tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Asthma severity in childhood and metabolomic profiling of breath condensate
Authors: S. Carraro, G. Giordano, F. Reniero, D. Carpi, M. Stocchero, P.J. Sterk, E. Baraldi
Journal: Allergy (2012)

Abstract Background Asthma is a heterogeneous disease and its different phenotypes need to be better characterized from a biochemical‐inflammatory standpoint. This study aimed to apply the metabolomic approach to exhaled breath condensate (breathomics) to discriminate different asthma phenotypes, with a particular focus on severe asthma in children. Methods In this cross‐sectional study, we recruited 42 asthmatic children (age, 8–17 years): 31 with nonsevere asthma (treated with inhaled steroids or not) and 11 with severe asthma. Fifteen healthy children were enrolled as controls. Children performed exhaled nitric oxide measurement, spirometry, exhaled breath condensate ( EBC ) collection. Condensate samples were analyzed using a metabolomic approach based on mass spectrometry. Results A robust B idirectional‐ O rthogonal P rojections to L atent S tructures‐ D iscriminant A nalysis (O2 PLS ‐ DA ) model was found for discriminating both between severe asthma cases and healthy controls ( R 2 = 0.93; Q 2 = 0.75) and between severe asthma and nonsevere asthma ( R 2 = 0.84; Q 2 = 0.47). The metabolomic data analysis leads to a robust model also when the 3 groups of children were considered altogether ( K = 0.80), indicating that each group is characterized by a specific metabolomic profile. Compounds related to retinoic acid, adenosine and vitamin D ( H uman M etabolome D atabase) were relevant for the discrimination between groups. Conclusion The metabolomic profiling of EBC could clearly distinguish different biochemical‐metabolic profiles in asthmatic children and enabled the severe asthma phenotype to be fully discriminated. The breathomics approach may therefore be suitable for discriminating between different asthma metabolic phenotypes.
A New Forceps for the Treatment of Trachoma and Granular Conjunctivitis.
Authors: A. A. CANNADAY
Journal: JAMA (1900)

As the treatment of trachoma is mostly surgical, i. e., expression, grattage, and brossage, I wish to describe a surgical method, which, in my hands, has been entirely satisfactory. For years I have used the method of expression, but not with satisfaction in all cases. It is hard to get all of the granules out by squeezing; and furthermore the damage done to the mucous membrane is considerable. I naturally sought after a better method. To pick them out one by one was too tedious and was not practicable; to use the copper stick consumed too much time and was not an up-to-date procedure. Finally I secured just what I had been looking for. I had Mr. E. B. Meyrowitz, of New York, make me a pair of roller forceps— exactly like Knapp's, with the exception that one of the fluted rollers is replaced by a sharp-toothed roller, the teeth
The effect of chemotherapeutic drugs on human B lymphocytes
Authors: Ali Zirakzadeh, Jin Hu, Johan Kinn, Per Marits, Amir Sherif, Ola Winqvist
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2013)

Meeting abstracts Cancer is currently treated by a combination of therapies, including chemotherapy. As a side effect, chemotherapy is believed to suppress the host immune system. Combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy has been reported to be correlated with improvement of survival. However
Life and death in the gut: more killing, less Crohn's
Authors: A Sturm
Journal: Gut (2002)

The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment Tool (AGWA) and the Rangeland Hydrology Erosion Model (RHEM) were used to evaluate conservation practices on the Cienega Creek watershed (CCW) that were implemented under the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) on Grazing Lands. CEAP on Grazing Lands is a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation practices and programs, and develop the science base for managing rangelands for environmental quality using conservation practices (Spaeth et al. 2013). The evaluation was performed on the CCW and the Empire Ranch, located in southeastern Arizona, where numerous conservation practices have been implemented to achieve their management goals of maintaining desired plant communities and watershed processes. To assess the effects of the conservation practices on long-term soil and water loss, RHEM was applied to the entire CCW using National Resources Inventory (NRI) data. Four analysis periods were selected based on climatic contrasts, conservation spending, and availability of NRI sample points. The CCW results showed that the simulations using RHEM parameters derived from NRI data could be used to demonstrate the impact of climate on vegetation condition and sediment yield. A subsection, dubbed “select treatment areas,” of the CCW, which received extensive treatments with brush removal, prescribed burns, and stock ponds, was assessed using remotely sensed data. The select treatment areas were modeled over three different periods, representing preconservation spending, postconservation spending, and later postconservation spending. Remote sensing was capable of detecting and estimating the changes in vegetation cover from brush removal and prescribed burns. Simulations of sediment yield using pre- and posttreatment data indicated a modest reduction in sediment yield. Simulations in the select treatment areas indicated mechanical brush treatments were typically more effective than prescribed burns for improving watershed condition as estimated by reductions in sediment yield, but were more costly to implement. Stock ponds had a larger impact on sediment yield than the land treatments. The assessment demonstrated the utility of remotely sensed estimates of plant growth form and cover for model inputs to estimate changes in runoff and sediment yield with changing cover conditions over large areas.
Communications Problems Affecting Patient Care in Hospitals
Authors: Jeanne C. Quint
Journal: JAMA (1966)

