Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical prognosis in carpal tunnel syndrome: usefulness of a preoperative neurophysiological assessment

In this study 37 CTS hands underwent pre‐ and post‐operative (15 days, 2 and 6 months) evaluation of median nerve distal motor latency (DML) and sensory nerve conduction velocities (SNCV: I digit and III digit‐wrist). Pre‐operatively, CTS hands were classified as mild (decreased SNCV, normal DML), moderate (decreased SNCV, increased DML) or severe (absent sensory nerve action potentials, increased DML). Post‐operatively, all hands presented clinical and neurophysiological improvement. The three groups of patient showed different clinical and neurophysiological responses to nerve decompression: we observed a rapid restitutio ad integrumin mild group, an improvement with normalisation in about 50% of the hands in moderate group, and a high percentage of restore of the sensory responses with no normalisation in severe group. A marked improvement of sensory symptoms was observed in all cases, but some degree of motor and/or sensory deficit was still present six months after surgery in more advanced cases. Preoperative electrophysiological assessment of median nerve function in CTS hands have an important role in predicting the outcome of surgical decompression.
A Novel IC-Stripline Design for Near-Field Shielding Measurement of On-Board Metallic Cans

The integrated circuit (IC) stripline method (IEC 61967-8) has been recently introduced for measuring the radiated emission from ICs. This method requires an IC-stripline to have a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) lower than 1.25 in the frequency range of 150 kHz up to 3 GHz. When the method is applied to shielding measurement of on-board metallic cans enclosing ICs, which typically appear in most mobile devices, it is a great challenge to design an IC-stripline satisfying the VSWR requirement. In this paper, impedance and reflection characteristics of the IC-stripline on a test board with and without a metallic can are investigated by using an equivalent circuit model and three-dimensional full-wave simulation. To improve the VSWR performance of the normal IC-stripline above a metallic can, two novel IC-stripline structures are proposed to measure near-field radiated emissions from on-board metallic cans. By fabrication and experiment, it is verified that the proposed IC-striplines meet well the VSWR requirement of the IC-stripline method.
Epstein‐Barr virus in angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphomas

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) has been proposed as a possible infective agent involved in the pathogenesis of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy (AIL), a progressive and often fatal lymphoproliferative disorder. We have studied 19 cases of AIL‐like lymphomas for the presence of EBV using a sensitive in situ hybridization technique based on the detection of Epstein‐Barr encoded RNAs with digoxigenin‐labelled oligonucleotide probes. EBV was found in 11 cases; in seven of these EBV was detected in occasional cells. Immunocytochemical studies to investigate viral gene expression, revealed the presence of EBV‐encoded latent membrane protein only in those cases which had appreciable numbers of positive cells by in situ hybridization. The intensity of staining varied from case to case and the overall proportion of cells staining for latent membrane protein in a given case was considerably less than that by in situ hybridization. In situ hybridization for cytomegalovirus and human herpes virus type‐6 was negative in all cases. We discuss these findings in the light of the proposed role of EBV in the pathogenesis of AIL and conclude that the presence of EBV is a consequence of the disease rather than the cause.
Biochemical and Molecular Actions of Nutrients Dietary Resveratrol Does Not Affect Intestinal Tumorigenesis in ApcMin / Mice 1

To determine its effect on intestinal tumorigenesis and the protumorigenic COX pathway in Apc mice, resveratrol was administered as a powdered admixture in the diet at 0, 4, 20, or 90 mg/kg body weight for 7 wk. In two separate experiments, resveratrol did not affect intestinal tumor load. It was stable in the diet under experimental conditions, circulated in the plasma as the glucuronide-conjugated form and reached the tumors as evidenced by significant decreases in PGE2 levels. However, immunohistochemical staining of intestinal tumors revealed no changes in COX-2 expression. This study demonstrates that resveratrol consumed ad libitum in the diet, does not modify tumorigenesis in Apc mice. J. Nutr. 134: 5–10, 2004.
Physiological analyses of host-finding behaviour in trematode cercariae: adaptations for transmission success

SUMMARY Physiological analyses of the behaviour of several cercarial species which actively find and invade their hosts have revealed very complex sequences of behaviour patterns and responses to very different stimuli from the environment and the host. A result of these physiological studies is that the behaviour patterns of each of the species investigated are surprisingly individual. The behavioural patterns of host-finding of those species analysed in some detail reveal profound adaptations to maximize transmission success. This can be demonstrated for movement patterns during swimming, for responses to environmental conditions such as gravity, light and temperature, for responses to stimuli emanating from the host such as shadows, water turbulence and chemical compounds and especially for the responses after contact with the host. The behaviour patterns can be interpreted as adaptations to: (1) dispersal by leaving the habitat of the snail intermediate host and distribution within the area; (2) long survival by energy saving swimming behaviour, by avoiding responses to inappropriate stimuli, by selecting favourable microhabitats and probably by avoiding predation; (3) finding and invading particular host types by selecting microhabitats frequented by the hosts and responding to sequences of specific stimuli emanating from the hosts.
Intracellular membrane trafficking in bone resorbing osteoclasts

