Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro activity against anaerobes of retapamulin, a new topical antibiotic for treatment of skin infections.

OBJECTIVES Retapamulin is the first agent of the pleuromutilin class formulated as a topical antibacterial for treating skin infections. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of retapamulin by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of this new drug and comparators against a wide range of anaerobic bacteria of human origin. METHODS The in vitro activity of retapamulin and six comparators (amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone, imipenem, clindamycin and metronidazole) was evaluated against 232 anaerobic clinical isolates. MICs were determined by the CLSI reference agar dilution method (M11-A6). RESULTS Ceftriaxone, clindamycin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid resistance rates were 54%, 42% and 9.6%, respectively, within the Bacteroides fragilis group. Despite high resistance rates to various antibiotics, retapamulin inhibited 37/52 (71%) strains of the B. fragilis group and 85/87 (98%) of the other Gram-negative bacilli at a concentration of 2 mg/L or less. All the investigated strains of Clostridium perfringens were inhibited by 1 mg/L retapamulin. Three strains of C. difficile and one strain of C. clostridioforme demonstrated decreased susceptibility to retapamulin. Based on inhibitory concentrations, retapamulin was more active than clindamycin, metronidazole and ceftriaxone against Propionibacterium acnes and anaerobic Gram-positive cocci, as all isolates were inhibited by <or=2 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS At <or=2 mg/L, retapamulin inhibited 90% of all 232 anaerobes tested, whereas overall resistance rates for the comparators were as follows: co-amoxiclav, 2%; metronidazole, 12%; clindamycin, 15% and ceftriaxone, 20%. The broad anaerobic spectrum demonstrated by retapamulin in vitro is attractive. Pending further clinical investigation, retapamulin may offer an alternative treatment for anaerobic skin infections in this era of increasing resistance.
Normal sensory conduction in the nerves of the leg in man

For comparison with findings in neuropathy, sensory conduction was studied along distal and proximal segments of the superficial peroneal, sural, and posterior tibial nerves in 71 healthy subjects 15 to 72 years of age and normal values were established (Table 2). In the distal segments of the nerves of the leg the amplitudes of the sensory potentials were one tenth those in the nerves of the upper extremity; the potentials were split up into several components, and electronic averaging was used routinely to analyse the shape of the potentials. The maximum sensory conduction velocity was 56·5 m/sec, SD 3·4 m/sec, in proximal; and 46·1 m/sec, SD 3·7 m/sec, in distal segments of the nerves (subjects 15 to 30 years, 34 to 36°C). Slowing of conduction with increasing age was the same proximally and distally (subjects 40 to 65 years: proximally 53·1 m/sec, SD 4·6 m/sec; distally 42·5 m/sec, SD 5·5 m/sec, 34 to 36°C). The velocity in the slowest components of the sensory potentials averaged 20 m/sec. The sensory velocity was 3 to 6 m/sec faster than the motor. The error arising from measuring the conduction distance on the surface across the capitulum fibulae was evaluated.
Social and Cultural Meanings of Self-Efficacy

This article describes the influences of social context on women’s health behavior through illustration of the powerful influences of social capital (the benefits and challenges that accrue from participation in social networks and groups) on experiences and perceptions of self-efficacy. The authors conducted inductive interviews with Latino and Filipino academics and social service providers and with U.S.-born and immigrant Latinas and Filipinas to explore direct and indirect influences of social context on health behaviors such as mammography screening. Iterative thematic analysis identified themes (meanings of efficacy, spheres of efficacy, constraints on efficacy, sources of social capital, and differential access to and quality of social capital) that link the domain of social capital with the behavioral construct perceived self-efficacy. The authors conclude that social capital addresses aspects of social context absent in the current self-efficacy construct and that these aspects have important implications for scholars’ and practitioners’ understandings of health behavior and intervention development.
Splenic metastasis from cervical cancer: Case report and review of the literature

Cervical cancer isolated splenic recurrence is a rare event. We report a case of splenic cervical cancer metastasis treated with salvage surgery 30 months after supralevator anterior pelvic exenteration. In this patient the plasmatic level of squamous cell carcinoma antigen increased in the absence of any evidence of disease at the instrumental examination 24 months after surgery. Surgery had a high impact on quality of life.
Prosopagnosia in high capacity neural networks storing uncorrelated classes