Medical services in large hospitals are organized to make available the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for patient treatment; they are not, however, organized to provide opportunities for direct communications among physicians, patients, and nursing staff. Yet the need for such communications increases with continuing technological changes, increasing medical specialization, and complexity of treatments. <h3>Organizational Factors.—</h3> In the modern hospital, medical care is a complicated process which involves physicians in a heavy schedule of patient rounds, diagnostic conferencss, and consultations with other physicians. In teaching hospitals, particularly, each specialty section is concerned not only with research and the care of patients, but also with training members of the house staff and with teaching and supervising medical students. In effect, medical services in hospitals used for teaching are organized to achieve multiple aims, and the work is accomplished through a complex network of individuals with dissimilar amounts of experience and
Anti-gp210 and anti-centromere antibodies are different risk factors for the progression of primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Minoru Nakamura, Hisayoshi Kondo, Tsuyoshi Mori, Atsumasa Komori, Mutsumi Matsuyama, Masahiro Ito, Yasushi Takii, Makiko Koyabu, Terufumi Yokoyama, Kiyoshi Migita, Manabu Daikoku, Seigo Abiru, Hiroshi Yatsuhashi, Eiichi Takezaki, Naohiko Masaki, Kazuhiro Sugi, Koichi Honda, Hiroshi Adachi, Hidehiro Nishi, Yukio Watanabe, Yoko Nakamura, Masaaki Shimada, Tatsuji Komatsu, Akira Saito, Takeo Saoshiro, Hideharu Harada, Takeshi Sodeyama, Shigeki Hayashi, Akihide Masumoto, Takehiro Sando, Tetsuo Yamamoto, Hironori Sakai, Masakazu Kobayashi, Toyokichi Muro, Michiaki Koga, Zakera Shums, Gary L. Norman, Hiromi Ishibashi
Journal: Hepatology (2006)

The predictive role of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) remains elusive in the long-term outcome of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The progression of PBC was evaluated in association with ANAs using stepwise Cox proportional hazard regression and an unconditional stepwise logistic regression model based on the data of 276 biopsy-proven, definite PBC patients who have been registered to the National Hospital Organization Study Group for Liver Disease in Japan (NHOSLJ). When death of hepatic failure/liver transplantation (LT) was defined as an end-point, positive anti-gp210 antibodies (Hazard ratio (HR) = 6.742, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.408, 18.877), the late stage (Scheuer's stage 3, 4) (HR = 4.285, 95% CI:1.682,10.913) and male sex (HR = 3.266, 95% CI: 1.321,8.075) were significant risk factors at the time of initial liver biopsy. When clinical progression to death of hepatic failure/LT (i.e., hepatic failure type progression) or to the development of esophageal varices or hepatocellular carcinoma without developing jaundice (Total bilirubin &lt; 1.5 mg/dL) (i.e., portal hypertension type progression) was defined as an end-point in the early stage (Scheuer's stage 1, 2) PBC patients, positive anti-gp210 antibodies was a significant risk factor for hepatic failure type progression [odds ratio (OR) = 33.777, 95% CI: 5.930, 636.745], whereas positive anti-centromere antibodies was a significant risk factor for portal hypertension type progression (OR = 4.202, 95% CI: 1.307, 14.763). Histologically, positive anti-gp210 antibodies was most significantly associated with more severe interface hepatitis and lobular inflammation, whereas positive anticentromere antibodies was most significantly associated with more severe ductular reaction. Conclusion: These results indicate 2 different progression types in PBC, hepatic failure type and portal hypertension type progression, which may be represented by positive-anti-gp210 and positive-anticentromere antibodies, respectively. (Hepatology 2007;45:118–127.)
Softening of the Nervous Centres
Authors: R. H. Semple
Journal: BMJ (1850)

