Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acyclovir Use in Sick Infants

Background: Infantile herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) infection remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis is often difficult in this population, where a specific pattern of clinical and laboratory signs are lacking. This often results in unnecessary treatment of infants with empiric acyclovir. This study evaluates the use of empiric acyclovir at the Kentucky Children's Hospital and attempts to correlate any laboratory or clinical findings that may be highly suggestive of HSVE. Methods: Medical records of infants younger than 1 year admitted and treated with acyclovir were evaluated for any consistent pattern of clinical findings suggestive of HSVE. Specifically, serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell counts, red blood cell counts, cerebrospinal glucose and protein, and clinical neurological findings upon admission were evaluated. Results: Two hundred eighteen infants were identified and included in the study. Three infants were identified with polymerase chain reaction-positive HSVE. Only CSF leukocytosis was consistent among HSVE-positive infants. All infants with HSVE exhibited generalized neurological findings. Neither hemorrhagic CSF nor focal neurological findings were indicative of HSVE infection. Discussion: Herpes simplex virus encephalitis has a very low prevalence within this population. Clinically significant neurological findings as well as specific risk factors must be present to consider treatment with empiric acyclovir. Apnea and focal seizures are not specific risk factors for herpetic meningitis in infants. Lack of a CSF leukocytosis is a strong negative predictor for HSVE, and hemorrhagic fluid is not specific for HSVE.
Emergency peripartum hysterectomy: single center ten-year experience

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of our study is to determine the incidence, risk factors, indications, outcomes, and complications of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) performed in a university hospital. Methods: This retrospective study includes 54 cases of EPH performed at the department of obstetrics and gynecology of Gaziantep University Hospital between the years 2005–2015. We included all hysterectomy cases during the first 24 h after delivery beyond 20 weeks of gestation. We compared the most common indications of EPH between each other. Results: There were 54 EPH out of 8922 deliveries with an incidence of 6.1 per 1000 deliveries during the study period. The most common indication was abnormal placentation (74.0%). Urinary tract injury (33.4%) was the most common intraoperative complication. Bilateral hypogastric artery ligation, urinary tract injury, type of hysterectomy, post-op stay in the hospital, delivery in another hospital and other complications were significantly related to the type of EPH indication (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Abnormal placentation was the most common indication for EPH. Previous CS can be suggested as a high-risk factor for abnormal placentation. The delivery should be performed in appropriate clinical settings with experienced surgeons when high-risk factors like abnormal placentations are determined preoperatively.
Allergic contact dermatitis: the cellular effectors

Contact hypersensitivity reactions are mediated by lymphocytic effector cells. Until recently it was believed that the most important of these were CD4+ T lymphocytes. However, there is growing evidence that in many instances the predominant effector cell may be a CD8+ T lymphocyte, with in some instances CD4+ cells performing a counter‐regulatory function. Here we review the roles of CD4+ T helper (Th) cells and CD8+ T cytotoxic (Tc) cells, and their main functional subpopulations (respectively, Th1 and Th2 cells and Tc1 and Tc2 cells) in the elicitation of contact hypersensitivity reactions and consider the implications of effector cell selectivity for the biology of allergic contact dermatitis.
Enquête nationale périnatale 2003

Des enquetes nationales perinatales sont realisees a intervalle regulier pour suivre l’evolution des principaux indicateurs de sante et de pratiques medicales, aider a l’evaluation et a la decision des actions de sante, et repondre a des questions qui se posent a un moment donne.
Two CD14 promoter polymorphisms and atopic phenotypes in Czech patients with IgE‐mediated allergy

Background: Immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated allergy belongs to common chronic disorders resulting from an interaction between both genetic and environmental factors. The gene encoding CD14 is a positional candidate gene for allergic diseases as it is localized on chromosome 5q31.1, a region that is linked to asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Recently, several polymorphisms in the promoter region of this gene have been associated with atopic phenotypes in various populations.
A Secreted Protein from the Human Hookworm Necator americanus Binds Selectively to NK Cells and Induces IFN-γ Production

Parasitic helminths induce chronic infections in their hosts although, with most human helminthiases, protective immunity gradually develops with age or exposure of the host. One exception is infection with the human hookworm, Necator americanus, where virtually no protection ensues over time. Such observations suggest these parasites have developed unique mechanisms to evade host immunity, leading us to investigate the role of the excretory/secretory (ES) products of adult N. americanus in manipulating host immune responses. Specifically, we found that a protein(s) from ES products of adult N. americanus bound selectively to mouse and human NK cells. Moreover, incubation of purified NK cells with N. americanus ES products stimulated the production of augmented (4- to 30-fold) levels of IFN-γ. This augmentation was dependent on the presence of both IL-2 and IL-12 and was endotoxin-independent. This is the first report of a pathogen protein that binds exclusively to NK cells and the first report of a nematode-derived product that induces abundant levels of cytokines from NK cells. Such an interaction could provide a means of cross-regulating deleterious Th2 immune responses in the host, thereby contributing to the long-term survival of N. americanus.
Information-centric communication architecture for vehicular networking

