tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Determinants of survival in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy: quantitative morphologic findings and left ventricular hemodynamics.
Authors: F Schwarz, G Mall, H Zebe, E Schmitzer, J Manthey, H Scheurlen, W Kübler
Journal: Circulation (1984)

We analyzed data from 68 consecutive patients with congestive cardiomyopathy to evaluate the prognostic significance of quantitative morphologic findings in left ventricular myocardium as compared with the prognostic significance of left ventricular hemodynamics. Left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy specimens were obtained from all patients during diagnostic heart catheterization. Myocardial fiber diameter, volume fraction of interstitial fibrosis, and intracellular volume fraction of myofibrils were determined by light-microscopic morphometry. All patients had normal coronary arteriograms, but reduced left ventricular ejection fractions. There were 23 deaths during a mean follow-up period of 1124 days. Multivariate regression analysis (Cox model) revealed that left ventricular ejection fraction (p less than .00001) and left ventricular systolic pressure (p less than .01), but not morphometric findings in biopsy specimens, were independent predictors of cardiac death. Thus, morphologic findings in the left ventricular myocardium do not contribute significantly to the prognostic evaluation in patients with congestive cardiomyopathy studied by hemodynamic and angiographic methods.
PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles as protein carriers: synthesis, preparation and biodistribution in rats
Authors: Ya-Ping Li, Yuan-Ying Pei, Xian-Ying Zhang, Zhou-Hui Gu, Zhao-Hui Zhou, Wei-Fang Yuan, Jian-Jun Zhou, Jian-Hua Zhu, Xiu-Jian Gao
Journal: Journal of Controlled Release (2001)
Oral Transmucosal Fentanyl Citrate: Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial for Treatment of Breakthrough Pain in Cancer Patients
Authors: John T. Farrar, James Cleary, Richard Rauck, Michael Busch, Earl Nordbrock
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1998)

Background: Patients with cancer frequently experience episodes of acute pain, i.e., breakthrough pain, superimposed on their chronic pain. Breakthrough pain is usually treated with short-acting oral opioids, most of which provide some relief after 15-20 minutes, with peak effects after 30-45 minutes. Oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC), a unique formulation of the opioid fentanyl, has been shown to provide meaningful pain relief within 5 minutes in patients following surgery. We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of OTFC for cancerrelated breakthrough pain. Methods: Patients who were 18 years of age or older, receiving the equivalent of at least 60 mg oral morphine or at least 50 µg transdermal fentanyl per day for chronic cancer-related pain, and experiencing at least one episode of breakthrough pain per day were studied. After titration to an effective OTFC dose, subjects were given 10 randomly ordered treatment units (seven OTFC units and three placebo units) in the form of identical lozenges. If acceptable pain relief was not achieved within 30 minutes, subjects were instructed to take their previous breakthrough pain medication (i.e., rescue medication). Pain intensity, pain relief, and use of rescue medication were evaluated at 15-minute intervals over a 60-minute period. Results: Eighty-nine of 92 patients who received the randomized treatment were assessable (i.e., treated with at least one unit of OTFC and one unit of placebo). OTFC produced significantly larger changes in pain intensity and better pain relief than placebo at all time points (two-sided P<.0001). Episodes treated with placebo required the use of rescue medication more often than episodes treated with OTFC (34% versus 15%; relative risk = 2.27; 95% confidence interval = 1.51-3.26; twosided P<.0001). Conclusions: OTFC appears effective in the treatment of cancer- related breakthrough pain.
A new classification of pattern hair loss that is universal for men and women: Basic and specific (BASP) classification
Authors: Won-Soo Lee, Byung In Ro, Seung Phil Hong, Hana Bak, Woo-Young Sim, Do Won Kim, Jang Kyu Park, Chull-Wan Ihm, Hee Chul Eun, Oh Sang Kwon, Gwang Seong Choi, Young Chul Kye, Tae Young Yoon, Seong-Jin Kim, Hyung Ok Kim, Hoon Kang, Jawoong Goo, Seok-Yong Ahn, Minjeong Kim, Soo Young Jeon, Tak Heon Oh
Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2007)
RENAL FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH GOUT 1
Authors: Frederick S. Coombs, L. J. Pecora, Elizabeth Thorogood, Wm. V. Consolazio, John H. Talbott
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1940)

