tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Abstract MP52: Increased Intake of Non-Dairy Sugars in Foods and Beverages is Positively Associated with Annual Increases in Waist Circumference among Overweight and Obese Adolescent Females
Authors: Alexandra Lee, Ritam Chowdhury, Jean Welsh
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Introduction: Waist circumference (WC) is an important measure of adiposity that predicts cardiovascular disease risk in adolescents. Previous studies have shown a positive association between sugar-sweetened beverages and WC in adolescents but it is unknown if this effect differs when sugars are consumed in foods vs. beverages. Hypothesis: Increased sugar consumption from both foods and beverages is associated with increased WC. Methods: NHLBI’s Growth and Health Study was a 10-year cohort study of Caucasian (n=1,166) and African-American (n=1,213) girls aged 9 and 10 at baseline who were recruited from three sites in the US in 1987 and 1988. Minimum WC was measured annually except at baseline. Diet was assessed using a three-day food record in eight of ten years; nutrient content was determined using the Nutrient Data System for Research. Girls were grouped by weight status (normal vs. overweight or obese). One-year changes in WC and in consumption of liquid and solid non-dairy sugars were calculated by subtracting each year’s measure from its value for the subsequent year. A linear mixed model was used to accommodate multiple observations per individual. After modeling change in sugar consumption as quintiles, a linear trend was observed and further modeling was conducted using continuous change in sugars consumption. Model I adjusted for race, age, puberty stage, initial WC, initial BMI, change in height, dieting status, initial and change in physical activity, initial and change in % energy from fat and % energy from carbohydrates, and initial consumption of sugars. Model II additionally adjusted for initial and change in total energy. Results: Among normal weight girls using Model I, significant increases in WC were observed with each additional teaspoon of liquid, 0.19mm (0.05, 0.33) (p=0.006), but not solid sugars 0.11mm (-0.02, 0.24) (p=0.11). These increases were no longer significant after adjusting for total energy in Model II. Among overweight and obese girls in Model I, increases in WC were observed with each additional teaspoon of solid sugars, 0.42 mm (0.22, 0.62) (p&lt;0.0001) and liquid sugars, 0.26 mm (0.09, 0.44) (p=0.004). This association was slightly attenuated but still significant after controlling for total energy with WC increases of 0.31 mm (0.10, 0.52) (p=0.005) with each teaspoon of solid sugars and 0.19 mm (0.005, 0.37) (p=0.049) with each teaspoon of liquid sugars. Conclusions: Increases in non-dairy sugars from both foods and beverage were associated with increased WC among overweight and obese adolescents, both before and after adjusting for total energy intake.
Monitoring global health
Authors: Osman David Mansoor, Nick Wilson
Journal: BMJ (2005)

