shukoor65/lab-rag-model huggingface dataset:
A human Lactobacillus strain (Lactobacillus casei sp strain GG) promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children. To determine the effect of a human Lactobacillus strain (Lactobacillus casei sp strain GG, Gefilac) on recovery from acute diarrhea (82% rotavirus), 71 well-nourished children between 4 and 45 months of age were studied. After oral rehydration, the patients randomly received either Lactobacillus GG-fermented milk product, 125 g (10(10-11) colony-forming units) twice daily (group 1); Lactobacillus GG freeze-dried powder, one dose (10(10-11) colony-forming units) twice daily (group 2); or a placebo, a pasteurized yogurt (group 3) 125 g twice daily; each diet was given for 5 days, in addition to normal full diet otherwise free of fermented dairy products. The mean (SD) duration of diarrhea after commencing the therapy was significantly shorter in group 1 (1.4 [0.8] days) and in group 2 (1.4 [0.8] days) than in group 3 (2.4 [1.1] days); F = 8.70, P less than 0.001. After rehydration, each dietary group maintained a positive weight trend. The urinary lactulose-mannitol recovery ratios (means [95% confidence intervals]) on admission were 0.09 (0.03, 0.24) in group 1, 0.12 (0.07, 0.22) in group 2, and 0.08 (0.04, 0.18) in group 3; no significant alterations in intestinal permeability were observed at retesting after 2 days of realimentation. The result indicates that early nutritional repletion after rehydration causes no mucosal disruption and is beneficial for recovery from diarrhea. It is further suggested that Lactobacillus GG in the form of fermented milk or freeze-dried powder is effective in shortening the course of acute diarrhea.
Comparison of different doses of epinephrine on myocardial perfusion and resuscitation success during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a pig model. Published results of dose-response effects of adrenergic drugs (epinephrine [E]) vary so much between studies because of differences in animal models and duration of ischemia before drug administration. In this investigation the effects of different doses of E on coronary perfusion pressure (CPP), left ventricular myocardial blood flow (MBF) and resuscitation success were compared during closed-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after a 4-minute period of ventricular fibrillation in 28 pigs. MBF was measured during normal sinus rhythm using tracer microspheres. After 4 minutes of ventricular fibrillation CPR was performed with the use of a pneumatic piston compressor. After 4 minutes of mechanical measures only, the animals were randomly allocated into four groups of seven, receiving 0.015, 0.030, 0.045, and 0.090 mg/kg E intravenously respectively. MBF measurements were started 45 seconds after E administration; hemodynamic measurements after 90 seconds. Four minutes after the first administration, the same E dose was given before defibrillation. The CPP of animals given 0.015, 0.030, 0.045 and 0.090 mg/kg E were as follows: 16.3 +/- 6.1, 25.6 +/- 5.8, 33.2 +/- 8.4 and 30.4 +/- 6.3 mm Hg. The left ventricular MBF values were: 14 +/- 9, 27 +/- 11, 43 +/- 6, 46 +/- 10 mL/min/100 g. The differences between the groups receiving 0.015 and 0.045 mg/kg and between the groups receiving 0.015 mg/kg and 0.090 mg/kg were statistically significant (P less than .05). Resuscitation success was 14.3%, 42.9%, 100% and 86.7% respectively. A significant difference in resuscitation success was found only between 0.015 mg/kg and 0.045 mg/kg E.
