tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
CONSTITUENTS OF ELEMENTARY BODIES OF VACCINIA
Authors: Charles L. Hoagland, S. M. Ward, Joseph E. Smadel, Thomas M. Rivers
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1940)

The effects of a number of crystalline and highly purified enzymes on elementary bodies of vaccinia are reported. These effects have been followed by determination of amino nitrogen, staining reaction, and studies of infectivity. Pepsin, at a pH which inactivates the virus, results in its solution and rapid release of amino nitrogen. Crystalline trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase, and ribonuclease are without appreciable effect on the virus. Papain within a short time produces profound alteration in the staining reaction of the elementary body with release of amino nitrogen accompanied by complete inactivation of the virus. This reaction is not shared by crystalline ficin, another plant papain, or by cathepsin, an intracellular proteinase analogous to plant papains but of animal origin.
Transparency and trust
Authors: Kamran Abbasi
Journal: BMJ (2004)

<h3>ABSTRACT</h3> <h3>Background</h3> Student residences are at high risk for rapid COVID-transmission due to crowding and frequent close contact. <h3>Aim</h3> We aimed to investigate the overall secondary attack rates (SAR) in student residences and to discern risk factors for higher transmission in order to improve the evidence base for screening efforts and preventive measures. <h3>Methods</h3> In this retrospective case-ascertained study, we analysed data from student residences screened in Leuven, Belgium between October 2020 and May 2021, following detection of a COVID-19 case in the residence. We investigated the impact on the SAR in the living units screened of delay-time until follow-up, shared use of kitchen or sanitary facilities, presence of an external infection source and occurrence of social gatherings attended by the index case. <h3>Results</h3> We included 200 residence units, representing 2326 screened residents, of which 68 units showed secondary transmission. The overall SAR was estimated at 0.0813 (95%CI 0.0705-0.0936). Both sharing sanitary facilities (p=0.04) and social gatherings attended by the index case (p=0.033) significantly impacted SAR, which increased from 3% to 13% when both risk factors were present compared to absent. <h3>Conclusions</h3> We identify risk factors which should be considered when selecting students for screening during an outbreak of COVID-19 in student residences to improve comprehensiveness and proportionality of testing. The identified risk factors improve the evidence base for preventive measures aimed at limiting social gatherings and improving ventilation of shared spaces in outbreak-prone settings. Lastly, they should be considered when designing student accommodation and other shared households.
Drug Use in Patients With Diabetes
Authors: Per E Wändell, Bengt Brorsson, Hans Åberg
Journal: Diabetes Care (1996)

OBJECTIVE To describe the use of pharmaceutical medications by patients with diabetes in Sweden. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed the computerized Surveys of Living Conditions (SLC), performed regularly in Sweden, for the years 1988 and 1989, among individuals aged 16–84 years. Drug use (during a 2-week period) and the use of health services (during a 3-month period) were registered for subjects with diabetes (n = 361) and compared with age- and gender-standardized figures (using the diabetes group as the standard) in subjects with hypertension but without diabetes (n = 980), in subjects with a musculoskeletal condition but without diabetes (n = 2,187), in healthy subjects free from any medical condition (n = 6,664), and in the general population sample (n = 12,717). RESULTS The reported use of medication was higher for subjects with diabetes compared with the general population regarding overall use (92.5 vs. 71.9%; P &amp;lt; 0.001), the use of cardiovascular drugs (52.2 vs. 36.3%; P &amp;lt; 0.001), all use of analgesics (43.8 vs. 36.5%; P &amp;lt; 0.05), and use of psychoactive drugs (23.5 vs. 15.3%; P &amp;lt; 0.01). Compared with the hypertension group, the use was lower regarding cardiovascular drugs (52.2 vs. 93.3%; P &amp;lt; 0.001), and compared with the musculoskeletal group, the use was lower regarding all use of analgesics (43.8 vs. 56.5%; P &amp;lt; 0.01) and the use of herbal products (6.8 vs. 11.8%; P &amp;lt; 0.05), but was higher regarding cardiovascular drugs (52.2 vs. 37.8%; P &amp;lt; 0.001). The use was higher compared with the healthy individuals, regarding all groups of drugs with the exception of vitamins and herbal products. CONCLUSIONS Diabetic subjects have a higher overall use of drugs compared with the general population. Compared with other chronic illnesses, the differences are small except for disease-specific drugs (cardiovascular drugs in the hypertension group and analgesics in the musculoskeletal group). The main difference concerns the comparison with healthy subjects who had a markedly higher drug rate among diabetic subjects, thus signifying a greater impact on health.
MMR vaccine row raises questions of clinical freedom
Authors: H. Barratt
Journal: BMJ (2001)

The doctor who referred a colleague providing single vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella to the General Medical Council has defended his actions as the only available way of raising issues of patients' safety in the private sector.

