tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Activation of factor XII-dependent pathways in human plasma by hematin and protoporphyrin.
Authors: C G Becker, M Wagner, A P Kaplan, M Silverberg, R W Grady, H Liem, U Muller-Eberhard
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1985)

Intravenous administration of hematin is effective in the treatment of acute exacerbations of the inducible porphyrias. In the course of such treatment, coagulopathies have occurred that are characterized by prolongation of prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and formation of fibrin split products. In experiments in vitro with normal human plasma, we observed that hematin and protoporphyrin activated Factor XII-dependent pathways of coagulation and fibrinolysis, and that they generated kallikrein activity. Incubation of protoporphyrin with purified Factor XII resulted in activation as measured by amidolysis of a chromogenic substrate. Neither coproporphyrin, uroporphyrin, delta-aminolevulinic acid, porphobilinogen, or bilirubin activated Factor XII-dependent pathways. Exposure of serum containing added uroporphyrin, coproporphyrin, and protoporphyrin, but not hematin, to ultraviolet light (405 nm) resulted in activation of the classical pathway of the complement system. On the other hand, exposure of plasma containing uroporphyrin or coproporphyrin to ultraviolet light did not result in activation of Factor XII-dependent pathways.
Accidental Intubation of the Pyriform Sinus
Authors: John L. Stauffer
Journal: JAMA (1977)

PERFORATION of the hypopharynx during endotracheal intubation is most likely to occur in emergency settings such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but it may also occur in more controlled situations. The injury has been related to the urgency of the intubation and to the inexperience of the person performing the intubation.<sup>1</sup> The esophagus is the most commonly reported site of perforation, and barotrauma and abscess formation the most likely complications. While signs of barotrauma become evident soon after perforation, neck abscess does not become apparent for several days or weeks. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> A 58-year-old woman was brought to the emergency room by ambulance with apparent cardiorespiratory arrest. She was well 3 1/2 hours prior to admission. Shortly thereafter, she was found on the floor of a closed garage with a car engine running. Resuscitative measures were instituted by trained emergency medical technician personnel of a city ambulance crew. The
Restoration of a Functional Open Reading Frame by Homologous Recombination between Two Adenoviral Vectors
Authors: Cheryl A. Carlson, Dmitry M. Shayakhmetov, André Lieber
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2002)

In this study, we examined the ability of adenoviral (Ad) vectors to undergo homologous recombination. The lacZ gene was divided between two parental, first-generation vectors such that neither encoded a functional product but both shared 494 bp in common. The open reading frame could only be restored by homologous recombination. We observed β-galactosidase activity only upon co-infection of both parental vectors and after the onset of viral DNA replication, creating a delay in expression of 24–36 hours in HeLa cells. At peak efficiency, this recombination vector system resulted in β-galactosidase activity levels 100× above background and just 18× less than a conventional, first-generation vector in HeLa cells. After recombination, the resultant progeny vector genomes containing reconstituted expression cassettes were devoid of all viral genes and contained two packaging signals. These progeny genomes were efficiently packaged, could be separated from their parental vectors based on their lighter buoyant densities in CsCl gradients, and were subsequently used as functional gene transfer vectors. This novel recombination vector system should be useful for transferring large transgenes (because the carrying capacity of two Ad vectors can be exploited) or expressing any cytotoxic or Ad replication inhibitory protein (because the parental vectors exhibit no background expression).
Effect of moderate exercise on salt and water transport in the human jejunum.
Authors: G R Barclay, L A Turnberg
Journal: Gut (1988)

The effect of moderate exercise on jejunal absorption was examined in seven healthy subjects using a triple lumen perfusion technique. Moderate exercise on a bicycle ergometer significantly reduced net absorption of water from 32.0 (4.0) to 16.2 (6.1) ml/30 cm/50 min (p less than 0.02), sodium from 2.4 (0.4) to 0.5 (0.9) mmol/30 cm/50 cm (p less than 0.05), chloride from 2.0 (0.4) to 0.3 (0.7) mmol/30 cm/50 min (p less than 0.05), and potassium from 0.20 (0.02) to 0.01 (0.04) mmol/30 cm/50 min (p less than 0.01). After exercise, water, sodium, and chloride absorption returned towards basal values, but potassium absorption remained significantly decreased. These results suggest that moderate exercise can influence jejunal absorption of salt and water in man. They support the possibility that the autonomic nervous system has a physiological role in the control of intestinal transport, although other mechanisms may be involved.
Liverpool care pathway was made a scapegoat, says palliative care consultant
Authors: Z. Kmietowicz
Journal: BMJ (2013)