Detection of fibronectin receptor in sera: its clinical significance as a parameter of hepatic fibrosis. Pooled sera collected from cirrhotic patients was fractionated by affinity chromatography with a fibronectin receptor monoclonal antibody against the beta-subunit of fibronectin receptor. Eluates were assayed using Western immunoblotting. The relative mobility of the protein reactive with fibronectin receptor antibody was nearly identical to that of the beta-subunit of fibronectin receptor, confirming that fibronectin receptor is present in human serum. Serum levels of the beta-subunit of fibronectin receptor were analyzed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with various liver diseases. The serum level of fibronectin receptor (micrograms/ml) was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis (inactive, 2.59 +/- 0.04; active, 3.45 +/- 0.13), cirrhosis (4.77 +/- 0.30), alcoholic liver disease (2.96 +/- 0.16) and hepatocellular carcinoma (4.71 +/- 0.49) than in normal subjects (2.11 +/- 0.08). Strong positive correlation was observed between serum levels of fibronectin receptor and histological findings, particularly in the degree of hepatic fibrosis. Immunohistochemical studies with fibronectin receptor antibody revealed that the beta-subunit of fibronectin receptor was present on the plasma membrane of hepatocytes and sinusoidal lining cells in the normal liver and was increased in fibrotic areas and on the plasma membrane of hepatocytes and sinusoidal lining cells of fibrotic liver. The serum level of fibronectin receptor in patients with chronic liver diseases may therefore be a useful marker of hepatic fibrosis.
Occupational urticaria from welding polyurethane. An urticarial reaction associated with high fever developed in a welder on four occasions while he was welding steel profiles filled with polyurethane. The fumes emitted during pyrolysis of polyurethane and inhaled by the patient probably caused the urticarial reaction. Provocation tests with two pyrolysis products, 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 4,4-diaminophenylmethane, were negative. This case demonstrates the difficulty in detecting the cause of urticaria induced by airborne chemicals.
Timing of surgery during menstrual cycle and survival of premenopausal women with operable breast cancer Timing of operation in relation to menstrual phase might affect outlook in premenopausal women with operable breast cancer. We examined the records of 249 such women treated between 1975 and 1985, and compared overall and recurrence-free survival in those whose operation was 3-12 days after their last menstrual period (LMP) (group 1, n = 75) with those in whom it was 0-2 or 13-32 days after LMP (group 2, n = 174). Overall and recurrence-free survival were greatly reduced in group 1 women (p less than 0.001 for both). Actuarial survival at 10 years was 54% in group 1 versus 84% in group 2. This effect was independent of other factors, was of much the same importance as nodal status in multivariate analysis, was largely confined to histologically node-positive cases, seemed to be greater in women with small tumours (less than or equal to 2 cm), and was seen in patients with oestrogen-receptor positive and negative tumours. Thus phase of menstrual cycle at operation is of great importance for long-term outlook in premenopausal women with breast cancer.
Cardiovascular surgery in blacks. The available information concerning cardiovascular surgery in blacks is very limited and incomplete. Those few reports that do exist seem to show that the usual indications for surgery, preoperative findings, and final results can be expected. Acquired heart disease is as important a cause of mortality in African Americans as in others and is amenable to surgical intervention. Surgical mortality is easily attributable to the usual iatrogenic variables or comorbid disease. At present it is uncertain whether the incidence of inoperable disease or problems of access to health care are responsible for the low rate of utilization by blacks. A more accurate account will become available when large-volume programs begin to report their results.
Six-year retrospective surveillance of gastroenteritis viruses identified at ten electron microscopy centers in the United States and Canada. To identify the prevalence, seasonality and demographic characteristics of patients with viral gastroenteritis, we reviewed 6 years of retrospective data on viral agents of gastroenteritis screened by electron microscopy at 10 centers in the United States and Canada. From 52,691 individual electron microscopic observations, a virus was detected in 16% of specimens, and the yearly positive detection rate among centers ranged from 8 to 34%. Rotavirus was the agent most commonly observed (26 to 83%), followed by adenoviruses (8 to 27%, respiratory and enteric combined), and small round viruses (SRVs) (0 to 40%) which were second most common at two of the centers. Rotavirus and astrovirus detections occurred more often in the winter but seasonal trends in detection were not apparent for the other viruses. Of all astroviruses detected 64% were found in infants (less than 1 year); unlike the other agents studied SRVs were detected in a large percentage of infants (48%) and older children and adults (20%). Among hospitalized patients a majority of all astroviruses, caliciviruses and SRVs were detected 7 days or more after admission in contrast to both rotaviruses and adenoviruses which were more likely to be detected earlier. The data suggest that SRVs are common agents of gastroenteritis and may be important causes of nosocomial infections. Because of the relative insensitivity of direct electron microscopy as a screening method for SRVs, astroviruses and caliciviruses, these data probably underestimate the true prevalence of disease caused by these agents.
