Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A five-year review of the pattern and outcome of cardiovascular diseases admissions at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

Background: In Nigeria, there is increasing urbanization and westernization of the population with resultant increase in non-communicable diseases. Though records of hospital admissions may not indicate the actual prevalence of such diseases in the community, it may provide clues about pattern and assist in disease-specific health promotion and education. Objective: We, therefore, undertook this study to describe the pattern and outcome of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) admissions in a new referral hospital in Nigeria. Methods: A five-year retrospective analysis of CVD admissions into the Medical Wards of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital from May 2008 to April 2013 was done. SPSS IBM 20 software was used to analyze data. Results: A total of 3,076 medical admissions were recorded with 1,009 (32.80%) being CVD. Mean age of CVD patients was 61.16±15.95 years. Patients aged >65 years accounted for 478 (47.8%) of the admissions. The 3 major CVD admissions were cerebrovascular diseases (47.7%), heart failure (27.6%), and hypertensive diseases (22.0%). Deaths due to CVD were 192 (19.0%) comprising mostly 136 (13.51%), 43 (4.26%), and 12 (1.19%) of deaths due to cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and hypertensive diseases, respectively. Most deaths occurred within 3 days of admission with a decline in mortality with increasing length of hospital stay thereafter. Mean duration of hospitalization was 8.76±7.23 days. Conclusion: Admissions from CVD to the medical wards in this hospital are high, so is mortality from them. We advocate for preventive strategies to reduce the burden of CVD and improved health care facilities to improve outcomes of their treatment.
Intradural vertebral disc herniation in a dog

SUDDEN-ONSET paraplegia with signs indicating a spinal cord lesion close to the thoracolumbar junction is a frequent presentation in dogs. If there is no history of trauma, fibrocartilaginous thromboembolism and intervertebral disc extrusion are the most likely causes, and these can be differentiated by imaging. One case of intradural disc herniation in a dog has been reported; this animal was euthanased (Liptak and others 2002). In human beings, intradural disc herniation is a rare condition, comprising 0.27 per cent of all disc herniations (Han and others 2009). This short communication describes a case of intradural disc herniation in a dog and its successful surgical treatment. A 13-year-old male miniature schnauzer was presented with a history of sudden-onset paraplegia of two days' duration with no observed trauma or unusual vertebral column stress. The dog was paraplegic, with subtle voluntary movement of the left pelvic limb; it did not exhibit back pain on palpation. Muscle tone and stretch reflexes were increased in …
Age- and Tumor Subtype-Specific Breast Cancer Risk Estimates for CHEK2*1100delC Carriers.

PURPOSE CHEK2*1100delC is a well-established breast cancer risk variant that is most prevalent in European populations; however, there are limited data on risk of breast cancer by age and tumor subtype, which limits its usefulness in breast cancer risk prediction. We aimed to generate tumor subtype- and age-specific risk estimates by using data from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium, including 44,777 patients with breast cancer and 42,997 controls from 33 studies genotyped for CHEK2*1100delC. PATIENTS AND METHODS CHEK2*1100delC genotyping was mostly done by a custom Taqman assay. Breast cancer odds ratios (ORs) for CHEK2*1100delC carriers versus noncarriers were estimated by using logistic regression and adjusted for study (categorical) and age. Main analyses included patients with invasive breast cancer from population- and hospital-based studies. RESULTS Proportions of heterozygous CHEK2*1100delC carriers in controls, in patients with breast cancer from population- and hospital-based studies, and in patients with breast cancer from familial- and clinical genetics center-based studies were 0.5%, 1.3%, and 3.0%, respectively. The estimated OR for invasive breast cancer was 2.26 (95%CI, 1.90 to 2.69; P = 2.3 × 10(-20)). The OR was higher for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease (2.55 [95%CI, 2.10 to 3.10; P = 4.9 × 10(-21)]) than it was for ER-negative disease (1.32 [95%CI, 0.93 to 1.88; P = .12]; P interaction = 9.9 × 10(-4)). The OR significantly declined with attained age for breast cancer overall (P = .001) and for ER-positive tumors (P = .001). Estimated cumulative risks for development of ER-positive and ER-negative tumors by age 80 in CHEK2*1100delC carriers were 20% and 3%, respectively, compared with 9% and 2%, respectively, in the general population of the United Kingdom. CONCLUSION These CHEK2*1100delC breast cancer risk estimates provide a basis for incorporating CHEK2*1100delC into breast cancer risk prediction models and into guidelines for intensified screening and follow-up.
Malignant catarrhal fever in kune kune pigs in the UK

