tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
The Journal Ombudsperson
Authors: Richard Horton
Journal: JAMA (1998)

In 1994, Doug Altman invited the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors to consider how it might help authors who had complaints about editors. The concern that editors abuse the power and trust invested in them by authors, readers, and publishers had grown with the careful documentation of instances of unambiguous editorial misconduct. One obstacle to their proposal was the logistic complexity of coordinating, at the international level, an appeals procedure through a single body. In an effort to open a wider discussion about editorial accountability, The Lancet established an ombudsperson in July 1996. Clear criteria, based on the UK Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, were drawn up. Our ombudsman could investigate delays in handling manuscripts and letters; editorial discourtesy; failure to follow stated editorial procedures; failure to take reasonable account of representations by authors and readers; and challenges to the publishing ethics of the journal. Complaints about the substance of editorial decisions were ruled out of the ombudsman's remit. Twenty complaints were recorded in the first 18 months, 11 of which were upheld. The appointment of an ombudsperson should be considered by editors of all scientific journals. Benefits go well beyond immediate complaints, drawing an editor's attention, for example, to the importance of efficient and courteous journal processes. No discernible harm was discovered. A case still remains for wider oversight of the biomedical press.
Q Fever Hepatitis
Authors: H. L. DUPONT
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1971)

Hepatic involvement was appraised in three individuals with Q fever. One patient presented with moderately severe hepatitis without pulmonary involvement, whereas the other two were volunteers participating in a trial to evaluate Q fever vaccine. Findings suggest that liver involvement is common in Q fever and that histologic changes are more striking than blood chemical findings. The case of naturally acquired disease shows the clinical variability of Q fever, as extensive granulomatous hepatic infiltration occurred without detectable pulmonary involvement. Q fever is becoming more prevalent throughout the United States and should be considered in patients whose illness resembles "atypical pneumonia" or "infectious hepatitis."
Effects of Colonoscopy on Intracranial Pressure: Observation in a Large Animal Model
Authors: S. Avital, O. Brasesco, A. Basu, S. Szomstein, L. Sands, S. D. Wexner, R. Rosenthal
Journal: Endoscopy (2004)

Increased intra-abdominal pressure has been associated with increased intracranial pressure. Bowel insufflation during colonoscopy may increase the intra-abdominal pressure. It was hypothesized that colonoscopy may be associated with intracranial pressure elevation subsequent to an elevation in intra-abdominal pressure.Colonoscopy was carried out in seven anesthetized pigs, and the colonoscope was advanced up to 60 cm from the anal verge. Insufflation was used to allow safe advancement of the colonoscope and to allow visualization of the colon, in the same way as in the procedure performed in humans. Intra-abdominal pressure was measured by determining the hydrostatic pressure in the urinary bladder. A subarachnoid screw was used to monitor intracranial pressure. The mean arterial blood pressure and intra-abdominal venous pressure were directly monitored via the femoral vessel access; all parameters were recorded before and during colonoscopy.A statistically significant elevation in intracranial pressure was demonstrated during colonoscopy. The average increase in intracranial pressure was 3.1 mm Hg. The intra-abdominal pressure and intra-abdominal venous pressure were also significantly elevated during the procedure.Colonoscopy may increase intracranial pressure due to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This may have clinical implications when colonoscopy is conducted in patients with brain pathology associated with high intracranial pressure.
PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR PRIMARY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LYMPHOMAS TREATED WITH HIGH-DOSE METHOTREXATE-BASED CHEMO-RADIOTHERAPY
Authors: M. Nagane, J. Lee, Y. Shishido-Hara, K. Suzuki, S. Shimizu, M. Umino, K. Kobayashi, Y. Shiokawa
Journal: Neuro-Oncology (2014)