Evaluation of the Ca2+ distribution in aortic tissue of spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats [letter] In the present study, particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) was used to get information on the spatial distribution of Ca2+ in aortas of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive controls aged 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. To differentiate changes in Ca2+ metabolism in hypertensive arteries from secondary phenomena due to the arteriosclerosis, the animals were examined in the earliest stage of hypertension. It was found that the Ca2+ content was not elevated in the aortic smooth muscle of SHR aged 1 week (n = 11), as compared to normotensive controls (n = 10) (186.8 +/- 89.9 micrograms Ca2+/g tissue v 254.0 +/- 173.3 micrograms Ca2+/g). The Ca2+ content was raised (P less than .05) in the aortic smooth muscle of SHR aged 4 weeks (n = 13), as compared to 12 WKY rats (4 weeks) (726.0 +/- 130.4 micrograms Ca2+/g tissue v 440.3 +/- 214.4 micrograms Ca2+/g) and in 17 SHR (3 months), as compared to 13 WKY rats, respectively (3390.1 +/- 729.9 micrograms Ca2+/g tissue v 1632.1 +/- 569.5 micrograms Ca2+/g). The results confirm the age-related increase in the arterial Ca2+ content in normotensive rats and demonstrate additionally that this age-related rise in arterial Ca2+ content is accelerated in SHR.
Urinary calcium as an early marker for preeclampsia. Women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy excrete less calcium than healthy pregnant women. Whether this reduction in calcium excretion precedes or follows hypertension is unknown. We prospectively measured urinary calcium excretion in 103 consecutive nulliparous women at risk for preeclampsia and presenting for prenatal care before 24 weeks' gestation. Serial 24-hour urine specimens were obtained at 10-24 weeks, 25-32 weeks, and 33 weeks to term. After delivery, the charts were reviewed for the presence of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. At the first collection, patients who later developed preeclampsia excreted less urinary calcium (169 +/- 30 mg/24 hours; mean +/- standard error of the mean) than those who remained normotensive (298 +/- 15 mg/24 hours) (P less than .05); this reduction persisted throughout gestation. Using a receiver operator curve, we calculated a predictive threshold calcium value for hypertension of 195 mg/24 hours. The difference in the incidence of preeclampsia between pregnant women with calcium excretion values at or below 195 mg/24 hours (87%, 95% confidence interval 52-98%) and those with values above that level (2%, confidence interval 0.3-8%) was highly significant (Fisher exact test, P less than .0001). The 95% lower limit of relative risk for preeclampsia in patients with a calcium excretion equal to or below 195 mg/24 hours in the first collection was 9.4. These observations suggest a pathophysiologic role for altered urinary calcium excretion in women with preeclampsia that may contribute to the early identification of patients at risk for this disease.
Pathophysiology and treatment of septic shock. The mortality from septic shock continues to range between 40% to 60% despite advances in cardiovascular support and antibiotic therapy. Impairment of host defenses predisposes to the development of both severe infection and septic shock. The activation of a myriad of cellular and plasma mediators by microbial toxins produces the systemic and metabolic manifestations of sepsis. The clinical presentation includes characteristic clinical, hemodynamic, and laboratory abnormalities. Multiple organ systems are involved during septic shock, with outcome dependent on the circulatory response and the development of sequential organ failures. Initial resuscitation is directed at restoring tissue perfusion with fluids and vasoactive drugs, guided by assessment of the patient's hemodynamic status. Identification of the site of infection and choice of appropriate antibiotics are critical to the success of therapy. Newer therapeutic modalities include immunologic interventions that attenuate mediator activity and modulate the immune response. Pharmacologic therapies are also being developed that are aimed at blocking the actions of specific mediators.