There are several theories of the pathogenesis of urate 2 accumulation in patients with gout. A disturbance of elimination of this substance by the kidneys is probably the most popular. This has been challenged, however, in a previous communication from this laboratory (1), since it appears to be inconsistent with certain experimental data. Whether or not this theory is valid, it deserves serious consideration because urates as naturally occurring end-products of purine metabolism are disposed of by the body largely by excretion through the kidneys. If one pursues the hypothesis to a logical conclusion, any defect of elimination might be inherited or it might be an acquired phenomenon following damage to the functioning units of the kidneys. The accepted theory (2, 3) of renal physiology in man assumes that urates are present in glomerular urine as are other ultrafiltrable substances and reabsorbed in part by the cells lining the tubules. If the kidneys were primarily at fault in the gouty diathesis, accumulation of urate might be attributed either to (a) a reduction of the number of functioning glomeruli or (b) an increased reabsorption by the tubules. Both of these phenomena are partially susceptible of quantitative analysis now that improved methods for the study of kidney function are available. A presentation and discussion of kidney function data, as determined by five experimental procedures, are contained in this communication. These include tests for the excretion of substances normally present in the body such as urea, creatinine, urate, sodium and chloride and for the excretion of foreign substances introduced parenterally such as phenolsulphonphthalein, neo-iopax
Renal and Ureteral Damage Following Clinical Use of Renacidin
Authors: Sidney Auerbach, Rosser Mainwaring, Frank Schwarz
Journal: JAMA (1963)

A NUMBER OF REPORTS have appeared in the recent literature describing the clinical use of Renacidin in the treatment of urinary calculi.<sup>1-6</sup>Renacidin is described as a readily soluble white powder composed of a sterile mixture of the anhydrides, lactones, and acid salts of a group of multivalent food acids in a stabilizer.<sup>5</sup>The use of Renacidin as a solvent for urinary calculi has been investigated by a number of workers, most of whom report encouraging results. There have been, however, occasional toxic reactions. The complications which have been reported include obstruction of the irrigating catheter by debris, pain associated with plugging of the catheter, febrile reactions and, in one case, sloughing and necrosis of the renal epithelium.<sup>4</sup> This is a report of a patient with severe pyelonephritis, ureteritis, and chemical pyelitis, who was treated with Renacidin in an attempt to dissolve a renal calculus. <h3>Report of</h3>
Progression of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea: the role of increasing weight and time
Authors: G. Berger, R. Berger, A. Oksenberg
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2008)

The aim of the present study was to examine the natural evolution of primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adult male patients. Retrospective analysis was performed on 160 untreated patients with primary snoring and mild, moderate and severe OSA who had two polysomnographic recordings. The mean time between recordings (TBR) was 5.1+/-3 yrs. The mean apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI), body mass index (BMI), and lowest arterial oxygen saturation level during rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep showed a significant worsening effect. The change in AHI differed among the groups showing a similar significant increase in AHI for primary snoring, mild and moderate OSA and an insignificant decrease for severe OSA patients. Stepwise linear regression showed that only DeltaBMI and time were significant predictors for AHI change. A model for the mean AHI change showed that DeltaAHI = (4.33xDeltaBMI) + (0.66xTBR). After adjusting for confounders, multiple regression analysis indicated that age and high BMI, but not AHI, were significant risk factors for developing hypertension and/or cardiovascular disease. Patients with primary snoring and mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea had a similar increase in the apnoea/hypopnoea index over time, which depended mainly on weight gain and, to a lesser extent, on time.
Erysipeloid Treated with Penicillin
Authors: T. G. Lowden
Journal: BMJ (1949)