We display a synaptic matrix that can efficiently store, in attractor neural networks (AMN) and perceptrons, patterns organized in uncorrelated classes. We find a storage capacity limit increasing with m, the overlap of a pattern with its class ancestor, and diverging as m→1. The probability distributions of the local stability parameters is studied, leading to a complete analysis of the performance of a perceptron with this synaptic matrix, and to a qualitative understanding of the behavior of the corresponding AMN. The analysis of the retrieval attractor of the ANN is completed via statistical mechanics. The motivation for the construction of this matrix was to make possible a study of a model for prosopagnosia, i.e. the shift from individual to class recall, under lesion, i.e. a rand On met en evidence une matrice synaptique qui stocke efficacement les patterns organises en categories non correlees dans les reseaux neuronaux a attracteurs et les perceptrons. La capacite de stockage limite augmente avec le recouvrement m d'un pattern avec sa categorie ancestrale, et diverge lorsque m tend vers 1. La distribution de probabilite des parametres de stabilite locaux est etudiee, et conduit a une analyse complete des performances d'un perceptron en fonction de sa matrice synaptique, ainsi qu'a une comprehension qualitative du comportement du reseau neuronal correspondant. L'analyse de l'attracteur du reseau est completee a l'aide de la mecanique statistique. La motivation d'une telle construction est de rendre possible l'etude d'un modele de prosopagnosie: le passage du rappel individuel a celui de categories lors de lesions, c'est-a-dire d'une deterioration aleatoire des efficacites synaptiques. Les proprietes de rappel du modele en fonction de la matrice synaptique proposee sont etudiees en detail. Enfin nous comparons notre matrice synaptique a une matrice generique dont tous les parametres de stabilite sont positifs
Medication adherence and enrollment in a consumer-driven health plan.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of enrolling in a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) on adherence to maintenance drugs. STUDY DESIGN Two-year retrospective cohort study. METHODS Consumer-driven health plan patients were enrolled in a traditional managed care plan in 2005 (pre-year) and a full-replacement CDHP in 2006 (post-year). Traditional-plan patients voluntarily enrolled in a traditional plan in both years. Adherence measures included (1) post-year continuation rate among continuous users, (2) time to refill the first prescription in the post-year, (3) change in the compliance rate from the pre- to the post-year, and (4) total days with continuous drug supply in the post-year. Analysis was conducted on 8 drug classes. RESULTS The CDHP patients had a slightly higher illness burden and used more medication in the pre-year. The continuation rate was relatively high for all drug classes, although the CDHP cohort had a lower probability of continuing cardiac and cholesterol drugs. Consumer-driven health plan patients took slightly longer on average to refill their first prescription in the post-year for cardiac, hypertension, cholesterol, and thyroid drugs. The compliance rate dropped over time in both cohorts, but the reduction was bigger among CDHP patients for 3 drug classes (adjusted ratio of the odds ratios was 0.77, 0.78, and 0.69 for asthma, cardiac, and cholesterol drugs, respectively). The CDHP patients also terminated their continuous drug supply 21 days earlier for epilepsy drugs and 27 days earlier for cholesterol drugs. CONCLUSIONS Adherence was lower for a few drug classes among CDHP patients.
