 24 months or longer. CONCLUSION PDL therapy is an effective, safe alternative therapy for treatment of recalcitrant warts in children, with few side effects and a low long‐term recurrence rate. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.
Editorial

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune polyarticular synovitis involving large and small joints resulting in pain, joint destruction and disability. The disease course of RA is unpredictable with some patients having only mild symptoms while others may experience persistent and acute synovitis leading to severe joint destruction. The pharmacological treatment of the disease includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids (GCs), conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and finally, biologics.
H pylori seroprevalence in patients with lung cancer.

AIM To assess H pylori seroprevalence in lung cancer and determine whether there is a potential association between lung cancer and H pylori infection. METHODS The study was conducted on forty consecutive patients with lung cancer, confirmed by pathology (32 men, 8 women; mean age 55.50+/-11.91 years, range 16-77 years). Forty healthy subjects (25 men, 15 women; mean age 43.08+/-12.60 years, range 20-79 years) from the patients' family members were matched to each case subject on the basis of age and socioeconomic status. H pylori infection was detected with a commercially available immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Trinity kit, Biotech co., USA), previously validated in adults (86% sensitivity, 96% specificity) against a gold standard of culture and histology. RESULTS H pylori seropositivity was present in 52.5% of patients with lung cancer in comparison to 45.0% of healthy control subjects. Although H pylori seropositivity was more frequent in lung cancer patients than in controls, the difference did not reach statistical significance (OR=1.35, 95% CI=0.56-3.25; P=0.65). In addition, there was no significant difference between cases and controls in terms of gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSION The earlier described association between H pylori infection and lung cancer was not supported in this study. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be undertaken to assess the frequency of H pylori infection in patients with lung cancer and their potential association.
Testing the equality of twin correlations with multinomial outcomes

Twin studies are widely used to study genetic and environmental influences on human measurements. Correlations are often used in such studies to compare the levels of similarity between monozygotic and dizygotic twins with respect to a specified trait. In this paper, we compare three procedures for testing the equality of twin correlations when the outcome variable of interest is multinominal. One method is a likelihood ratio test based on an underlying Dirichlet‐multinomial distribution. The second method is based on the estimated large sample variance of the estimated correlation, and the third method is based on a χ2 goodness‐of‐fit test. The results of a Monte Carlo simulation show that the three methods have similar properties if the number of twin pairs is large (> 100), and the prevalence of the underlying trait is not extreme. Otherwise, the goodness‐of‐fit approach is to be preferred. We illustrate the methods by analyzing data from a previously published smoking study.
Dose‐dependent effects of inspiratory muscle training in neuromuscular disorders

The goal of this study was to show whether a correlation exists between the intensity of specific respiratory muscle training and the improvement of strength and endurance in inspiratory musculature in patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMD). Sixteen patients with NMD (13 with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and 3 with spinal muscular atrophy) performed inspiratory muscle training (IMT) at home with a special training apparatus for 9 months. Maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PIMAX) and 12s‐maximum voluntary ventilation (12s‐MVV) test served as parameters for inspiratory muscle strength and endurance, respectively. In patients whose inspiratory vital capacity (VCin) declined by less than 10% during the year before training began (n = 10), a significant positive correlation was found between the number of successfully completed strength and endurance exercises and the improvement of PIMAX (P < 0.05) and 12s‐MVV (P < 0.05). In patients whose VCin‐decline exceeded 10% (n = 6), indicating more progressive respiratory system involvement of the disease, no significant correlation between the improvement of PIMAX and 12s‐MVV and the intensity of training was found. In patients with NMD, the effects of IMT‐runs are dose‐dependent, provided that the respiratory system involvement of the disease is only slowly progressive. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 1257–1260, 2000.
Instability of Equilibria for the 2 D Euler equations on the torus