IN a former communcaton,' I offered ome general observations upon the subject of the Diseases of the Brin and Spinal Cord, and I ilu- tated my remarks with the detail of some cases, taken promiscuously from my notes, to shew the great difficulties which attend our investi& gatioIsm this part of pathology.In the present paper, I intend to Illustrate the subject of Softening of the Nervous Centres; and I regret to observe, that the obscurity which hangs over the affections of the cerebro-spinal axs generally, is more particularly noticeable in th peculiar to of die, which the following cases and observations are intended to bring into view.CASE L .NoTrrsn OF TlE: BRAIN-CERBBRA CONGESTION-APO.PLECTIC CELz1M.T., setat.54, formerly a shoe-maker, of dissolute habits, but of rather cultivated mind, was seized on the 2nd of July, 1845, while an inmate of the Islington Workhouse, with a paralytic attack.For this complaint he was bled to gx, and took purgative medicines; and by these, and other usual means, he partially recovered, but his intellect became almost obliterated, he passed his urine unconsiously, and became in consequence so offensive, that he was placed in a ward by himself He remained bed-ridden from the above date until the morning of May 23, 1846, when he was again seized with an attack rembling apoplexy; the pulse was 180, full and strong, and he had storous breathing.There was palysis of the left side.Be ws bled to 3x'j; and, during the bleeding, the stertorous breathing ceased, and did not subsequently return.At noon on the same day, he w still insensible; his pupils were fixed in a state between contmetion 1
Sliding Injuries: The Third Base Coach as Prophylactic
Authors: Thomas J. Coyle
Journal: JAMA (1989)

<h3>To the Editor. —</h3> We read with great interest the article "Softball Sliding Injuries" in the March 25 issue of<i>JAMA</i><sup>1</sup>and would like to point out an additional way of preventing such injuries. Although often too old, too slow, or too error prone to play, the third base coach can play a major role in preventing softball sliding injuries by notifying the player how he or she should approach the bag. Signals must be developed so that the base runner will know how he or she should move in the direction of the coach and whether a sacrifice slide should be attempted. No, we are not too old, too slow, or too error prone to play softball.
Gamma gene rearrangement and expression in autoreactive helper T cells.
Authors: M Zauderer, A Iwamoto, T W Mak
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1986)

gamma gene rearrangements similar to those described for cytotoxic T cell lines are found in L3T4+, autoreactive, or KLH-specific cloned helper T cell lines. High levels of gamma RNA transcripts were, in addition, detected in four out of five L3T4+, class II MHC-specific, autoreactive T cell clones, and in at least one of three KLH-specific, class II MHC-restricted clones. This contrasts with previously reported (9) expression of gamma RNA in only 1 of 11 antigen-specific helper T cell lines.
Doctors announce death of woman at centre of Italian "right to die" case
Authors: F. Turone
Journal: BMJ (2009)

Eluana Englaro, the 38 year old Italian woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state for the past 17 years, died earlier this week just three days after artificial hydration and nutrition were withdrawn in accordance with a decision by a Milan court. 

The case caused an unprecedented institutional conflict in Italy, after the president of the republic, Giorgio Napolitano, refused to sign an emergency decree unanimously approved by the government to prevent her death. 

The centre right majority struggled to rush through a new law “to save the life of a woman who could even bear a child …
Legislating Tobacco Use: Are Subsidies Hypocritical?
Authors: John B. Nesbitt
Journal: JAMA (1995)

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —As a practicing internist, I have always urged my patients not to smoke, and I have had reasonable success. However, I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the government-sponsored campaign against the tobacco industry. Neoprohibitionists such as Rep Henry Waxman (D, Calif) and Mr Califano<sup>1</sup>are morally outraged by the cynicism of the tobacco industry, and they have taken it upon themselves to protect the "ignorant" population by legislation. Meanwhile, the federal government pays our tax money to subsidize the tobacco farmers and keep the price of tobacco reasonable. My suggestion is that our bureaucrats and legislators should put their own house in order by phasing out the tobacco subsidies. To attack the tobacco industry while continuing to support it is nothing short of pharisaical.
Review: Positive D-dimer results predict recurrence after first unprovoked VTE regardless of test timing or cutpoint, or patient age
Authors: Daniel M. Witt
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2011)

