Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bactericidal Activity of Normal Serum Against Bacterial Cultures. II. Activity Against Escherichia coli Strains

Summary Resistance to bactericidal action of normal human serum of E. coli isolates from normal children and from those with diarrhea was determined. Results indicated that serum resistance did not provide a basis for differentiation of virulent and non-virulent strains. Serum resistance was associated with the O-inagglutinability of the organisms. In addition, bactericidal action of normal human serum against E. coli was shown to be dependent upon natural antibodies of marked specificity.
Myringoplasty: is it worth performing in children?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the results of myringoplasty in children 4 to 14 years old at the time of surgery. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of case notes for 100 consecutive children who had myringoplasty in a teaching hospital serving as a primary care and referral center. METHODS Between March 1994 and March 1999, patients 14 years or younger at the time of surgery were identified by the computer database. There were 118 procedures performed in 100 patients (18 had a second procedure performed in the contralateral ear at a later date). Twenty-three patients were excluded because they underwent concurrent mastoid exploration, and 6 others because of inadequate follow-up, leaving 89 cases for analysis. Data from revision procedures were not included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Graft success was defined as an intact eardrum at 12 months postoperatively and middle ear effusion signaled graft failure. Success in terms of hearing was defined as an improvement in perception of pure-tone thresholds of 10 dB or greater over 2 consecutive frequencies compared with the results of the preoperative audiogram. RESULTS Closure of perforation was achieved in 90% (80) of patients, but dropped to 88% (78) as 2 patients developed glue ear. Hearing improved in 64 patients (72%), deteriorated in 7 (8%), and remained unchanged in 18 (20%). There was no case of profound hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS The success rate of myringoplasty in children is comparable to that reported for adults. The incidence of middle ear effusion in grafted ears is not higher than that reported for nongrafted ears, and children who have had myringoplasty can be treated as safely with ventilation tubes as any other children.
Cytokeratin patterns of human oral epithelia: differences in cytokeratin synthesis in gingival epithelium and the adjacent alveolar mucosa.

Human oral mucosa includes various epithelia that are commonly classified as lining, masticatory, and specialized epithelia. Although adjacent tissues, the gingiva and alveolar mucosa represent two different types of epithelia: the gingiva is cornified and exhibits high rate ridges, whereas the mucosa does not normally cornify and exhibits a relatively smooth-contoured borderline between the epithelium and the underlying connective tissue. We examined the cytokeratin patterns of both epithelia using one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The gingiva expresses a great complexity of cytokeratins, including significant amounts of components nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17, as well as traces of cytokeratins nos. 4 and 15, i.e., a pattern similar to those of vaginal mucosa and epidermis containing proliferative keratinocytes. In contrast, the alveolar mucosa contains only two major cytokeratins, i.e., nos. 4 and 13, together with two minor amounts of cytokeratins nos. 5, 6, 14, and 17, thus resembling the patterns of certain other stratified, noncornified epithelia, such as the esophagus. Immunofluorescence microscopy using monoclonal antibodies to cytokeratins nos. 4 and 13 revealed the presence of these proteins in the suprabasal layers of alveolar mucosa, whereas in the gingiva, only certain small, suprabasal clusters of cells appeared to contain these cytokeratins. The cytoskeletal differences between gingival and alveolar mucosa are discussed in relation to the differences in their morphology and function, and with respect to pathological processes characteristic of these epithelia.
Corruption and Nigerian political economy

The book analyses the background of corrupt practices in the annals of Nigerian political history from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial era down to the fourth democratic dispensation. The book also estab¬lishes a nexus between corruption and political economy in the Nigerian political theatre. Indeed, corrup¬tion undermines the rules of law, equity, transparency democratization and national development which breed poverty, insecurity and general underdevelopment among the populace.Meanwhile, the political economy approach and the theories of corruption and their application on Nigerian political economy is highlighted.The role of policy-makers and stakeholders with their policies and programmes on combat¬ing corruption is also analysed. Furthermore, the giant efforts of international organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on combating the menace of corruption are also pointed out. The book serves as a guide to researchers on the subject matter and the freedom fighters with their anti-corruption crusade or mandates so as to proffer solutions to corrupt practices and scandals in Nigeria and beyond.
Predictive Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 Concentrations in Childhood Bacterial Meningitis

