tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Influenza A (H1N1) Virus, 2009 — Online Monitoring
Authors: John S. Brownstein, Clark C. Freifeld, Lawrence C. Madoff
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2009)

Given the emergence of the current influenza A (H1N1) virus, the value of Web-based information for early disease detection, public health monitoring, and risk communication has never been as evident as it is today.
Medical Imaging in the 21st Century — Getting the Best Bang for the Rad
Authors: David J. Brenner
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2010)

In the United States, the average radiation dose to which we are exposed has doubled in the past 30 years.1,2 The average dose from natural background sources has not changed, but what has changed is that there has been an increase by a factor of more than 6 in the average radiation dose from medical imaging.13 In 1980, medical imaging was responsible for only about 15% of the total radiation exposure to the U.S. population from all sources; now the proportion is about 50%.Up to 30% of the radiation exposure to the U.S. population that is associated . . .
The Ethical Use of Human Fetal Tissue in Medicine
Authors: Henry T. Greely, Thomas Hamm, Rodney Johnson, Carole R. Price, Randy Weingarten, Thomas Raffin
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1989)

IN the past few years, medical science has made dramatic advances through research that uses tissue from dead human fetuses. At the same time, this research has led to controversy over the ethics of using human fetal tissue, particularly tissue from induced abortions. In the spring of 1988, the Department of Health and Human Services halted all therapeutic research using tissue from fetuses aborted electively—stopping first all research at the National Institutes of Health and then any research by the Public Health Service — until the ethical considerations it involves have been studied further.1 , 2 This report, like the department's moratoriums, . . .
Tumor-Derived Osteopontin Suppresses Antitumor Immunity by Promoting Extramedullary Myelopoiesis
Authors: Eun-Kyung Kim, Insu Jeon, Hyungseok Seo, Young-Jun Park, Boyeong Song, Kyoo-A Lee, Yongwoo Jang, Yeonseok Chung, Chang-Yuil Kang
Journal: Cancer Research (2014)

Abstract Extramedullary myelopoiesis occurs commonly in tumor-bearing animals and is known to lead to accumulation of peripheral myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), which play an important role in immune escape. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which tumors induce extramedullary myelopoiesis are poorly understood. In this study, we found that osteopontin expressed by tumor cells enhances extramedullary myelopoiesis in a CD44-dependent manner through the Erk1/2–MAPK pathway. Osteopontin-mediated extramedullary myelopoiesis was directly associated with increased MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts. More importantly, osteopontin silencing in tumor cells delayed both tumor growth and extramedullary myelopoiesis, while the same treatment did not affect tumor growth in vitro. Finally, treatment with an antibody against osteopontin inhibited tumor growth and synergized with cell-based immunotherapeutic vaccines in mediating antitumor immunity. Our findings unveil a novel immunosuppressive role for tumor-derived osteopontin and offer a rationale for its therapeutic targeting in cancer treatment. Cancer Res; 74(22); 6705–16. ©2014 AACR.
Fel d 1–derived peptide antigen desensitization shows a persistent treatment effect 1 year after the start of dosing: A randomized, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Deepen Patel, Peter Couroux, Pascal Hickey, Anne Marie Salapatek, Paul Laidler, Mark Larché, Roderick P. Hafner
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2012)

Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is an increasingly common source of morbidity, with sensitivity to cats accounting for 10% to 15% of disease burden. Allergy to cats is also a major risk factor for the development of asthma.We sought to probe the persistence of the treatment effect of a novel F el d 1-derived peptide antigen desensitization (Cat-PAD) 1 year after the start of treatment in subjects with cat allergy-induced rhinoconjunctivitis after standardized allergen challenge.In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, subjects attended an environmental exposure chamber in which they were exposed to cat allergen before and after treatment with 2 different regimens of Cat-PAD over a 3-month period. Clinical efficacy was assessed as a change in total rhinoconjunctivitis symptom scores 18 to 22 weeks and 50 to 54 weeks after the start of treatment.Treatment with Cat-PAD showed greater efficacy with 4 administrations of a 6-nmol dose 4 weeks apart than with 8 administrations of a 3-nmol dose 2 weeks apart. The treatment effect of 6 nmol persisted 1 year after the start of treatment and was significantly different from that of 3 nmol (P = .0342) and placebo (P = .0104). The treatment effect was apparent on both nasal and ocular symptoms at 1 year.A short course of Cat-PAD improves the ocular and nasal components of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms in subjects with cat allergy, with the treatment effect persisting 1 year after the start of treatment.
The Efficacy of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in NIDDM subjects: A criteria-based literature review
Authors: A Faas, F G Schellevis, J T M Van Eijk
Journal: Diabetes Care (1997)