Anti-tumor effect of L-methionine-deprived total parenteral nutrition with 5-fluorouracil administration on Yoshida sarcoma-bearing rats. L-methionine-deprived total parenteral nutrition (methionine-deprived TPN), infusing amino acid solution devoid of L-methionine and L-cysteine by the method of TPN as an only protein source, showed enhancement of the effect of several anti-cancer agents. In this study the combined effect of the methionine-deprived TPN with administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was examined in Yoshida Sarcoma (YS)-bearing rats, from aspects of effects on the tumor metastasis and the host animal's life span, in the following four groups treated with: methionine-deprived TPN with administration of 5-FU, methionine-deprived TPN without administration of 5-FU, L-methionine-contained TPN plus 5-FU, and L-methionine-contained TPN without 5-FU. In the first experiment, TPN was continued for 8 days in the four groups, and the anti-cancer effect of methionine-deprived TPN and administration of 5-FU based on both the growth of the primary tumor at the implanted site and the tumor metastasis was studied from the view point of pathologic findings of animals killed immediately after these treatments. In experiment 2 the survival period was examined after these treatments for 10 days with subsequent oral feeding until death. The results were as follows: proliferation of YS, transplanted subcutaneously, was markedly suppressed; particularly hematogenous metastasis, characteristic in YS, was prominently blunted then obtained an apparent longer survival period in rats treated with the methionine-deprived TPN with administration of 5-FU.
Regional cerebral blood flow correlates of language processes in reading disability. This series of studies tests the hypothesis of abnormal left hemisphere activation in reading-disabled subjects during language task performance. First, a left superotemporal focus of activation, as measured by regional cerebral blood flow, was found to be positively correlated with task accuracy in a group of 69 normal adults. Next, that left superotemporal activation was replicated in a second group of 83 adults whose childhood reading ability was known from standardized tests given in childhood. Finally, in that latter group, childhood reading ability was also found to be inversely correlated with focal activation in a more posterior, temporoparietal area of cortex. Adult reading outcome was statistically unrelated to this finding. The results are interpreted as suggesting a trait anomaly of left hemisphere cerebral activation in adults who were dyslexic as children and as providing an existence proof of individual differences in focal cortical activation sites during constant task demands.
Role of postoperative radiation therapy in stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer. One hundred forty-six patients with pathological stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed to determine whether postoperative radiation therapy improves survival and reduces locoregional recurrences. The survival rate of the overall group at 1, 3, and 5 years was 56%, 24%, and 17%, respectively. Regarding the type of resection and histology, we did not observe statistically significant differences. Patients with N0 and N1 disease were grouped and compared with the N2 group, and survival at 3 and 5 years was 41% and 27%, respectively, for the T3 N0-1 group and 17% and 15%, respectively, for the T3 N2 group (p less than 0.001 and p = 0.05, respectively). Eighty-six patients received postoperative irradiation (45 to 50 Gy) and 60 did not. We have not observed any improvement in survival with postoperative radiation therapy, except in those patients with N2 disease. Median survival time was 6 months for patients without irradiation and 15 months for those with irradiation (p = 0.071). According to locoregional recurrences, a slight benefit with postoperative radiation therapy was observed.
Accidental astemizole overdose in young children. 6 cases of accidental astemizole poisoning in children have been reported to the Finnish Poison Information Center. The children were aged 1 year 7 months to 3 years 4 months and had taken doses of 2.5 to 16.7 mg/kg, at least twelve times that recommended. In 2 children the overdose was verified by measurement of drug concentrations. Despite measures to prevent drug absorption prolonged QTc-interval, a sign of cardiac toxicity, was found in all 5 children on whom an electrocardiogram was available for analysis, and severe ventricular arrhythmias developed in 1. Young children with accidental astemizole overdose should be carefully monitored in hospital. Similar precautions may be justified in cases of overdose with other selective H1-histamine receptor antagonists.
