Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DAY-CARE PLASTIC SURGERY IN NIGERIA: COPING WITH LIMITED RESOURCES

Background: The main problems facing acute surgical services in most countries are shortages of resources and finance, and long waiting lists. The concept of day–care surgery has been well established since the early nineties. Since then, enthusiasts have also indicated that day–care surgery represents a safe, cost–effective and efficient practice. Methods: A 3–year retrospective analysis of all day–care plastic surgical cases undertaken in the unit from January 2001 to December 2003 at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. Folders of such patients were obtained from the hospital’s medical records department. The information obtained was analyzed for demographic data, surgical problems, type of anaesthesia and postoperative complications. Results: A total of 148 procedures were carried out in 137 patients. This represented 37.2% of all procedures done and 36.5% of all patients treated within the same period in the unit. The ages ranged between 2 weeks and 58 years (mean = 23.1 years). There were 66 males and 71 females, giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.1. The most frequently performed procedure was lipomectomy (11.7%), followed by biopsy of skin tumours (10.9%), incision of tongue tie (10.2%), excision of breast lump (9.5%), reconstruction of facial structures (8.8%), ganglionectomy (8.0%) and others. The anaesthesia used was loco-regional with lignocaine in 92(67.2%) patients, intravenous ketamine in 41(29.9%) patients and inhalation anaesthetics in the remaining 4 (2 .9%). postoperative complications were observed in 13 (9. 5%) patients, the commonest of which was wound infection (8. 0%), followed by bleeding (5.1%), pain (5.1%) and haematoma (2. 9%). Readmission rate was 3.6%, mainly due to bleeding and delayed recovery from anaesthesia. Neither significant wound disruption nor mortality was recorded. Conclusions: Good preoperative patient selection and preparation are essential prerequisites for day–care plastic surgery especially in resource– limited environments like ours. It is safe and cost-effective.
School University Partnerships : What Do the Schools Want?

The growing perception of a need for robust school university partnerships to improve the quality of teacher education, and to promote learning outcomes for school students, has been given further impetus by the Ramsey recommendations in Quality Matters (2000). This article briefly reviews the literature on both professional development schools, and recent school university partnership initiatives in Australia, and reports a survey of all state primary school principals in NSW, on their support for a broad range of school university partnership activities. The findings indicate strong and uniform support for the full range of activities including supervision and mentoring, collaborative teaching initiatives, action research, joint professional development, shared planning, and school enrichment and support.
A comparison between a new serological method, thin layer immunoassay (TIA), and the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies in schistosomiasis

Summary A comparison has been made of a new serological method, thin layer immunoassay (TIA), and an established method, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in the detection and quantification of antibodies in schistosomiasis. Using sera from known S. haematobium and S. mansoni cases, the performance of the two tests was almost identical; 95.6% positive for TIA and 96.4% by ELISA. TIA however produced a small number of false positives with sera from other helminth infections whereas ELISA gave none. There was excellent correlation between the tests in the quantification of anti‐S. haematobium antibodies, both in human cases and in infected baboons. TIA has the advantage of being extremely simple to perform, but has the disadvantage of requiring a higher concentration of antigens.
Age-Related Changes in Attentional Control Using an N-Back Working Memory Paradigm

Background/Study Context: Older adults tend to be affected by task-irrelevant distracters. However, whether or not this aging effect is evident when task-irrelevant and relevant stimuli are presented across different sensory modalities is still a subject of debate. The purpose of the present study was to clarify age-related differences in the effects of auditory distraction on visual information processing. Methods: Participants included 20 young individuals, 20 younger-old individuals in their 60s, and 20 older-old individuals in their 70s. Visual n-back (1-back, 2-back) working memory (WM) tasks using Japanese words were examined with and without auditory distracter conditions. Participants’ performances were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance: 3 (age group) × 2 (distraction) × 2 (working memory load). Results: The effects of auditory distractions were influenced by aging and WM load. Auditory distractions disturbed WM performances preferentially in older adults. Further, participants in the older-old group were more affected by auditory distractions than those in the younger-old group, especially during the 2-back task. Conclusion: These results suggested that the WM performances for visual n-back tasks were largely disturbed by auditory distractions in older adults but not in young adults.
Quantitative growth fraction evaluation with MIB1 and Ki67 antibodies in breast carcinomas.