Monitoring global health Problems are primarily nationalEditor-Murray et al urge for improved global reporting of health data. 1 They also highlight the difficulty of showing national decision makers that good health data can strongly support decision making.Why is this?A reason may be that data are always subject to interpretation.The article by Murray et al is a case in point.They want to establish "an independent monitoring organisation," arguing that the World Health Organization is not fit to undertake the job because of tension between advocacy, monitoring, and evaluation.But evidence that it is this tension that leads to poor monitoring by WHO is weak, at best.In reality, the problems of global health reporting are primarily national (and subnational).The fact that the sum of deaths claimed by different programmes is greater than the actual number of deaths reflects epidemiological methods and the current limitations in global health reporting, more than any WHO failure.The global burden of disease project was limited by these issues, but it was undertaken as effectively in WHO as in any other organisation.Not only are there problems in capacity, understanding the value of surveillance, and coverage of health services.The reporting of health events can be politically sensitive or even economically damaging.It is therefore likely that political interference will continue (whoever collects the data) until governments can be shown that honesty pays.It is perhaps this failure that needs to be dealt with rather than setting up yet another organisation without a proper analysis of the reasons (and locus) for failures in global health reporting.
Abstract 18403: Effect of Dabigatran on the Ability to Generate Fibrin at a Wound site and its Reversal by Idarucizumab, the Antidote to Dabigatran, in Healthy Volunteers: An Exploratory Marker of Blood Loss
Authors: Joanne van Ryn, Michael Schmoll, Haiko Pillu, Lien Gheyle, Joline Brys, Viktoria Moschetti, Stephan Glund, Paul Reilly, Joachim Stangier
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Background: Idarucizumab is a humanized antibody fragment (Fab) that specifically and potently binds dabigatran to neutralize its anticoagulant activity. Assessing whether reversal of anticoagulation also reverses bleeding is challenging. This healthy volunteer (HV) study explored dabigatran’s ability to inhibit fibrin formation in blood at a non-penetrating wound site by measuring fibrinopeptide A (FPA) generation and to test whether idarucizumab restores wound site fibrin formation. Methods: The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki with HV written informed consent. Dabigatran etexilate (DE, 220 mg bid) was given for 4 days. FPA was assessed before DE and on day 3 and 4 at 2.5 and 6 hrs post morning DE dose. On day 4, HV received 5 min infusion of 1, 2 or 4 g of Fab or placebo 2 hrs post morning DE dose (n=8-9/group). Incisions were made with a scalpel device (Surgicutt®) on the forearm volar surface. Blood was collected from the wound at each time point over 4 min into vials containing stop solution and frozen until assayed. FPA was measured via commercial ELISA, ecarin clotting time (ECT) and diluted thrombin time (dTT) using standard methods. Plasma dabigatran levels were measured by LC-MS/MS. Data expressed as mean ± SE and analyzed using two way ANOVA, p&lt;0.05 as significant. Results: Fab and dabigatran were well tolerated. Mean FPA before DE was 3980 ± 1735 ng/ml (n=35). There was almost complete inhibition of FPA to 208 ± 28 ng/mL 2.5 hrs post DE day 3, corresponding to peak dabigatran levels (210 ± 17 ng/mL). Six hrs post DE, levels were 127 ± 10 ng/mL and FPA was still significantly reduced to 328 ± 35 ng/mL (pooled day 3 data). There was a significant, dose-dependent return of fibrin formation with increasing doses of Fab to 24, 45 and 63% of pre DE values 30 min after 1, 2 and 4 g Fab, respectively (p&lt;0.05). Anticoagulation (ECT and dTT) was significantly prolonged with dabigatran and reversed to control levels after dosing with 2 and 4 g Fab. Discussion: This study demonstrates that idarucizumab reverses dabigatran-induced inhibition of wound site fibrin formation in HV and this correlated with reversal of systemic anticoagulation. Translation into reversal of bleeding in patients requires further clinical investigations, which are currently ongoing.
A new biomarker in cancer patients: The arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid (AA/EPA) ratio
Authors: Marina C. Garassino, Gigliola Montorfano, Monica Fallini, Manuela Adorni, Bruno Berra, Angela M. Rizzo
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2006)

