tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
A randomized study of oral nutritional support versus ad lib nutritional intake during chemotherapy for advanced colorectal and non-small-cell lung cancer.
Authors: W K Evans, D W Nixon, J M Daly, S S Ellenberg, L Gardner, E Wolfe, F A Shepherd, R Feld, R Gralla, S Fine
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1987)

One hundred ninety-two patients with previously untreated metastatic cancer (102 non-small-cell lung cancer [NSCLC]; 90 colorectal cancer) were randomized to receive either ad lib nutritional intake (control group) or specific nutritional intervention during a 12-week study period when chemotherapy was administered. Those patients randomized to nutritional interventions were counselled to take oral nutrients with caloric intake equal to 1.7 to 1.95 times their basal energy expenditure, depending on their pretreatment nutritional status ("standard" group). An augmented group was counselled to have a caloric intake equivalent to that of the standard group but with 25% of calories provided as protein and additional supplements of zinc and magnesium. Counselling increased caloric intake in both tumor types but reduced weight loss in the short term only for lung cancer patients. Ninety-three NSCLC patients were evaluable for tumor response to vindesine and cisplatin. Overall, only 20.4% of the patients responded, and there were no significant differences in response rates, median time to progression, or overall duration of survival between the nutrition intervention groups and the control group. The tumor response rate to time-sequenced 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and methotrexate in the 81 evaluable patients with colorectal cancer was only 14.8%, and no significant differences in tumor response rates were noted between the three groups. Furthermore, the median time to progression and overall duration of survival were not different for the control, standard, and augmented groups. Nutritional interventions using dietary counselling had no impact on the percent of planned chemotherapy dose administered, the degree of toxicity experienced by patients, or the frequency of treatment delays. A multivariate prognostic factor analysis demonstrated that for lung cancer, the percent of weight loss, serum albumin concentration, and presence of liver metastases were significant (P less than .05) and independent prognostic variables for survival duration. For colorectal cancer, serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and percent targeted caloric intake (TCI) were significant independent predictors of survival duration.
Interpretation, communication, and mechanisms of associations between injectable contraception and HIV risk
Authors: C Mary Schooling
Journal: The Lancet HIV (2015)

Jones and van de Wijgert highlight the higher risk of HIV-1 acquisition observed for women who use the depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraceptive compared to another progestin-based long-acting injectable hormonal contraceptive, norethisterone, or to non-hormonal contraceptives.1
Cathepsin D by western blotting and immunohistochemistry: failure to confirm correlations with prognosis in node-negative breast cancer.
Authors: P M Ravdin, A K Tandon, D C Allred, G M Clark, S A Fuqua, S H Hilsenbeck, G C Chamness, C K Osborne
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1994)

PURPOSE We attempted to replicate and improve on our previous study (N Engl J Med 322:297-302, 1990) that showed that 34-kd cathepsin D levels as determined by Western blotting strongly correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of axillary node-negative (N-) breast cancer patients. We also examined the prognostic significance of cathepsin D measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Western blotting was performed on cytosols from frozen tumor specimens of 927 N- breast cancer patients in the San Antonio Breast Tumor Bank. The monoclonal antibody M1G8 was used to detect cathepsin D (in previous study, a polyclonal antiserum had been used). The same monoclonal antibody was also used for frozen-section IHC staining of tumor specimens from 562 N- patients from the same tumor bank. Levels of cathepsin D expression were then correlated with DFS and OS. RESULTS Although the levels of cathepsin D expression as measured by Western blotting and IHC correlated with each other and with levels of cathepsin D measured in previous work using Western blotting with the polyclonal antiserum, in this present study, using the monoclonal antibody M1G8, we were unable to demonstrate that cathepsin D expression (measured by either Western blotting or by IHC) correlates with DFS or OS. CONCLUSION In this study, cathepsin D expression as determined by either Western blotting or IHC using the monoclonal antibody M1G8 failed to improve the prognostic evaluation of N- breast cancer patients. The role of cathepsin D expression as a prognostic factor is still not precisely defined, raising questions about its use in the routine evaluation of N- breast cancer patients.
Antibody-Dependent Lysis of Tumor Cells In Vivo. I. Early Lysis of Tumor Cells&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN1"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2"&gt;3&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: J C Scornik, P A Klein
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1978)