Ki67 and MIB1 monoclonal antibodies are directed against different epitopes of the same proliferation-related antigen. Whereas Ki67 works only on frozen sections, MIB1 may be used also on fixed sections. The authors immunostained a series of 40 breast carcinomas with MIB1 and Ki67 antibodies on serial frozen sections and on fixed material. The Ki67 labeling index (LI) was 12.9 +/- 8.9 and 12 (mean +/- SD and median, respectively). MIB1 LI was 21.2 +/- 11.9 and 19.5 on frozen sections and 24 +/- 15.2 and 21.5 on fixed sections (mean +/- SD and median, respectively). Ki67 LI and MIB1 LI on frozen and fixed sections were strictly correlated (P < .001). The results are in keeping with the reported coincidental nuclear staining pattern of Ki67 and MIB1, but the mean and median values of MIB1 LI are almost twice the values of Ki67 LI. The cut-off values to define high and low proliferative activity with the two antibodies are therefore different. The differences in immunolabeling may be due to better survival of the MIB1 epitope in freezing and acetone fixation or to differing accessibilities of the MIB1 and Ki67 epitopes during the cell cycle due to molecular conformational modifications. The MIB1 monoclonal antibody is a reasonable substitute for the Ki67 monoclonal antibody. The advantages of MIB1 immunostaining on paraffin sections include the feasibility of retrospective studies and of obtaining clear morphologic specimens that are optimal for use with computer-assisted image analysis systems. Our image-processing system allows automatic nuclear counting, detects positive nuclei and measures their staining intensity.
Effects of Gemfibrozil on Low-Density Lipoprotein Particle Size, Density Distribution, and Composition in Patients With Type II Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of gemfibrozil treatment on LDL particle size, density distribution, and composition in NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed LDL analyses on 16 NIDDM patients with stable glycemic control. They were randomly allocated to receive either gemfibrozil (n = 8) or a placebo (n = 8) for 3 mo in a double-blind study. The LDL particle size distribution and the particle diameter of the major LDL peak were measured with nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. The density distribution and composition of LDL were determined with the density gradient ultracentrifugation method. RESULTS In the gemfibrozil group the mean serum TG concentration decreased by 38%, HDL cholesterol concentration increased by 10%, and LDL cholesterol concentration by 17% (P < 0.05). During gemfibrozil therapy the mean particle diameter of the major LDL peak increased from 244 to 251 Å (P < 0.05), whereas in the placebo group the mean LDL particle diameter remained unchanged. We found an inverse correlation between the changes of serum TG and the particle diameters of the major LDL peak (r = 0.85, P < 0.01). Gemfibrozil produced a shift in the LDL density distribution toward lower density. The mean peak density decreased from 1.0371 to 1.0345 g/ml because of a significant rise in the light LDL concentration from 141.0 to 183.2 mg/dl (P < 0.05), whereas the concentration of dense LDL had a tendency to decrease. In the placebo group the LDL density distribution did not change. Gemfibrozil increased the CE-to-TG ratio in LDL core lipids by 27% (P < 0.05); otherwise, the LDL composition was only slightly affected. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate gemfibrozil-induced changes in LDL properties in NIDDM patients are similar to those previously reported in nondiabetic individuals and are related to changes in serum TG level.
Global positive expectancies in adolescence and health-related behaviours: Longitudinal models of latent growth and cross-lagged effects

Constructs representative of global positive expectancies (GPE) such as dispositional optimism and hope have been theoretically and empirically linked to many positive mental and physical health outcomes. However such expectancies’ health implications for adolescents, as well as their trajectory over time, are less well understood than for adult populations. This study tested whether GPE predict the key indicators of adolescents’ future physical health status, their health-related behaviours. A prospective longitudinal study design was employed whereby a diverse population-based cohort (N = 744; mean age at baseline = 12) completed three surveys over approximately 18 months. Rigorous tests of causal predominance and reciprocal effects were conducted through latent growth and cross-panel structural equation models. Results showed GPE systematically decreased during the course of the study, yet higher initial levels of GPE predicted less alcohol drinking, healthier food choice and greater physical activity over time. GPE's protective relationships towards health protective behaviours (vs. health risk behaviours that also included tobacco smoking) appear more independent from depressive symptomatology, and the primary findings were robust across socio-demographic groups.
Effects of HIV/AIDS on maternity care providers in Kenya.