Professor Brian McCloskey, director of public health for Worcestershire Health Authority, said that he had been caught in the middle of two conflicting clinical views and has asked the General Medical Council to take a further look into …
Poverty and blindness in Pakistan: results from the Pakistan national blindness and visual impairment survey
Authors: Clare E Gilbert, S P Shah, M Z Jadoon, R Bourne, B Dineen, M A Khan, G J Johnson, M D Khan
Journal: BMJ (2007)

<b>Objective</b> To explore the association between blindness and deprivation in a nationally representative sample of adults in Pakistan. <b>Design</b> Cross sectional population based survey. <b>Setting</b> 221 rural and urban clusters selected randomly throughout Pakistan. <b>Participants</b> Nationally representative sample of 16 507 adults aged 30 or above (95.3% response rate). <b>Main outcome measures</b> Associations between visual impairment and poverty assessed by a cluster level deprivation index and a household level poverty indicator; prevalence and causes of blindness; measures of the rate of uptake and quality of eye care services. <b>Results</b> 561 blind participants (&lt;3/60 in the better eye) were identified during the survey. Clusters in urban Sindh province were the most affluent, whereas rural areas in Balochistan were the poorest. The prevalence of blindness in adults living in affluent clusters was 2.2%, compared with 3.7% in medium clusters and 3.9% in poor clusters (P&lt;0.001 for affluent <i>v</i> poor). The highest prevalence of blindness was found in rural Balochistan (5.2%). The prevalence of total blindness (bilateral no light perception) was more than three times higher in poor clusters than in affluent clusters (0.24% <i>v</i> 0.07%, P&lt;0.001). The prevalences of blindness caused by cataract, glaucoma, and corneal opacity were lower in affluent clusters and households. Reflecting access to eye care services, cataract surgical coverage was higher in affluent clusters (80.6%) than in medium (76.8%) and poor areas (75.1%). Intraocular lens implantation rates were significantly lower in participants from poorer households. 10.2% of adults living in affluent clusters presented to the examination station wearing spectacles, compared with 6.7% in medium clusters and 4.4% in poor cluster areas. Spectacle coverage in affluent areas was more than double that in poor clusters (23.5% <i>v</i> 11.1%, P&lt;0.001). <b>Conclusion</b> Blindness is associated with poverty in Pakistan; lower access to eye care services was one contributory factor. To reduce blindness, strategies targeting poor people will be needed. These interventions may have an impact on deprivation in Pakistan.
Statistical analysis of Fisher et al. PBPK model of trichloroethylene kinetics.
Authors: F Y Bois
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2000)

Two physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for trichloroethylene (TCE) in mice and humans were calibrated with new toxicokinetic data sets. Calibration is an important step in model development, essential to a legitimate use of models for research or regulatory purposes. A Bayesian statistical framework was used to combine prior information about the model parameters with the data likelihood to yield posterior parameter distributions. For mice, these distributions represent uncertainty. For humans, the use of a population statistical model yielded estimates of both variability and uncertainty in human toxicokinetics of TCE. After adjustment of the models by Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling, the mouse model agreed with a large part of the data. Yet, some data on secondary metabolites were not fit well. The posterior parameter distributions obtained for mice were quite narrow (coefficient of variation [CV] of about 10 or 20%), but these CVs might be underestimated because of the incomplete fit of the model. The data fit, for humans, was better than for mice. Yet, some improvement of the model is needed to correctly describe trichloroethanol concentrations over long time periods. Posterior uncertainties about the population means corresponded to 10-20% CV. In terms of human population variability, volumes and flows varied across subject by approximately 20% CV. The variability was somewhat higher for partition coefficients (between 30 and 40%) and much higher for the metabolic parameters (standard deviations representing about a factor of 2). Finally, the analysis points to differences between human males and females in the toxicokinetics of TCE. The significance of these differences in terms of risk remains to be investigated.
Mechanisms of peripheral tolerance to allergens
Authors: O. U. Soyer, M. Akdis, J. Ring, H. Behrendt, R. Crameri, R. Lauener, C. A. Akdis
Journal: Allergy (2012)

