Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An airborne outbreak of smallpox in a German hospital and its significance with respect to other recent outbreaks in Europe.

Since 1960, smallpox has been introduced into 10 European countries on 28 separate occasions. Most commonly, the index case was infected in Asia and returned to Europe by air during the period December-May. Subsequent cases have occurred mainly among persons exposed by direct, face-to-face, contact in the household or hospital. Medical and hospital personnel, patients and visitors constituted approximately half of all cases in these outbreaks.In a recent outbreak in Meschede, Federal Republic of Germany, detailed epidemiological studies have clearly indicated that 17 of the cases were infected by virus particles disseminated by air over a considerable distance within a single hospital building. Several features believed to be of importance in this unusual pattern of transmission were common to a similar outbreak in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1961 in which airborne transmission also occurred. These features include a source case with extensive rash and cough, low relative humidity in the hospital and air currents which caused rapid dissemination of the virus. While airborne transmission of this sort is rarely observed in smallpox outbreak, it is important to recognize that it may occur under certain circumstances.Proper vaccination of travellers prior to their departure from their native countries and a regular programme for vaccination of medical and hospital personnel could have prevented at least half of the cases which occurred in Europe during the past decade. Although progress in the global smallpox eradication programme has been accompanied by a decreased frequency of importations into Europe, no country should relax its vigilance until smallpox has been eliminated everywhere.
Relationship between the clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease and the expression of adhesion molecules on white blood cells

Abstract: Background: The severity of sickle cell disease (SCD) increases with leukocyte count. The biological basis could be that leukocyte adherence to vascular endothelium mediated by adhesion molecules (AMs) facilitates vaso‐occlusion, the basic pathological process in SCD. Objective: To find out if there is a relationship between expression of AMs by leukocytes and the clinical manifestations of SCD. Methods: Flow cytometry was used to study the relationship between leukocyte AM expression and disease manifestations in 100 patients with homozygous (HbSS) sickle cell disease and 34 genotype HbAA controls. The effect of hydroxyurea therapy on AM expression was also examined. We excluded HbSS patients with any other disease, pregnancy in the previous 3 months, or Haemogloben F (HbF) ≥ 10%. Results: Patients with complications of SCD showed high expression of αMβ integrin by the neutrophils; and l‐selectin by lymphocytes and neutrophils (P < 0.03). CD18 was highly expressed by neutrophils in patients with sickle nephropathy (P = 0.018), and l‐selectin by lymphocytes in those with stroke (P = 0.03). Monocyte l‐selectin increased in sickle cell crisis relative to steady state (P = 0.04). Expression of αLβ2 integrin by neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes decreased within a month of hydroxyurea therapy (P < 0.05), with symptomatic improvement in the patients and no more than 3.3% rise in HbF level. Conclusions: The findings suggest that in SCD (1): High steady‐state expression of αMβ2 integrin and l‐selectin by leukocytes predisposes to severe manifestations. (2) Increased leukocyte AM expression above steady‐state levels could be important in the genesis of crisis. (3) The early symptomatic improvement that follows hydroxyurea therapy is mediated via mechanisms independent of increased HbF, and may involve reduced AM expression in leukocytes. (4) Other treatment modalities that reduce leukocyte AM expression might also confer clinical benefit.
Rectal compliance and rectal sensation in constipated adolescents, recovered adolescents and healthy volunteers