OBJECTIVE To explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on maternity care providers in labor and delivery in a high HIV-prevalence setting in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN Qualitative one-on-one in-depth interviews with maternity care providers. SETTING Four health facilities providing labor and delivery services (2 public hospitals, a public health center, and a small private maternity hospital) in Kisumu, Nyanza Province, Kenya. PARTICIPANTS Eighteen maternity care providers, including 14 nurse/midwives, 2 physician assistants, and 2 physicians (ob/gyn specialists). RESULTS The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had numerous adverse effects and a few positive effects on maternity care providers in this setting. Adverse effects include reductions in the number of health care providers, increased workload, burnout, reduced availability of services in small health facilities when workers are absent due to attending HIV/AIDS training programs, difficulties with confidentiality and unwanted disclosure, and maternity care providers' fears of becoming HIV infected and the resulting stigma and discrimination. Positive effects include improved infection control procedures on maternity wards and enhanced maternity care provider knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION A multifaceted package including policy, infrastructure, and training interventions is needed to support maternity care providers in these settings and ensure that they are able to perform their critical roles in maternal healthcare and prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission.
Cortical connections of the auditory cortex in marmoset monkeys: Core and medial belt regions

The auditory cortex of primates contains a core region of three primary areas surrounded by a belt region of secondary areas. Recent neurophysiological studies suggest that the belt areas medial to the core have unique functional roles, including multisensory properties, but little is known about their connections. In this study and its companion, the cortical and subcortical connections of the core and medial belt regions of marmoset monkeys were compared to account for functional differences between areas and refine our working model of the primate auditory cortex. Anatomical tracer injections targeted two core areas (A1 and R) and two medial belt areas (rostromedial [RM] and caudomedial [CM]). RM and CM had topographically weighted connections with all other areas of the auditory cortex ipsilaterally, but these were less widespread contralaterally. CM was densely connected with caudal auditory fields, the retroinsular (Ri) area of the somatosensory cortex, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), and the posterior parietal and entorhinal cortex. The connections of RM favored rostral auditory areas, with no clear somatosensory inputs. RM also projected to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala and tail of the caudate nucleus. A1 and R had topographically weighted connections with medial and lateral belt regions, infragranular inputs from the parabelt, and weak connections with fields outside the auditory cortex. The results indicated that RM and CM are distinct areas of the medial belt region with direct inputs from the core. CM also has somatosensory input and may correspond to an area on the posteromedial transverse gyrus of humans and the anterior auditory field of other mammals. J. Comp. Neurol. 496:27–71, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Crystal structure of human cytomegalovirus IL-10 bound to soluble human IL-10R1

Human IL-10 (hIL-10) modulates critical immune and inflammatory responses by way of interactions with its high- (IL-10R1) and low-affinity (IL-10R2) cell surface receptors. Human cytomegalovirus exploits the IL-10 signaling pathway by expressing a functional viral IL-10 homolog (cmvIL-10), which shares only 27% sequence identity with hIL-10 yet signals through IL-10R1 and IL-10R2. To define the molecular basis of this virus–host interaction, we determined the 2.7-Å crystal structure of cmvIL-10 bound to the extracellular fragment of IL-10R1 (sIL-10R1). The structure reveals cmvIL-10 forms a disulfide-linked homodimer that binds two sIL-10R1 molecules. Although cmvIL-10 and hIL-10 share similar intertwined topologies and sIL-10R1 binding sites, their respective interdomain angles differ by ∼40°. This difference results in a striking re-organization of the IL-10R1s in the putative cell surface complex. Solution binding studies show cmvIL-10 and hIL-10 share essentially identical affinities for sIL-10R1 whereas the Epstein–Barr virus IL-10 homolog (ebvIL-10), whose structure is highly similar to hIL-10, exhibits a ∼20-fold reduction in sIL-10R1 affinity. Our results suggest cmvIL-10 and ebvIL-10 have evolved different molecular mechanisms to engage the IL-10 receptors that ultimately enhance the respective ability of their virus to escape immune detection.
TGFBI gene mutations in corneal dystrophies