Digital radiography: a survey of dentists in Hawai'i.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of digital radiography among dentists in Hawai'i and report their experiences using it. METHODS A 20-question survey was developed and used to interview dentists in Hawai'i. Approximately 500 dentists were contacted. The survey asked whether or not the dentist uses digital radiography. For those not using digital equipment, reasons were given as well as proposed future use. For users of digital equipment, further information was requested: group or solo practice, length of time with digital equipment, length of time to decide, brand of dental software, brand and type of digital equipment, how many different systems, satisfaction, would they do it again, financially worth it, advantages, disadvantages, diagnostic or not, use of special features, sensor replacement and maintenance costs, and any other comments about digital radiography. RESULTS 102 dentists responded to the survey. 36 percent utilize digital radiography. Only 40 percent of nonusers have any inclination of converting to digital, cost being the most common reason not to convert. Average length of time with digital was 3.4 years and about 2 years to make the decision. Dentrix was the most popular software and Dexis the most popular equipment. The overwhelming majority are satisfied with systems, feel they are financially worth it, feel it is diagnostic, and would purchase them again. Advantages included things such as speed, no use of chemicals, and lower radiation. Disadvantages included cost, sensor-related issues, and computer issues. Digital users find special features helpful and utilize them regularly. Maintenance costs include annual software upgrades, sensor replacement, and barriers and bitetabs. CONCLUSIONS Digital radiography is becoming more prevalent in Hawai'i. The big obstacle seems to be cost for most dentists, although users believe it is a good financial investment.
Drugs Used in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Relationship between Current Use and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Objectives Drugs used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have the potential to affect cardiovascular risk factors. There is concern that corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and COX-2 inhibitors could affect cardiovascular risk adversely, while drugs such as the antimalarial, hydroxychloroquine, may have beneficial effects. However, there is limited information about cardiovascular risk factors in patients with RA receiving different drugs. Methods We measured cardiovascular risk factors including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum HDL and LDL cholesterol, glucose and homocysteine concentrations and urinary F2-isoprostane excretion in 169 patients with RA. Risk factors were compared according to current use of corticosteroids, methotrexate, antimalarials, NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, leflunomide and TNF-α blockers. Comparisons were adjusted for age, sex, race, disease activity (DAS28 score), current hypertension, diabetes, smoking status and statin use. Results No cardiovascular risk factor differed significantly among current users and non-users of NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, methotrexate and TNF-α blockers. Serum HDL cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher in patients currently receiving corticosteroids (42.2 ± 10.5 vs. 50.2 ± 15.3 mg/dL, adjusted P < 0.001). Diastolic blood pressure (75.9 ± 11.2 vs. 72.0 ± 9.1 mm Hg, adjusted P = 0.02), serum LDL cholesterol (115.6 ± 34.7 vs. 103.7 ± 27.8 mg/dL, adjusted P = 0.03) and triglyceride concentrations (157.7 ± 202.6 vs. 105.5 ± 50.5 mg/dL, adjusted P = 0.03) were significantly lower in patients taking antimalarial drugs. Plasma glucose was significantly lower in current lefunomide users (93.0 ± 19.2 vs. 83.6 ± 13.4 mg/dL, adjusted P = 0.006). Conclusions In a cross-sectional setting drugs used to treat RA did not have major adverse effects on cardiovascular risk factors and use of antimalarials was associated with beneficial lipid profiles.
Sensitization to local dust‐mite fauna in Singapore