Abstract The immune system is regulated to protect the host from exaggerated stimulatory signals establishing a state of tolerance in healthy individuals. The disequilibrium in immune regulatory vs effector mechanisms results in allergic or autoimmune disorders in genetically predisposed subjects under certain environmental conditions. As demonstrated in allergen‐specific immunotherapy and in the healthy immune response to high‐dose allergen exposure models in humans, T regulatory cells are essential in the suppression of T h2‐mediated inflammation, maintenance of immune tolerance, induction of the two suppressive cytokines interleukin‐10 and transforming growth factor‐β, inhibition of allergen‐specific I g E , and enhancement of I g G 4 and I g A . Also, suppression of dendritic cells, mast cells, and eosinophils contributes to the construction of peripheral tolerance to allergens. This review focuses on mechanisms of peripheral tolerance to allergens with special emphasis on recent developments in the area of immune regulation.
Users of NHS will be surveyed
Authors: J. Warden
Journal: BMJ (1998)

The views of patients and health service users in England are to be polled in the first official survey of what they think about the NHS. About 150000 people who have used the NHS recently will be surveyed.

The survey will seek their views on a range of issues, including ease of access, length of wait for treatment, quality of information provided about their treatment, efficiency of treatment, …
In vivo resistance of lipolysis to epinephrine. A new feature of childhood onset obesity.
Authors: P Bougnères, C L Stunff, C Pecqueur, E Pinglier, P Adnot, D Ricquier
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1997)

A decreased mobilization of triglycerides may contribute to fat accumulation in adipocytes, leading to obesity. However, this hypothesis remains to be proven. In this study, epinephrine-induced lipid mobilization was investigated in vivo in nine markedly obese children (160+/-5% ideal body weight) aged 12.1+/-0.1 yr during the dynamic phase of fat deposition, compared with six age-matched nonobese children. As an in vivo index of lipolysis, we measured glycerol flux using a nonradioactive tracer dilution approach, and plasma free fatty acid concentrations. In the basal state, the obese children had a 30% lower rate of glycerol release per unit fat mass than the lean children. To study the regulation of lipolysis, epinephrine was infused stepwise at fixed doses of 0.75 and then 1. 50 microg/min in both groups. In lean children, glycerol flux and plasma free fatty acid increased to an average of 249-246% of basal values, respectively, in response to a mean plasma epinephrine of 396+/-41 pg/ml. The corresponding increase was only 55-72% in the obese children, although their mean plasma epinephrine reached 606+/-68 pg/ml. All obese and nonobese children, except an Arg64Trp heterozygote, were homozygotes for Trp at position 64 of their beta3-adrenoreceptor. The resistance of lipolysis to epinephrine showed no relationship with the Arg64 polymorphism of the beta3-adrenoreceptor gene. In summary, in vivo lipolysis, which mostly reflects the mobilization of lipid stores from subcutaneous adipose tissue, shows a decreased sensitivity to epinephrine in childhood onset obesity. Since our study was carried out in obese children during the dynamic phase of fat accumulation, the observed resistance to catecholamines might possibly be causative rather than the result of obesity.
Cardiac arrhythmias and "epilepsy".
Authors: M Winter
Journal: BMJ (1979)

been evaluating evening primrose oil in dye-free capsules in 14 patients with long-lasting MS, all of whom displayed pyramidal, cerebellar, and posterior column signs and symptoms.They were clinically relatively stable and no patient had had an obvious relapse in the year before starting evening primrose oil.They were assessed clinically using the Kurtzke disability score.Fine motor control was assessed using the B-M manual dexterity test, which involves putting small pins into holes in 60 seconds.Grip strength was assessed by a dynamometer.All the patients had had previous experience with the tests.Eight patients received four 0-6 ml evening primrose oil capsules/
Auscultation of Foetal Heart Rate: an Assessment of its Error and Significance
Authors: E. Day, L. Maddern, C. Wood
Journal: BMJ (1968)