The lattice corneal dystrophies (LCD) and granular corneal dystrophies (GCD) are autosomal dominant disorders of the corneal stroma. They are bilateral, progressive conditions characterized by the formation of opacities arising due to the deposition of insoluble material in the corneal stroma leading to visual impairment. The LCDs and GCDs are distinguished from each other and are divided into subtypes on the basis of the clinical appearance of the opacities, clinical features of the disease, and on histopathological staining properties of the deposits. The GCDs and most types of LCD arise from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta‐induced (TGFBI) gene on chromosome 5q31. Over 30 mutations causing LCD and GCD have been identified so far in the TGFBI. There are two mutation hotspots corresponding to arginine residues at positions 124 and 555 of the transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp) and they are the most frequent sites of mutation in various populations. Mutations at either of these two hotspots result in specific types of LCD or GCD. The majority of identified mutations involve residues in the fourth fasciclin‐like domain of TGFBIp. Hum Mutat 27(7), 615–625, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prostaglandin E receptor subtypes in smooth muscle: agonist activities of stable prostacyclin analogues

1 The agonist activities of a range of prostaglandin analogues on smooth muscle preparations sensitive to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) have been investigated. When necessary thromboxane‐like activity was eliminated using the thromboxane receptor antagonists EP 045 and EP 092. 2 On the bullock iris sphincter, rat stomach fundus and guinea‐pig trachea, (±) ω‐tetranor‐16‐p‐chlorophenoxy PGE2 (ICI 80205) and 16,16‐dimethyl PGE2 were more active contractile agents than PGE2, whereas for relaxant activity on the cat trachea, guinea‐pig trachea and dog hind limb arterial vessels in vivo the order of potency was reversed. 11‐Deoxy PGE, exhibited greater relaxant than contractile activity when compared to PGE2. 3 Iloprost and 6a‐carba‐Δ6,6aPGI1 (potent mimetics of PGI2) showed high contractile activity on the PGE‐sensitive preparations. PGI2 was less active and another potent PGI2 mimetic, ZK 96480, showed only very weak activity. When tested, the dibenzoxazepines SC 19220 and SC 25191 blocked the contractile actions of iloprost and 6a‐carba‐Δ6,6aPGI1 and those of PGE2 and 16,16‐dimethyl PGE2 to similar extents. Each of the PGI2 analogues showed weak activity on the relaxant systems. 4 On the proximal portion of the ascending colon of the rat, PGI2, iloprost, 6a‐carba‐Δ6,6aPGI1 and ZK 96480 always inhibited spontaneous activity at nanomolar concentrations. PGE2 and PGE1 showed weak contractile activity. The distal portion of the ascending colon was more responsive to the contractile action of PGE analogues: both iloprost and 6a‐carba‐Δ6,6aPGI1 showed evidence of contractile activity, whereas PGI2 and ZK 96480 always inhibited spontaneous activity. 5 Evidence was obtained that the rat stomach fundus also contains a PGF receptor; (±) ω‐tetranor‐16‐m‐trifluoromethylphenoxy PGF2α (ICI 81008) acted as a specific agonist. PGF2α and its ω‐tetranor‐16‐p‐fluorophenoxy analogue produced a higher maximum response that ICI 81008 probably due to their additional agonist action at the PGE receptor. 6 The data support the hypothesis that there are two subtypes of the PGE receptor. ZK 96480 has minimal activity on both receptor subtypes and appears to be a highly specific PGI2 mimetic.
Epilepsy Surgery and Vagal Nerve Stimulation: What All Neurologists Should Know

