tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Chronic inflammatory airway disorders and lower limb arterial disease (LLAD)
Authors: Giancarlo Pesce, Marcello Ferrari, Alessandro Marcon, Paola Vallerio, Roberto de Marco
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Background:  Chronic inflammatory airway disorders have been reported to be associated with vascular diseases of the heart and central nervous system, but there is no investigation on their association with LLAD, a high-prevalence vascular illness.   Methods:  The association of asthma, rhinitis, chronic bronchitis with  claudicatio intermittens  - a symptom of LLAD - was investigated. The data were collected in the Gene-Environment Interaction in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD) survey, a population-based, multicentre, multicase-control study in Italy. In this analysis only subjects recruited in Verona were considered. Participants underwent a standardized interview, skin prick tests and pulmonary function tests.   Results:  1066 subjects participated in the study (age 20-64yr, female 52%). They were divided into 4 mutually exclusive groups: asthma (with or without rhinitis) (n=352), rhinitis (n=290), chronic bronchitis (CB, n=79), and controls (n=345). The prevalence of LLAD was 2.3, 5.2, 8.9, 2.3% in subjects with asthma, rhinitis, CB and controls, respectively. Rhinitis and CB were associated with LLAD (RRR 3.92, 95%CI 1.29-11.9 and RRR 2.64, 95%CI 1.07-6.53, respectively), whereas no significant association was found with asthma (RRR: 1.37, 95%CI 0.51-3.68). The associations remained significant after adjustment for smoking habits and a broad array of established and potential vascular risk factors.   Conclusions:  Our findings fit well with the emerging concept that chronic bronchitis is associated with vascular diseases independently from cigarette smoking. Furthermore, our data documented that rhinitis, but not asthma, is associated with LLAD, a predictor of future cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events.
ESCMID guideline for the diagnosis and management of Candida diseases 2012: prevention and management of invasive infections in neonates and children caused by Candida spp.
Authors: W.W. Hope, E. Castagnola, A.H. Groll, E. Roilides, M. Akova, M.C. Arendrup, S. Arikan-Akdagli, M. Bassetti, J. Bille, O.A. Cornely, M. Cuenca-Estrella, J.P. Donnelly, J. Garbino, R. Herbrecht, H.E. Jensen, B.J. Kullberg, C. Lass-Flörl, O. Lortholary, W. Meersseman, G. Petrikkos, M.D. Richardson, P.E. Verweij, C. Viscoli, A.J. Ullmann
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2012)
Riluzole in patients with hereditary cerebellar ataxia: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Silvia Romano, Giulia Coarelli, Christian Marcotulli, Luca Leonardi, Francesca Piccolo, Maria Spadaro, Marina Frontali, Michela Ferraldeschi, Maria Chiara Vulpiani, Federica Ponzelli, Marco Salvetti, Francesco Orzi, Antonio Petrucci, Nicola Vanacore, Carlo Casali, Giovanni Ristori
Journal: The Lancet Neurology (2015)
Quality Control of Spirometry in the Elderly
Authors: VINCENZO BELLIA, RICCARDO PISTELLI, FILIPPO CATALANO, RAFFAELE ANTONELLI-INCALZI, VITTORIO GRASSI, GAETANO MELILLO, DARIO OLIVIERI, FRANCO RENGO
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2000)

We evaluated the outcome of the spirometry quality control program of the SA.R.A. multicenter project, the aim of which is the multidimensional assessment of asthma and COPD in the elderly ( ⩾ 65 yr). The factors determining this quality were also evaluated. The program was based on standardized procedures (ATS recommendations), performed by specifically trained and certified personnel; a fully-computerized spirometer with customized software was used for spirometry. A reference center made monthly controls. Overall, 638 cases and 984 controls were examined. Spirometric measurements were obtained in 607 cases and 912 controls; 508 and 747 tests with at least three acceptable curves were obtained in cases and in controls, respectively (NS). The percentage of reproducible tests ranged between 95.8% for FEV1 in controls and 87.6% for FVC in cases. The average reproducibility for FEV1 was 61.6 ml in cases and 58.3 ml in controls (NS). Cognitive impairment, shorter 6-min walk distance, and lower educational level were found to be independent risk factors for a poorer acceptability rate (logistic regression analysis). Male sex and age were risk factors for a poorer reproducibility of FEV1. Reproducibility tended to improve with time (p < 0.001). Although spirometry becomes increasingly difficult in aging patients, a rigorous quality control program can ensure that reliable data are obtained in the majority of patients.
The National Lung Cancer Audit – Year 5 completeness and outcomes and case-mix adjustment
Authors: Paul Beckett, Roz Stanley, Ian Woolhouse, Laila Tata, Michael Peake
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Introduction: The National Lung Cancer Audit aims to record outcomes in lung cancer on a large scale and through case-mix adjustment, start to explain the wide variations in outcomes between hospitals in the UK and between the UK and other westernised countries. This abstract presents results for patients first seen in 2009 in England and Wales.