Auscultation of foetal heart rate was shown to be subject to three types of error: a random error, an error biased towards normality when the heart rate is fast or slow, and an error based on the inability to count the heart rate during contractions. In spite of these limitations a clinically observed foetal heart rate of more than 160 beats per minute was shown to be associated with significantly lower Apgar scores at birth. In contrast, a steady foetal heart rate of 100–120 beats per minute was not.
TYPE I HYPEESENSITIVITY AND THE SKIN*
Authors: C. N. D. CRUICKSHANK
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1969)

Journal Article TYPE I HYPEESENSITIVITY AND THE SKIN Get access C. N. D. CRUICKSHANK C. N. D. CRUICKSHANK Unit for Research on the Experimental Pathology of the Skin, University of Birmingham Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 81, Issue s3, 1 June 1969, Pages 7–10, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1969.tb12848.x Published: 01 June 1969
Impact of symptoms of anxiety and depression on COPD Assessment Test scores
Authors: C. W. Hilmarsen, S. Wilke, H. Engan, M. A. Spruit, J. Rodenburg, D. J. A. Janssen, S. Steinshamn, P. W. Jones, E. F. M. Wouters, L. Oldervoll, F. M. E. Franssen
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Anxiety and depression are common comorbidities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and affect patients’ health status [1, 2]. Health status in COPD patients is frequently assessed by the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), which is a validated disease-specific questionnaire widely used in clinical trials [3], but complex and time-consuming to complete and score. Consequently, the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) has been developed [4]. This is a disease-specific health status questionnaire containing eight items with good sensitivity, reliability and responsiveness [4]. CAT scores are strongly positively correlated with SGRQ scores in patients with COPD [4]. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesise that those COPD patients with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression will report higher CAT scores (equalling worse health status) compared to those without symptoms.

The latest version of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) document [5] recommends the CAT as a tool to assess the impact of COPD on the individual patient beyond airflow limitation. Although it was known that clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety and depression are more common in patients in GOLD stage IV compared to patients in GOLD stages I and II [1], the frequency distribution of patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression across the updated GOLD classification remains unknown. Recently, Sillen et al. [6] reported a prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression of 38% and 32%, respectively, in COPD patients with GOLD group D.

We aimed to assess …
Iraqi hospitals prove unwilling to treat injured soldiers
Authors: Roger Dobson
Journal: BMJ (2006)

Iraq's Ministry of Health has obstructed access to care for injured members of the Iraqi armed services, a new report says.

Politics, lack of leadership, and a cultural bias against treating soldiers in civilian hospitals have hindered access to care for wounded members of Iraq's armed forces, says the article, which was published online on 19 September in the World Journal of Surgery (http://www.springerlink.com).

Many of the wounded soldiers, it says, are being treated by American doctors. “US surgeons are providing trauma care for Iraqi soldiers in American field hospitals, with more than 80% of hospital bed days occupied by Iraqis.”

The authors say it is imperative that the …
BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS IN CONGENTIAL HEART DISEASE
Authors: NORMAN E. CLARKE
Journal: JAMA (1923)

The occurrence of bacterial endocarditis in association with a congenital cardiac defect is of interest because it is uncommon, because it presents certain diagnostic difficulties, and because of its bearing on the origin of bacterial infection of the endocardium. Its rarity is probably due to the infrequency of congenital heart disease after the first few years of life. According to Libman,1bacterial endocarditis usually attacks damaged valves or altered endocardial surfaces. Sufferers from congenital cardiac defects are, therefore, probably more prone to develop bacterial endocarditis than are normal persons. In children in whom both congenital and acquired cardiac affections are frequent, it is surprising, as Cautley2has pointed out, that bacterial endocarditis is not more common than it is.  Among the 150 cases of bacterial endocarditis included in Horder's3series, there were eight cases in which the heart showed congenital lesions. Allbutt4has reported sixty-four cases
The prevalence of surface antigen variants of hepatitis B virus in Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and Sardinia
Authors: W F Carman, F J Van Deursen, L T Mimms, D Hardie, R Coppola, R Decker, R Sanders
Journal: Hepatology (1997)