There is ample evidence now that the two major events in bone resorption, namely dissolution of hydroxyapatite and degradation of the organic matrix, are performed by osteoclasts. The resorption cycle involves several specific cellular activities, where intracellular vesicular trafficking plays a crucial role. Although details of these processes started to open up only recently, it is clear that vesicular trafficking is needed in several specific steps of osteoclast functioning. Several plasma membrane domains are formed during the polarization of the resorbing cells. Multinucleated osteoclasts create a tight sealing to the extracellular matrix as a first indicator of their resorption activity. Initial steps of the sealing zone formation are αvβ3‐integrin mediated, but the final molecular interaction(s) between the plasma membrane and mineralized bone matrix is still unknown. A large number of acidic intracellular vesicles then fuse with the bone‐facing plasma membrane to form a ruffled border membrane, which is the actual resorbing organelle. The formation of a ruffled border is regulated by a small GTP‐binding protein, rab7, which indicates the late endosomal character of the ruffled border membrane. Details of specific membrane transport processes in the osteoclasts, e.g., the formation of the sealing zone and transcytosis of bone degradation products from the resorption lacuna to the functional secretory domain remain to be clarified. It is tempting to speculate that specific features of vesicular trafficking may offer several potential new targets for drug therapy of bone diseases. Microsc. Res. Tech. 61:496–503, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of Psychiatric Comorbidity on the In-Treatment Outcomes of Cocaine-Dependent Patients in Therapeutic Communities

Background This study aimed to explore the association between psychiatric comorbidity and treatment outcomes in therapeutic communities (TCs). Methods A prospective longitudinal descriptive design was used. A baseline psychopathological assessment was performed within the first 15 to 20 days of treatment in the TCs. The length of treatment stay was computed for each individual. The study was conducted in the region of Andalusia (Spain). The participants were 218 cocaine-dependent individuals. Psychopathological assessment was performed using the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM). The outcome measures were retention, defined as the time in TC treatment (number of days), and the patient's assessment upon leaving the TC. Results The number of psychopathological comorbidities present in the last year among the patients was high (57.8%) and was associated with a worse response to treatment (P =.004). The patients with co-occurring psychiatric disorders had a decreased probability of remaining in the TCs compared with patients who only presented with substance use disorders (hazards ratio = 1.61). Conclusions Psychiatric comorbidity predicts cocaine-dependent individuals’ likelihood of remaining in residential treatment.
Partial Necrosis on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Nodules Facilitates Tumor Recurrence after Liver Transplantation

Background. The presence of partial necrosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules is a common histologic finding after liver transplantation, but its correlation with tumor recurrence has never been investigated. Methods. we retrospectively reviewed the outcome of 54 patients with a single histologically proven HCC after liver transplantation. All cases had a survival of more than 6 months, and patients treated preoperatively had a transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedure. Since 1996, our center has applied the Milan criteria. Correlations between tumor recurrences and clinicopathologic variables, including the presence of partial necrosis, were performed. Etiologic factors for HCC partial necrosis were also investigated. Results. Sixteen of 54 (29.6%) HCC nodules presented partial necrosis, and 4 (25%) of them developed HCC recurrence compared with 1 of 38 (2.6%) cases without this histologic finding (P<0.05). Partial necrosis was related to TACE procedure (P<0.05), patient age less than 50 years (P<0.05), and tumor diameter greater than 2 cm (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed only TACE as an independent variable. The other variables related to the five (9.3%) tumor recurrences were HCC diameter greater than 2 cm (P<0.05), year of liver transplantation before 1996 (P<0.05), and the presence of satellite nodules (P<0.05). The Cox regression analysis showed the presence of partial necrosis as an independent variable related to tumor recurrence. The analysis of the recurrence-free survival confirmed the results of the recurrence rate. Conclusion. Partial necrosis was a risk factor for tumor recurrence after liver transplantation. Patients and procedures should be selected while also bearing in mind the side-effect of incomplete necrosis of the nodules.
Febrile urinary tract infections in young children: recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up

We report the recommendations for the diagnosis, treatment, imaging evaluation and use of antibiotic prophylaxis in children with the first febrile urinary tract infection, aged 2 months to 3 years. They were prepared by a working group of the Italian Society of Pediatric Nephrology after careful review of the available literature and a consensus decision, when clear evidence was not available.
Milk thistle for alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases.