A7   Omega 3 are important molecules for membrane order and function; they can also modify gene-expression, inflammation-inducible cytokines production, regulation of eicosanoid production, plasma TAG level, blood pressure, and ion flux in cardiac cells. Omega-3 have been hypothesized to influence colorectal carcinogenesis through many mechanisms (e.g. inhibiting COX2, increasing apoptosis, reducing angiogenesis). Low dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) synergistically interacts with arachidonic acid, suggesting that dietary supplementation of DHA might achieve therapeutic gain.In breast cancer supplementation with DHA synergistically enhances toxane cytotoxicity, down regulate HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2) oncogene expression, modifies the production of the heparansulfate syndecan-1, suggesting a gene-nutrient interaction of critical importance for mammary carcinogenesis and supporting the hypothesis that omega-3 can be used as modulators of cancer cell chemo-sensitivity.Aim of the study was to evaluate the potential value of tumor risk assessment in colon and breast cancer patients by determining the ratio between arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids (AA/EPA) in plasma in a case-control study against healthy patients; secondary endpoint was to assess a difference within the cancer patients group correlated to stage, histology, steroids administration, omega-3 dietary intake.; 46 patients affected by histologically proven malignancy, 32 with colon cancer and 14 with breast cancer , were included in our study. Median age was 70 (range 53 - 81) and 77 (range 44 - 86) respectively; because from our previous studies we demonstrated that the AA/EPA ratio is age dependent, we used a control arm with the same median age. The AA/EPA ratio was 22.232+1.852 in patients with colon cancer and 21.029+2.584 in patients with breast cancer; in healthy subjects with the same median age the AA/EPA ratio was 14.25+1.083 and 12.10+1.414 respectively. This difference was statistically significant (p
A germline homozygous mutation in the base-excision repair gene NTHL1 causes adenomatous polyposis and colorectal cancer
Authors: Robbert D A Weren, Marjolijn J L Ligtenberg, C Marleen Kets, Richarda M de Voer, Eugène T P Verwiel, Liesbeth Spruijt, Wendy A G van Zelst-Stams, Marjolijn C Jongmans, Christian Gilissen, Jayne Y Hehir-Kwa, Alexander Hoischen, Jay Shendure, Evan A Boyle, Eveline J Kamping, Iris D Nagtegaal, Bastiaan B J Tops, Fokko M Nagengast, Ad Geurts van Kessel, J Han J M van Krieken, Roland P Kuiper, Nicoline Hoogerbrugge
Journal: Nature Genetics (2015)
AUTDERYTHROCYTE SEXSITIZATION SYNDROME (PAINFUL BRUISING SYNDROME).
Authors: K. HERSLE, H. MOBACKEN
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1969)

SUMMARY.— Autoerythrocyte sensitization syndrome (painful bruising syndrome) is a chronic purpuric cutaneous disease of women, characterized by localized painful inflammatory swellings which in a few hr. develop into painful ecchymoses. Some patients also have systemic manifestations: psychiatric and neurological symptoms, abdominal pain, and genito-urinary and gastrointestinal bleeding, in that order of prevalence. Histological examination shows an intense vasculitis. Ecchymoses can occur spontaneously, particularly with emotional stress and after mild trauma. The haematological and blood clotting pictures are normal. Intradermal injection of erythrocytes or red cell stroma reproduces the spontaneous lesion. Two patients with this syndrome are presented. In both, typical ecchymotic reactions were induced by the injection of erythrocytes, in one a similar response could be provoked with phosphatidyl L-serine. The literature is reviewed in detail and the possible pathogenesis of the syndrome is discussed.
Science and Practice in Bright's Disease
Authors: T. Addis
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1933)

Article1 February 1933Science and Practice in Bright's DiseaseT. ADDIS, M.D., F.A.C.P.T. ADDIS, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-6-8-1077 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThere are in the main two sorts of men interested in Bright's disease. We may call them the clinical scientists and the clinical practitioners. They are separated by a difference in their-aims. The ultimate aim of the clinical scientist is to disentangle from the chaos of the accidental and nonessential the general laws which govern the course of the disease. He searches for what is constant and measurable and turns aside from anything individual and concrete since such things are variable and cannot be measured. He reduces his observations on the living patient to something so cold, neutral, and generalized... This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: San Francisco, California*Read before the American College of Physicians, San Francisco, California, April 4, 1932.†From the Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, San Francisco, California. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byThomas Addis (1881–1949): Mixing patients, rats, and politics 1 February 1933Volume 6, Issue 8Page: 1077-1079KeywordsGlomerulonephritisScientists ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 February 1933 PDF downloadLoading ...
344. Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus 2 Suicide Vectors for the Treatment of Human Sarcomas and Mesotheliomas
Authors: Marlon R. Veldwijk, Simone Berlinghoff, Stephanie Laufs, Frederik Wenz, Stefan Fruehauf, W. Jens Zeller
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2004)

Top of pageAbstract
Although great efforts have been made to improve conventional therapy for sarcoma and malignant mesothelioma, the median survival time of these entities after appearance of clinical symptoms stays poor. Effective locoregional therapy using viral vectors that contain a suicide gene may be an alternative treatment strategy.