The hydrodynamics of an incompressible fluid can be approximated as a finite dimensional Hamiltonian system by a truncation introduced by Zeitlin [21,22]. With periodic boundary conditions, there exists a family of stationary solutions with vorticity given by Ω∗ = α cos(p · x) + β sin(p · x). Zeitlin’s truncation is used to analyse the linear stability of these solutions and compare this with a Galerkin truncation. Following Li’s [12] method the problem is divided into subsystems and we prove that most subsystems are linearly stable. We derive a sufficient condition for a subsystem to be linearly unstable and derive an explicit lower bound for the associated real eigenvalues independent of the truncation size N . This together with known stability results for the 2D periodic Euler equations allows us to show that most of these stationary solutions are nonlinearly unstable. We confirm our results this with numerical computation of the spectrum for a finite truncation. Finally we discuss the essential spectrum of the full problem as the limit of the truncated problem.
ARTHROPATHY IN ACROMEGALIC PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT: A LONG‐TERM FOLLOW‐UP STUDY

The medical records of 90 patients with acromegaly were reviewed. Arthralgias were noted in 76% of the patients with 17% having the onset of joint pain concomitant with the clinical onset of acromegaly. Of 47 patients followed prospectively for 5 or more years after pituitary irradiation, six (12.8%) were unaffected by arthralgias. A statistically higher mean baseline growth hormone level was found for the 19 (40.4%) radiotherapy patients who had severe and disabling arthropathy. Mean intervals between clinical onset of acromegaly and the development of arthropathic symptoms were shorter (4.1 years) for patients over 40 years of age and longer (9.7 years) for those under 31 years of age. Severely affected patients tended to have increased joint spaces in both weight‐bearing and non‐weight‐bearing joints followed by a progressive decrease in joint spaces. Arthropathy is a common complication of acromegaly and may progress independently of a fall in growth hormone, induced by any form of treatment, once significant cartilage overgrowth develops. Cartilage overgrowth is a predisposing factor in the development of an arthropathy associated with the wide range of growth hormone levels characteristic of acromegaly.
Physical Activity for Campus Employees: A University Worksite Wellness Program.

BACKGROUND Workplaces provide ideal environments for wellness programming. The purpose of this study was to explore exercise self-efficacy among university employees and the effects of a worksite wellness program on physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. METHODS Participants included 121 university employees (85% female). The worksite wellness program included cardiovascular health assessments, personal health reports, 8 weeks of pedometer-based walking and tracking activities, and weekly wellness sessions. Daily step count was assessed at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8. Exercise self-efficacy and CVD risk factors were evaluated at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS Daily step count increased from 6566 ± 258 (LSM ± SE) at baseline to 8605 ± 356 at Week 4 and 9107 ± 388 at Week 8 (P < .0001). Steps increased among normal weight, overweight, and obese subgroups. Exercise self-efficacy correlated with baseline steps (P < .05). Small improvements were observed in cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides (all P < .01). CONCLUSIONS A worksite wellness program was effective for improving physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and CVD risk factors among university employees. Exercise barriers and outcome expectations were identified and have implications for future worksite wellness programming.
Evaluation of the inhibitory effects of budesonide on the mitogen-induced or the allergen-induced activation of blood mononuclear cells isolated from asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND Corticosteroids are thought to be effective in the treatment of allergic reactions including bronchial asthma because they not only have anti-inflammatory effects, but also downregulate the processes of T-cell activation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate in vitro the inhibitory activity of budesonide, a widely used inhaled corticosteroid, on allergen-induced mononuclear cell activation. METHODS Thirty-one atopic asthmatic patients, sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) were studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from these patients were used to determine the ability of budesonide to inhibit (1) the proliferative response of blood T-lymphocytes to Der p allergen extract and to phytohemoagglutinin (PHA) and (2) the release of different cytokines known to modulate the interaction between T-lymphocytes and monocytes in the allergic processes. RESULTS A significant T-cell proliferation was observed both in the presence of PHA (P < .001) and that of Der p allergen extract (P < .05), and was associated with increased release of interleukin-2 [IL-2 (respectively P < .001 and P < .01)], gamma-interferon [gamma-IFN (respectively P < .001 and P < .01)], granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF (respectively P < .01 and P < .001)], interleukin-1 beta [IL-1 beta (respectively P < .05 and P < .01)], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha (P < .05 each comparison)]. The addition at the beginning of the cell cultures of different concentrations (from 10(-10) M to 10(-7) M) of budesonide, and as control of dexamethasone, induced a dose-dependent inhibition of T-cell proliferation, in response to PHA and Der p. Budesonide at the lowest concentrations tested (10(-10) M and 10(-9) M) was more effective than dexamethasone. Budesonide was also more active than dexamethasone in inhibiting the release of IL-2, gamma-IFN, IL-1 beta and GM-CSF (in both PHA-stimulated and Der p-stimulated blood mononuclear cell cultures) and TNF-alpha (in Der p-stimulated blood mononuclear cell cultures). CONCLUSIONS Budesonide is equally or more effective than dexamethasone in inhibiting the allergen-induced T-cell proliferation and in reducing the release of cytokines by allergen-stimulated blood mononuclear cells.
A mixture‐model based algorithm for real‐time terrain estimation