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) followed by whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is a conventional approach to treat primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL), but some tumors relapse early leading to unfavorable outcome. Several biomarkers have been identified as prognostic factors in PCNSL, however, the correlation of both clinical factors including those related to MTX metabolism and B-cell differentiation and oncogenic biomarkers with response to and outcome by therapy is yet unclear. METHODS: We investigated 32 immunocompetent patients (19 males, 13 females) with PCNSL (all diffuse large B-cell type) treated with HD-MTX based therapy with or without WBRT since 2000 in our institution. Paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tumor tissue sections were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies against following factors: B-cell differentiation markers (CD10, Bcl-6, Mum-1, CD138); MTX metabolism-related (MRP family, LRP, DHFR); cell cycle-related (p27KIP1, MIB-1); drug resistance-related (MGMT, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2); and oncogenes (Myc, Bcl-2). Correlation between positivity of these factors and clinical outcomes were evaluated using logrank test and cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Among these factors, complete response to HD-MTX was significantly associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS)(P = 0.0012), while Bcl-6 expression as well as histological subtype (non-germinal center B-cell, non-GCB) was closely correlated with shorter PFS. Age (>60) (P = 0.006) and MSH2 expression (P = 0.017) were found to be better predictor for overall survival (OS), but in multivariate analysis, they were no longer significant. Other factors involved in MTX metabolism, DNA repair enzymes, and oncogenes did not affect outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Non-GCB subtype and Bcl-6 expression may be associated with worse outcome in patients with PCNSL treated with HD-MTX, while MTX-metabolism related factors did not influence prognosis. Further investigation is needed to assess Bcl-6 as a potential prognostic factor in PCNSL. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Clinical Neuro-Oncology.
Mouse macrophage hemagglutinin (sheep erythrocyte receptor) with specificity for sialylated glycoconjugates characterized by a monoclonal antibody.
Authors: P R Crocker, S Gordon
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1989)

An inhibitory rat mAb, SER-4, has been raised to the mouse macrophage (M phi)-restricted hemagglutinin, sheep erythrocyte receptor (SER), which binds unopsonized sheep erythrocytes through recognition of sialylated glycoconjugates. This receptor was originally defined on mouse resident bone marrow M phi where it was implicated in adhesive interactions of these cells with proliferating hematopoietic cells. In the present study using mouse serum-induced thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal M phi (TPM) as a model system for SER expression, mAb SER-4 IgG2a completely blocked rosette formation at 1 microgram/ml. The inhibition was likely to be via steric hindrance rather than through a direct interaction with the putative sialic acid binding site of SER because F(ab')2 and Fab fragments of mAb SER-4 gave a maximum inhibition of 50-60% and 0% respectively, despite binding effectively to the SER-4 antigen (Ag). Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting experiments with cultured M phi or tissue extracts demonstrated that the Ag recognized by SER-4 mAb is a single chain molecule with an apparent Mr by SDS-PAGE of 185 x 10(3) (reduced) or 170 x 10(3) (non-reduced) and is distinct from members of the leukocyte common Ag family. Expression of SER and SER-4 Ag in culture were closely correlated and depended on the presence of mouse serum for optimal induction. Further evidence that the SER-4 Ag is functionally equivalent to SER was provided by immunocytochemistry in which the overall pattern of staining in tissues was consistent with previous rosetting experiments. In the bone marrow, expression of the SER-4 Ag was restricted to the resident bone marrow M phi population with no expression on monocytes. High expression was also observed on stromal M phi within the subcapsular sinus and medullary cords in lymph nodes and on marginal metallophils in the spleen. These results therefore confirm that SER is a novel M phi-restricted receptor whose distribution and properties indicate a role in cellular interactions in hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues.
Can Forensic Medicine and Organ Donation Coexist for the Public Good?
Authors: Rebecca Voelker
Journal: JAMA (1994)

IS GIVING 100% too much to ask? Medical examiners in some parts of the country say it may be, particularly if organ procurement organizations are doing the asking. Relationships between medical examiners and procurement agencies have been laced with tension for years. But the stress may be mounting. Some specialists in forensic medicine say procurement agency approaches have become increasingly aggressive. In a handful of states, they add, laws allow organ harvesting to supersede death investigations, potentially jeopardizing evidence in criminal cases. "Some [procurement organizations] are almost zealous," says Thomas Hegert, MD, the organ and tissue committee chair of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). "They want us to give 100% of those cases for which we have received consent for organ procurement." Procurement agencies dispute that characterization. "There is a lot of misunderstanding," says Teresa Shafer, RN, president of the North American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO). "We're looking
Alkylating agents and immunotoxins exert synergistic cytotoxic activity against ovarian cancer cells. Mechanism of action.
Authors: Y J Lidor, K C O'Briant, F J Xu, T C Hamilton, R F Ozols, R C Bast
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1993)