Objectives: A subgroup of children with functional constipation (FC) are unresponsive to conventional treatment. Abnormal rectal function due to increased distensibility (compliance) might be an underlying mechanism of therapy-resistant FC. It is hypothesised that rectal compliance is normal in patients who are successfully recovered from FC (RC). Methods: Using a barostat, a pressure-controlled intermittent distension protocol was performed in FC patients, RC subjects free of symptoms for at least 4 years and healthy volunteers (HVs). Rectal compliance was calculated using a non-linear mixed-effect model for volume–pressure curves. Results: Forty-seven FC patients, median (range) age of 12 (11–17) years, and 20 RC subjects, 15 (11–18) years, were studied and compared with 22 HVs, 14 (8–16) years. The median (5th–95th percentile) rectal compliance in HVs was 16 (12–20) ml/mm Hg. FC patients had a median rectal compliance of 25 (13–47) ml/mm Hg and RC subjects 20 (12–35) ml/mm Hg, which was significantly higher compared with HVs (p<0.001 and p = 0.003). RC subjects had lower rectal compliance when compared with FC patients (p = 0.02). Forty-five percent of RC subjects had a rectal compliance above the upper limit of normal (>95th percentile of HVs), which was significantly less compared with 75% of FC patients (p = 0.02). Conclusion: While rectal compliance in RC subjects is lower when compared with adolescents with FC, almost half of the RC subjects showed an increased rectal compliance. The role of rectal compliance in therapy-resistant FC seems limited, because recovery is possible despite an increased rectal compliance.
Differential roles of STAT 3 depending on the mechanism of STAT 3 activation in gastric cancer cells

W Okamoto, I Okamoto*, T Arao, K Yanagihara, K Nishio and K Nakagawa Department of Medical Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan; Department of Genome Biology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan; Laboratory of Health Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yasuda Women’s University, 6-13-1 Yasuhigashi, Asaminami, Hiroshima 731-0153, Japan
Response patterns and postspike effects of peripheral afferents in dorsal root ganglia of behaving monkeys.

1. The activity of single afferent units was recorded in cervical dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in two macaque monkeys as they generated alternating flexion and extension torques about the wrist during a step-tracking task. During these isometric and auxotonic muscle contractions, electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded with electrode pairs in up to 12 independent forearm muscles. Spike-triggered averages (STAs) of rectified EMG activity were used to identify afferents that were associated with correlated facilitation of active muscles. 2. Our aim was to find peripheral afferents producing postspike effects in muscles and to compare their properties with those of corticomotoneuronal (CM) and rubromotoneuronal (RM) cells previously obtained under identical behavioral conditions. We documented the timing, magnitude and distribution of their postspike facilitation (PSF) of forearm muscles and investigated the response properties of task-related units. 3. Of 125 afferent units tested with STAs, 68 showed PSF of EMG activity in at least one muscle. Fifty-nine DRG units provided sufficiently long recordings to generate averages with greater than or equal to 2,000 triggers, the minimum number considered to demonstrate reliable effects. Of these 59 units, 29 (49%) were associated with facilitation of forearm muscle activity. 4. Many STAs showed a gradual increase in EMG activity starting before or near the afferent trigger spike; often superimposed on this broad facilitation was a sharply rising PSF starting at a longer latency. The earliest poststimulus facilitation evoked by single microstimuli delivered in DRG occurred in stimulus-triggered averages at a latency of 3.5 ms. In STAs the broad facilitation beginning at latencies shorter than the responses to electrical stimulation was attributed to synchronous discharges in other afferent units. The sharper postspike EMG increases occurring with latencies of greater than or equal to 3.5 ms were identified as PSF produced by the afferent. The PSF parameters documented in this study were measured after subtracting the effects of synchrony facilitation. 5. PSF of EMG activity began at a mean latency of 5.8 +/- 0.3 (SE) ms and peaked at a mean latency of 7.5 +/- 0.3 (SE) ms. In previous studies, the PSFs from CM and RM cells had mean onset latencies of 6.3 and 5.6 ms, respectively, and mean peak latencies of 10.2 and 9.1 ms. 6. A measure of the PSF amplitude is the mean percent increase (MPI), defined as the increase of the PSF above its base measured as a percentage of the prespike baseline mean. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Using the eosin‐5‐maleimide binding test in the differential diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis and hereditary pyropoikilocytosis

Flow cytometric analysis of eosin‐5‐maleimide (EMA)‐labeled red blood cells (RBCs) has been used as a screening test for the diagnosis of patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS). We assessed the fluorescence profiles for patients having HS and hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) together with their red cell indices.
Opposing effects of traumatic brain injury on excitatory synaptic function in the lateral amygdala in the absence and presence of preinjury stress