To determine the efficacy of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in NIDDM patients from studies published during the years 1976-1996.A systematic literature search was conducted. The selected studies were assessed for their methodological quality and reviewed on the reported efficacy and on the following topics: characteristics of the study population, follow-up duration, nature of the efficacy measures, use of a therapy decision scheme, nature of the intervention, nature of the SMBG device, patient instruction, type of SMBG regime, assessment of the frequency of self-measurement, and whether feedback was given on the measured glucose levels. Studies with positive conclusions on the efficacy of SMBG were compared with studies with negative conclusions on the basis of the these characteristics to determine which factors could have contributed to the results.Of the 11 studies identified, only 4 met all quality criteria. Six of the studies were randomized controlled trials, of which only one showed positive conclusions regarding the efficacy of SMBG. Although the studies differed on most topics, no factor could be identified as responsible for the results of the studies.The efficacy of SMBG in NIDDM patients is still questionable and should be tested in a rigorous high-quality randomized controlled trial, for which some recommendations are given.
Problems of Vietnam Veterans: A Correction
Authors: John Ingram Walker
Journal: JAMA (1982)

To the Editor.—  I regret to note that one of the references cited in my article The Psychological Problems of Vietnam  (1981;246:781) contained faulty information regarding suicides and criminal activity among Vietnam veterans, which I repeated in good faith in the article.  My source for the information was the Presidential Review Memorandum on Vietnam Veterans , Oct 10, 1978, which was later published by the US House Committee on Veterans Affairs, 96th Congress in House Committee, print No. 38, 1979.  After my article appeared, it was brought to my attention that then Administrator of Veterans Affairs Max Cleland had disavowed much of the information his agency had supplied the authors of the Presidential Review Memorandum.  In a letter to then-Chairman Ray Roberts of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Cleland wrote on Jan 24, 1979, Upon rechecking the source of the VEV [Vietnam-era veteran] suicide statistic to which you referred, it was
Polymyalgia rheumatica: Assessment of disease activity using erythrocyte sedimentation rate and plasma viscosity
Authors: W. Esselinckx, R. C. Bucknall, A. St. J. Dixon
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1977)

Comparison of clinically assessed activity of disease with 112 paired readings of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the plasma viscosity (PV) in 23 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) showed the following. (1) A correlation between ESR and PV in both sexes, reaching the significance obtained in a comparison group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (109 paired readings), with no significant difference between the PMR and RA groups on analysis of variance of the regression slopes. (2) A degree of scatter of readings around the regression lines so that they could not be used for prediction of ESR from the PV or vice versa. (3) varkappa(2) analysis of normal and abnormal values of ESR and PV which showed a highly significant correlation. However 10 readings were abnormally high for ESR in the presence of a normal PV. 5 of these 10 observations were associated with clinical features of disease activity. 20 readings were abnormally high for PV in spite of a normal ESR with only one instance of clinical activity. These data indicate that it is not possible to provide exact guidelines for a ;safe' level of ESR or PV applicable to the individual patient, and measurement of both these indices of disease activity is recommended.
Prognosis: Contemporary Outcomes of Disease
Authors: John H. Talbott
Journal: JAMA (1981)