In the network of connected vehicles with various devices and sensors, the most of communications should be information centric by short messages, which are delivered to the appropriate receivers according to the content itself. However, developing a new communication architecture is not feasible not only in aspect of cost and deployment, but also the interoperability to IP networks to retrieve the information from the Internet. In this paper, we propose a new communication architecture to support information-centric by using IP infrastructure. For this purpose we design name mapping and completion scheme for efficient and lightweight information retrieval.
FPGA-based high throughput regular expression pattern matching for network intrusion detection systems

Network speeds and bandwidths have improved over time. However, the frequency of network attacks and illegal accesses have also increased as the network speeds and bandwidths improved over time. Such attacks are capable of compromising the privacy and confidentiality of network resources belonging to even the most secure networks. Currently, general-purpose processor based software solutions used for detecting network attacks have become inadequate in coping with the current network speeds. Hardware-based platforms are designed to cope with the rising network speeds measured in several gigabits per seconds (Gbps). Such hardware-based platforms are capable of detecting several attacks at once, and a good candidate is the Field-programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The FPGA is a hardware platform that can be used to perform deep packet inspection of network packet contents at high speed. As such, this thesis focused on studying designs that were implemented with Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Furthermore, all the FPGA-based designs studied in this thesis have attempted to sustain a more steady growth in throughput and throughput efficiency. Throughput efficiency is defined as the concurrent throughput of a regular expression matching engine circuit divided by the average number of look up tables (LUTs) utilised by each state of the engine"s automata. The implemented FPGA-based design was built upon the concept of equivalence classification. The concept helped to reduce the overall table size of the inputs needed to drive the various Nondeterministic Finite Automata (NFA) matching engines. Compared with other approaches, the design sustained a throughput of up to 11.48 Gbps, and recorded an overall reduction in the number of pattern matching engines required by up to 75%. Also, the overall memory required by the design was reduced by about 90% when synthesised on the target FPGA platform.
Novel therapeutic strategies in development for prostate cancer

Relatively few therapy options exist for patients with prostate cancer that has become resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy and has metastasized to distant sites. Survival for such patients is poor with a median survival of ∼ 20 months from the time of initiation of standard docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Promising new treatments are needed, and several are currently being evaluated, including those that target the hormonal axis, such as abiraterone, chemotherapies, such as satraplatin and ixabepilone, combinations of chemotherapy with other agents, such as bevacizumab and calcitriol, as well as a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches. This review will highlight recent and current studies for many of the promising developments for advanced disease, as well as novel early stage approaches.
Voriconazole: A New Triazole Antifungal Agent

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacology, in vitro susceptibility, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects of voriconazole, a triazole antifungal agent. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search, restricted to English language, was conducted from 1990 to June 2002. Supplementary sources included program abstracts from the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and the Infectious Diseases Society of America from 1996 to 2001 and manufacturer information available through the Food and Drug Administration's Web site. DATA EXTRACTION: All published and unpublished trials and abstracts citing voriconazole were selected. DATA SYNTHESIS: Voriconazole has shown in vitro activity against many yeasts and a variety of mold and dermatophyte isolates. Voriconazole can be administered either orally or parenterally. It exhibits good oral bioavailability, wide tissue distribution including distribution into the central nervous system, and hepatic metabolism. Drug interactions occur through inhibition of the CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 isoenzymes, resulting in alterations in kinetic parameters of either voriconazole or the interacting agent. Efficacy has been illustrated in open, noncomparative studies of aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Human case reports describe successful treatment of rare fungal pathogens. The most commonly reported adverse events include visual disturbances and elevations in liver function tests. CONCLUSIONS: Voriconazole is at least as effective as amphotericin B in the treatment of acute invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. It has similar efficacy as fluconazole in treatment of esophageal candidiasis. Voriconazole did not achieve statistical non-inferiority to liposomal amphotericin B for empirical therapy in patients with neutropenia and persistent fever, diminishing enthusiasm for use in this indication until additional trials are completed. Based on case reports and in vitro efficacy, voriconazole may prove to be a clinically useful agent in the treatment of other fungal disease.
Sudden cardiac death in isolated right ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction cardiomyopathy

Hypertrabeculation/noncompaction of the myocardium is a rare disorder that involves most commonly the left ventricle of the heart and it has been recognized as a distinct cardiomyopathy by the World Health Organization. However, it is extremely rare for this condition to involve exclusively the right ventricle. We report the cases of three patients who presented with ventricular tachyarrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. They were found to have isolated right ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction on echocardiography. This supports the hypothesis that this condition is highly arrhythmogenic and is associated with high mortality similarly to the left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction cardiomyopathy.
Lupin allergy: a hidden killer in the home