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability among young adults and is highly prevalent among recently deployed military personnel. Survivors of TBI often experience cognitive and emotional deficits, suggesting that long‐term effects of injury may disrupt neuronal function in critical brain regions, including the amygdala, which is involved in emotion and fear memory. Amygdala hyperexcitability has been reported in both TBI and posttraumatic stress disorder patients, yet little is known regarding the effects of combined stress and TBI on amygdala structure and function at the neuronal level. The present study seeks to determine how the long‐term effects of preinjury foot‐shock stress and TBI interact to influence synaptic plasticity in the lateral amygdala (LA) of adult male C57BL/6J mice by using whole‐cell patch clamp electrophysiology 2–3 months postinjury. In the absence of stress, TBI resulted in a significant increase in membrane excitability and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in LA pyramidal‐like neurons. Foot‐shock stress in the absence of TBI also resulted in increased sEPSC activity. In contrast, when preinjury stress and TBI occurred in combination, sEPSC activity was significantly decreased compared with either condition alone. There were no significant differences in inhibitory activity or total dendritic length among any of the treatment groups. These results demonstrate that stress and TBI may be contributing to amygdala hyperexcitability via different mechanisms and that these pathways may counterbalance each other with respect to long‐term pathophysiology in the LA. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Plasma &bgr;‐Endorphins and Catecholamines Before and After Clonidine in Essential Hypertension and Pheochromocytoma

&NA; To investigate the possible release of &bgr;‐endorphins (&bgr;EN) from tumors and to investigate their possible involvement in the hypotensive mechanism of clonidine (CLO) in pheochromocytoma (PHEO), as compared with essential hypertension (EH), we studied 12 patients with PHEO, 17 patients with uncomplicated stable EH (SEH), nine patients with borderline EH (BEH), and seven healthy volunteers (N). All subjects were hospitalized and excreted normal amounts of sodium. Mean blood pressure (MAP) and plasma &bgr;EN, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA) were measured before and 180 min after an oral dose of 0.3 mg CLO. Following CLO, a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in MAP was present in all groups. Plasma NE and E decreased (p < 0.02 to p < 0.01) in N, BEH, and SEH, but not in PHEO. DA did not change in any group. Pretreatment &bgr;EN did not differ significantly between the groups, and following CLO it did not change in N or PHEO, while it increased significantly in BEH (p < 0.01) and in SEH (p < 0.02). Absolute changes in MAP correlated with those of &bgr;EN only in the SEH group. Changes in NE or E did not correlate with changes in MAP in either group. Likewise, changes in NE or E were not correlated with those of &bgr;EN, in N or EH, but a correlation between resting plasma E and resting &bgr;EN concentrations was demonstrated in PHEO. These results support a role of &bgr;EN in the hypotensive action of CLO in EH, but not in N or PHEO. They do not demonstrate unequivocally an increase of plasma &bgr;EN in PHEO, which could reflect release from tumors or other sources, but they do suggest that in patients with PHEO &bgr;EN and E might be released from a common source, possibly the tumor itself.
Power consumption saving during charging period for Thermal Energy Storage System

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system is already well established and one of the most important methods of demand to reduce peak-cooling loads. This system is divided by two periods known as charging period and discharging period. Discharging period is starting from 7 a.m until 10 p.m. Charging period to produce ice is 10 hours from 10 p.m until 7 a.m with capacity rated 24 refrigerant ton (RT) of cooling capacity for each tank. Nowadays, the issue of cost in term of power consumption becomes an obstacle to implement this system. This paper presents the power consumption saving during charging period for TES system in Engineering Complex, UiTM Shah Alam Selangor. The data obtained were observed and analyzed in order to saving the power consumption. In conclusion, there are some calculations that including with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) tariff to show the comparison in term of power consumption during charging period and electricity bill for a month between actual design, current design and propose design.
Risk Factors for Fractures of the Proximal Humerus: Results From the EPIDOS Prospective Study