To describe any medical monograph as monumental is done so frequently that the intended meaning has largely disappeared. However, the efforts of Fries and Ehrlich in producing the final text of<i>Prognosis</i>command respect from many. The introductory remarks are interlaced with pertinent excerpts from the past that emphasize the inevitable reliance on the knowledge gained from the natural history of disease in expressing prognosis. In today's enlightened prognoses, as predicted in this new book, natural history takes a secondary place behind predictions based on effective treatment that has enjoyed success, decade by decade, in combating disease beyond most expectations. One hundred thirty-one specific diseases are broken down into 14 categories prepared by more than 125 highly competent and deeply interested contributors. The authors tell us that each contribution was submitted to one or more of 200 consultants for review before acceptance. The consultants included Raymond D. Adams and C.
THE EFFECT OF DIETHYLSTILBESTROL ON THE CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN METABOLISM OF PROSTATIC CARCINOMA 1
Authors: Albert Schilling, Daniel Laszlo, Judith Bellin, Estelle D. Gottesman
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1950)

This report deals with a metabolic study on a patient with diffuse osseous metastases secondary to carcinoma of the prostate gland.The patient was studied before treatment and during the first four months of estrogen therapy.The clinical course and the chemical, roentgeno- logical and pathological findings in prostatic car- cinoma have been extensively documented in the medical literature (1, 2).Since the fundamental work of Huggins and co-workers (3-5) the effects of castration and female sex hormone medi- cation have been repeatedly described (1, 6, 7).However, to our knowledge, there have not been any reports of an evaluation of the mineral and protein metabolism of patients with this disease, nor of the effects of therapy on calcium, phos- phorus and nitrogen metabolism.3CASE REPORT HistoryThe patient M.B. (M.H. 47872), age 69, was admitted to Montefiore Hospital May 1949.He had been an operator in a garment factory and had worked until sev- eral months prior to hospitalization.His diet and habits were good, and his past medical history was uneventful.The symptoms of his present illness began with low back pain in April 1948.He consulted an orthopedic surgeon in June 1948 and X-rays were taken.Bone biopsy was advised, but the patient refused the procedure.In Sep- tember 1948, he noticed a tender lump in the right lower portion of his back.He entered another hospital in November 1948, and a mass was excised from the right
Common Problems in Vascular Surgery
Authors: Hugh H. Trout
Journal: JAMA (1990)

This volume is one in a series dedicated to reviewing common clinical problems encountered by surgeons. Dr Brewster is the editor of this volume related to vascular problems, and he has recruited a superb group of contributors with special expertise in the specific problem each addresses. The format consists of a brief (threeor four-sentence) synopsis of a clinical vascular problem, a five- to nine-page analysis, and six to ten pertinent references. There appears to be no standard imposed style for the analysis; each essayist provides his personal view of the salient issues and then proceeds to present his method of approaching the problem with the reasons for his choices. Dr Brewster's charge to his authors appears to have been to assume no detailed knowledge of the state of the art by the reader, to set forth a logical and careful treatment plan, and to express thoughts clearly and thoroughly, but
MUMPS AND APPENDICITIS
Authors: J. Donnelly, J. B. Oldham
Journal: BMJ (1933)

The concentrations of serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides have been measured in 7735 men aged 40 to 59 years who were drawn from general practices in 24 towns in England, Wales, and Scotland. The distribution of these blood lipids, their interrelations and their association with age, social class, body mass index, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activity at work have been examined. Body mass index emerges as the factor most strongly associated with these three blood lipids. Serum total cholesterol increased with increasing body mass index until about 28 kg/m2 but thereafter showed no further rise. The relation between body mass index and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol was negative and linear; that between body mass index and triglycerides was positive and linear. The inverse relation between high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides was independent of the fact that both were related to body mass index. Alcohol intake was associated with increased high density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations and cigarette smoking with lowered high density lipoprotein concentrations; the association with alcohol appeared to be dominant. No significant trends with age were observed for the three blood lipids. In this population, body mass index is closely associated with the concentration of blood lipids but its effects are probably indirect and mediated by a complex of dietary and other factors.
Why do people use paracetamol for suicide?
Authors: B G Gazzard, M Davis, J Spooner, R Williams
Journal: BMJ (1976)