Results: For patients first seen in 2009, 37,304 cases were submitted from England (30,096), Wales (1,973), Scotland (4,379), Northern Ireland (819) and Jersey (37), representing >97% of the expected number of cases. Results suggest that the quality of care is improving.

View this table:

Headline results





However, these mean results hide significant variation across the cancer networks, which persists even after adjustment for case-mix (age, sex, stage, performance status, socio-economic status). The example of surgery for NSCLC is shown in the figure.

![Figure][1] 



Conclusions: The results suggest that care for lung cancer patients in the UK is slowly improving, although some of the apparent improvement is likely to reflect the rise in data quality. However, wide variations in outcomes persist between organisations which is not explained by simple case-mix variation. These variations need to be the focus of on-going service improvement work.

 [1]: pending:yes
Prenatal Diagnosis Innovation: Genome Sequencing of Maternal Plasma
Authors: Felix C.K. Wong, Y.M. Dennis Lo
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (2015)

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is accomplished by analysis of circulating cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal plasma. The advent of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has enabled NIPT of chromosomal aneuploidies with unprecedented robustness, and these tests are now widely available for clinical use. Moreover, MPS-based NIPT of subchromosomal deletions/duplications and single-gene disorders has also been achieved, and the number of applications is growing. In addition to specific fetal genetic disorders, the whole fetal genome, transcriptome, and methylome have been revealed by deep sequencing of maternal plasma. The analysis of the fetal transcriptome and methylome may yield valuable information on fetal and maternal health. With continued improvement in sequencing technology and reduction in sequencing costs, the analysis of cell-free nucleic acids would play an increasingly important role in prenatal screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and risk stratification of fetal as well as maternal conditions.
Heart rate analysis using multiscale entropy in OSA patients under CPAP treatment – Pilot study
Authors: Jakub Radlinski, Waldemar Tomalak, Zbigniew Baran
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

One of the common effects of hypopnea/apnea events during sleep are arousals associated with heart rate change. Methods of nonlinear dynamics which analyze not only variability but also the complexity of the signal are the effective and relatively novel techniques used to analyze heart rate variability.  The aim of the study was to explore the possibility of detection of complexity changes of signal constructed from R-R intervals derived from ECG during full night PSG in OSA patients (in whom apnea/hypopnea events were eliminated by CPAP therapy) using informative entropy.  21 patients undergoing routine diagnostic in sleep lab were recruited for the study (15 male, 6 female; age 52±9 years; BMI 35.8±5.4kg/m 2 ; Epworth 13±5). The full night diagnostic PSG and the titration night using auto-CPAP under PSG supervisory (both according to ASSM rules) were performed (diagnostic to titration time: 60±31 days). The CPAP therapy was well tolerated (the RDI change from 72±30 during diagnostic night to 5.9±6.9 during titration night; ODI from 61±31 to 3.8±4.1; AI from 50±26 to 6.5±4.3). The R-R intervals were detected in recorded ECG signal (250Hz), and the multiscale entropy (Goldberg9s MSE) was calculated for the scales 1-20.  In the low scales (up to 9) there were no significant difference between diagnostic and titration results. In the higher scales there were significant (p  The elimination of respiratory events has no significant effect on beat-to-beat heart rate complexity. However, using MSE analysis the results of eliminating heart rhythm changes associated with arousals are clearly visible.
Abstract 18131: Increased Cardiomyocyte Stiffness in Cardio-Renal Disease
Authors: Nazha Hamdani, M K Szymanski, Regien G Schoemaker, Jolanda van der Velden
Journal: Circulation (2011)

