Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: an emerging threat

Despite dramatic improvements in public health and medical care, Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains as much of a threat in the 21st century as it was when first identified as a pathogen by Koch [1] in 1882. Tuberculosis was reported to be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 [2]. Recent figures show an increase in the total number of cases, with an estimated 9.2 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths attributed to tuberculosis in 2006 [3]. Drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis represent an emerging problem in the struggle to contain tuberculosis. In this issue of the European Respiratory Review , Sasse and Teichmann [4] describe their experience of managing a patient infected with a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a wide spectrum of drug resistance. The latest estimates based on survey data report that 11.1% of new tuberculosis cases showed resistance to any drug, which rises to 25.1% in previously treated cases. 1.6% of new cases and 11.7% of previously treated cases met the definition of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), this being resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid, the two most potent first-line antituberculosis drugs. Much of this burden is carried by eastern Europe, where 45.5% of previously treated tuberculosis cases meet the definition for MDR-TB. The patient described by Sasse and Teichmann [4] was originally from Burma, where MDR-TB accounts for 4% of new tuberculosis cases [5]. Outcomes in MDR-TB are worse than for non-MDR-TB, with one retrospective study in Estonia finding a cure rate of 83.4% in non-MDR-TB, compared with only 57.4% in MDR-TB [6]. More recently, attention has been drawn to the emergence of a form of MDR-TB that has a more …
Risk of Benign Gynecologic Tumors in Relation to Prenatal Diethylstilbestrol Exposure

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure and risk of benign gynecologic tumors. METHODS: We conducted a collaborative follow-up study of women with and without documented intrauterine exposure to DES. We compared the incidence of self-reported ovarian cysts, paraovarian cysts, and uterine leiomyomata confirmed by medical record in DES-exposed and unexposed women. RESULTS: A total of 85 cases of uterine leiomyomata and 168 cases of ovarian or paraovarian cysts were confirmed histologically. After adjustment for age, no association was found between prenatal DES exposure and ovarian cysts or uterine leiomyomata. Prenatal DES exposure was positively associated with paraovarian cysts. CONCLUSION: The present results do not support the hypothesis that prenatal DES exposure increases risk of uterine leiomyomata or ovarian cysts. Prenatal DES exposure was associated with an increased risk of paraovarian cysts, but detection bias cannot be ruled out as an explanation of this finding. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2
PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTIC USE AFTER INTRAVITREAL INJECTION: Effect on Endophthalmitis Rate

Purpose: Endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection is a serious complication. There are limited data to support the use of postinjection antibiotics to prevent endophthalmitis. Current endophthalmitis rates after intravitreal injection in the literature are based on studies where patients routinely received postinjection antibiotics. This study retrospectively compares the rate of endophthalmitis in a cohort of patients receiving postinjection antibiotics with that in a group that does not. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed comparing a 12-month period where patients received postinjection topical antibiotics for several days after intravitreal injection with the next 12-month period where no postinjection topical antibiotics were used. Cases of suspected endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection during this period were identified and reviewed. Results: The rate of clinically suspected endophthalmitis in the cohort of patients receiving postinjection antibiotics after intravitreal injection and that in the cohort that did not was 0.22% and 0.20%, respectively. One culture-positive case was found overall. The difference between the 2 groups is not statistically significant (P = 0.75). Conclusion: The rate of endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections administered in a clinical practice setting when aseptic technique is used is similar with or without the use of postinjection antibiotics.
MicroRNA-29a regulates intestinal membrane permeability in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Background The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are poorly understood. One mechanism may involve increased intestinal permeability that is reversed with glutamine supplementation. Our goal was to evaluate the expression of glutamine synthetase and its complementary miRNA in blood microvesicles and gut tissues of IBS patients with increased intestinal membrane permeability. Methods We evaluated 19 diarrhoea-predominant IBS patients and 10 controls for intestinal membrane permeability using the lactulose/mannitol method. miRNA expression was evaluated in blood microvesicles and gut tissue. To further confirm the relationship between miRNA and glutamine synthetase expression, cell culture experiments were conducted. Glutamine synthetase was also evaluated in the gut tissues of patients. Results A subset of patients with IBS (8/19, 42%) had increased intestinal membrane permeability and decreased glutamine synthetase expression compared to patients with IBS normal membrane permeability, and to controls. Expression of miR-29a was increased in blood microvesicles, small bowel and colon tissues of IBS patients with increased intestinal membrane permeability. Increased intestinal permeability was modulated by miR-29a which has a complementary site in the 3′-UTR of the GLUL gene. Conclusions The results support the conclusion that GLUL regulates intestinal membrane permeability and miR-29a regulates both GLUL and intestinal membrane permeability. The data suggests that miR-29a effects on intestinal membrane permeability may be due to its regulation of GLUL. Targeting this signalling pathway could lead to a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of patients with IBS, especially because small molecules that mimic or inhibit miRNA-based mechanisms are readily available.
Research on the Influence of Schema Inconsistency Information in Brand Association on Consumers' Participation Intention -- A Two-Mediation Model