A questionnaire to assess motives for choosing paracetamol as a suicidal agent was completed by 107 patients admitted after an overdose of the drug. None of the 48 patients interviewed would have chosen paracetamol had they known that there would be an interval of two to three days before the onset of serious symptoms. Only five of the patients had obtained the drug on prescription, but the remainder had obtained it easily from a retail pharmacy. There was no apparent reason for the preference for paracetamol. It would be difficult to restrict the availability of paracetamol, and educating the public about the effects of an overdose would be more appropriate.
HOST FACTORS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PNEUMOCOCCUS PNEUMONIA
Authors: Ezra A. Sharp, Francis G. Blake
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1930)

The present study was undertaken in order to determine whether animals exhibiting cutaneous hypersensitiveness to pneumococcus would show an acute inflammatory reaction in the lungs when pneumococcus autolysate was brought into contact with the pulmonary tissues and, if so, whether the pulmonary reaction might be shown to be due to the allergic state of the animal, rather than to intrinsic properties of the autolysate. Twenty young rabbits were sensitized to pneumococcus by various procedures and their degree of hypersensitiveness determined at frequent intervals over varying periods of time by means of intracutaneous injections of pneumococcus autolysate standardized on the basis of nitrogen content and so treated as to be devoid of the known toxic principles. Twenty-four hours after the last skin test each rabbit was injected intratracheally with the same pneumococcus autolysate. Seven non-sensitive controls were similarly injected intratracheally. Twenty-four hours after intratracheal injection the rabbits were killed. The lungs were removed, a portion was cultured, and the rest was examined histologically. Of the twenty sensitized rabbits, three that showed no cutaneous sensitivity and three that were only slightly skin-sensitive at the time of intratracheal injection exhibited no detectable pulmonary reaction to the autolysate; eleven of fourteen that showed moderate to extreme cutaneous hypersensitiveness were found to have an acute exudative inflammation of the lungs. The exudate consisted largely of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and serum. It varied in extent from a slight focal exudate lining the bronchioles and adjacent alveoli to a very marked diffuse involvement of considerable portions of the lung. In all but one of the eleven the cultures of the lungs were sterile. The single animal showing a positive culture (B. lepisepticum) has been excluded. None of the seven non-sensitive controls showed any pulmonary reaction to the autolysate. From these results it may be concluded that there is in rabbits a fairly close parallelism between cutaneous and pulmonary hypersensitiveness to pneumococcus autolysate and that the inflammatory response of the pulmonary tissue resulting from contact with the autolysate depends upon the allergic state of the animal rather than upon inherently injurious substances in the autolysate. The observations are in harmony with the theory that allergy may play a part in the pathogenesis of pneumococcus pneumonia in man.
Struck-off doctor refuses to attend "farcical" regulatory hearing
Authors: C. Dyer
Journal: BMJ (2014)

A locum psychiatrist has been struck off the medical register for failing to inform a 2012 fitness to practise hearing into her workplace behaviour about a further incident that had led to her suspension from work. She refused to attend the latest hearing, saying “I refuse to validate this farce . . . by giving it my time or money.”

Elizabeth Jasiak, 41, who qualified in Lublin, Poland, received a formal warning in May 2012 after a Medical Practitioners …
Immunogenicity of a Tetravalent Meningococcal Glycoconjugate Vaccine in Infants
Authors: Matthew D. Snape, Kirsten P. Perrett, Karen J. Ford, Tessa M. John, David Pace, Ly-Mee Yu, Joanne M. Langley, Shelley McNeil, Peter M. Dull, Francesca Ceddia, Alessandra Anemona, Scott A. Halperin, Simon Dobson, Andrew J. Pollard
Journal: JAMA (2008)