Source Citation Douketis J, Tosetto A, Marcucci M, et al. Patient-level meta-analysis: effect of measurement timing, threshold, and patient age on ability of D-dimer testing to assess recurrence risk after unprovoked venous thromboembolism. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153:523-31. 20956709
Vascular smooth muscle cells and monocyte–macrophages accomplice in the accelerated atherosclerosis of insulin resistance states
Authors: Gian Paolo Fadini, Stefano Ciciliot
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2014)

This editorial refers to 'Insulin resistance aggravates atherosclerosis by reducing vascular smooth muscle cell survival and increasing CX 3 CL1/CX 3 CR1 axis' by S. Martı ´nez-Herva ´s et al., pp.324-336, this issue.The mechanisms driving accelerated atherosclerosis in insulin-resistant (IR) conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, are incompletely understood.Clarifying such pathways is of paramount importance in view of the epidemic spread of obesity and diabetes, and in order to devise novel therapeutic approaches to counter cardiovascular disease globally.IR develops classically in metabolically active tissues (such as the liver, muscle, and fat), but the vasculature can also show signs of IR, 1 with impairment in the Erk and Akt pathways.Many cell types are involved in the atherogenetic process and complex cross-talks take place within the atherosclerotic plaque.Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and monocyte-macrophage lineage cells are two major players provided with both protective and pathogenic functions.VSMC proliferation promotes plaque growth, but also forms the fibrous cap of the atheroma, a thick and resistant shield against plaque rupture and thrombosis.However, VSMCs from human atherosclerotic vessels are senescent and intrinsically prone to apoptosis. 2,3In fact, when VSMCs undergo apoptosis, atherosclerosis accelerates, and plaques become unstable 4,5 and calcific. 6Vice versa, inhibition of apoptosis blunts the atherosclerotic process. 7This finely tuned balance between VSMC proliferation and death is a key determinant of atheroma progression. 8onocyte-macrophage cells can exist in two distinct states with opposing effects on atherosclerosis. 9According to the pattern of local stimuli, macrophages can be polarized towards a pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotype prone to foam cell differentiation, 10 or towards an antiinflammatory (M2) phenotype with scavenger activity. 11The M1/M2 polarization balance of plaque macrophages and blood monocytes reflect pro-/anti-atherosclerotic conditions.Interestingly, IR primes M1 monocyte -macrophages, 12 while countering IR with peroxisome proliferator activating receptor-gamma activation can restore the M1/M2 balance. 13n this issue of Cardiovascular Research, Martı ´nez-Herva ´s et al. 14 show that inducing IR in VSMCs by knocking down insulin receptor substrate-2
High [Ca2+]o-induced electrical heterogeneity and extrasystolic activity in isolated canine ventricular epicardium. Phase 2 reentry.
Authors: J M Di Diego, C Antzelevitch
Journal: Circulation (1994)