Possible mechanisms of in vivo killing of tumor cells by antibody (Ab) were explored in a model in which Ab suppresses tumor growth in mice. A proportion of tumor cells injected into the peritoneal cavities of complement-deficient A/J mice was lysed within 30 minutes in the presence of anti-tumor cell Ab as demonstrated by the release of 51Cr in vivo. Experiments in which [125I]5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled tumor cells were used showed that most tumor cells did not leave the injection site and that lysis occurred inside the peritoneal cavity. In addition, a proportion of the remaining sensitized tumor cells was significantly damaged, as shown by their decreased resistance to osmotic lysis. Morphologic studies ruled out phagocytosis of tumor cells as a mechanism of major significance. Tumor cell damage but not tumor cell lysis could also be induced in vitro with Ab and normal peritoneal cells. These results provided direct evidence of primary cytolysis induced by Ab in vivo, though other concomitant cytotoxic mechanisms may also take place in this model.
Hamstring injuries: prevention and treatment—an update
Authors: Peter Brukner
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2015)

Despite increased knowledge of hamstring muscle injuries, the incidence has not diminished. We now know that not all hamstring injuries are the same and that certain types of injuries require prolonged rehabilitation and return to play. The slow stretch type of injury and injuries involving the central tendon both require longer times to return to play. A number of factors have been proposed as being indicators of time taken to return to play, but the evidence for these is conflicting. Recurrence rates remain high and it is now thought that strength deficits may be an important factor. Strengthening exercise should be performed with the hamstrings in a lengthened position. There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma injection in the treatment of hamstring injuries so at this stage we cannot advise their use. Various tests have been proposed as predictors of hamstring injury and the use of the Nordboard is an interesting addition to the testing process. Prevention of these injuries is the ultimate aim and there is increasing evidence that Nordic hamstring exercises are effective in reducing the incidence.
Patient-reported outcomes with adjuvant exemestane versus tamoxifen in premenopausal women with early breast cancer undergoing ovarian suppression (TEXT and SOFT): a combined analysis of two phase 3 randomised trials
Authors: Jürg Bernhard, Weixiu Luo, Karin Ribi, Marco Colleoni, Harold J Burstein, Carlo Tondini, Graziella Pinotti, Simon Spazzapan, Thomas Ruhstaller, Fabio Puglisi, Lorenzo Pavesi, Vani Parmar, Meredith M Regan, Olivia Pagani, Gini F Fleming, Prudence A Francis, Karen N Price, Alan S Coates, Richard D Gelber, Aron Goldhirsch, Barbara A Walley
Journal: The Lancet Oncology (2015)
Use of varenicline in the treatment of smokers with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Segismundo Solano Reina, Lidia Perera Lopez, Paz Vaquero Lozano, Raquel Solano Garcia-Tenorio, Teresa Lopez Ruiz, Carlos A. Jiminez Ruiz, Jose Ignacio de Granda Orive
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Introduction: The use of VRN in patients with cardiovascular disorders (CVD) is effective and safe according to different studies.  Objective: Evaluate the efficacy and safety of using Varenicline as smoking cessation in a group of patients with CVD  Material and methods: We have reviewed our database and included medical records that recorded stable CVD (more 4 weeks): ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac bypass surgery, hypertension, stroke (previous stroke, transient ischemic attack) and vascular disease peripheral. Descriptive study with retrospective data collection.  All patients were treated VRN, a standard dose (1 mg/12 h) for 12 weeks, combined with brief counseling and the delivery of written self-help materials. All patients underwent clinical history of smoking. A total of 7visits were conducted (baseline, and at weeks 2nd, 4th and at months 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 12th). Smoking abstinence was confirmed by validation of exhaled CO (less 10 ppm).  Results:  180 patients, 22% women and 78% males, mean age: 58.34 (+-11.89) years. Mean no of cigarettes smoked per day: 23.76 (± 9.33). FTND-score Mean: 7.50 (± 1.32), mean CO: 25.26(± 12, 64)ppm.  Abstinence rates at 12, 24 and 52 weeks were 52%, 44% and 37%, respectevely  The withdrawal rate due to the presence of adverse effects was 7.6% (13). Side effects were: nausea (26.7%), headache (13.5%), insomnia (12.3%), vomiting (9.3%), and abnormal dreams (8.7%).  Conclusions:  1. Participants have a high consumption of cigarettes / day and severe dependence.  2. VRN was an effective pharmacotherapy to achieve cessation in smokers with stable CVD.  4. VRN was well tolerated, showing an acceptable safety profile in patients with stable CVD.
Effects of TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and IL-β on normal human bronchial epithelial cells
Authors: C. Kampf, A.J. Relova, S Sandler, G.M. Roomans
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1999)