The responses of simple cells in primary visual cortex to sinusoidal gratings can primarily be predicted from their spatial receptive fields, as mapped using spots or bars. Although this quasilinearity is well documented, it is not clear whether it holds for complex natural stimuli. We recorded from simple cells in the primary visual cortex of anesthetized ferrets while stimulating with flashed digitized photographs of natural scenes. We applied standard reverse-correlation methods to quantify the average natural stimulus that invokes a neuronal response. Although these maps cannot be the receptive fields, we find that they still predict the preferred orientation of grating for each cell very well (<i>r</i> = 0.91); they do not predict the spatial-frequency tuning. Using a novel application of the linear reconstruction method called regularized pseudoinverse, we were able to recover high-resolution receptive-field maps from the responses to a relatively small number of natural scenes. These receptive-field maps not only predict the optimum orientation of each cell (<i>r</i> = 0.96) but also the spatial-frequency optimum (<i>r</i> = 0.89); the maps also predict the tuning bandwidths of many cells. Therefore, our first conclusion is that the tuning preferences of the cells are primarily linear and constant across stimulus type. However, when we used these maps to predict the actual responses of the cells to natural scenes, we did find evidence of expansive output nonlinearity and nonlinear influences from outside the classical receptive fields, orientation tuning, and spatial-frequency tuning.
Effect of transcatheter endovascular holmium-166 irradiation on neointimal formation after balloon injury in porcine coronary artery
Authors: H.-S. Kim, Y.-H. Cho, L.-S. Kim, Y.-T. Oh, H.-J. Kang, M.-S. Chun, C.-W. Joh, C.-H. Park, S.-J. Tahk, B.-W. Choi
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (1998)
Revision of Helsinki declaration aims to prevent exploitation of study participants
Authors: S. Arie
Journal: BMJ (2013)

The World Medical Association has revised its guidelines on medical research to try to prevent exploitation of people involved in drug trials, particularly in developing countries.

The new version of the Declaration of Helsinki says for the first time that people who are injured during a medical trial must be compensated and treated.1 It also calls for greater protection of vulnerable groups and further measures to inform trial …
Use of Health Services by Diabetic Persons. II. Hospital Admissions
Authors: Russell S Scott, Laurie J Brown, Penelope Clifford
Journal: Diabetes Care (1985)

Over a 10-mo period, a computerized admission discharge system was scrutinized to identify all persons with diabetes mellitus admitted to a general hospital in Christchurch, North Canterbury (population 342,000), New Zealand. The 274 admissions by 197 diabetic persons (42% were insulin treated, 14% were newly diagnosed, 44% were non-insulin-dependent) contributed to 3.6% of the total hospital admissions, with duration of stay being longer than for nondiabetic persons (13.6 versus 11.3 days, P = 0.05). Patients admitted were aged 11–91 yr (mean 59 yr); those over 50 yr of age were numerically the largest admission group. Although cardiovascular illnesses were the most frequent events precipi-tating admission (34%), potentially preventable admissions for reasons of infection, poor glycemic control, or hypoglycemia were found in all age groups. Just under half of the 902 registered insulin-treated diabetic patients living in this health region had at some stage participated in diabetes education programs at the time this admission survey was undertaken. Of these, only nine were admitted. The other 70 insulin-treated patients admitted who lived in this region had never had diabetes education. Overall, only 11.7% of patients admitted had received diabetes education. These data show that, for insulin-treated diabetic individuals at least, admission rates were substantially lower among those who were sufficiently motivated to attend diabetes education programs.
Cardiac surgical services in Bristol are now of high quality
Authors: P. Willie, D. Hughes
Journal: BMJ (1998)

News p 1924

EDITOR—The unfortunate events relating to the General Medical Council's recent inquiry into paediatric cardiac surgery performed at Bristol Royal Infirmary have been widely reported, both in the medical press and in the public media. 1 2 Clearly in the past there was a major problem with this particular aspect of the service. The clinicians who now provide both the paediatric and adult cardiac service in Bristol support the efforts of the General Medical Council …
Superficial buffer barrier function of smooth muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Cornelis van Breemen, Ismail Laher, Qian Chen
Journal: Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (1995)