This review addresses the problem of lupin sensitization in the home environment. We summarize the data currently available on allergy to lupin, which has become, in recent years, a hidden killer in our homes. Since 2006, when lupin was included in European regulations as a food whose presence must be declared, the situation may have changed. Nevertheless, we must take into account the possibility of undeclared allergenic ingredients or the presence of ‘hidden’ allergens, given that contamination during food production processes may be a great risk for sensitized individuals. Furthermore, the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand still do not include lupin among the ingredients that must be listed on foodstuff labelling. Our responsibility is to educate the public so that they are aware of the danger and look for lupin in the labels of products that run the risk of containing it. Lupin allergy can manifest itself in isolation or in parallel to peanut allergy. Identification of the proteins causing possible cross‐reactivity is complicated, and new structural studies are needed. To date, it has not been possible to clearly identify the allergens responsible for isolated lupin sensitization in relation to parallel and/or cross‐sensitization between lupin and peanut. Most of the allergenic proteins of lupin are α‐ and β‐conglutins, with a lesser presence of γ‐ and δ‐conglutins. A β‐conglutin corresponding to Lup an 1, with a sequence similar to Ara h 1, has been identified as a major allergen of lupin in patients with allergy following lupin ingestion.
Hepatitis C Virus Suppresses C9 Complement Synthesis and Impairs Membrane Attack Complex Function

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins inhibit complement component expression, which may attenuate immunity against infection. In this study, we examined whether HCV regulates the membrane attack complex (MAC) via complement component C9. MAC is composed of C5b to C9 (C5b-9) and mediates cell lysis of invaded pathogens. Liver biopsy specimens from chronically HCV-infected patients exhibited a lower level of C9 mRNA expression than liver biopsy specimens from unrelated disease or healthy control human liver RNA. Hepatocytes infected with cell culture-grown HCV or expressing HCV core protein also displayed significant repression of C9 mRNA and protein levels. Promoter analysis suggested that the T cell factor-4 (TCF-4E) transcription factor is responsible for HCV core-mediated C9 promoter regulation. Sera from chronically HCV-infected patients displayed a lower level of C5b-9 and a reduced antimicrobial effect on model organisms compared to unrelated patient sera or sera from healthy volunteers. Together, these results for C9 regulation by HCV core protein coupled with functional impairment of the membrane attack complex underscore HCV-mediated attenuation of immune mechanisms.
Identification of new flagellin-encoding fliC genes in Escherichia coli isolated from domestic animals using RFLP-PCR and sequencing methods

Identification of Escherichia coli requires knowledge regarding the prevalent serotypes and virulence factors profiles allows the classification in pathogenic/non-pathogenic. However, some of these bacteria do not express flagellar antigen invitro. In this case the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP-PCR) and sequencing of the fliC may be suitable for the identification of antigens by replacing the traditional serology. We studied 17 samples of E. coli isolated from animals and presenting antigen H nontypeable (HNT). The H antigens were characterized by PCR-RFLP and sequencing of fliC gene. Three new flagellin genes were identified, for which specific antisera were obtained. The PCR-RFLP was shown to be faster than the serotyping H antigen in E. coli, provided information on some characteristics of these antigens and indicated the presence of new genes fliC.
A randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial of armodafinil for fatigue in patients with gliomas undergoing radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND Fatigue is common among glioma patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) and impacts quality of life (QOL). We evaluated whether armodafinil, a wakefulness-promoting medication, improves fatigue in glioma patients undergoing RT. METHODS Eligibility criteria included age ≥18 years, Karnofsky performance status ≥60, and grade 2-4 glioma undergoing RT to a total dose of 50-60 Gy. Patients were randomized 1:1 to armodafinil or placebo for 8 weeks beginning within 10 days of starting RT. Fatigue and QOL were assessed at baseline, day 22, day 43, and day 56 with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue (FACIT-F), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G), the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS). The primary aim was to detect a difference in the 42-day change in FACIT-F fatigue subscale between the 2 groups using a 2-sample Wilcoxon statistic. RESULTS We enrolled 81 patients total (42 armodafinil and 39 placebo). Armodafinil did not significantly improve fatigue or QOL based on the 42-day change in FACIT-F fatigue subscale, FACT-G, CFS, or BFI. Further analysis suggests no difference between the arms even after accounting for the potential bias of missing data. Treatment was well tolerated with few grade 3 or 4 toxicities. CONCLUSIONS While treatment was well-tolerated, an 8-week course of armodafinil did not improve fatigue or QOL in glioma patients undergoing RT in this pilot study. Further studies are needed to determine whether pharmacologic treatment improves fatigue in glioma patients undergoing RT.
Elevated C-reactive protein levels do not correspond to autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes.