Fracture of the proximal humerus is one of the most frequent fractures attributable to osteoporosis; yet, it has seldom been studied. Two types of factors (related to bone fragility and falls) were evaluated to identify risk factors for proximal humerus fractures as well as to examine possible interactions between them. Subjects were 6901 white women aged ≥75 years and all participated in the EPIDOS study of risk factors for osteoporotic fractures (France, 1992‐1998). The baseline examination included measurements of femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) and calcaneal ultrasound parameters (speed of sound [SOS] and broadband ultrasound attenuation [BUA]), a functional clinical examination, and completing a questionnaire on health status and lifestyle. During a mean of 3.6 (0.8) years of follow‐up, 165 women had a humeral fracture. Using multivariate Cox regression models, we identified three predictors related to bone fragility—low BMD (relative risk [RR] = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1‐1.7), low SOS (RR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0‐1.6), and maternal history of hip fracture (RR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0‐3.0)—and four fall‐related predictors—a previous fall (RR = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.5‐6.1), a low level of physical activity (RR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1‐4.4), impaired balance (RR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1‐2.9), and pain in lower limb extremity (RR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0‐2.1). The effect of these fall‐related predictors varied according to the BMD level; they were significantly associated with proximal humerus fractures in women with osteoporosis (BMD T score < −2.5) but not in nonosteoporotic women. The incidence of proximal humerus fracture in women with osteoporosis and a low fall risk score (5.1 per 1000 woman‐years) was only slightly higher than in nonosteoporotic women (4.6 per 1000 woman‐years) and similar to the incidence in women without osteoporosis but a high fall risk score (5.3 per 1000 woman‐years). On the other hand, the incidence in women who had both types of risk factors was more than two times higher (12.1 per 1000 woman‐years) than in women with only one of the two risk factors. These results suggest that women who have both types of risk factors should receive the highest priority for prevention.
AssayPerformanceand Tracer Propertiesfor Two Analog-BasedAssaysof Free Triiodothyronine

We determinedbindingcharacteristicsof the tniodothyronine (T3) analog tracer used in the Amerlex#{174} and Ameriex-M#{174} FF3 radioimmunoassayfor the three endogenous binding proteinsin serum: thyroxin-bindingglobulin(TBG), thyroxin binding prealbumin (PA), and albumin. Both T3 and its analog bindto the same siteson TBG and PA. However,the analog has significantlylower associationconstants (1.0% and 3.8%, respectively, of T3 binding affinity) and it bindsto differentsiteson albumin.Analogbindingischaracterizedby two (weak) specificbindingsites [K = 0.46 (SD 0.03) x i0 lJmoi];T3 is boundat about28 veryweak, nonspecificsites [K = 0.41 (SD 0.03) x 1o L/mol]. Sera fromhealthysubjects with a wide range of concentrationsof binding proteins showed no interference from analog binding in the FT3 assay. In contrast, in vitro studies of albumin binding revealed a weak dependence of both assays on albumin concentration(0.05 pmol of FT3 per gram of albumin per liter), an interferenceprobablyunimportantfor most laboratory samples. Nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and the T3 analogapparentlybindto differentsiteson albumin;thusthe Ameriex FT3 assay is insensitiveto moderately increased concentrations of NEFA in serum.
Pharmacokinetics of the Enantiomers of Bupivacaine and Mepivacaine After Epidural Administration of the Racemates