In smooth muscle the superficial sarcoplasmic reticulum accumulates a portion of the Ca2+ that enters cells through the plasmalemma and thus functions as a buffer barrier to Ca2+ entry into the myoplasm (superficial buffer barrier or SBB). In this review Cornelis van Breemen, Qian Chen and Ismail Laher summarize experimental support for the SBB, and discuss data indicating that: (1) contraction is related more to the rate than extent of Ca2+ entry; (2) refilling of sarcoplasmic reticulum from the extracellular space is mediated by Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ pumping by the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump; (3) the superficial sarcoplasmic reticulum unloads Ca2+ to the extracellular space by a multi step process that involves sequentially the opening of Ca2+ and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins (1,4,5,)P3] sensitive channels and Ca2+ extrusion by Na+Ca2+ exchange; (4) the SBB generates a peripheral Ca2+ gradient; (5) Ca2+-mobilizing receptor agonists generate Ins(1,4,5)P3 which short circuits the SBB to increase the effectiveness of Ca2+ influx in raising [Ca2+]i and consequently increase smooth muscle contraction. A physiologically regulated SBB is thought to enhance the informational content of Ca2+ signalling and support variable reduction of smooth muscle tone. Pharmacological modulation of Ca2+ transport in the superficial sarcoplasmic reticulum therefore presents an alternative means of controlling smooth muscle tone dependent on Ca2+ entry.
13 SIMILAR SVR RATES IN IL28B CC, CT OR TT PRIOR RELAPSER PARTIAL- OR NULL-RESPONDER PATIENTS TREATED WITH TELAPREVIR/PEGINTERFERON/RIBAVIRIN: RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE REALIZE STUDY
Authors: S. Pol, J. Aerssens, S. Zeuzem, P. Andreone, E.J. Lawitz, S. Roberts, Z. Younossi, G.R. Foster, R. Focaccia, A. Horban, P.J. Pockros, R. Van Heeswijk, S. de Meyer, D. Luo, M. Botfield, M. Beumont, G. Picchio
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2011)
Statistics Notes: Blinding in clinical trials and other studies
Authors: Simon J Day, Douglas G Altman
Journal: BMJ (2000)

Human behaviour is influenced by what we know or believe. In research there is a particular risk of expectation influencing findings, most obviously when there is some subjectivity in assessment, leading to biased results. Blinding (sometimes called masking) is used to try to eliminate such bias.

It is a tenet of randomised controlled trials that the treatment allocation for each patient is not revealed until the patient has irrevocably been entered into the trial, to avoid selection bias. This sort of blinding, better referred to as allocation concealment, will be discussed in a future statistics note. In controlled trials the term blinding, and in particular “double blind,” usually refers to keeping study participants, those involved with their management, and those collecting and analysing clinical data unaware of the assigned treatment, so that they should not be influenced by that knowledge.

The relevance of blinding will vary according to circumstances. Blinding patients to the treatment they have received in a controlled trial is particularly important when the …
Abstract 2623: Snail 1 regulates invasion through uPA-uPAR signaling using the MAPK pathway in prostate cancer cells.
Authors: Diandra D. Randle, Valerie Marah
Journal: Cancer Research (2013)