BACKGROUND Alcohol and hepatotoxic viruses cause the majority of liver diseases. Randomised clinical trials have assessed whether extracts of milk thistle, Silybum marianum (L) Gaertneri, have any effect in patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases. OBJECTIVES To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of milk thistle or milk thistle constituents versus placebo or no intervention in patients with alcoholic liver disease and/or viral liver diseases (hepatitis B and hepatitis C). SEARCH STRATEGY The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and full text searches were combined (July 2007). Manufacturers and researchers in the field were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA Only randomised clinical trials in patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases (acute and chronic) were included. Interventions encompassed milk thistle at any dose or duration versus placebo or no intervention. The trials could be double blind, single blind, or unblinded. The trials could be unpublished or published and no language limitations were applied. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The primary outcome measure was mortality. Binary outcomes are reported as relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses were performed with regard to methodological quality. MAIN RESULTS Eighteen randomised clinical trials assessed milk thistle in 1088 patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases. The methodological quality was low: only 28.6% of the trials reported high methodological quality characteristics. Milk thistle versus placebo or no intervention had no significant effect on mortality (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.15), complications of liver disease (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.09), or liver histology. Liver-related mortality was significantly reduced by milk thistle in all trials (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.88), but not in high-quality trials (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.19). Milk thistle was not associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse events (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.50). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Our results question the beneficial effects of milk thistle for patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases and highlight the lack of high-quality evidence to support this intervention. Adequately conducted and reported randomised clinical trials on milk thistle versus placebo are needed.
Plasmid associated with diplococcin production in Streptococcus

The ability to produce diplococcin (Dip+) was transferred by conjugation from Streptococcus cremoris 346 to two plasmid-free S. cremoris recipients at a high frequency (10(-1) per donor). Dip+ transconjugants from each mating gained a 54-megadalton plasmid. Spontaneous loss of this plasmid restored the Dip- phenotype.
CONCERNING EXPERIMENTS ON SEMANTIC INTUITIONS

In two fascinating articles, Machery, Mallon, Nichols, and Stich [2004, forthcoming] use experimental methods to raise a specter of doubt about reliance on intuitions in developing theories of reference which are then deployed in philosophical arguments outside the philosophy of language. Machery et al. ran a cross-cultural survey asking Western and East Asian participants about a famous case from the philosophical literature on reference (Kripke’s Gödel example). They interpret their results as indicating that there is significant variation in participants’ intuitions about semantic reference for that case. We argue that this interpretation is mistaken. We detail a type of ambiguity found in Machery et al.’s probe but not yet noted in the response literature. We argue that this epistemic ambiguity could have affected their results. We do not stop there, however: Rather than rest content with a possibility claim, we ran four studies to test the impact of this ambiguity on participants’ responses. We found that this accounts for much of the variation in Machery et al.’s original experiment. We conclude that in the light of our new data, their argument is no longer convincing.
Missense mutations in the sodium borate cotransporter SLC4A11 cause late‐onset Fuchs corneal dystrophy a

Homozygous mutations in the Borate Cotransporter SLC4A11 cause two early‐onset corneal dystrophies: congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) and Harboyan syndrome. More recently, four sporadic patients with late‐onset Fuchs corneal dystrophy (FCD), a common age‐related disorder, were also reported to harbor heterozygous mutations at this locus. We therefore tested the hypothesis that SLC4A11 contributes to FCD and asked whether mutations in SLC4A11 are responsible for familial cases of late‐onset FCD. We sequenced SLC4A11 in 192 sporadic and small nuclear late‐onset FCD families and found seven heterozygous missense novel variations that were absent from ethnically matched controls. Familial data available for one of these mutations showed segregation under a dominant model in a three‐generational family. In silico analyses suggested that most of these substitutions are intolerant, whereas biochemical studies of the mutant protein indicated that these alleles impact the localization and/or posttranslational modification of the protein. These results suggest that heterozygous mutations in SLC4A11 are modest contributors to the pathogenesis of adult FCD, suggesting a causality continuum between FCD and CHED. Taken together with a recent model between FCD and yet another early onset corneal dystrophy, PPCD, our data suggest a shared pathomechanism and genetic overlap across several corneal dystrophies. Hum Mutat 31:1–8, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The impact of conflict on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately represents the largest incidence of both HIV/AIDS and internal conflicts. The impact of conflict on HIV incidence is largely unknown. Current epidemiological evidence paradoxically suggests that in most populations affected by conflict, HIV prevalence is lower than surrounding communities. However, in situations of conflict, the most vulnerable populations, such as women and children, are at increased risk for HIV through sexual violence, forced occupational exposure and an absence of access to health care or testing. Together, these dimensions of conflict create a complex and challenging situation for prevention of HIV/AIDS and delivery of care to conflict-affected populations. We examine the complexity of monitoring HIV/AIDS in conflict settings. We argue that increased efforts are needed to protect vulnerable populations and design health-delivery systems that are sustainable in settings of conflict.
Class IA Phosphatidylinositide 3-Kinases, rather than p110γ, Regulate Formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl-Phenylalanine-Stimulated Chemotaxis and Superoxide Production in Differentiated Neutrophil-Like PLB-985 Cells1