Serum amyloid A (SAA3) produced by rabbit synovial fibroblasts treated with phorbol esters or interleukin 1 induces synthesis of collagenase and is neutralized with specific antiserum. We report that nucleic acid sequence analysis of a full-length cDNA clone for a rabbit serum amyloid A (SAA)-like protein has identified this protein as more closely related to SAA3 than to SAA1. SAA3 induced collagenase synthesis in rabbit synovial fibroblasts, and immune IgG raised against this SAA protein abrogated the induction. Using antisera to immunoprecipitate biosynthetically labeled 3H-SAA and 3H-collagenase from culture medium, we compared the levels of SAA and collagenase synthesized by cultures of rabbit fibroblasts at early passage (passages 3-6) with those synthesized by late passage cells (passage 16). Comparatively high levels of both proteins were produced constitutively by fibroblasts at low passage. With increasing passage, levels of both proteins drop so that by passage 16, constitutive production of SAA and collagenase was only approximately 15-20% that of passage 3 cells. Cells at low passage could be readily stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or interleukin 1 (IL-1) to synthesize increased amounts of both SAA and collagenase. In passage 5 cells treated with PMA, we detected increased SAA mRNA by 1.5 h and collagenase mRNA by 5 h. However, older passage cells were more refractory to stimulation and required longer induction times. We suggest that SAA3 may be expressed by fibroblasts at sites of acute inflammation or injury, and that elevated levels of SAA3 may signify "activated" fibroblasts which are already producing increased amounts of collagenase constitutively and which are predisposed to further stimulation.
Haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome: false positive reaction with a rotavirus latex agglutination test. A stool sample from a child with haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome gave a positive reaction with the RotaScreen latex agglutination test in the absence of other evidence of rotavirus infection. When this test is performed on bloody specimens, positive reactions should be interpreted with caution and confirmed by other means.
Recurrent porokeratosis. A 63-year-old man developed linear, annular and accuminate lesions which showed the histological features of porokeratosis. The lesions cleared spontaneously, recurred several months later and ulcerated, then cleared again. The spontaneous resolution and recurrence of the lesions is a hitherto undescribed pattern of porokeratosis.
Detection of minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia using immunoglobulin hypervariable region specific oligonucleotide probes. To develop a sensitive and specific assay for minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we exploited the enormous diversity of genomic sequences created by immune receptor gene rearrangements. To isolate clone-specific sequences, we first synthesized oligonucleotides that match conserved variable (VH) and joining (JH) sequences flanking the third hypervariable region (HVR3) in the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) locus. In polymerase chain reactions (PCR), these primers were then used to amplify the intervening HVR3 segments from leukemic DNA samples. Of 12 B-lineage ALLs studied, ten generated one or more fragments of the size expected for HVR3 gene segments. Thus, this single pair of amplimers was sufficient to isolate HVR3 sequences from a majority of acute lymphoblastic leukemias. To verify that the amplified fragments originated from HVR3 alleles and to assess their diversity, we sequenced 7 PCR products derived from 6 leukemias. In addition to elements of recognized D segments, each of the 7 fragments contained novel VH-D and D-JH junctional sequences, including N nucleotides, not known to be present in the germline. Each sequence was unique, and allele-specific oligonucleotide probes hybridized only to HVR3 segments from which the probes were derived. Therefore, as anticipated, these HVR3 segments appeared to possess the diversity required to serve as clonal markers for leukemic populations. To demonstrate that these amplified HVR3 alleles could serve as the basis for a sensitive and specific assay to detect rare leukemic cells, we analyzed in detail one pre-B leukemia that had rearranged 2 IgH alleles. The HVR3 sequences were shown to be linked to rearranged JH-containing restriction fragments in digests of genomic DNA, establishing their origin in the leukemic cells. We synthesized oligonucleotides corresponding to the unique junctional sequences in the HVR3 segments. Using these novel amplimers in an allele-specific amplification and hybridization procedure, we showed that this assay can detect 10 leukemic cells in a background of 10(6) normal blood mononuclear cells. In contrast, the leukemic HVR3 sequences were not detected in extracts of normal or unrelated remission leukemic leukocytes. We conclude that the assay for specific IgH HVR3 sequences is a realistic strategy for detection of minimal residual disease in B-lineage ALL.