Epilepsy surgery treatment should be considered as standard of care for all patients with medically intractable partial-onset epilepsy who are found to be good surgical candidates based on their presurgical evaluation. Delaying surgical treatment continues to be a problem among neurologists. The early recognition of pharmacoresistance and patients' referral for presurgical evaluation can shorten the time to identify potential surgical candidates. A successful early surgery can be expected to significantly improve these patients' quality of life, not only because of a seizure-free state but also by improving psychiatric comorbidities. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is currently the only FDA-approved neurostimulation treatment strategy for patients who are not considered candidates for epilepsy surgery. VNS has been shown to decrease seizure frequency by approximately 50% in 30 to 40% of implanted patients. The future of epilepsy surgery and neurostimulation for those individuals with medically intractable partial-onset epilepsy shows great promise.
(Neo-)adjuvant treatments in colorectal cancer.

For more than 40 years, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was the only active drug in both metastatic and adjuvant colorectal cancer treatment. Large trials indicated that there was a small survival benefit in patients receiving adjuvant 5-FU after surgery compared with patients undergoing surgery alone. A US metaanalysis with >10 000 patients estimated an odds ratio of 0.83 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7–0.98] [2]. Several developmental steps successfully improved the administration of 5-FU by modulating 5-FU with levamisole [3 –5] and leucovorin [6 –8]. Consequently, 6 months of bolus 5-FU with leucovorin represented the standard of care in both the USA and Europe [9 –11]. However, this standard was limited to stage III patients, whereas the management of stage II patients remained controversial owing to a limited improvement in survival.
Partner notification by HIV-1 seropositive pregnant women: association with infant feeding decisions.

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are in the process of integrating antenatal voluntary HIV-1 counseling and testing (VCT), antiretroviral prophylaxis, and counseling regarding infant feeding into routine maternal and child health services.1 Even with greater availability of interventions to protect infants from HIV-1 acquisition, many women choose not to receive their HIV-1 test results, and many who learn that they are HIV infected do not implement interventions to prevent vertical or sexual transmission. In both research and non-research settings, <75% of HIV-infected pregnant women who are tested learn their HIV-1 status2,3 and <50% of these women obtain antiretrovirals to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission2,4–6 or use condoms postpartum.7,8 Not disclosing HIV-1 test results to a sexual partner may impede a woman’s access to interventions to prevent vertical and sexual HIV-1 transmission. There is evidence that lack of partner support is associated with poor uptake of antiretroviral medication and the inability to modify infant feeding practices.9,10 Sexual abstinence and condom use have also been shown to be more common among postpartum women who reveal HIV-positive results to partners.7 These associations between partner involvement and uptake of interventions underscore the importance of involving the male partner in HIV-1 prevention efforts initiated in the antenatal setting. Antenatal VCT involves counseling and testing the woman alone, with the expectation that she will disclose results to her partner. Using this model, the majority of pregnant women in stable relationships who are tested as part of routine care do not inform their partner of positive HIV-1 results, fearing domestic violence, abandonment, or stigmatization.7,11,12 We hypothesized that conducting VCT for pregnant women together with partners could facilitate notification and increase partner participation in the decision-making process. This could in turn improve maternal access to mother-to-child HIV-1 prevention interventions. Studies among discordant couples in nonantenatal settings support this hypothesis and demonstrate that couple counseling is associated with significant behavior change, including sustainable increases in condom use.13–15 In addition, when comparing couple counseling and individual counseling, provision of counseling to couples appears to be more cost-effective in averting HIV-1 infections.16 To examine whether couple counseling in the antenatal setting could be used as a strategy to increase use of interventions to prevent perinatal and sexual HIV-1 transmission, we introduced couple VCT into a Nairobi antenatal clinic and determined the prevalence and correlates of partner participation and couple counseling. The study’s primary aim was to assess the impact of partner involvement, specifically being counseled as a couple, on perinatal intervention uptake and condom use.