Background: Increased concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in cerebrospinal fluid are part of the host response in bacterial meningitis (BM). We investigated whether the concentrations of MMP-9 and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 predict the outcome in childhood BM. Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from 264 and 335 patients, respectively; 43 children without BM served as controls. The results were compared with previously known independent predictors of death and sequelae. Results: Higher MMP-9 and TIMP-1 values distinguished the controls from the BM patients (P < 0.0001). A MMP-9 concentration >940 ng/mL proved an independent predictor of death [adjusted odds ratio: 4.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.09−7.77; P < 0.0001]. If the patient additionally presented with a Glasgow Coma Score below 9, the odds increased to 13.21 (95% CI: 5.44−32.08; P < 0.0001). TIMP-1 levels correlated with the severity of sequelae (&rgr;: 0.30; P < 0.0001), but not with death. Its concentration above 390 ng/mL increased the likelihood of sequelae 3.43-fold (95% CI: 1·73−6·79; P = 0.0004), and up to 31.18-fold (95% CI: 4.05−239.8; P = 0.0009) if the patient also presented a Glasgow Coma Score < 12. Conclusions: Elevated cerebrospinal fluid MMP-9 and TIMP-1 values predict 2 important outcomes in childhood BM. Combined with a clinical evaluation, quantification of these indices augments the chances to identify the patients in greatest need of better treatment modalities.
Update of MACH-NC (Meta-Analysis of Chemotherapy in Head & Neck Cancer) database focused on concomitant chemoradiotherapy.

5505 Background: The MACH-NC Group have previously shown (Lancet; 2000) that chemotherapy (CT) improved survival (4% at 5 years) in non metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated by loco-regional treatment (LRT), with an higher benefit (8%) with CT concomitant to radiotherapy (RT). However the relatively important heterogeneity of the results limited the conclusions and prompted the MACH-NC to further confirm the results, by adding to the data base the data from the randomized trials performed between 1994 and 2000. METHODS Updated individual data from HNSCC patients randomized to LRT versus LRT + CT between 1965 and 2000 were included in this meta-analysis. The logrank-test, stratified by trial, was used for comparison and the hazard ratio (HR) of death was calculated. RESULTS 24 new trials, most of them on concomitant CT, were included totalizing 87 trials and more than 16,000 patients. The overall pooled HR was 0.88 (p<.0001) with an absolute benefit for CT of 5% at 5-years, and a significant interaction (p<.0001) between CT timing (adjuvant, neoadjuvant or concomitant) and treatment. The following analyses concern only the 50 concomitant trials. For this group, the HR was 0.81 (p<.0001) with an absolute benefit of 8% at 5-years. The results were identical for the 1994-2000 trials and the 1965-1993 trials, but without significant heterogeneity in the recent group. Similar results were obtained in the trials with postoperative RT (HR=0.80), conventional RT (0.83) and altered fractionated RT (0.73). No significant difference was seen between mono-CT (0.84) and poly-CT (0.77). The magnitude of the benefit was higher (p<0.01) for platinum-based CT (0.75) than for other CT (0.86). There was a decreasing effect of CT with age (p=.01). CONCLUSIONS The benefit of concomitant chemotherapy was confirmed and was similar with both definitive and postoperative radiotherapy. The final analysis will be presented at the meeting. Unrestricted grants from ARC, Aventis, PHRC. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Perivascular adipose tissue, inflammation and insulin resistance: link to vascular dysfunction and cardiovascular disease

Abstract Obesity is a leading risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), however the underlying mechanisms still remain to be fully uncovered. It is now well accepted that dysfunctional adipose tissue in conditions of obesity is a critical source of inflammation that impacts the cardiovascular system and contributes to CVD. Although traditionally visceral adipose tissue has been linked to increased CVD risk, there is mounting interest in the role that fat accumulation around the vasculature plays in the pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is in intimate contact with large, medium and small diameter arterial beds in several tissues, and has been shown to control vascular function as well as remodeling. PVAT does not merely mirror visceral adipose tissue changes seen in obesity, but has unique features that impact vascular biology. In lean individuals PVAT exerts vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory functions, however obesity results in PVAT inflammation, characterized by imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cells as wells as adipokines. PVAT inflammation promotes insulin resistance in the vasculature, thus resulting in impaired insulin-mediated vasodilatory responses and vascular remodeling. In this review we address current knowledge about the mechanisms that link PVAT inflammation to insulin resistance and vascular dysfunction. Indeed, PVAT emerges as a novel type of adipose tissue that participates in the pathogenesis of CVD, independently to a large extent to visceral adipose tissue.
The Opiate Antagonist, Naltrexone, in the Treatment of Trichotillomania: Results of a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Abstract Trichotillomania (TTM) is characterized by repetitive hair pulling resulting in hair loss. Data on the pharmacological treatment of TTM are limited. This study examined the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, in adults with TTM who had urges to pull their hair. Fifty-one individuals with TTM were randomized to naltrexone or placebo in an 8-week, double-blind trial. Subjects were assessed with measures of TTM severity and selected cognitive tasks. Naltrexone failed to demonstrate significantly greater reductions in hair pulling compared to placebo. Cognitive flexibility, however, significantly improved with naltrexone (P = 0.026). Subjects taking naltrexone with a family history of addiction showed a greater numerical reduction in the urges to pull, although it was not statistically significant. Future studies will have to examine whether pharmacological modulation of the opiate system may provide promise in controlling pulling behavior in a subgroup of individuals with TTM.
Recent developments in antibiotic agents for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections

ABSTRACT Introduction: Treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) is becoming increasingly difficult because of the widespread emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the effectiveness of several new antibiotics for the treatment of cIAIs, including new β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLICs) and tetracycline-class drugs, recently developed aminoglycosides and quinolones, and novel lipoglycopeptides and oxazolidinones. Expert opinion: Of the new BLICs, ceftolozane/tazobactam is associated with adequate clinical cure rates in patients with cIAIs. Currently, two new β-lactamase inhibitors, namely avibactam and MK-7655, are under development for clinical use in the treatment of cIAIs. Eravacycline, a novel, fully synthetic tetracycline-class drug, has been shown in Phase II and III clinical trials to be more potent than tigecycline against a significant number of multidrug-resistant organisms causing cIAIs. Plazomicin, a next-generation aminoglycoside, is a promising agent for treatment of cIAIs due to multidrug-resistant pathogens. Of the recently developed quinolones, delafloxacin and finafloxacin have been shown to be effective against pathogens that survive and multiply in mildly acidic environments, although further clinical studies examining their clinical utility in the treatment of cIAIs are warranted. Oritavancin, a new semisynthetic lipoglycopeptide agent, has been demonstrated to be a potent antibiotic in the treatment of cIAIs due to drug-resistant Gram-positive organisms. Several other new antibiotics in development also show promise and will hopefully broaden the possibilities for treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections due to MDR pathogens.
Tourette’s syndrome and deep brain stimulation

In this prospective double blind randomised “N of 1” study, a patient with a severe form of Tourette’s syndrome was treated with bilateral high frequency stimulation of the centromedian-parafascicular complex (Ce-Pf) of the thalamus, the internal part of the globus pallidus (GPi), or both. Stimulation of either target improved tic severity by 70%, markedly ameliorated coprolalia, and eliminated self injuries. Severe forms of Tourette’s syndrome may benefit from stimulation of neuronal circuits within the basal ganglia, thus confirming the role of the dysfunction of limbic striato-pallido-thalamo-cortical systems in this disorder.
Dopamine is not an independent risk factor for reduced amikacin clearance in extremely low-birth-weight infants

Introduction: Important inter-individual variability in amikacin clearance was observed in preterm infants, only in part explained by gestational age (GA), birth weight, or coadministration of nonselective cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitor. We therefore evaluated whether dopamine had an additional effect on amikacin clearance. Methods: Clinical characteristics (GA, weight, COX inhibitor, dopamine, prenatal betamethasone) and amikacin pharmacokinetics were retrospectively collected in a cohort of preterm infants (GA of <31 wks, early neonatal life on respiratory support, between January 1, 1999 and January 6, 2005). Pharmacokinetics were calculated by assuming a one-compartment model with instantaneous input and first-order output based on paired samples collected for therapeutic drug monitoring before and following second administration. Monovariate analysis (Spearman, Mann-Whitney U test) was used to study the impact of clinical characteristics on amikacin clearance, and logistic regression was used to assess their potential independent effect. Results: Paired amikacin samples were available for 240 neonates (mean GA, 28 wks; birth weight, 1042 g). Amikacin clearance was 0.46 (range, 0.09–2.33) mL/kg/min and distribution volume was 0.54 (range, 0.17–2.31) L/kg. GA, birth weight, COX inhibitor, and dopamine had a significant effect on amikacin clearance. In a logistic regression model, dopamine was no longer a significant variable when GA, birth weight, or cotreatment of a nonselective COX inhibitor was entered as second variable. Conclusions: Dopamine is an indicator but not an independent marker of reduced amikacin clearance in early neonatal life in extremely low-birth-weight infants. Therefore, neither dose nor interval should be adapted when dopamine is prescribed, if GA and coadministration of nonselective COX inhibitors already have been taken into account.
Safety and pharmacokinetics of olokizumab, an anti‐IL‐6 monoclonal antibody, administered to healthy male volunteers: A randomized phase I study

Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is implicated in the pathophysiology of several inflammatory conditions. Olokizumab, a humanized anti‐IL‐6 monoclonal antibody, selectively blocks the final assembly of the IL‐6 signaling complex. A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase I dose‐escalation study assessed the safety and tolerability of escalating single doses of olokizumab administered intravenously (iv) or subcutaneously (sc) to 67 healthy male volunteers. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of olokizumab were also assessed. Olokizumab was tolerated at doses up to 3.0 mg/kg sc and 10.0 mg/kg iv; the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. No serious adverse events or withdrawals as a result of treatment‐emergent adverse events were reported. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that both maximum serum concentration and area under the concentration–time curve increased linearly with increasing dose. Mean terminal half‐life was 31.5 days (standard deviation 12.4 days). The bioavailability of the sc doses ranged from 84.2% to 92.5%. Rapid decreases in C‐reactive protein concentrations were observed, with no dose dependency.
Sonographic Differentiation of a Large Fetal Cystic Hygroma from the Amniotic Band Syndrome