Cardio-renal disease has been associated with diastolic rather than systolic cardiac dysfunction. As diastolic dysfunction cannot be attributed to adverse remodelling, the present study investigated if intrinsic cardiomyocyte stiffness is a determinant of diastolic dysfunction in cardio-renal disease. Thereto, cardiomyocyte function was studied in rats with cardio-renal disease, which was induced by myocardial infarction in rats with chronic renal dysfunction (Munich Wistar Fromter; RD+CD). This group was compared to rats with solely cardiac disease (CD; age-matched Wistar rats), solely renal disease (RD) and healthy rats (Ctrl). Twelve weeks after surgery force was measured in left ventricular Triton-permeabilized cardiomyocytes at different calcium concentrations to assess myofilament function. Maximal force did not differ among groups. In contrast, myocardial infarction significantly increased passive force (CD vs Ctrl; figure), which was even more pronounced in rats with renal dysfunction (RD+CD vs RD; figure). No change in myofilament Ca 2+ -sensitivity was observed in the CD group, whereas Ca 2+ -sensitivity of force was significantly reduced in RD+CD compared to Ctrl. The changes in passive force and Ca 2+ -sensitivity could not be corrected by protein kinase A, which mimics beta-adrenergic stimulation. In contrast, a 2-times increase in expression and activity of protein kinase C (PKC) alpha was found in RD+CD myocardium (Figure). In conclusion, diastolic dysfunction in cardio-renal disease may be partly attributed to increased intrinsic cardiomyocyte stiffness, rather than to adverse remodelling. The increase in cardiomyocyte stiffness may result from increase PKCalpha-mediated phosphorylation of titin, and could represent a target for treatment of diastolic dysfunction in cardio-renal disease.
A memorable patient: On the power of communication
Authors: H. Davies
Journal: BMJ (1999)

Let us call her Frederica for the sake of anonymity. I had been the family doctor for many years, and had attended to her late parents as well as her siblings. She was a 40 year old unmarried woman with a great zest for living, a unique sense of humour, and a modest awareness of her physical beauty. She spent her annual summer holiday basking in the hot sun of the Cote d'Azur, whence she sent me a breezy picture postcard with her own inimitable funny remarks.

Though our relationship was …
Interleukin-21 Receptor Blockade Inhibits Secondary Humoral Responses and Halts the Progression of Preestablished Disease in the (NZB × NZW)F1 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Model
Authors: Ming Zhang, Gang Yu, Brian Chan, Joshua T. Pearson, Palaniswami Rathanaswami, John Delaney, Ai Ching Lim, John Babcook, Hailing Hsu, Marc A. Gavin
Journal: Arthritis & Rheumatology (2015)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that is driven in part by chronic B and T lymphocyte hyperresponsiveness to self antigens. A deficiency of interleukin-21 (IL-21) or IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) in mice dramatically reduces inflammation and B and T cell activation in models of autoimmunity, including SLE. However, whether IL-21 is essential for the maintenance and amplification of preestablished inflammation has not been widely examined in various animal models. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of novel mouse IL-21R neutralizing antibodies on recall responses to antigen challenge and on disease progression in the (NZB × NZW)F1 (NZB/NZW) mouse model of SLE. Humoral and cellular immune responses to immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were measured in mice dosed with IL-21R blocking antibodies. Progression of nephritis and markers of immune activation was monitored in NZB/NZW mice following different anti-IL-21R treatment regimens. IL-21R blockade specifically inhibited secondary IgG responses to SRBC immunization. In NZB/NZW mice, IL-21R blockade completely inhibited the onset of nephritis, which was associated with dramatic reductions in splenomegaly and in B cell and T cell activation. When administered to mice with preexisting disease, anti-IL-21R antibody halted the disease progression and mortality and reversed the nephritis in a subset of mice. Furthermore, treatment cessation was not followed by rapid reemergence of disease. Our results highlight the importance of IL-21 in promoting humoral recall responses and in sustaining autoimmune inflammation.
Abstract 635: The Proximal AV Bundle in the Human Heart and Related Morbidity
Authors: Darlene K Racker
Journal: Circulation (2008)