MALIGNANT catarrhal fever (MCF) is an invariably fatal disease of cattle and other ungulates, including pigs, caused by the gammaherpesviruses alcelaphine herpesvirus type 1 and ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2) (Reid 2004, Russell and others 2009). The respective viruses are widely found in wildebeest and sheep, which do not develop clinical signs in response to infection, but which act as reservoir hosts to other susceptible species, with direct, aerosol and fomite contact being implicated in the spread of infection. Two other gammaherpesviruses have also been associated with clinical disease in deer: MCF virus of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) (Li and others 2000), for which the reservoir host is unknown, and caprine herpesvirus type 2 (CpHV-2), which is found in clinically healthy goats (Li and others 2003, Keel and others 2003, Foyle and others 2009). Infection with all of these viruses in susceptible species causes indistinguishable clinical and pathological disease. Clinical signs are variable but are usually characterised by pyrexia, anorexia, oculonasal discharge, lymphadenopathy and cutaneous, alimentary and nervous signs including keratoconjunctivitis (Radostits and others 2007). Histological lesions consist of necrotising vasculitis, lymphoproliferative changes and erosive/ulcerative mucosal and cutaneous lesions (Brown and others 2007). MCF in pigs is rare, with the majority of reports originating from central European and Scandinavian countries, and more recently from the USA and Brazil (Loken and others 1998, Albini and others 2003, Syrjala and others 2006, Alcaraz and others 2009, Azevedo Costa and others 2010, Gauger and others 2010). This short communication describes a case of MCF in a pig in the UK. Two ailing four-month-old kune kune pigs were presented in late August 2010. The animals belonged to a group of seven pigs from two merged litters of the same age running in a small woodland …
B Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders Following T Cell Depleted Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

The recipients of organ allografts are at increased risk for developing post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), reflecting malignant B cell lymphomas. These have been particularly noted in the recipients of cardiac and renal allografts, with occasional de novo LPDs reported following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Recently, a number of transplant centers have been testing in vitro elimination of donor T cells from the marrow suspension as a means for potentially reducing the incidence and severity of graft versus host disease. We have used monoclonal anti-T ceil antibody and complement to deplete T cells from 74 allogeneic marrow transplant donations. Eight of these recipients have developed malignant lymphomas. During this same time period, 36 patients received whole (untreated) marrow infusions, and none developed LPDs. We report here the clinical details for these eight patients, and the histologic characterization of their malignant lymphomas.
An Analgesic Action of Intravenously Administered Lidocaine on Dorsal‐horn Neurons Responding to Noxious Thermal Stimulation

Using extracellular single-unit recording techniques, effects of intravenously administered lidocaine on dorsal-horn nociceptive neurons were studied in cats made decerebrate whose spinal cords had been transected. Thirty-seven neurons in Rexed lamina V responding to high-threshold mechanical and noxious thermal stimuli (radiant heat, using Hardy-Wolff-Goodell dolorimeter) were studied. Lidocaine hydrochloride, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, iv, produced dose-related suppression of both spontaneous activity and responses of these neurons to noxious thermal stimulation. Spontaneous discharge frequencies at maximum suppression, observed 3–7 min after administration of each of the three doses of lidocaine were 64 ± 14 (mean · 1 SE), 32 ± 8, and 25 ± 9 per cent of control values, respectively; responses to noxious thermal stimuli were 83 ± 5, 52 ± 8, and 39 ± 7 per cent of the control values, respectively. Threshold skin temperature to noxious thermal stimulation increased from 44.7 ± 0.4 C (control) to 46.3 ± 0.7 C with lidocaine, 5 mg/kg (P < 0.05), to 47.8 ± 0.8 C with lidocaine, 10 mg/kg (P < 0.01). The times necessary for recovery varied in a dose-related fashion. Plasma lidocaine concentrations 5 min after lidocaine, 5 mg/kg, averaged 3.6 ± 0.7 μg/ml. These data support the clinical impression that intravenously administered lidocaine produces analgesia at plasma concentrations of 3–10 μg/ml. It is suggested that lidocaine may block conduction of nociceptive impulses, at least in part, by suppression of spinal-cord nociceptive neurons.
Physical activity opposes the age‐related increase in skeletal muscle and plasma endothelin‐1 levels and normalizes plasma endothelin‐1 levels in individuals with essential hypertension