The relationship between the degree of consistency and inconsistency in brand association and consumer's decision-making behavior is an important issue in today's cross-border brand association. Based on the theory of schema inconsistency, this paper constructs a path mechanism research model based on the degree of brand association schema inconsistency as independent variables, perceived utility value and perceived hedonic value as double mediating variables, and consumers' participation intention including sharing intention and purchase intention as dependent variables. The combined products were selected by two pre-experiments and the relationship was investigated in the formal inter-group experiment. Study found: schema inconsistency in brand association has a significant impact on consumers' participation intention, and perceived hedonic value plays an intermediary role in the relationship between schema inconsistency in brand association and consumers' participation intention, and it is an inverted U-shaped relationship. Perceived hedonic value has a greater impact on sharing intention than perceived utility value, while perceived utility value has a greater impact on purchase intention than perceived hedonic value.
Band profile around grain boundary of Cu(InGa)Se2 solar cell material characterized by scanning probe microscopy

We performed photo-assisted Kelvin probe force microscopy (P-KFM) measurements on Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) measurements on as-grown CIGS thin films. From those measurements, we estimated the band profile around grain boundaries (GBs). The results indicate that the conduction band edge bends downwards near GB and that the bandgap near GB is broadened. Therefore we can conclude that the photo-generated electrons and holes are easily separated by the built-in field, and consequently their recombination at GBs should be suppressed. On the other hand, the built-in potential at GB was apparently lowered as an increase of the Ga content. Hence we can deduce that the photo-carrier separation effect may be reduced, which causes the slight degradation of some performance in the CIGS solar cell with high Ga content.
Proanthocyanidins: Biological Activities Associated with Human Health

Proanthocyanidins, also called condensed tannins, are oligomers and polymers of monomeric flavans linked through specific single (B linkages) and double (A linkages) bonds. These secondary plant metabolites have substantial antioxidant activity. They are prevalent in some foods and dietary supplements including several berries, red grapes and their wines, and seeds, baking chocolate, cinnamon, pycnogenol, and Ginkgo biloba. Calculations based on limited food composition data suggest daily intakes of about 54 mg/day per person in the United States. Similar data are unavailable to estimate intakes from dietary supplements. Studies on digestion of proanthocyanidins indicates only monomers and dimers are absorbed; however, preliminary evidence suggests hydroxylated phenolic acids are important products of gastrointestinal microflora activity that also may be absorbed. Several types of investigations support improved vascular health after short- or long-term consumption of proanthocyanidins or foods and supplements that contain them. These effects include vasodilation, presumably as a result of increased NO production, decreased platelet aggregation, reduced sensitivity of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) to oxidization, and modulation of several reactions associated with inflammation. Studies with cranberries and cinnamon, both of which contain uniquely linked proanthocyanidins, support a role for bacterial antiadhesion and improved glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetics, respectively. Results from a variety of experiments indicate proanthocyanidins may modulate several reactions involved in cancer processes. A crucial research need is to identify further biologically active components of proanthocyanidins so that mechanisms of action at the tissue, cellular, and subcellular levels can be elucidated.
Serum prolidase enzyme activity and its relation to histopathological findings in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis

The aim of this study was to investigate serum prolidase enzyme activity and to find out its association with liver biopsy specimens' histopathological findings in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Thirty‐six patients with biopsy‐proven NASH and 29 healthy controls were enrolled. Serum prolidase enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Serum prolidase enzyme activity was significantly higher in patients with NASH thancontrols (P=0.016). A significant correlation was observed between serum prolidase enzyme activity and fibrosis score in patients with NASH (r=0.661, P<0.001). Serum prolidase activity seems to be correlated with the level of fibrosis. Monitoring serum prolidase activity may be a useful adjunctive tool in predicting liver fibrosis, especially in the absence of advanced fibrosis and other conditions, which may affect the interpretation of prolidase activity. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 24:207–211, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Contribution of Anesthesia to Surgical Mortality