For sarcoma, we previously reported the highest susceptibility for recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV-2) vectors in human connective tissue sarcoma cells (HS-1). Now we confirm our findings in five further human sarcoma cell lines: fibrosarcoma (HT-1080), Ewing's sarcoma (RD-ES), Askin's tumor (SK-N-MC), rhabdomyosarcoma (A-204) and soft tissue sarcoma (WSKL-1). Furthermore, we found that rAAV-2 also achieved both high transduction rates and GFP expression levels in human mesothelioma (H-Messo-1, MSTO-211H and NCI-H-28). Among rAAV-2-constructs containing different promotors, after transduction, the vector with the elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1a) promotor showed the highest expression rates in both the sarcoma and mesothelioma cell lines. To ensure the use of constant vector particles number, all stocks were titrated using both the functional and our real-time PCR-based titration assay.

Several new thymidine kinase (TK) gene-containing vectors under control of either the Cytomegalovirus or the elongation-factor 1 alpha (EF1a) promoter were cloned and tested. A higher expression level of the transgene was observed in the sarcoma and mesothelioma lines when using the EF1a-suicide gene-containing vectors. For the sarcomas, we were able to show a complete eradication of all rAAV-EF1a-TK/eGFP (contains a thymidine kinase/enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion protein) transduced tumor cells following exposure to ganciclovir (2.5 μg/ml) in vitro, while at this dose level >90% of mock-transduced tumor cells survived. Using mesotheliomas, a nearly complete eradication (>2 log) of transduced and GCV-treated cells could be obtained using this vector.

Xenotransplantation tumor models (i.p., s.c., i.v.) for both the human sarcoma and mesothlioma cell lines were established in nonobese diabetic (NOD)/LtSz-severe-combined immunodeficient (scid)/scid (NOD/SCID) mice. In proof-of-principle experiments, mice transplanted with rAAV-TK/eGFP-transduced and ganciclovir-exposed sarcoma or mesothelioma tumor cells survived >5 months while in the non-transduced group all mice had died 1 month after inoculation. Currently, further animal experiments using this suicide system are ongoing.

The data shown here hold promise for further development of AAV-2-based suicide gene therapy of both soft tissue sarcoma and mesothelioma towards a future clinical application.
Aptamers Selected to Postoperative Lung Adenocarcinoma Detect Circulating Tumor Cells in Human Blood
Authors: Galina S Zamay, Olga S Kolovskaya, Tatiana N Zamay, Yury E Glazyrin, Alexey V Krat, Olga Zubkova, Ekaterina Spivak, Mohammed Wehbe, Ana Gargaun, Darija Muharemagic, Mariia Komarova, Valentina Grigorieva, Andrey Savchenko, Andrey A Modestov, Maxim V Berezovski, Anna S Zamay
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2015)

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells and valuable clinical markers of prognosis of metastasis formation and prediction of patient survival. Most CTC analyses are based on the antibody-based detection of a few epithelial markers; therefore miss an important portion of mesenchymal cancer cells circulating in blood. In this work, we selected and identified DNA aptamers as specific affinity probes that bind to lung adenocarcinoma cells derived from postoperative tissues. The unique feature of our selection strategy is that aptamers are produced for lung cancer cell biomarkers in their native state and conformation without previous knowledge of the biomarkers. The aptamers did not bind to normal lung cells and lymphocytes, and had very low affinity to A549 lung adenocarcinoma culture. We applied these aptamers to detect CTCs, apoptotic bodies, and microemboli in clinical samples of peripheral blood of lung cancer and metastatic lung cancer patients. We identified aptamer-associated protein biomarkers for lung cancer such as vimentin, annexin A2, annexin A5, histone 2B, neutrophil defensin, and clusterin. Tumor-specific aptamers can be produced for individual patients and synthesized many times during anticancer therapy, thereby opening up the possibility of personalized diagnostics.
Benign cutaneous Degos' disease
Authors: None Farrell, None Moss, None Costello, None Fearfield, None Woodrow, None Bunker
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1998)