Endothelin‐1 has potent constrictor and proliferative activity in vascular smooth muscle, and essential hypertension and aging are associated with increased endothelin‐1‐mediated vasoconstrictor tone. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity, hypertension and age on endothelin‐1 levels in plasma and skeletal muscle and endothelin receptors in skeletal muscle in human subjects.
Detecting oestrus in dairy cows

OESTRUS detection is the keystone to the survival of any dairy enterprise. Accurate oestrus detection will provide the most appropriate timing of artificial insemination (AI) to produce the maximum conception rate possible (Anon 1984). Suboptimal oestrus detection and conception rates lead to lost opportunities in maximising profits in the dairy industry by decreasing milk yields per day of a cow's life, coupled with increased culling due to failure to conceive (Esslemont and Kossaibati 2002). Oestrus detection in dairy herds where stock bulls are used is vital, as bulls may be sub- or infertile. If a problem is not diagnosed and corrective measures such as changing the bull and/or beginning AI are not taken the result will be extended calving intervals and increased barren rate percentage. In a paper summarised in this week's issue of Veterinary Record , Holman and others (2011) compare various oestrus detection methods in a commercial UK dairy herd. Staff simply …
Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in livestock abortion material using PCR

Coxiella burnetii , the cause of Q fever, is an important zoonotic bacterial pathogen that occurs worldwide and has been extensively reviewed by Angelakis and Raoult (2010). Q fever has assumed increased importance following the large human outbreak in The Netherlands linked to intensive goat farming which led to over 3000 cases between 2007 and 2010 and resulted in major veterinary interventions, including mass vaccination and culling (Delsing and Kullberg 2008, Van den Brom and Vellema 2009, Roest and others 2011). C burnetii infection does not usually cause significant economic losses to livestock farmers in Great Britain and there are no formal control schemes. It can cause abortion in sheep, goats and cattle but infection is mainly subclinical and very few confirmed diagnoses are recorded each year by the Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis database. In human beings, infection is mainly asymptomatic. The most common clinical presentation is a flu-like illness, but it can have serious consequences in high-risk groups. The main source of human infection is by aerosol exposure from infected livestock farms and particularly parturition products from infected animals, including aborted fetuses. Advice on Q fever was developed for farmers in Britain following an outbreak in Cheltenham in 2007 linked to airborne spread (Wallensten and others 2010; website reference). Since …
Adhäsionsmoleküle steuern die Kommunikation der Zellen

Zelladhäsions-Moleküle spielen im Rahmen der Zellmigration während der Embryogenese eine bedeutende Rolle. Im Immunsystem verstärken sie die über kurzfristige Bindungsvorgänge ablaufenden Interaktionen zwischen Immunzellen und ihren diversen Zielstrukturen. Zugleich ermöglichen sie auch die Extravasation von Leukozyten im Rahmen entzündlicher Reaktionen. Das Zusammenspiel wichtiger Adhäsionsmoleküle mit ihren Liganden wird diskutiert.
Structure of the human telomere in K+ solution: an intramolecular (3 + 1) G-quadruplex scaffold.