Anesthetic deaths, and their prevention, were to become an intense preoccupation of the 3 great academic leaders of the mid-20th century: Ralph Waters at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Robert Macintosh at Oxford, and Henry Beecher at Harvard. Waters and Macintosh, coming to their universities at the height of successful careers as clinicians, saw the problem as one primarily of clinical skill and technical error. Beecher, trained as a laboratory scientist, saw the issue of anesthetic mortality in terms of the pharmacology and toxicology of the anesthetic agents themselves. This difference in point of view had a profound effect on the subsequent academic careers of each. Waters brought to Madison a long-held conviction that many of the problems he encountered as a clinician could be solved in collaboration with his colleagues in basic science. Although he was an enthusiastic participant in laboratory studies of the pharmacology of anesthetic agents, he remained first and foremost a clinician. Waters the clinician placed great emphasis on keeping careful records of the progress of the anesthetic procedure. He was aware of the statistical value of the anesthetic record, but believed that: ‘‘Much more important than their statistical value, however, such records are indispensable for the following reasons: (1) they focus our attention upon the patient and how he is affected by what we do to him; (2) they serve as a basis for later leisurely discussion of our procedures and the results; that is they are the basis for all teaching and all improvements in practice. Without well-kept records, we are deprived of a basis for discussion, comparison and conclusion and are left dependent on memory and personal opinion as a foundation for instruction and for progress’’. 1
Effects of oral administration of interferon-alpha on antibody production in mice with induced tolerance.

In vivo systemic effects and the immunomodulating potential of the oral administration of murine interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) were investigated through mRNA expression of both IFN-alpha-inducible factors, interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) and 2,5-adenylate synthetase [2-5(A) synthetase] and 2-5(A) synthetase enzymatic activity in spleen and antibody production. The daily administration of IFN-alpha (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 IU/body) for 1 week augmented IRF-1 and 2-5(A) synthetase mRNA expression levels, as well as 2-5(A) synthetase enzymatic activity in spleen cells but not in cervical lymph nodes. The in vivo immunomodulating potential of the oral administration of IFN-alpha was also evaluated through antibody production in mice with induced tolerance. Ovalbumin (OVA) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to induce systemic antibody production on day 0 when OVA feeding was initiated. The OVA was fed every 2-3 days for a total of 14 doses to suppress serum antibody levels. Oral administration of murine IFN-alpha was initiated on day 0 and was continued for 5 consecutive days weekly for 5 weeks (24 doses). On every sampling date (days 10, 17, 24, and 32), specific antibody levels in the IFN-alpha-administered groups were significantly higher than those in the control (nonadministered) group. This was especially noted in early phases (days 10 and 17) of antibody production when the levels of antibody in serum from the IFN-alpha-administration groups were equivalent to those of the nontolerance group. Altogether, it is suggested that oral use of IFN-alpha can elicit immunomodulating actions (e.g., antibody levels) by affecting the systemic immune system(s).
Anisotropy in Cosmic Ray Arrival Directions Using IceCube and IceTop

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory recorded more than 250 billion cosmic-ray induced muon events between May 2009 and May 2014. We use this data set to study the anisotropy in the arrival direction distribution of cosmic rays in the TeV to PeV energy range. The anisotropy features large regions of relative excess and deficit with amplitude on the order of 10−3. A decomposition of the arrival direction distribution into spherical harmonics shows that most of the power is contained in the low-multipole (`≤ 4) moments. However, higher multipole components are also statistically significant down to an angular scale of less than 10◦. The data set also allows for a detailed study of the anisotropy for various cosmic-ray median energies. The large-scale structure observed at energies near 20 TeV reaches a minimum amplitude, accompanied by a change in phase, around 150 TeV. At higher energies, we observe a strong deficit with an amplitude increasing with energy up to 5 PeV, the highest energies currently accessible to IceCube. The deficit is also present in IceTop maps of similar energies. No time-dependence of the large-scale structure was observed in the five-year period covered by this analysis.
Drug prescribing for children in general practice. A report from the Møre & Romsdal Prescription Study

To investigate general practitioners' drug prescribing patterns for children (0–12 y), an observational, cross‐sectional study was conducted in Western Norway. Seven thousand, two hundred and twenty‐nine GP‐patient contacts during which 5222 drugs were prescribed, were included for analysis. The highest prescribing rates were for boys <2y (82.1 prescriptions per 100 contacts). Two‐thirds of all prescriptions were for drugs in main groups respiratory system or systemic antiinfectives. The 20 most commonly prescribed agents comprised 75% of all prescriptions. The 20 most frequently recorded diagnoses for prescribing comprised 81% of all. Phenoxymethylpenicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic for otitis, tonsillitis and sinusitis, while erythromycin was used most often for bronchitis and pneumonia. Antibiotics were prescribed in more than 8/10 contacts for tonsillitis, sinusitis, acute bronchitis and pneumonia, and in two‐thirds of all contacts for urinary tract infections. Sixty‐five percent of the antibiotic prescriptions for urinary tract infections were for co‐trimoxazole.
Centaurea solstitialis Invasion Success Is Influenced by Nassella pulchra Size