BACKGROUND Elevated intracellular calcium activity is thought to play an important role in arrhythmia induction, particularly during ischemia and reperfusion. Delayed after-depolarization-induced triggered activity and intracellular communication problems are thought to be responsible. METHODS AND RESULTS Increased extracellular calcium levels and rapid pacing are interventions known to elevate intracellular calcium activity. The present study, conducted using standard microelectrode techniques, was designed to compare the effects of increased [Ca2+]o (1.8 to 5.4 mmol/L) in isolated canine ventricular epicardial and endocardial tissues and to test the hypothesis that elevated intracellular calcium activity contributes to arrhythmogenesis in working ventricular myocardial tissues by promoting electrical heterogeneity. High [Ca2+]o caused a slight abbreviation of action potential duration (APD90) in endocardium but more dramatic rate-dependent and dynamic changes in epicardium. Under steady-state conditions, epicardium displayed a marked abbreviation of APD90 at fast rates but no significant changes at slow rates. A significant augmentation of phase 1 was evident at the faster stimulation rates. Vmax and conduction velocity were only slightly reduced. The marked abbreviation of the epicardial response at the factor rates was due to loss of the action potential dome. Recovery of the dome after deceleration was not synchronous throughout the preparation. As a consequence, a sudden slowing of rate caused marked dispersion of repolarization among neighboring epicardial sites, giving rise to ectopic activity via a phase 2 reentry mechanism. These effects of high [Ca2+]o were mimicked by exposure of the preparations to low [Na+]o. Electrical homogeneity was restored and arrhythmias were abolished after addition of the Ito blocker 4-aminopyridine 1 mmol/L. 4-Aminopyridine also eliminated the differential response of epicardium and endocardium to high [Ca2+]o. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate the induction of marked electrical heterogeneity and reentrant activity by high [Ca2+]o and rapid stimulation, conditions known to elevate [Ca2+]i. The results suggest that increased intracellular calcium activity, as occurs during ischemia and reperfusion, may contribute to the development of electrical inhomogeneity in the ventricle and thus to the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias through a mechanism other than triggered activity, namely, phase 2 reentry. Our data point to an increase in net outward current as the underlying mechanism for the calcium-induced changes. Our results also suggest that the presence of a prominent transient outward current (Ito) in epicardium sensitizes that tissue to the effects of high calcium. Finally, the results suggest that Ito blockers can reverse high calcium-induced electrical heterogeneity and thus can exert antiarrhythmic actions.
Autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with severe anti-TNF refractory Crohn disease: long-term follow-up
Authors: Richard K. Burt, Robert M. Craig, Francesca Milanetti, Kathleen Quigley, Paula Gozdziak, Jurate Bucha, Alessandro Testori, Amy Halverson, Larissa Verda, Willem J. S. de Villiers, Borko Jovanovic, Yu Oyama
Journal: Blood (2010)
CD10/NEP in non-small cell lung carcinomas. Relationship to cellular proliferation.
Authors: R K Ganju, M Sunday, D G Tsarwhas, A Card, M A Shipp
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1994)

The cell surface metalloproteinase CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) hydrolyzes a variety of peptide substrates and reduces cellular responses to specific peptide hormones. Because CD10/NEP modulates peptide-mediated proliferation of small cell carcinomas of the lung (SCLC) and normal fetal bronchial epithelium, we evaluated the enzyme's expression in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Bronchoalveolar and large cell carcinoma cell lines had low levels of CD10/NEP expression whereas squamous, adenosquamous, and adenocarcinoma cell lines had higher and more variable levels of the cell surface enzyme. Regional variations in CD10/NEP immunostaining in primary NSCLC specimens prompted us to correlate CD10/NEP expression with cell growth. In primary carcinomas of the lung, clonal NSCLC cell lines and SV40-transformed fetal airway epithelium, subsets of cells expressed primarily CD10/NEP or the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Cultured airway epithelial cells had the lowest levels of CD10/NEP expression when the highest percentage of cells were actively dividing; in addition, these cells grew more rapidly when cell surface CD10/NEP was inhibited. NSCLC cell lines had receptors for a variety of mitogenic peptides known to be CD10/NEP substrates, underscoring the functional significance of growth-related variability in CD10/NEP expression.
Minority Faculty Development Programs at US Medical Schools
Authors: Joan Y. Reede
Journal: JAMA (2014)

A national study conducted by Dr Guevara and colleagues1 did not find an association between targeted faculty development programs and greater representation, recruitment, or promotion of underrepresented minority faculty at US allopathic medical schools over a 10-year period. However, this finding should be placed in context.

Comparing schools of medicine is difficult, considering the complexity of factors that influence such organizations. The composition of the local community and mission of the institution may influence faculty demographics, which are dimensions not considered in the authors’ model. Two important additional factors that should be incorporated are institutional structure and program quality. Faculty composition may differ in a medical school that is part of an integrated health system, in which the entire organization is administered under 1 umbrella, from in an institution that is only affiliated with a teaching hospital. A faculty development program in an affiliated model may have less effect on faculty demographics than a program in an integrated model.
Portal Venous Tumor Casts Causing Defect on Hepatic Imaging
Authors: ROGER N. LEEKAM, T ARNOLD BAYLEY, LALITHA SHANKAR, MAHENDRA MEHTA
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1986)

A dilated portal vein has been reported as a cause of a portal defect on liver scan. This report describes a similar defect caused by tumor thrombus casts invading the portal vein and its main branches.