Three assays, one based on monoclonal antibodies and the others on polyclonal antibodies, were employed to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-reactive samples in both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations in areas of the world where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic. Any discordant sera were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm current infection, and sequence data were obtained from the DNA coding for the major hydrophilic region (MHR) of HBsAg of those samples positive for PCR. In all countries studied, samples that reacted in one HBsAg assay but not another were found. In the most extreme case, about 5% of viremic sera in Papua New Guinea were nonreactive in the monoclonal HBsAg assay; 9 of the 13 PCR-positive samples had novel or once-described variants, or a variant out of its usual genotype context. In South Africa, samples with sequences of subtype ayw2 reacted poorly, particularly in the polyclonal assay. Two had novel variants. In Sardinia, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was analyzed as a marker of infection. A significant proportion of anti-HBc-positive, but monoclonal HBsAg-negative, vaccinees and unvaccinated persons were found to be PCR positive, as were some individuals without any markers of hepatitis B virus infection. Five more novel variants were found in these groups. There are implications for the design of HBsAg assays, which may have to be modified according to local sequence variability. Not all discordant samples were explained by variants, indicating that assay sensitivity is fundamental to diagnostic efficacy. Overall, this study defined 16 novel variants and 2 new potential epitope clusters.
Swine flu incidence in England is slowing down
Authors: N. Siva
Journal: BMJ (2009)

The signs are that the weekly number of new infections of A/H1N1 flu is beginning to level off, the Department of Health for England has said.

It is estimated that there were 110 000 new cases in the week ending 26 July, up from 100 000 cases the previous week. Previously the number of new cases each week had been doubling.

England’s chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, announced on 30 July that, since the start of the outbreak, there had been 27 confirmed deaths in England.

Most of these deaths were of people with severe underlying conditions, he …
Sorafenib perpetuates cellular anticancer effector functions by modulating the crosstalk between macrophages and natural killer cells
Authors: Martin Franz Sprinzl, Florian Reisinger, Andreas Puschnik, Marc Ringelhan, Kerstin Ackermann, Daniel Hartmann, Matthias Schiemann, Arndt Weinmann, Peter Robert Galle, Marcus Schuchmann, Helmut Friess, Gerd Otto, Mathias Heikenwalder, Ulrike Protzer
Journal: Hepatology (2013)

Alternatively polarized macrophages (Mϕ) shape the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and temper anticancer immune responses. We investigated if sorafenib alters the HCC microenvironment by restoring classical macrophage polarization and triggering tumor-directed natural killer (NK) cell responses. In vivo experiments were conducted with sorafenib (25 mg/kg)-treated C57BL/6 wildtype as well as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and lymphotoxin transgenic mice with and without HCC. Monocyte-derived Mϕ or tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) isolated from HCC tissue were treated with sorafenib (0.07-5.0 μg/mL) and cocultured with autologous NK cells. Mϕ and NK cell activation was analyzed by flow cytometry and killing assays, respectively. Cytokine and growth factor release was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Short-term administration of sorafenib triggered activation of hepatic NK cells in wildtype and tumor-bearing mice. In vitro, sorafenib sensitized Mϕ to lipopolysaccharide, reverted alternative Mϕ polarization and enhanced IL12 secretion (P = 0.0133). NK cells activated by sorafenib-treated Mϕ showed increased degranulation (15.3 ± 0.2% versus 32.0 ± 0.9%, P < 0.0001) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) secretion (2.1 ± 0.2% versus 8.0 ± 0.2%, P < 0.0001) upon target cell contact. Sorafenib-triggered NK cell activation was verified by coculture experiments using TAM. Sorafenib-treated Mϕ increased cytolytic NK cell function against K562, Raji, and HepG2 target cells in a dose-dependent manner. Neutralization of interleukin (IL)12 or IL18 as well as inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway reversed NK cell activation in Mϕ/NK cocultures. Conclusion: Sorafenib triggers proinflammatory activity of TAM and subsequently induces antitumor NK cell responses in a cytokine- and NF-κB-dependent fashion. This observation is relevant for HCC therapy, as sorafenib is a compound in clinical use that reverts alternative polarization of TAM in HCC. (HEPATOLOGY 2013;57:2358–2368)