Abstract Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which cancer cells acquire mesenchymal properties, such as induction of N-cadherin, while epithelial-associated genes like E-cadherin are lost. This enables the cells to be more invasive, migratory and metastatic. Factors that can induce EMT include growth factors like transforming growth factor -β (TGF-β) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transcription factors like Snail1. Snail1-induced EMT promotes migration and invasion and we hypothesized that this may be mediated by urokinase (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) activities. uPA, a serine protease, may be activated by integrin engagement to bind to its receptor, uPAR, and initiate a signaling cascade that regulates a variety of biological pathways including invasion. Androgen-dependent LNCaP and 22Rv1 and androgen-independent ARCaP human prostate cancer (PC) cells were stably transfected with empty vector control (Neo) or constitutively active Snail1 which led to increased cell migration and invasion. Superarray analysis revealed an upregulation in uPAR expression in Snail-transfected cells as compared to Neo control. Next, the protein expression levels of Snail1, uPA, and uPAR were measured by Western Blot analysis. uPA activity in conditioned media was measured using the Elisa uPA activity assay kit. Also, uPAR was transiently silenced in ARCaP Snail-overexpressing cells using uPAR siRNA. Additionally, cells were treated with MAPK inhibitor, UO126, at set time points. The data suggests that overexpression of Snail1 increased uPA and uPAR protein levels, and uPA activity was elevated in conditioned media from LNCaP, 22Rv1 and ARCaP Snail-overexpressing cells, as compared to Neo controls. Additionally, the silencing of uPAR decreased cell invasion in ARCaP Snail-overexpressing cells. Finally, MAPK inhibitor, UO126, inhibited cell invasion and decreased uPA activity. Therefore, Snail-mediated cell invasion in human prostate cancer cells may occur via the regulation of the MAPK and uPA/ uPAR signaling pathway. Acknowledgements: These studies were supported by the: NIH/NCRR/RCMI grant G12RR03062 and NIH P20 grant 1P20MD002285. Citation Format: Diandra D. Randle, Valerie Marah. Snail 1 regulates invasion through uPA-uPAR signaling using the MAPK pathway in prostate cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2623. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2623
Treatment of Impaired Physicians
Authors: Robert C. Larsen
Journal: JAMA (1983)

To the Editor.—  As a physician interested in the issue of impairment in the profession, I would like to comment on a PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION published on the subject inThe Journal(1983;249:226). Few would argue with the positive steps taken by organized medicine to identify and treat the sick  Public and professional attention has resulted in state medical societies developing means to address this all too common phenomenon. As pointed out in the article on the Diversion Program, California has taken steps through legislation to establish an alternative to discipline of the impaired physician.  The article highlights the program's success in assisting 109 of 117 physicians in treatment to continue the practice of medicine. Those staying in treatment seem to have good outcomes. This is consistent with what has been reported elsewhere. 1-3 But what happens to those beginning but not remaining in treatment? Table 2 in the article
Survey of Mental Illness in General Practice
Authors: C. A. H. Watts, E. C. Cawte, E. V. Kuenssberg
Journal: BMJ (1964)

Shepherd (1962) listed some 28 investigations of this nature.It was decided not to try to cover the whole range of mental diseases, but to confine attention to persons who were disabled mentally and to exclude transient and minor episodes of illness.The definition of mental disablement is not easy, and to avoid this difficulty seven categories were devised.Each patient included in the survey had to be placed in one of these seven groups.It was stressed to the collecting doctors that the correct choice of group was more important than the actual diagnosis.The seven grades were briefly as follows:Group 1.-This consisted of all persons who were referred to a psychiatrist during the survey year.This category creamed off all the patients whose care was shared by the family doctor and the psychiatric services.Conversely, none of the patients in the other groups were seen by a psychiatrist during the survey year.The next five categories were arranged in order of the severity of the illness.Group 2.-The patients in this group were so ill as to be virtually helpless, but they were cared for at home.Group 3.-This consisted of all persons who because of a psychiatric illness had been unable to work for a year or more.Group 4.-These patients because of some psychiatric illness had been on psychotropic drugs continuously for a year or more.They were able to work at least part of the time.Group 5.-Persons in this group had caused a serious social upset because of their psychiatric illness.Group 6.-This consisted of persons who while clearly psychotic were able to live and work in the community without the aid of either doctors or drugs.Group 7.-This group was rather different from the others.It was made up of persons suffering from an acute confusional state which had lasted for more than 24 hours, but who had been treated at home or in a non-psychiatric hospital.Each patient had to be placed in the highest category applicable to his case, and during the survey year some changed their category by qualifying for a higher group.For example, if a patient in group 4 had to see a psychiatrist he would move up to group 1.No person could qualify for more than one group.The following is a detailed analysis of the seven groups.