Alkylating agents can be administered in high dosage to patients with ovarian cancer using autologous bone marrow support, but drug-resistant tumor cells can still persist. Immunotoxins provide reagents that might eliminate drug resistant cells. In the present study, concurrent treatment with alkylators and immunotoxins proved superior to treatment with each agent alone. Toxin immunoconjugates prepared from different monoclonal antibodies and recombinant ricin A chain (rRTA) inhibited clonogenic growth of ovarian cancer cell lines in limiting dilution assays. When alkylating agents and toxin conjugates were used in combination, the addition of the immunotoxins to cisplatin, or to cisplatin and thiotepa, produced synergistic cytotoxic activity against the OVCA 432 and OVCAR III cell lines. Studies performed to clarify the mechanism of action showed that cisplatin and thiotepa had no influence on internalization and binding of the 317G5-rRTA immunotoxin. Intracellular uptake of [195m]Pt-cisplatin was not affected by the immunoconjugate and thiotepa. The combination of the 317G5-rRTA and thiotepa, as well as 317G5-rRTA alone, increased [195m]Pt cisplatin-DNA adduct levels. The immunotoxin alone and in combination with the alkylators decreased intracellular glutathione levels and reduced glutathione-S-transferase activity. Repair of DNA damage induced by the combination of alkylators and 317G5-rRTA was significantly reduced when compared to repair after damage with alkylators alone. These findings suggest that immunotoxins affect levels and activity of enzymes required for the prevention and repair of alkylator damage.
Bone Marrow Biopsy
Authors: William G. Hocking
Journal: JAMA (1982)

This monograph is composed of 13 chapters and an appendix. The editor authored or coauthored 12 of the 13 chapters, and the style is uniform throughout. All of the authors are at the University of Pittsburgh—four in the Department of Pathology and one in the Department of Medicine. The intended audience for this work appears to be the physician in training or the pathologist without extensive experience in bone marrow interpretation. The hematologist or hematopathologist will probably find little new information. This book reviews the experience with bone marrow biopsy at the University of Pittsburgh over a period of 22 years. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of bone marrow pathology. The emphasis is on marrow biopsy histopathology, and there is little discussion of bone marrow aspirates, cytochemical techniques, or electron microscopy. There is no mention of cytogenetic or immunoperoxidase techniques or of surface marker studies, which
Silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
Authors: V Castranova, V Vallyathan
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2000)

Exposure to coal mine dust and/or crystalline silica results in pneumoconiosis with initiation and progression of pulmonary fibrosis. This review presents characteristics of simple and complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) as well as pathologic indices of acute and chronic silicosis by summarizing results of in vitro, animal, and human investigations. These results support four basic mechanisms in the etiology of CWP and silicosis: a) direct cytotoxicity of coal dust or silica, resulting in lung cell damage, release of lipases and proteases, and eventual lung scarring; b) activation of oxidant production by pulmonary phagocytes, which overwhelms the antioxidant defenses and leads to lipid peroxidation, protein nitrosation, cell injury, and lung scarring; c) activation of mediator release from alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells, which leads to recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages, resulting in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive species and in further lung injury and scarring; d) secretion of growth factors from alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells, stimulating fibroblast proliferation and eventual scarring. Results of in vitro and animal studies provide a basis for proposing these mechanisms for the initiation and progression of pneumoconiosis. Data obtained from exposed workers lend support to these mechanisms.
Genetic control of inflammatory gene induction and NF-kappa B-like transcription factor activation in response to an atherogenic diet in mice.
Authors: F Liao, A Andalibi, F C deBeer, A M Fogelman, A J Lusis
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1993)