A real‐time terrain mapping and estimation algorithm using Gaussian sum elevation densities to model terrain variations in a planar gridded elevation model is presented. A formal probabilistic analysis of each individual sensor measurement allows the modeling of multiple sources of error in a rigorous manner. Measurements are associated to multiple locations in the elevation model using a Gaussian sum conditional density to account for uncertainty in measured elevation as well as uncertainty in the in‐plane location of the measurement. The approach is constructed such that terrain estimates and estimation error statistics can be constructed in real‐time without maintaining a history of sensor measurements. The algorithm is validated experimentally on the 2005 Cornell University DARPA Grand Challenge ground vehicle, demonstrating accurate and computationally feasible elevation estimates on dense terrain models, as well as estimates of the errors in the terrain model. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel Mutation in 23S rRNA That Confers Low-Level Resistance to Clarithromycin in Helicobacter pylori

In many countries, the occurrence of clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori has become increasingly common. The MICs of clarithromycin in most clinical H. pylori strains are either ≥2 mg/liter or ≤0.125 mg/liter ([3][1]). Recently, we isolated two stable H. pylori isolates with low-level
Directed alteration of the D1 polypeptide of photosystem II: evidence that tyrosine-161 is the redox component, Z, connecting the oxygen-evolving complex to the primary electron donor, P680.