An 18-year-old gravida 1, para 0 woman had an uncomplicated pregnancy until 22 weeks' gestation. Ultrasound examination revealed an abnormally shaped fetal head fixed against the placenta, minimal movement of the extremities, multiple bandlike projections traversing the uterine cavity, and bilateral pleural effusions. A diagnosis of amniotic band syndrome was suggested with subsequent termination of the pregnancy. Fetal examination revealed a large cystic hydroma, generalized edema with pericardial and pleural effusions, and Turner's syndrome. Illustrated is the difficulty in making the prenatal diagnosis of cystic hydroma and its confusion with amniotic band syndrome.
Phase behavior of skin lipid mixtures: the effect of cholesterol on lipid organization.

The lipid matrix in the stratum corneum (SC), the upper layer of the skin, plays a critical role in the skin barrier. The matrix consists of ceramides (CERs), cholesterol (CHOL) and free fatty acids (FFAs). In human SC, these lipids form two coexisting crystalline lamellar phases with periodicities of approximately 6 and 13 nm. In the studies reported here, we investigated the effect of CHOL on lipid organization in each of these lamellar phases separately. For this purpose, we used lipid model mixtures. Our studies revealed that CHOL is imperative for the formation of each of the lamellar phases. At low CHOL levels, the formation of the lamellar phases was dramatically changed: a minimum 0.2 CHOL level in the CER/CHOL/FFA (1 : 0.2 : 1) mixture is required for the formation of each of the lamellar phases. Furthermore, CHOL enhances the formation of the highly dense orthorhombic lateral packing. The gradual increment of CHOL increases the fraction of lipids forming the very dense orthorhombic lateral packing. Therefore, these studies demonstrate that CHOL is an indispensable component of the SC lipid matrix and is of fundamental importance for appropriate dense lipid organization and thus important for the skin barrier function.
Analyze multivariate phenotypes in genetic association studies by combining univariate association tests

Multivariate phenotypes are frequently encountered in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). Such phenotypes contain more information than univariate phenotypes, but how to best exploit the information to increase the chance of detecting genetic variant of pleiotropic effect is not always clear. Moreover, when multivariate phenotypes contain a mixture of quantitative and qualitative measures, limited methods are applicable. In this paper, we first evaluated the approach originally proposed by O'Brien and by Wei and Johnson that combines the univariate test statistics and then we proposed two extensions to that approach. The original and proposed approaches are applicable to a multivariate phenotype containing any type of components including continuous, categorical and survival phenotypes, and applicable to samples consisting of families or unrelated samples. Simulation results suggested that all methods had valid type I error rates. Our extensions had a better power than O'Brien's method with heterogeneous means among univariate test statistics, but were less powerful than O'Brien's with homogeneous means among individual test statistics. All approaches have shown considerable increase in power compared to testing each component of a multivariate phenotype individually in some cases. We apply all the methods to GWAS of serum uric acid levels and gout with 550,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the Framingham Heart Study. Genet. Epidemiol. 34:444–454, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Stability Criteria for Linear Discrete-Time Systems With Interval-Like Time-Varying Delays

This technical note is concerned with stability of linear discrete-time systems with interval-like time-varying delays. Two new stability criteria are derived by constructing a new Lyapunov functional and utilizing two novel techniques for estimating the forward difference of the Lyapunov functional. The relationship between these stability criteria and some existing ones is established. Through the relationship, it is clear that these stability criteria are less conservative than some existing ones, which is confirmed by a numerical example.
The experience of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor: Implications for renal services

Objective: The study aimed to explore the psychological experiences of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor and to examine resulting implications for renal services. Design: A qualitative design was utilised within an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework. Main outcome measures: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six adults (male = 5, mean age = 45 yrs) on their experiences of receiving a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. All participants had their transplant within the preceding 21 months. Data were analysed using IPA. Results: The four elicited themes incorporate recipients’ positive feelings about receiving a transplant, mainly arising from the newfound freedom that this entails, in addition to strong feelings of gratitude towards their donors. They also capture challenges, such as the uncertainty of living with a transplanted kidney, and highlight the increased dependence on others throughout the transplant process. Conclusion: The findings indicate a range of psychological, social and occupational experiences for participants. It is concluded that optimal care in renal services would incorporate a holistic approach to pre and post-transplant care; identifying and supporting the needs of transplant recipients. A biopsychosocial model of care may enhance service user well-being. Potential areas of future research are explored.