A high fat, high cholesterol "atherogenic" diet induced considerably greater hepatic levels of conjugated dienes and expression of several inflammatory and oxidative stress responsive genes (JE, the mouse homologue of monocyte chemotactic protein-1, colony-stimulating factors, heme oxygenase, and members of the serum amyloid A family) in fatty streak susceptible C57BL/6 mice compared to fatty streak resistant C3H/HeJ mice. Since serum amyloid A proteins bind exclusively to HDL and influence the properties of HDL, serum amyloid A expression may contribute to the decrease in HDL levels seen in the susceptible strains. Induction of a similar set of genes was observed upon injection of minimally oxidized low density lipoprotein. The transcription factor NF-kappa B is known to be activated by oxidative stress and is involved in the transcriptional regulation of several of these genes. On the atherogenic diet the susceptible C57BL/6 mice exhibited significant NF-kappa B-like activation whereas the resistant C3H/HeJ mice exhibited little or no activation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the atherogenic diet resulted in the accumulation of oxidized lipids in certain tissues (e.g., liver and arteries) and the resulting inflammatory response to this oxidative stress was genetically determined.
Transient Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Herbert R. Karp
Journal: JAMA (1973)

A study was made of transient cerebral ischemia in a biracial rural community in Evans County, Georgia. Of the 2,455 stroke-free persons in the population sample, 28 were found to have had well-defined attacks of transient cerebral ischemia. The prevalence of transient cerebral ischemia in the white population was higher than that in the black community. Approximately one fifth of the people having transient cerebral ischemia developed a complete stroke or died of ischemic heart disease during the three- to five-year period of observation following the survey examination. Community surveys for transient cerebral ischemia appear to be a useful health measure for the detection of a small but important group of people who have a high risk of developing serious manifestations of cerebral or coronary vascular disease.
THE STERILIZATION OF LIPOVACCINES
Authors: Paula A. Lewis, Francis W. Dodge
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1920)

Pneumococcus lipovacdne confers a definite protection against pneumococcus infection in mice. The protective quality is not destroyed, and apparently is not greatly diminished, by heating to 130 degrees C. for 3 hours or 120 degrees C. for 12 hours. Typhoid lipovaccine gives rise to the formation of agglutinins in rabbits but to a lesser degree than saline suspensions. The antigenic qualities of the typhoid lipovaccine are greatly injured by heating to 130 degrees C. for 3 hours.
Microsurgery for Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Donald L. Erickson
Journal: JAMA (1981)

This book is a compilation of papers presented at a symposium that was held in London, Ontario, in 1978. There are inherent advantages and disadvantages in the publication of a symposium, some of which are demonstrated in this book. A certain lack of cohesiveness and depth in many areas is evident. The authors also feel free to present material that is somewhat preliminary and not well substantiated; a positive aspect, however, is that the reader is stimulated by the array of novel techniques and ideas that may be put to use in a variety of ways. In a subject as new as microsurgery for cerebral vascular disease, a certain freedom of thought is certainly valuable to stimulate progress. The book opens with two lectures by the honored guest of the symposium, Dr M. E. Raichle. The second of these two lectures gives a good discussion of positron emission tomography (PET).
S2-2: Luminal A Subtype Predicts Radiation Response in Patients with T1N0 Breast Cancer Enrolled in a Randomized Trial of Tamoxifen with or without Breast Radiation.
Authors: A Fyles, D McCready, M Pintilie, W Shi, S Done, N Miller, I Olivotto, L Weir, F-F Liu
Journal: Cancer Research (2011)