We present the intramolecular G-quadruplex structure of human telomeric DNA in physiologically relevant K(+) solution. This G-quadruplex, whose (3 + 1) topology differs from folds reported previously in Na(+) solution and in a K(+)-containing crystal, involves the following: one anti.syn.syn. syn and two syn.anti.anti. anti G-tetrads; one double-chain reversal and two edgewise loops; three G-tracts oriented in one direction and the fourth in the opposite direction. The topological characteristics of this (3 + 1) G-quadruplex scaffold should provide a unique platform for structure-based anticancer drug design targeted to human telomeric DNA.
Guanidinylations of albumin decreased binding capacity of hydrophobic metabolites

As post‐translational modifications of proteins may have an impact on the pathogenesis of diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD), post‐translational modifications are currently gaining increasing interest. In this study, a comprehensive method for analysis of these post‐translational modifications is established for the clinical diagnostic routine.
Do survivorship care plans make a difference? A primary care provider perspective.

INTRODUCTION The growing numbers of cancer survivors will challenge the ability of oncologists to provide ongoing surveillance care. Tools such as survivorship care plans (SCPs) are needed to effectively care for these patients. The UCLA-LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence has been providing SCPs to cancer survivors and their providers since 2006. We sought to examine views on the value and impact of SCPs from a primary care provider (PCP) perspective. METHODS As part of a quality improvement project, we invited 32 PCPs who had received at least one SCP to participate in a semistructured interview focused on (1) the perceived value of SCPs for patient management and (2) PCP attitudes toward follow-up care for cancer survivors. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. RESULTS Fifteen PCPs participated in the interviews and had received a total of 30 SCPs. Ten of them indicated reading the SCPs before being contacted for the interview. All 10 PCPs indicated that the SCP provided additional information about the patient's cancer history and/or recommendations for follow-up care, and eight reported a resulting change in patient care. PCPs identified useful elements of the SCP that assisted them with patient care, and they valued the comprehensive format of the SCP. PCPs indicated that after reading the SCPs they felt more confident and better prepared to care for the cancer survivor. CONCLUSION SCPs were highly valued by these PCPs, increasing their knowledge about survivors' cancer history and recommended surveillance care and influencing patient care.
Inverse gradient of nitrergic and purinergic inhibitory cotransmission in the mouse colon

Gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxation is accomplished by the neural corelease of ATP or a related purine and nitric oxide. Contractions are triggered by acetylcholine and tachykinins. The aim of this work was to study whether regional differences in neurotransmission could partially explain the varied physiological roles of each colonic area.
The principal pathways involved in the in vivo modulation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, pulmonary arterial remodelling and pulmonary hypertension

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) serves to optimize ventilation–perfusion matching in focal hypoxia and thereby enhances pulmonary gas exchange. During global hypoxia, however, HPV induces general pulmonary vasoconstriction, which may lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH), impaired exercise capacity, right‐heart failure and pulmonary oedema at high altitude. In chronic hypoxia, generalized HPV together with hypoxic pulmonary arterial remodelling, contribute to the development of PH. The present article reviews the principal pathways in the in vivo modulation of HPV, hypoxic pulmonary arterial remodelling and PH with primary focus on the endothelin‐1, nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase and adenine nucleotide pathways. In summary, endothelin‐1 and thromboxane A2 may enhance, whereas nitric oxide and prostacyclin may moderate, HPV as well as hypoxic pulmonary arterial remodelling and PH. The production of prostacyclin seems to be coupled primarily to cyclooxygenase‐1 in acute hypoxia, but to cyclooxygenase‐2 in chronic hypoxia. The potential role of adenine nucleotides in modulating HPV is unclear, but warrants further study. Additional modulators of the pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia may include angiotensin II, histamine, serotonin/5‐hydroxytryptamine, leukotrienes and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Drugs targeting these pathways may reduce acute and/or chronic hypoxic PH. Endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors may additionally improve exercise capacity in hypoxia. Importantly, the modulation of the pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia varies between species and individuals, with hypoxic duration and age. The review also define how drugs targeting the endothelin‐1, nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase and adenine nucleotide pathways may improve pulmonary haemodynamics, but also impair pulmonary gas exchange by interference with HPV in chronic lung diseases.
Peroxynitrite formed during a transient episode of brain ischaemia increases endothelium‐derived hyperpolarization‐type dilations in thromboxane/prostaglandin receptor‐stimulated rat cerebral arteries

Increased thromboxane A2 and peroxynitrite are hallmarks of cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R). Stimulation of thromboxane/prostaglandin receptors (TP) attenuates endothelium‐derived hyperpolarization (EDH). We investigated whether EDH‐type middle cerebral artery (MCA) relaxations following TP stimulation are altered after I/R and the influence of peroxynitrite.
Improving the relative dose intensity of systemic chemotherapy in a community-based outpatient cancer center.