We report the case of a 44‐year‐old woman with Degos' disease who also had a lupus anticoagulant. Electron microscopy of the mature lesions showed interwoven tubular structures within the endothelial cells, as have been observed in previous cases of Degos' disease. Four years after her first cutaneous lesions, there is no evidence of involvement of other organs. Aspirin (300 mg daily) has arrested the cutaneous disease.
Abstract 30: High Intra-Individual Variation in Urinary Sodium Excretion in Teenage Girls on a Fixed Sodium Intake
Authors: Berdine Martin, George McCabe, Linda McCabe, Lawrence J Appel, Connie Weaver
Journal: Circulation (2015)

Introduction: According to traditional understanding of sodium homeostasis, nearly 100% of daily sodium (Na) intake is excreted in urine, with intra-individual variability attributed to variability in dietary Na intake and non-adherence with urine collection procedures. However, a recent report from a Russian space flight simulation documented unexpectedly high day-to-day variability in urine Na excretion on a fixed intake. Objective: To analyze daily urinary Na excretion from a balance study that was conducted in black and white girls on both low and high levels of dietary Na. Methods: Sodium balance was assessed in 22 black and 13 white adolescent girls, (11-15 y, BMI 15-29 kg/m 2 ) in a randomized, crossover design with controlled diets containing either low (57 mmol/d) or high (167 mmol/d) Na, each for three weeks. Participants collected all urine in acid washed containers. Urine was pooled as 24-h samples and analyzed for sodium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and creatinine by automated colorimetric method. Coefficients of variation (CV) for urinary Na were calculated for each teen. A mixed model was used to describe the effects of dietary Na and race. Results: The figures below give an example of the Na variability of one black teen on both the high (left) and low (right) Na diets. The horizontal line represents the Na intake. The CV analysis indicated higher variation about the mean on low (vs high) Na (40% vs 32%, p=0.02) and in black (vs white) girls (42% vs 30%, p&lt;0.001). There was no diet x race interaction. Excretion of 50 mmol/d or less was documented on 6.6% of the days during the high Na dietary period. Conclusions: The high intra-individual variability in urinary Na excretion on a fixed diet highlights the potential for substantial error in (a) using a single 24 hour urine collection to estimate usual Na intake and (b) relating Na excretion from a single 24 hour collection with outcomes.
Lesson of the week: Methaemoglobinaemia associated with sodium nitrite in three siblings
Authors: A. Finan, P. Keenan, F. O' Donovan, P. Mayne, J. Murphy
Journal: BMJ (1998)

Methaemo- globinaemia is an unusual but readily treatable cause of unexpected cyanosis and collapse

Oxidation of the iron in haemoglobin from the ferrous to the ferric state yields methaemoglobin, which does not carry oxygen and imparts a chocolate hue to the blood. The diagnosis should be suspected when a blood sample is brown coloured and does not redden on exposure to air. Blood concentrations of methaemoglobin do not normally exceed 2%. The aetiology of methaemoglobinaemia may be congenital due to deficiency in cytochrome b 5 reductase and to structural abnormalities in the haemoglobin molecule (haemoglobin M disorders) or be acquired as the result of drug treatment or the presence of toxins—most commonly nitrites or nitrates. For example, methaemoglobinaemia is not uncommon in patients receiving inhaled nitric oxide.1 Concentrations of methaemoglobin up to 20% are generally well tolerated, while values above 40% are associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms. Life threatening methaemoglobinaemia is rare and is usually the result of acute poisoning by drugs or toxins.2

We report life threatening methaemoglobinaemia associated with sodium nitrite in three previously healthy siblings, 4 year old twin boys (cases 1 and 2) and their sister aged 2 years (case 3).

The children had been well going to bed at 7.30 pm. At 8 pm the parents were alerted by a thud on the ceiling caused by a partly consumed bottle of milky tea belonging to one of the …