Class I PI3Ks, through the formation of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3), are thought of as essential elements of the neutrophil response to chemotactic factors. Moreover, the recent development of PI3K-deficient mice and isoform-specific inhibitors enabled examinations of the contribution of the distinct PI3K isoforms in neutrophil activation. However, the results of these various studies are conflicting, and the exact role of the different PI3K isoforms is not yet clearly established, particularly in human cells. In the present study, we used a different approach to assess the role of the distinct PI3K isoforms in response to the chemotactic agent fMLP. We inhibited PI3K activities by the transient expression following nucleofection of dominant negative mutants of either p85α or p110γ in the human myeloid cell line PLB-985, which can be induced to express a neutrophil-like phenotype. The data obtained with this approach showed that the production of PI(3,4,5)P3 triggered by fMLP is biphasic, with a peak of production observed in a short time period that entirely depends on p110γ activity, and a delayed phase that is mediated by class IA PI3K. We also provide evidence that the PI3K-dependent functional responses (i.e., superoxide production and chemotaxis) induced by the chemotactic factor mainly involve PI3K IA and, by implication, the delayed phase of PI(3,4,5)P3 production, whereas p110γ and the early peak of PI(3,4,5)P3 do not play major roles in the initiation or the control of these responses.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae FLO1 flocculation gene encodes for a cell surface protein

The sequencing of a 6619 bp region encoding for a flocculation gene previously cloned from a strain defined as FLO5 (Bidard et al., 1994) has revealed that it was a FLO1 gene. The FLO1 gene product has been localized at the cell surface of the yeast cell by immunofluorescent microscopy. The Flo1 protein contains four regions with repeated sequences which account for about 70% of the amino acids of this protein. A functional analysis of the major repeated region has revealed that it plays an important role in determining the flocculation level. A gene disruption experiment has shown that the FLO5 strain STX 347‐1D contains at least two flocculation genes of the FLO1 type but that they are supposed to be inactive and do not contribute to its flocculation. However, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays performed on intact cells have revealed that a protein expressed at the cell surface of the FLO5 strain STX 347‐1D is antigenically related to Flo1p. A deletion analysis of the 5′ region of the FLO1 gene has shown that the expression is submitted to controls which depend on the genetic background of the strain.
Nerve cuff electrode using embedded magnets and its application to hypoglossal nerve stimulation

Objective. A novel nerve cuff electrode with embedded magnets was fabricated and developed. In this study, a pair of magnets was fully embedded and encapsulated in a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate to utilize magnetic force in order to replace the conventional installing techniques of cuff electrodes. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the magnet-embedded nerve cuff electrode (MENCE). Lastly, several issues pertaining to the MENCE such as the cuff-to-nerve diameter ratio, the force of the magnets, and possible concerns were discussed in the discussion section. Approach. Electrochemical impedance spectrum and cyclic voltammetry assessments were conducted to measure the impedance and charge storage capacity of the cathodal phase (CSCc). The MENCE was installed onto the hypoglossal nerve (HN) of a rabbit and the movement of the genioglossus was recorded through C-arm fluoroscopy while the HN was stimulated by a pulsed current. Main results. The measured impedance was 0.638 ∠ −67.8° kΩ at 1 kHz and 5.27 ∠ −82.1° kΩ at 100 Hz. The average values of access resistance and cut-off frequency were 0.145 kΩ and 3.98 kHz, respectively. The CSCc of the electrode was measured as 1.69 mC cm−2 at the scan rate of 1 mV s−1. The movement of the genioglossus contraction was observed under a pulsed current with an amplitude level of 0.106 mA, a rate of 0.635 kHz, and a duration of 0.375 ms applied through the MENCE. Significance. A few methods to close and secure cuff electrodes have been researched, but they are associated with several drawbacks. To overcome these, we used magnetic force as a closing method of the cuff electrode. The MENCE can be precisely installed on a target nerve without any surgical techniques such as suturing or molding. Furthermore, it is convenient to remove the installed MENCE because it requires little force to detach one magnet from the other, enabling repeatable installation and removal. We anticipate that the MENCE will become a very useful tool given its unique properties as a cuff electrode for neural engineering.