Immunization with a meningococcal tetravalent (serogroup ACWY) glycoconjugate vaccine is recommended for all US adolescents. However, the currently licensed vaccine is poorly immunogenic in infancy, when the highest rates of disease are observed.To determine the immunogenicity of a novel tetravalent CRM(197)-conjugated meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) in infants.Randomized, open-label, controlled study of 225 UK and 196 Canadian 2-month-olds from August 2004 to September 2006.UK infants received a primary course of MenACWY (at 2, 3, and 4 months or 2 and 4 months) or Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C monovalent meningococcal glycoconjugate vaccine (MenC) (at 2 and 4 months). All received MenACWY at 12 months. Canadian infants received MenACWY at 2, 4, and 6 months or 2 and 4 months; at 12 months they received MenACWY, a plain tetravalent polysaccharide vaccine, or no vaccine.Percentage of infants with a human complement serum bactericidal activity (hSBA) titer >or=1:4 after a primary course of MenACWY and after a 12-month booster. Safety and reactogenicity of MenACWY were also assessed.According to the prespecified per-protocol analysis, the percentages (95% CIs) of MenACWY 2-, 3-, and 4-month recipients with hSBA titers >or=1:4 after primary immunization were serogroup A, 93% (84%-98%); C, 96% (89%-99%); W-135, 97% (90%-100%); and Y, 94% (86%-98%). With a post hoc intention-to-treat analysis with imputed values for missing data, these values were unchanged for serogroups C and Y; for serogroup A, values were 92% (84%-97%), and for W-135, 97% (91%-99%). For the per-protocol analysis of MenACWY 2-, 4-, and 6-month recipients, the percentages (95% CIs) of responders were A, 81% (71%-89%); C, 98% (92%-100%); W-135, 99% (93%-100%); and Y, 98% (92%-100%). With the imputed value analysis, these values were A, 83% (74%-89%); C, 98% (93%-99%); W-135, 99% (94%-100%); and Y, 98% (92%-99%). At least 84% of MenACWY 2- and 4-month recipients achieved hSBA titers >or=1:4 for serogroups C, W-135, and Y after primary immunization, as did at least 60% for serogroup A (per-protocol and imputation analysis). At least 95% of primary and booster MenACWY recipients achieved hSBA titers >or=1:4 for serogroups C, W-135, and Y at 13 months, as did at least 84% for serogroup A (per-protocol and imputation analysis). During the primary immunization course, postimmunization pain on leg movement was observed in 2% of UK MenACWY 2- and 4-month recipients and 4% of MenC 2- and 4-month recipients; a temperature of 38 degrees C or greater was observed in 4% and 2% in these groups, respectively.MenACWY is well tolerated and immunogenic in infancy. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00262002.
Not just bluff and bluster
Authors: T. Dalrymple
Journal: BMJ (2012)

Recently, I bought a slender volume called Doctor at the Bar by Cyril Baron, for less than a cup of instant coffee on a train. It was published in 1977, when Dr Baron was 74. He had been first a general practitioner, then a barrister, and finally a coroner. His clinical training at Barts began in the early 1920s, when he came to the conclusion that there was a lot of bluff and bluster to eminence in the medicine of the time. The physicians, immaculately dressed, pulled up to the hospital in their chauffeur driven Rolls-Royces and then failed to make diagnoses …
Disposable insulin syringes.
Authors: M R Phillips, S Strang, G Werther, D Baum, R C Turner
Journal: BMJ (1979)

were enlarged and infiltrated.The urogenital, endocrine, reticuloendothelial, and central nervous system were macroscopically normal.In the chest there were bilateral small straw-coloured pleural effusions.Both lungs were rather voluminous but firm, with a granular appearance and texture.Histological examination of the formalininflated lungs revealed diffuse and focal interstitial fibrosis.Haematoxylin-van Gieson staining showed collagen in considerably increased amounts in the interstitium, with occasional areas showing even greater collagen deposition.Intra-alveolar fibrosis, as seen in organisation of proteinaceous exudates, was not evident.Some oedema was also seen.Occasional foci of plump expanded cells, probably of alveolar origin, were present, projecting into alveolar lumina.There was no evidence of Pneumocystis or fungi.A single very small focus of secondary adenocarcinoma was identified in one of numerous sections examined.These findings confirm that this patient had interstitial fibrosis.As other aetiological factors have been excluded, we feel that the interstitial fibrosis developed as a result of therapy with 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C.