Background: Recent studies showed the presence of a unique dust‐mite fauna in the indoor environment of Singapore. Immediate hypersensitivity to these dust mites, along with other known indoor allergens, may play a role in the pathogenesis of allergic respiratory diseases. This study evaluated the sensitization rates of the local atopic population to these allergens.
Identification of a Residue Affecting Fatty Alcohol Selectivity in Wax Ester Synthase

ABSTRACT The terminal enzyme in the bacterial wax ester biosynthetic pathway is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), which utilizes a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. In this report, we identify a specific residue in WS/DGAT enzymes obtained from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and Acinetobacter baylyi that alters fatty alcohol selectivity and kinetic parameters when modified to alternative residues.
Exchange Rate Dynamics and Intervention Rules

Una justificacion del recurso por parte de los bancos centrales a la intervencion en los mercados de cambios es que los precios de los bienes se ajustan mas lentamente que los precios de los activos. En consecuencia, las perturbaciones monetarias pueden producir apreciaciones o depreciaciones del tipo de cambio que hacen que los valores reales de las monedas se aparten de sus niveles de equilibrio a largo plazo. En este estudio se abordan dos cuestiones: primero, si puede ser eficaz la intervencion esterilizada en el mercado de cambios, es decir, la intervencion que no suponga una variacion de la oferta monetaria, y segundo, si en caso de ser eficaz, es conveniente recurrir a la intervencion para reducir las fluctuaciones del tipo de cambio. A diferencia de lo que sostienen muchos estudios teoricos, en este la intervencion esterilizada no se considera una operacion aislada en el mercado de cambios, sino mas bien una norma que las autoridades siguen sistematicamente para limitar las fluctuaciones del tipo de cambio. El estudio presenta un pequeno modelo macroeconomico en el que las perturbaciones monetarias pueden producir fluctuaciones de los tipos de cambio reales que la intervencion esterilizada puede, en principio, atenuar. La estimacion del modelo de la Republica Federal de Alemania con datos correspondientes al periodo 1973-82 indica que la intervencion esterilizada puede tener un cierto efecto estadisticamente significativo, si bien de magnitud reducida. Se procede entonces a simular una perturbacion monetaria en dos versiones del modelo. En la primera, el banco central interviene para limitar las fluctuaciones del tipo de cambio real con respecto a su valor de equilibrio a largo plazo (que se supone conocido). En la otra version, el banco central no interviene en absoluto. Los resultados de este experimento indican que la intervencion con objeto de resistir las fluctuaciones de los tipos de cambio reales puede inducir fluctuaciones ciclicas en la economia, deduciendose que probablemente la economia se ajusta a las perturbaciones aleatorias mas lentamente que en ausencia de intervencion. Parece, pues, que los bancos centrales deben emplear con cautela la intervencion esterilizada para limitar las fluctuaciones de los tipos de cambio reales.
Automatic Identification of Spike-Wave Events and Non-Convulsive Seizures with a Reduced Set of Electrodes

Epileptiform activity in the brain, whether localized or generalized, constitutes an important category of abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG). Seizures are episodes of relatively brief disturbances of mental, motor or sensory activity caused by paroxysmal cerebral activity. They are not always accompanied by the characteristic convulsions that we commonly associate with the word epilepsy. In this case, they may be referred to as non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) [1] or as absence seizures (formerly called "petit mal" seizures). They often manifest themselves in scalp-recorded EEG as large-amplitude spike-wave "patterns" (or "events"), usually occurring in bursts. If left undetected and untreated, they can potentially cause significant brain and behavioral dysfunctions, interfere with information processing, or otherwise contribute to altered mental status. In this paper, we describe an algorithm to be implemented in a prototype BrainScope_ED instrument meant to alert to a detected seizure in an emergency department (ED) or other clinical setting. BrainScope_ED uses a reduced electrode set (8 instead of 19). The proposed signal processing algorithm is based on the detection of spike-wave events obtained from a wavelet analysis of the EEG signal, combined with an analysis of the complexity of the EEG using fractal dimension estimates. We show that this algorithm has excellent sensitivity and specificity. In particular, the fractal analysis is a key factor in the removal of falsely detected spike-wave events (false positives) that can be caused by voluntary or involuntary artifacts such as fast eyelid flutter.
Recognition of Emotions in Music by Children and Adults

32 children 5 to 6 yr. old, 32 9 to 11 yr. old, and 32 adults linked musical fragments to emotions in a similar manner, older subjects being more accurate. Some emotions were more difficult than others; anger and fear were often confused. Older subjects gave better justifications for their choices.
Dentocraniofacial morphology of 12 Japanese subjects with unilateral cleft lip and palate with a severe Class III malocclusion: a cephalometric study at the pretreatment stage of surgical orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE The present study clarifies the dentocraniofacial morphology of patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) with severe Class III malocclusion prior to surgical orthodontic treatment. METHODS The sample was 12 Japanese male subjects with repaired complete unilateral CLP (surgical CLP group; 21.2 +/- 1.92 years in mean age). Two sets of patients without CLP Class III malocclusion, consisting of 19 male subjects treated by surgical orthodontic treatment (surgical Class III group; 23.4 +/- 6.35 years in mean age) and 14 male subjects treated by nonsurgical orthodontic treatment (nonsurgical Class III group; 18.7 +/- 3.49 years in mean age) were used as controls. Analyses were performed using lateral and posteroanterior (P-A) cephalograms. RESULTS (1) The surgical CLP group showed significantly smaller values for overjet, SNA angle, and inclination of the maxillary incisor as compared with those of the surgical and nonsurgical Class III controls. The values of SNB, mandibular effective length, and ramus height in the surgical CLP group were significantly smaller than those of the surgical Class III group but were similar to those of the nonsurgical Class III group. (2) The mandible and the upper and lower dental arches deviated laterally toward the cleft side. The displacement of the mandible was correlated with that of the maxilla. These results show that CLP patients who required surgical orthodontic treatment had a characteristic dentocraniofacial morphology, compared to controls without CLP with Class III malocclusion.
Postinjury vagal nerve stimulation protects against intestinal epithelial barrier breakdown.