PURPOSE This three-phase study was performed to improve the mean relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy administered to patients in a community-based outpatient cancer center. METHODS Medical records were reviewed for patients who began receiving systemic chemotherapy for lymphoma or cancer of the breast, lung, endometrium, ovary, or colon. During phase 1, records were reviewed and the mean RDI was determined through collection of demographic, diagnostic, chemotherapy, and laboratory data. Phase 2 involved implementation of quality improvement initiatives to improve the RDI: development of a febrile neutropenia risk assessment tool, revision of our dose cancellation policy, and interdisciplinary education. Finally, after implementation of these initiatives, the mean RDI was prospectively determined in phase 3, similar to phase 1. RESULTS The mean RDI was determined to be 83% during phase 1 compared with 91% during phase 3 (P=.0087). For adjuvant chemotherapy, the mean RDI was 85% and 95% for phases 1 and 3, respectively (P=.0035). Likewise, for metastatic disease, the mean RDI was 76% and 82% for phases 1 and 3, respectively (P=.3935). The proportion of regimens that met or exceeded the recommended minimum goal RDI of 85% was 54% for phase 1 and 80% for phase 3. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor use increased from 69% preintervention to 81% postintervention. CONCLUSION The mean overall RDI improved above the threshold goal of 85%, with the RDI for adjuvant chemotherapy reaching 95%, after implementation of three quality-improvement initiatives. With continued education and following policies already in place, further improvements in RDI could be demonstrated.
Epidemiology of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the paradox of stroke. The pattern of SAH is unlike that of cerebral infarction or intracerebral hemorrhage, affecting a younger population and more women than men. It has not declined in incidence during the last two decades. 'x2 These differences suggest that the epidemiology and etiology of SAH are unique and should be considered separately from other types of stroke. Many epidemiologic studies of stroke have placed SAH in a separate category for the estimation of frequency and incidence, but for risk factors, it is either grouped with other strokes or is excluded from analysis. Hence, the epidemiology of SAH has been largely descriptive, and few analytic studies have been done. This article reviews the status of SAH epidemiology, presents problems with existing data, and suggests areas that need further research.
Soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes as longboat delivery systems for platinum(IV) anticancer drug design.

Amine-functionalized soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were derivatized with cisplatin prodrug conjugates as a delivery system by which to internalize multiple prodrug centers. The platinum(IV) complex, c,c,t-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2(OEt)(O2CCH2CH2CO2H)], was tethered to the surface of the carbon nanotubes through peptide linkages formed by the reaction of the SWNT-tethered amines with the carboxylate moiety. The SWNTs were taken into testicular cancer cells by endocytosis, where the drop in pH facilitates reductive release of the platinum(II) core complex, which then readily diffuses throughout the cell, as determined by platinum atomic absorption spectroscopy. The entrapment of the SWNTs within the endosomes was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy of SWNTs containing both tethered fluorescein and platinum units. The cytotoxicity of the free platinum(IV) complex increases by >100-fold when the complex is attached to the surface of the functionalized SWNTs.
Carbon dots for multiphoton bioimaging.

Carbon nanoparticles upon simple surface passivation exhibit bright photoluminescence. Reported here is a new finding that these carbon dots are also strongly two-photon luminescent with pulsed laser excitation in the near-infrared. The experimentally measured two-photon absorption cross-sections are comparable to those of the high-performance semiconductor quantum dots already available in the literature. The two-photon luminescence microscopy imaging of human breast cancer cells with internalized carbon dots is demonstrated.