A large body of data now supports that high normal or elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are a marker of ongoing low-grade chronic inflammatory process and may predict a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Type 1 diabetes is a T-cell-mediated disease (1), and autoantibodies (2) are considered to be the surrogate markers for the autoimmune process and have been used for disease prediction (3). However, little is known about the relationship between diabetes autoimmunity and the acute-phase response. We studied the relationship of islet cell autoimmunity …
Persistent Ulcers on the Hand of an Aquarium Owner

We present a patient with skin ulcers that did not respond to a 3-week course of treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. As the patient maintained a fish aquarium, mycobacterial infection was suspected. Indeed, reassessment of histopathology revealed acid-fast bacilli, and mycobacterial cultures at 30 °C grew Mycobacterium marinum. Eventually, surgical reconstruction of the tendons was needed.
Proteomic analysis of rice leaf, stem and root tissues during growth course

Rice proteins were isolated from leaf, stem and root tissues, harvesting at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10 weeks after budding. Each tissue of each age was separately pulverized in liquid nitrogen, and the resulted tissue powders were suspended in 10% TCA‐acetone and followed by acetone suspension to precipitate at low temperature, which resulted in the tissue‐specific and age‐specific protein mixture. The protein mixtures were separated by 2‐DE using polyacrylamide gels (26×20 cm). The protein spots were identified by N‐terminal sequence analysis and by MALDI and LC‐MS/MS analyses after in‐gel tryptic digestion. From a total of 4532 spots, 676 unique proteins were identified, of which 80 proteins (12%) were observed in all three tissues: leaf, stem and root. In addition, 45 (7%) were common in leaf and stem, 57 (8%) in stem and root, and 10 (2%) proteins in root and leaf. Also 141 unique proteins (21%) were observed only for leaf, 96 (14%) for stem, and 247 (36%) for root tissue. Proteins playing a role for photosynthesis and energy production were most abundant in leaf and stem, and those for cell defense were rich in roots.
Further evidence of an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: findings from a high-risk sample of siblings.

Investigated the role of maternal smoking during pregnancy in the etiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Siblings of ADHD (N = 174) and non-ADHD (N = 129) probands were studied. Information on maternal smoking was obtained from mothers in a standardized manner blind to the sibling's ADHD and high-risk status (i.e., whether a sibling of an ADHD or non-ADHD proband). Fifteen (47%) of the high-risk siblings with ADHD had a history of maternal smoking during pregnancy compared with 33 (24%) of the siblings without ADHD (p = 0.009). This positive association remained significant after adjusting for socioeconomic status, parental IQ, and parental ADHD status. Lower IQ scores were found among those high-risk siblings whose mothers smoked during pregnancy compared with those whose mothers did not smoke. These findings extend our previous findings of an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and ADHD. Moreover, they highlight the importance of programs aimed at smoking prevention in nonsmoking women and smoking cessation in smoking women of child-bearing age.
Development of an IMU-based foot-ground contact detection (FGCD) algorithm

Abstract It is well known that, to locate humans in GPS-denied environments, a lower limb kinematic solution based on Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), force plate, and pressure insoles is essential. The force plate and pressure insole are used to detect foot-ground contacts. However, the use of multiple sensors is not desirable in most cases. This paper documents the development of an IMU-based FGCD (foot-ground contact detection) algorithm considering the variations of both walking terrain and speed. All IMU outputs showing significant changes on the moments of foot-ground contact phases are fully identified through experiments in five walking terrains. For the experiment on each walking terrain, variations of walking speeds are also examined to confirm the correlations between walking speed and the main parameters in the FGCD algorithm. As experimental results, FGCD algorithm successfully detecting four contact phases is developed, and validation of performance of the FGCD algorithm is also implemented. Practitioner Summary: In this research, it was demonstrated that the four contact phases of Heel strike (or Toe strike), Full contact, Heel off and Toe off can be independently detected regardless of the walking speed and walking terrain based on the detection criteria composed of the ranges and the rates of change of the main parameters measured from the Inertial Measurement Unit sensors.
Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickening Associated with Vitreopapillary Traction

Abstract Purpose: To report two cases of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickening as measured by Cirrus high-definition spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) associated with vitreopapillary traction. Methods: Consecutive peripapillary RNFL thickness assessments were performed using OCT in eyes with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Results: OCT measurements revealed RNFL thickening when compared with the prior examination. A vitreopapillary traction to the thickened side of the RNFL was noted in a cross-sectional image of the optic nerve head obtained by OCT. Conclusion: Given that RNFL thickening can mask glaucomatous changes of the RNFL, caution is needed in glaucoma evaluation in eyes with vitreopapillary traction to the RNFL.