We investigated the pharmacokinetics of the enantiomers of bupivacaine and mepivacaine after epidural injection of the racemate of each drug into six surgical patients.After epidural administration of either bupivacaine/HCl (115 mg) or mepivacaine/HCl (460 mg), blood samples were collected for 24 h. Unbound fractions were determined by using ultrafiltration for bupivacaine and equilibrium dialysis for mepivacaine. Concentrations in plasma, ultrafiltrate, and dialysate were determined by using stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatography. Peak plasma concentrations of R(+)-bupivacaine (389 +/- 93 ng/mL) and R(-)-mepivacaine (1350 +/- 430 ng/mL) were smaller than those of S(-)-bupivacaine (449 +/- 109 ng/mL, P < 0.0001) and S(+)-mepivacaine (1740 +/- 490 ng/mL, P < 0.002), respectively. However, the unbound peak concentrations of R(+)-bupivacaine (20 +/- 11 ng/mL) were larger than those of S(-)-bupivacaine (15 +/- 9 ng/mL, P < 0.005); unbound peak concentrations of R(-)-mepivacaine (485 +/- 158 ng/mL) and S(+)-mepivacaine (460 +/- 139 ng/mL) did not differ. These observations reflect differences in the systemic disposition (distribution and elimination) of the enantiomers, because the systemic absorption was not enantioselective with either drug. This study supports the opinion that the use of single enantiomers, rather than racemates, is preferable, particularly for bupivacaine. Implications: Measurements of the plasma concentrations of the enantiomers of bupivacaine and mepivacaine after epidural administration of the racemates demonstrated that the systemic disposition, but not the systemic absorption, of these drugs is enantioselective and supports the opinion that the use of single enantiomers, rather than racemates, is preferable. (Anesth Analg 1998;86:361-6)
Homocysteine in inflammatory bowel disease: a risk factor for thromboembolic complications?

OBJECTIVE:Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for thromboembolic events. Hyperhomocysteinemia, which is an established risk factor for arterial as well as venous thrombosis, may be more prevalent in IBD because of vitamin deficiencies.METHODS:In this retrospective study, we studied the concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy), cobalamin, folate, and pyridoxine in 231 consecutive patients with IBD, of whom 16 patients had a history of venous thrombosis, and nine a history of arterial thrombosis. Age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers served as controls (n = 102). RESULTS:Homocysteine concentrations in patients were higher (12.3 μmol/L [range 4.6–51.3] vs 11.1 μmol/L [range 3.9–27.6], p = 0.001) and hyperhomocysteinemia tended to be more prevalent in patients than in the controls (11.1% vs 5%, p = 0.07). Folate, cobalamin, creatinine, and pyridoxine concentrations were correlated with tHcy. Folate deficiency was infrequently encountered in IBD patients (4.3%). The tHcy concentration in patients with a history of venous or arterial thrombosis was not higher than in patients without a history of thrombosis (12.7 μmol/L [range 4.6–40.1] and 15.2 μmol/L (range 10.5–26.8) vs 12.3 μmol/L [range 10.5–26.8], not significant). Hyperhomocysteinemia was found in 18.8% of the patients with venous thrombosis, 11.1% of the patients with arterial thrombosis, and 10.5% of the patients without thrombosis (not significant). CONCLUSIONS:Hyperhomocysteinemia is a common phenomenon in IBD and correlates with serum folate, cobalamin, creatinine, and pyridoxine concentrations. No correlation between tHcy and a history of venous or arterial thromboembolic complications is found. Hyperhomocysteinemia does not seem to be a major contributory factor in the development of venous or arterial thrombosis in IBD patients.
Polarizable Atomic Multipole Water Model for Molecular Mechanics Simulation

A new classical empirical potential is proposed for water. The model uses a polarizable atomic multipole description of electrostatic interactions. Multipoles through the quadrupole are assigned to each atomic center based on a distributed multipole analysis (DMA) derived from large basis set molecular orbital calculations on the water monomer. Polarization is treated via self-consistent induced atomic dipoles. A modified version of Thole's interaction model is used to damp induction at short range. Repulsion−dispersion (vdW) effects are computed from a buffered 14−7 potential. In a departure from most current water potentials, we find that significant vdW parameters are necessary on hydrogen as well as oxygen. The new potential is fully flexible and has been tested versus a variety of experimental data and quantum calculations for small clusters, liquid water, and ice. Overall, excellent agreement with experimental and high level ab initio results is obtained for numerous properties, including cluster st.