Replacement of perennial grasses with non‐native annual grasses in California's Central Valley grasslands and foothills has increased deep soil water availability. Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), a deep‐rooted invasive thistle, can use this water to invade annual grasslands. Native perennial bunchgrasses, such as Purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra), also use deep soil water, so there is an overlap in resource use between N. pulchra and C. solstitialis. Restoration of N. pulchra to annual grasslands could result in strong competitive interactions between N. pulchra and C. solstitialis, which may reduce survival, growth, and reproduction of the invader. The strength of this competitive interaction can increase as N. pulchra plants mature, increase in size, and develop more extensive root systems. We studied how the size of N. pulchra affected the success of C. solstitialis invasion over 2 years. We allowed C. solstitialis seed to fall naturally into plots containing N. pulchra plants. For each plot, we measured the number of C. solstitialis seedlings and mature plants, as well as C. solstitialis biomass and seedhead production. In both years of the study, C. solstitialis number, biomass, and seedhead production declined significantly as N. pulchra size increased. However, even C. solstitialis grown with the largest N. pulchra plants produced some seed, especially during the higher rainfall year. We conclude that restoration plantings with larger, established N. pulchra plants will be more resistant to invasion by C. solstitialis than young N. pulchra plantings, but site management must continue as long as a C. solstitialis seed source is present.
Abnormal visual evoked potentials in myotonic dystrophy

Pattern-shift visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded in 17 patients with myotonic dystrophy. Abnormalities of latency or amplitude were found in 10 patients (59%) with no obvious retinal or other significant ocular abnormality. All patients had a visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Since most patients had bilateral VEP abnormalities, localization of the disturbance was not certain.
Transport characteristics of zolmitriptan in a human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco‐2

The intestinal absorption characteristics and the efflux mechanisms of zolmitriptan, a new generation and highly selective 5‐HT1B/1D receptor agonist used in the acute oral treatment of migraine, were investigated. A human intestinal cell line, Caco‐2, was used as an in‐vitro model of the intestinal mucosa to assess transepithelial transport of zolmitriptan. In the Caco‐2 cells, the absorptive transport of zolmitriptan was pH dependent and the transport was enhanced at weakly alkali pH on the apical side. No concentration dependence and saturation were observed for the apical‐to‐basolateral and basolateral‐to‐apical transport of zolmitriptan at a concentration of 0.1–10 mM. The permeability ratio value was about 1.5‐2.6 at a concentration of 0.1–2.0 mM. Inhibition experiments using verapamil, nifedipine and nimodipine as inhibitors were studied and indicated that P‐glycoprotein participated in the transport of zolmitriptan. Inhibition of the Na+‐H+ exchanger with amiloride resulted in a significant increase in absorption and a slight inhibition in secretion. This suggests that the Na+‐H+ exchanger may be involved in the transport of zolmitriptan. The results indicated that the transport of zolmitriptan was mediated by both passive diffusion and active transport. A series of drug‐drug interaction experiments were carried out between zolmitriptan and some drugs that may be co‐administrated with zolmitriptan in the clinic. The results indicated that flunarizine, cetirizine, propranolol and atenolol potently decreased both the apical‐to‐basolateral and basolateral‐to‐apical transport rate of zolmitriptan. Cimetidine and aspirin slightly inhibited the apical‐to‐basolateral transport of zolmitriptan, but significantly decreased the basolateral‐to‐apical transport of zolmitriptan. Thus, the absorption drug‐drug interactions should be considered when these drugs are co‐administrated with zolmitriptan in the clinic.
Comparisons between the Rorschach Depression Index and Depression-Related Measures in a Nonpatient Sample

The Rorschach Depression Index of Exner was correlated with eight self-report measures of affect and related personality constructs, including the Beck Depression Inventory, the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised Depression and Positive Affect scales, and Kaplan Self-derogation in a sample of 41 undergraduates (M age 19 yr.). The only significant correlation was an unexpected inverse correlation (r = −.35) for scores on Kaplan Self-derogation, suggesting the need for caution in the use of the Depression Index as an indicator of depression in nonpatients.