Several diseases affecting the airways such as asthma are associated with both epithelial damage and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. To investigate the possible relation between cytokines and epithelial damage, the effects of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)-alpha, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) on normal human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro were studied. The cells were exposed to these cytokines for 48 or 72 h, followed by morphological, immunohistochemical and metabolic studies. Transmission and scanning electron microscopical analyses demonstrated damage to the mitochondria and an increase in cell processes induced by the cytokines. The use of antibodies against desmosomal cytokeratin showed a decrease in desmosome formation in IFN-gamma-exposed cells. Decreased glucose oxidation rate and increased accumulation of nitric oxide were found in cytokine-exposed cells. Nomega-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) reduced nitrite production. X-ray microanalysis showed an increase in the intracellular sodium/potassium ratio of the cells after exposure to cytokines, which is an indication of cell damage. The cytokines induced both necrosis and apoptosis to varying degrees. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha generally potentiate each other9s effects. In conclusion tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon gamma, and to a lesser extent interleukin-1beta, can cause damage to epithelial cells, which may be a factor involved in epithelial shedding in airway diseases.
Et: a Randomized, Multicenter, Phase III Trial of Platinum Versus Nonplatinum Chemotherapy, After Ercc1 Stratification, in Patients with Advanced/Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc)
Authors: S. Lee, F.H. Blackhall, J. Spicer, M.C. Nicolson, A. Chaudhuri, G. Middleton, S. Ahmed, J. Hicks, B. Crosse, M. Napier, J. Singer, D. Ferry, C. Lewanski, S. Rolls, N. Iles, Y. Ngai, R. Lillywhite, M. Falzon, R. Rudd, A. Hackshaw
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2014)
Exocrine Pancreas Cancer and Thromboembolic Events: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Andrew S. Epstein, Eileen M. O'Reilly
Journal: Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2012)

Exocrine pancreas cancer continues to represent a significant therapeutic challenge, with high rates of mortality and morbidity, including from thromboembolic events, which have long been described as a frequent complication of the disease. This article provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the literature to address the clinical and pathologic features recognized in pancreas cancer pertaining to thrombosis, and to discuss ongoing investigations of prophylactic anticoagulation in the hopes of improving disease-related outcomes.
Morphometric Assessment of Coronary Stenosis Relevance With Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Nieve Gonzalo, Javier Escaned, Fernando Alfonso, Christian Nolte, Vera Rodriguez, Pilar Jimenez-Quevedo, Camino Bañuelos, Antonia Fernández-Ortiz, Eulogio Garcia, Rosana Hernandez-Antolin, Carlos Macaya
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2012)
Compassion: hard to define, impossible to mandate
Authors: Raymond Chadwick
Journal: BMJ (2015)

Patients most likely want to interact with the person behind the professional, writes Raymond Chadwick , but it’s impossible to insist that staff connect emotionally with all patients

Since Robert Francis QC’s report of 2013 on the inquiry at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the word “compassion” has taken on new significance. Its exact meaning may not be obvious, but clearly it’s a good thing, and we need more of it. Francis wrote that patients “must receive effective services from caring, compassionate and committed staff working within a common culture.”1

In relation to training nurses he called for “an increased focus . . . on the practical requirements of delivering compassionate care.” This, he opined, would require aptitude tests for compassion during selection, training supported by national standards in “fundamental aspects of compassionate care,” and “leadership which constantly reinforces . . . standards of compassionate care.”