INTRODUCTION: The proximal AV bundle (PAVB) has been shown to be the only input to the AV node (AVN) in the canine heart in anatomoelectrical reports over the past 20 years. The anatomic studies utilized photographic correlations of epi- and endocardial aspects of whole hearts through blocking, and serial histologic parallel, perpendicular and transverse plane Goldner Trichrome stained sections of the flattened heart; Karnovsky’s fixative at pH 7.2 and sucrose buffer rinses; direct 3D and stereotaxic analysis. Electrical studies, under direct observation of in-vitro superfused hearts, delineated unique wire, catheter, and micropipet electrode potentials via high K, transections, Lucifer Yellow iontophoresis and photoablations during spontaneous and paced SA node rhythms and with simultaneous SA node, atrionodal bundles, PAVB, AVN and distal AV bundle recordings. HYPOTHESIS: The PAVB exists in the human heart. METHODS AND RESULTS: Explanted normal human hearts, deemed unsuitable for transplantation, processed as above with transverse sections, revealed that the AVN (Figs. A–C ) is joined by the PAVB at a 90-degree angle (Figs. B, C ). These “normal” hearts from older patients (57– 80 yr) had atrophic or absent atrial myocardium. In Figure C , most of the right medial atrial wall myocardium, but not the left atrium (LA), had been replaced by fat. CONCLUSIONS: PAVB is the only AVN input in the human heart. As in the canine heart, PAVB also runs away from the annulus and is apposed to LA. Knowledge of the PAVB should be helpful in decreasing morbidity associated with clinical procedures. Care must be taken in ablating the fast superior atrionodal bundle pathway input to the PAVB. Figures A and B are from the same 60 yr and C is from a 71 yr old heart. AVN (A) is apposed to the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOFT and dotted line) along with the PAVB ( B and C ). But as seen in C , PAVB assumes a position apposed to LA, And, as in the dog heart, thereafter (not shown here) PAVB is completely apposed to LA.
Chromosome Studies in Human Leukemia. IV. Myeloproliferative Syndrome and Other Atypical Myeloid Disorders
Authors: Peter C. Nowell, David A. Hungerford
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1962)

Chromosome studies are reported in 7 cases of the myeloproliferative syndrome (polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis, myeloid metaplasia), 3 cases of chronic granulocytic leukemia (monocytoid form), and 3 cases of atypical myeloid proliferation in children. Chromosome abnormalities were observed in only 4 patients, all with the myeloproliferative syndrome. Two patients had converted to granulocytic leukemia; the other 2 had been treated with P32 for polycythemia vera. Although no consistent chromosome change was observed, the 5 abnormal stemlines found in the 4 patients involved chromosomes from only 3 groups: 7 to 12, 13 to 15, and 16 to 18. The findings indicate that the disease entities investigated should not be considered variants of chronic granulocytic leukemia, which is characterized by a consistent abnormality of chromosome #21.
Lymphosarcoma in the Rabbit: Genetics and Pathology&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN3"&gt;3&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: R. R. Fox, H. Meier, Dorcas D. Crary, D. D. Myers, R. F. Norberg, C. W. Laird
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1970)