BACKGROUND Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) can have a marked anti-inflammatory effect. We have previously shown that preinjury VNS prevented intestinal barrier breakdown and preserved epithelial tight junction protein expression. However, a pretreatment model has little clinical relevance for the care of the trauma patient. Therefore, we postulated that VNS conducted postinjury would also have a similar protective effect on maintaining gut epithelial barrier integrity. METHODS Male balb/c mice were subjected to a 30% total body surface area, full-thickness steam burn followed by right cervical VNS at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes postinjury. Intestinal barrier dysfunction was quantified by permeability to 4 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate-Dextran, histologic evaluation, gut tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and expression of tight junction proteins (myosin light chain kinase, occludin, and ZO-1) using immunoblot and immunoflourescence. RESULTS Histologic examination documented intestinal villi appearance similar to sham if cervical VNS was performed within 90 minutes of burn insult. VNS done after injury decreased intestinal permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-Dextran when VNS was ≤90 minutes after injury. Burn injury caused a marked increase in intestinal TNF-α levels. VNS-treated animals had TNF-α levels similar to sham when VNS was performed within 90 minutes of injury. Tight junction protein expression was maintained at near sham values if VNS was performed within 90 minutes of burn, whereas expression was significantly altered in burn. CONCLUSION Postinjury VNS prevents gut epithelial breakdown when performed within 90 minutes of thermal injury. This could represent a therapeutic window and clinically relevant strategy to prevent systemic inflammatory response distant organ injury after trauma.
Glycogen reserves in the fetal and newborn pig.

The pattern of glycogen deposition in various tissues of the fetal pig was determined throughout gestation. Liver and carcass glycogen levels were low in early gestation, rising rapidly in the last 4 weeks of gestation. The carcass contributed about 90% of the total glycogen throughout gestation. The importance of the contribution of the heart and lung reserves to the total decreased with age, while that of the liver increased. The levels of total reducing sugars, the most of which was fructose, in the fetal venous and arterial blood decreased from day 60 to 111 of gestation. Plasma lactic acid and plasma urea nitrogen remainted relatively constant throughout gestation, and there was no consistent difference between the venous and arterial blood. Increasing sow feed intake in late gestation or including sucrose or tallow in the sows diet did not significantly increase the glycogen content of the liver or muscle of the newborn pig. The dietary treatments of the sow did not significantly influence any of the blood parameters measured in the pig at birth, 24 or 48 hours. (
Role of neurotrophins on dermal fibroblast survival and differentiation

Neurotrophins (NTs) belong to a family of growth factors that play a critical role in the control of skin homeostasis. NTs act through the low‐affinity receptor p75NTR and the high‐affinity receptors TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC. Here we show that dermal fibroblasts (DF) and myofibroblasts (DM) synthesize and secrete all NTs and express NT receptors. NTs induce differentiation of DF into DM, as shown by the expression of α‐SMA protein. The Trk inhibitor K252a, TrkA/Fc, TrkB/Fc, or TrkC/Fc chimera prevents DF and DM proliferation. In addition, p75NTR siRNA inhibits DF proliferation, indicating that both NT receptors mediate DF proliferation induced by endogenous NTs. Autocrine NTs also induce DF migration through p75NTR and Trk, as either silencing of p75NTR or Trk/Fc chimeras prevent this effect, in absence of exogenous NTs. Finally, NGF or BDNF statistically increase the tensile strength in a dose dependent manner, as measured in a collagen gel through the GlaSbox device. Taken together, these results indicate that NTs exert a critical role on fibroblast and could be involved in tissue re‐modeling and wound healing. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1017–1025, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.