So we now have “values based recruitment,”2 an e-learning programme called Compassion in Practice ,3 and the “6 Cs”—care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment—as a vision for nurses, midwives, and care staff.4

But what do we understand by compassion? The Francis report did …
Unusual case of multiple pleural masses
Authors: Venu Sirpa, Parthipan Kanthapillai
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

A 80 year old lady was referred for evaluation of multiple pleural shadows. She was diagnosed to have myasthenia gravis 30 years ago and was treated with azathioprine until now. Six years ago she underwent bone marrow biopsy for investigation of anemia which revealed hypoplastic marrow with specific red cell aplasia including features consistent with azathioprine treatment.

Her hemoglobin was 11.5gm/dl. CT scan of the chest revealed multiple pleural masses. CT guided biopsy of the pleura showed bone marrow with apparently normal granulocytes, normoblasts, megakaryocytes and other myeloid elements. There was no evidence of leukemia or malignancy noted. There was no pleural or pulmonary tissue identified in the biopsy and the features were consistent with extra medullary hemopoiesis (EMH).

EMH is the proliferation of blood elements outside the bone marrow cavity. This mainly involves reticuloendothelial system (liver, spleen & lymph nodes) but is also known to occur in every organ of the body including thyroid, pericardium, kidney and lungs. Only a few cases of intra thoracic EMH have been reported in literature. These may manifest as paraosseus masses, pleural masses or haemothorax either alone or in combination. They occur characteristically either unilaterally or bilaterally in the posterior mediastinum. They present as rounded soft tissue opacities paravertebrally with a clear cut outline. Neither calcification nor bony erosion has been reported in these masses. EMH thus forms one of the important differential diagnoses of posterior mediastinal masses. This case illustrates the importance of considering EMH in the differential diagnosis of multiple pleural masses.
Automatic computation of apnea - Hipopnea index in patients with sleep apnea based on multivariate adaptive regression splines
Authors: Tomás Ruiz Albi, Felix del Campo, Roberto Hornero, Victor J. Marcos, Daniel Alvarez, María Gonzalez
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for SAHS diagnosis. Despite its high diagnostic performance, PSG presents some drawbacks since it is complex, expensive and time-consuming. Simplified diagnostic techniques are desirable.  This study proposes a novel method to estimate the AHI based on automated analysis of oxygen saturation data using signal-processing methods as multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS).  Patients and methods  240 patients were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into a training set with 96 patients (32 non SAHS and 64 SAHS) and a test set (60%) with 144 patients (48 non-SAHS and 96 SAHS). Oximetric recordings were parameterized by means of 14 characteristics from four feature subsets: time domain statistics, frequency domain statistics, spectral and nonlinear feature. Regression analysis was performed to estimate the functional relationship between the extracted features and the AHI. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and MARS were evaluated.  Results  The MARS algorithm achieved the highest performance with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.90 (0,87-0,93). and MLR of 0.80 (0,74-0,85). The highest accuracy of both algorithms was achieved for a decision threshold of 30 h-1, which represents a more conservative definition of SAHS. The MARS provided a correct decision rate of 93.75% (97.70 – 89.80) whereas the MLR model achieved 90.28 (95.12 – 85.44).Fig. 1 show Bland-Altman plots for MLR and MLP models.  Conclusions  The proposed MLP-based method could be used as an accurate method for SAHS diagnosis. Our results indicate a high agreement between actual and predicted AHI by MARS.
Mortality factor 4 like 1 protein mediates epithelial cell death in a mouse model of pneumonia
Authors: Chunbin Zou, Jin Li, Sheng Xiong, Yan Chen, Qin Wu, Xiuying Li, Nathaniel M. Weathington, SeungHye Han, Courtney Snavely, Bill B. Chen, Rama K. Mallampalli
Journal: Science Translational Medicine (2015)