Lymphosarcoma occurred often in the WH strain of rabbits and had a hereditary basis. Lymphosarcoma appeared in 16 females and 13 males. The inheritance indicated an autosomal recessive gene conferring susceptibility to lymphosarcoma. We designated this gene Is. Our data were compatible with both concepts of genetic susceptibility to lymphosarcoma and vertical transmission of a virus. Affected rabbits usually died between the ages of 5 and 13 months. The neoplastic involvement of lymphoreticular organs and other organs, especially kidneys, corresponded to a pattern observed in lymphosarcoma of other domestic animals. Specifically, it resembled in many ways visceral lymphosarcomatosis of cats which has been proved unequivocally to be caused by feline leukemia virus. This similarity between rabbit and cat lymphosarcomas involved both sites of onset and distribution of the neoplastic lesions and the hematologic findings of a predominantly aleukemic picture. However, in rabbit lymphosarcomas, often a relative increase in lymphoid cells was found which included both immature and atypical forms. Because rabbits are valuable in laboratory investigations, the finding of lymphosarcoma provides a new and important model for oncogenic studies.
Is there a difference in outcome according to etiology of COPD exacerbation in patients admitted to an ICU
Authors: Filipe Monteiro, Karl Cunha, Rita Silva, Filipa TodoBom, Carlos Lopes, Pilar Azevedo, Jorge Monteiro, Gabriela Brum, Antόnio Bugalho Almeida
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Objective:  The aim of our study was to detect the impact of the etiology of severe COPD exacerbations admitted to a respiratory intensive care unit (RICU).   Methods:  Retrospective study evaluating all episodes of severe COPD exacerbations admitted from Jan/2005 to Sept/2010 in our RICU. Patients with lung cancer were excluded. Regarding the etiology of exacerbation we divided into three groups: heart failure, respiratory infection, others/undefined. Different parameters were analyzed: APS, APACHE II, TISS, length of stay in RICU, days on invasive mechanical ventilation, mortality. In the comparative analysis, episodes with more than one cause of exacerbation were excluded.   Results:  Data were collected from 141 out of 184 episodes admitted to RICU. Mean age was 70±10, 76% were male. Mean APACHEII was 24.6±7.9 and mortality during the RICU admission was 30%.   Conclusions:  In our study we found higher mortality, longer duration of stay in the RICU for patients with severe COPD exacerbations caused by heart failure.
Interaction of the glutamatergic and nitrergic signaling system in the airway hyperreactivity
Authors: Anna Strapkova, Martina Antosova
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

It is only little information regarding a possible interaction of glutamatergic and nitrergic system in the airways hyperractivity (AHR). We investigated the effect of agents modulating the activity of these systems on the experimental ovalbumin-induced AHR as well as on the changes of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) levels. We used the agonists of NMDA receptors - N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), selective competitive antagonist (DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid – AP-5) and selective non-competitive antagonist (dizocilpine - MK-801) of these receptors. We used also non-specific inhibitor of NO synthases N-omega-nitro-L-arginine metylester (L-NAME). The AHR to histamine or acetylcholine was evaluated in in vitro conditions. NMDA administration caused the increase of tracheal smooth muscle response in ovalbumin-induced HR to acetylcholine. The effect of MSG was less pronounced. MK-801 as well as AP-5 provoked the decrease of reactivity mainly to acetylcholine in tracheal smooth muscle, while the former, non-competitive antagonist was more effective. We recorded the changes in eNO levels. The activation of NMDA receptor with NMDA or MSG increased eNO levels. The inhibition of NO synthase with L-NAME caused the fall of eNO levels. We suppose here the participation of constitutive isoforms of NO synthases mainly. MK-801 shows the more expressive effect on the eNO levels during sensitisation than AP-5 group. The results bring a whole new look regarding the relationship of the glutamatergic and nitrergic system in the airway inflammatory diseases.

Supported by Centre of experimental and clinical respirology II, VEGA 14/0010/10, MZ SR 2007/46-UK-11.
Microneedles for Transdermal Biosensing: Current Picture and Future Direction
Authors: Letizia Ventrelli, Lucanos Marsilio Strambini, Giuseppe Barillaro
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials (2015)

A novel trend is rapidly emerging in the use of microneedles, which are a miniaturized replica of hypodermic needles with length‐scales of hundreds of micrometers, aimed at the transdermal biosensing of analytes of clinical interest, e.g., glucose, biomarkers, and others. Transdermal biosensing via microneedles offers remarkable opportunities for moving biosensing technologies and biochips from research laboratories to real‐field applications, and envisages easy‐to‐use point‐of‐care microdevices with pain‐free, minimally invasive, and minimal‐training features that are very attractive for both developed and emerging countries. In addition to this, microneedles for transdermal biosensing offer a unique possibility for the development of biochips provided with end‐effectors for their interaction with the biological system under investigation. Direct and efficient collection of the biological sample to be analyzed will then become feasible in situ at the same length‐scale of the other biochip components by minimally trained personnel and in a minimally invasive fashion. This would eliminate the need for blood extraction using hypodermic needles and reduce, in turn, related problems, such as patient infections, sample contaminations, analysis artifacts, etc. The aim here is to provide a thorough and critical analysis of state‐of‐the‐art developments in this novel research trend, and to bridge the gap between microneedles and biosensors.