Abstract Objectives To determine the predictive effect of molecular subtyping using the six biomarker immunohistochemical panel in predicting ipsilateral breast relapse (IBR) in women age 50 and older with T1 and T2 node negative breast cancer in a randomized trial of tamoxifen (Tam) +/−whole breast radiation (WBRT). Methods Between December 1992 and June 2000, 769 women were randomized to WBRT and Tamoxifen (Tam, n=386) 20 mg daily for 5 years or Tam alone (n=383). Median age was 68 years, 639 (83%) had pT1 tumors. Intrinsic molecular subtype was determined using semi-quantitative analysis of ER, PR, Ki-67, HER2, EGFR and cytokeratin (CK) 5/6 on tissue microarrays constructed from tumor blocks from 172 of 345 available tumors. Patients were classified into the following categories: luminal A, luminal B, luminal-HER2, HER2 enriched, basal-like, or triple-negative phenotype-nonbasal. Median follow-up was 10 years. Results IBR at 10 years was 13.8% with Tam compared to 5.0% with Tam/WBRT (p&amp;lt;0.0001). Tumour size (HR 1.54, p=0.001), ER positive (HR 0.35, p=0.006), age (HR 0.96, p=0.014), and treatment with Tam/WBRT (HR 0.28, p&amp;lt;0.0001) were significant factors for IBR. Luminal A tumors (ER or PR positive, HER2 negative, Ki-67&amp;lt;14%, n=95) had the lowest rate of IBR, 6.9% at 10 years with Tam alone and 4.5% with Tam/WBRT, p=0.4). In women aged 60 and over with Luminal A subtype IBR was 5.4% with Tam alone and 6% with Tam/WBRT (n=74, p=0.8). Luminal B (ER or PR positive, HER2 negative, Ki67&amp;gt;14%, n=53) had an IBR of 23.8% with Tam alone and 0% with Tam/WBRT, p=0.012). Luminal HER2 (ER or PR positive, HER2 positive, n=10) and HER2−enriched (ER and PR negative, HER2 positive, n=14) demonstrated the highest risk of IBR. Conclusions: Six marker IHC subtype appears to be predictive for radiation response in women over 50 with T1/2 node-negative breast cancer. Luminal A subtype demonstrated a low risk of breast relapse with Tam alone, particularly in women age 60 and older. These results require validation in additional specimens and clinical trials, but this subgroup represents a significant proportion of women (74/172 or 43%), who may be spared the inconvenience and side effects of breast radiation. In contrast, breast RT is beneficial in women with higher risk subtypes (Luminal B, HER2 enriched, basal). Limitations of this analysis include the relatively small numbers of patients and the low event rate in smaller subgroups. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr S2-2.
Oral corticosteroid prescribing in women over 50, use of fracture prevention therapy, and bone densitometry service
Authors: I W Chantler
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2003)

<b>Objective:</b> To identify the most common diseases and age of corticosteroid use in women over 50, dosage in last year, duration of oral corticosteroid use, prescription for fracture prevention (drug used), and referrals for bone densitometry. <b>Methods:</b> General practice records from 41 practices in Shropshire identified 62 230 women aged &gt;50 from a population of 80 082. Data on fractures, duration of corticosteroid use, dose in the study year (1 April 1997–31 March 1998), use of fracture prevention therapy and bone densitometry were sampled from one out of three records. <b>Results:</b> 3.2% were prescribed corticosteroids; 633 patients investigated in detail aged 70.1 (SD 10.5) years, had been prescribed 1526 (SD 1727) mg prednisolone (median 1040 mg) for 3.31 (SD 3.20) years (median 2.0 years). Patients with asthma/lung disease, most common in the younger group, had the lowest annual corticosteroid use; patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis (PMR/TA), who were more likely to be elderly, had the highest annual use. Between the age of 70 and 79 years patients with RA had significantly more hip fractures than the other groups, and corticosteroid prescribing was most common. Bisphosphonates or hormone replacement therapy were prescribed for 48% aged 50–59 years but only 32% at 70–79 years (p&lt;0.01); patients with asthma and RA being less likely recipients (p&lt;0.01). Referrals for bone densitometry had occurred in 20.2%,with 60.2% having osteoporosis. Referrals were more common in those taking corticosteroids for longer periods (p&lt;0.01). <b>Conclusions:</b> The elderly had the most prescriptions for corticosteroid treatment but the fewest for effective fracture prevention therapy. Patients with RA, PMR/TA had the greatest corticosteroid dosage, for the longest time. Patients with RA sustained more hip fractures than other groups but were least likely to have effective fracture prevention therapy prescribed.