Unchecked epithelial cell death is fundamental to the pathogenesis of pneumonia. The recognition of unique signaling pathways that preserve epithelial cell viability may present new opportunities for interventional strategies. We describe that mortality factor 4 like 1 (Morf4l1), a protein involved in chromatin remodeling, is constitutively expressed at low levels in the lung because of its continuous degradation mediated by an orphan ubiquitin E3 ligase subunit, Fbxl18. Expression of Morf4l1 increases in humans with pneumonia and is up-regulated in lung epithelia after exposure to Pseudomonas aeruginosa or lipopolysaccharide. In a mouse model of pneumonia induced by P. aeruginosa, Morf4l1 is stabilized by acetylation that protects it from Fbxl18-mediated degradation. After P. aeruginosa infection of mice, overexpression of Morf4l1 resulted in lung epithelial cell death, whereas its depletion restored cell viability. Using in silico modeling and drug-target interaction studies, we identified that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved thrombin inhibitor argatroban is a Morf4l1 antagonist. Argatroban inhibited Morf4l1-dependent histone acetylation, reduced its cytotoxicity, and improved survival of mice with experimental lung injury at doses that had no anticoagulant activity. These studies uncover a previously unrecognized biological mechanism whereby pathogens subvert cell viability by extending the life span of a cytotoxic host protein. Morf4l1 may be a potential molecular target for non-antibiotic pharmacotherapy during severe pulmonary infection.
Results of a Prospective Trial of Mantle Irradiation Alone for Selected Patients With Early-Stage Hodgkin’s Disease
Authors: Kendall H. Backstrand, Andrea K. Ng, Ronald W. Takvorian, Ellen L. Jones, David C. Fisher, Beverly J. Molnar-Griffin, Barbara Silver, Nancy J. Tarbell, Peter M. Mauch
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2001)

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of mantle radiation therapy alone in selected patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between October 1988 and June 2000, 87 selected patients with pathologic stage (PS) IA to IIA or clinical stage (CS) IA Hodgkin’s disease were entered onto a single-arm prospective trial of treatment with mantle irradiation alone. Eighty-three of 87 patients had ≥ 1 year of follow-up after completion of mantle irradiation and were included for analysis in this study. Thirty-seven patients had PS IA, 40 had PS IIA, and six had CS IA disease. Histologic distribution was as follows: nodular sclerosis (n = 64), lymphocyte predominant (n = 15), mixed cellularity (n = 3), and unclassified (n = 1). Median follow-up time was 61 months. RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial rates of freedom from treatment failure (FFTF) and overall survival were 86% and 100%, respectively. Eleven of 83 patients relapsed at a median time of 27 months. Nine of the 11 relapses contained at least a component below the diaphragm. All 11 patients who developed recurrent disease were alive without evidence of Hodgkin’s disease at the time of last follow-up. The 5-year FFTF in the 43 stage I patients was 92% compared with 78% in the 40 stage II patients (P = .04). Significant differences in FFTF were not seen by histology (P = .26) or by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer H-5F eligibility (P = .25). CONCLUSION: Mantle irradiation alone in selected patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s disease is associated with disease control rates comparable to those seen with extended field irradiation. The FFTF is especially favorable among stage I patients.
Delayed alloimmunization using random single donor platelet transfusions: a prospective study in thrombocytopenic patients with acute leukemia
Authors: J Gmur, A von Felten, B Osterwalder, H Honegger, A Hormann, C Sauter, K Deubelbeiss, W Berchtold, M Metaxas, G Scali, PG Frick
Journal: Blood (1983)