In photosystem II, electrons are sequentially extracted from water at a site containing Mn atoms and transferred through an intermediate carrier (Z) to the photooxidized reaction-center chlorophyll (P680+). Two polypeptides, D1 and D2, coordinate the primary photoreactants of the reaction center. Recently Debus et al. [Debus, R.J., Barry, B.A., Babcock, G.T. , & McIntosh, L. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 427-430], have suggested that Z is a tyrosine residue located at position 161 of the D1 protein. To test this proposal, we have engineered a strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 to produce a D1 polypeptide in which Tyr-161 has been replaced by phenylalanine. Wild-type Synechocystis PCC 6803 contains three nonidentical copies of the psbA gene which encode the D1 polypeptide. In the mutant strain, two copies were deleted by replacement with antibiotic-resistance genes, and site-directed mutations were constructed in a cloned portion of the remaining gene (psbA-3), carrying a third antibiotic-resistance gene downstream. Transformants were selected for antibiotic resistance and then screened for a photoautotrophy-minus phenotype. The mutant genotype was verified by complementation tests and by amplification and sequencing of genomic DNA. Cells of the mutant cannot evolve oxygen and, unlike the wild type, are unable to stabilize, with high efficiency, the charge-separated state in the presence of hydroxylamine and DCMU [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea]. Analyses by optical and EPR spectroscopy of reaction centers purified from this mutant indicate that Z can no longer be photooxidized and, instead, a chlorophyll cation radical, Chl+, is produced in the light. In the wild type, charge recombination between Z+ and the reduced primary quinone electron acceptor QA- occurs with a t1/2 of 80 ms. In the mutant, charge recombination between Chl+ and QA- occurs with a t1/2 of 1 ms. From these observations, we conclude that Z is indeed Tyr-161 of the D1 polypeptide.
Low-Level Laser for Mitigation of Low Salivary Flow Rate in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiochemotherapy: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to assess the impact of low-level laser (LLL) on low salivary flow rate in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy (RT-CT) for head and neck cancer. BACKGROUND DATA LLL has shown efficiency in preventing hyposalivation in patients under different pathological conditions, including those undergoing RT-CT. METHODS During all RT-CT, 17 patients received laser therapy and 10 received clinical care only. An Indium-Gallium-Aluminum-Phosphorus diode laser was punctually used for intraoral (660 nm, 40 mW, 10 J/cm(2), illuminated area 0.04 cm(2), 10 sec) and extraoral irradiation (780 nm, 15 mW, 3.8 J/cm(2), illuminated area 0.04 cm(2), 10 sec), three times a week and on alternate days, for a total of 21 sessions. Unstimulated salivary flow rate was assessed before the first RT session (N0), at the 15th RT session (N15), at the last RT session (Nf), and at 30 (N30) and 90 days after the end of the oncologic treatment (N90). RESULTS At N15, Nf, and N30, patients treated with LLL showed significantly higher averages of salivary flow rate when compared with patients receiving clinical care only. CONCLUSIONS LLL seems to be an efficient tool for mitigation of salivary hypofunction in patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancer.
Efficacy of Pneumococcal Vaccination against Recurrent Otitis Media

For this study, 781 children, aged 3 to 83 months, after presenting with acute otitis media, were immunized with either 14-valent pneumococcal or Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccine. The vaccines were tolerated well. Antibody responses to the 14 pneumococcal polysaccharide types, measured by radioimmunoassay, were fair to good and increased with age, with the exception of types 1, 6 and 12 to which the responses were generally poor. During the follow-up of 1–17 months, average 13 months, 45 vaccine type (except type 6) pneumococcal recurrences were met among 456 pneumococcal-vaccinated and 45 among 288 H. influenzae-vaccinated children, at least six months old (P < .05). The corresponding protective efficacy by the pneumococcal vaccine was 37%, for the first six months, 51% (P < .01). No protection by the pneumococcal vaccine was seen against group 6 pneumococci, nor among 19 infants under six months of age. Nonvaccine type pneumococcal and H. influenzae recurrences did not significantly concentrate in either of the vaccination groups. Thus, it seems that parenteral immunization of children can reduce the recurrence rate of otitis media caused by pneumococci of types (except type 6) present in the vaccine.
[Cardiovascular risk factors for Surinamese in the Netherlands: a literature review].

OBJECTIVE To obtain an overview of the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Surinamese (Hindustani and Creoles) individuals in the Netherlands and the implications of this for secondary prevention. DESIGN Literature study. METHOD A Medline literature search was carried out for the period 1985-2001 with the keywords 'cardiovascular risk factor' or 'cardiovascular risk factors', and 'Surinamese'. In addition to this, so-called grey literature was searched and the reference lists of articles found were also checked. A total of 7 studies were selected. RESULTS Smoking is less frequent among Surinamese individuals in the Netherlands compared to the indigenous population, especially in women. The prevalence of both hypertension and diabetes is higher among the Surinamese. Data on dyslipidaemia are almost absent; it is only known that hypercholesterolaemia is less prevalent among the Surinamese. Ethnicity is not included in the risk cards used in the secondary treatment of cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSION The lack of research with respect to the cardiovascular risk profile of Surinamese (Hindustani and Creoles) in the Netherlands indicates an unfavourable profile compared to the indigenous Dutch population. This difference justifies further research into the differentiation of prevention and treatment according to ethnic origin.