A palliative care consultant has published a stinging criticism of the report that led to the demise of the Liverpool care pathway, saying that it was a disservice to dying patients and had many puzzling recommendations.

Claud Regnard, who works at St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle upon Tyne, called the scrapping of the pathway a “tragedy” and compared it to banning the Highway Code because of bad drivers.

In an article in the journal Age and Ageing he wrote, “The death of the Liverpool Care Pathway was preventable, an irony that was lost in the rush …
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ß2-MICROGLOBULIN AND IMMUNOGLOBULIN IN CULTURED HUMAN LYMPHOID CELL LINES
Authors: T. H. Hütteroth, H. Cleve, S. D. Litwin, M. D. Poulik
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1973)

beta(2)-microglobulin was detected on the cell surface and in the medium of human lymphoid cells established in long-term culture. The secretion of beta(2)-microglobulin was relatively uniform when different cell lines were compared, whereas IgG production varied widely. kappa- and micro-membrane antigens were modulated by specific antibody; beta(2)-microglobulin was not modulated. Anti-kappa and anti-micro antisera had no effect on the expression of membrane beta(2)-microglobulin, nor had anti-beta(2)-microglobulin antiserum any effect on the expression of kappa- and micro-membrane antigens.
Infectious Diseases in Competitive Sports
Authors: Richard A. Goodman
Journal: JAMA (1994)

<h3>Objective.</h3> —Participation in competitive sports is popular and widely encouraged throughout the United States. Reports of infectious disease outbreaks among competitive athletes and recent publicity regarding infectious disease concerns in sports underscore the need to better characterize the occurrence of these problems. <h3>Data Sources.</h3> —To identify reports of infectious diseases in sports, we performed a comprehensive search of the medical literature (MEDLINE) and newspaper databases in two on-line services (NEXIS and DIALOG PAPERS). <h3>Study Selection.</h3> —Articles selected from the literature review included those describing cases or outbreaks of disease in which exposure to an infectious agent was likely to have occurred during training for competitive sports or during actual competition. Articles from the newspaper review included reports of outbreaks, exposures, or preventive measures that directly or indirectly involved teams or spectators. <h3>Data Synthesis.</h3> —The literature review identified 38 reports of infectious disease outbreaks or other instances of transmission through person-to-person (24 reports), common-source (nine reports), or airborne (five reports) routes; the newspaper search identified 28 reports. Infectious agents included predominantly viruses but also a variety of fungi and gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. <h3>Conclusions.</h3> —Our findings indicate that strategies to prevent transmission of infectious diseases in sports must recognize risks at three levels: the individual athlete, the team, and spectators or others who may become exposed to infectious diseases as a result of sports-related activities. Team physicians and others who are responsible for the health of athletes should be especially familiar with the features of infectious diseases that occur in sports and measures for the prevention of these problems. (<i>JAMA</i>. 1994;271:862-867)
The Role of Adrenal Steroids in Infection and Immunity
Authors: Edward H. Kass, Maxwell Finland
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1951)

THE adrenal cortex has long been regarded as playing an important role in resistance to infectious disease, but the therapeutic potentialities of cortical hormones in infections have been under considerable question in patients other than those with Addison's disease. The recently demonstrated responses of patients with diverse inflammatory and neoplastic disorders to the administration of pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) or to cortisone1 2 3 4 indicate that fundamental mechanisms of resistance in the host are affected by the hormones. Our interest has centered on some of these mechanisms, through studies of patients with acute infectious diseases in which the etiology, pathogenesis and immunologic . . .
CD4+Foxp3+CD127+low T-Regulatory Cells are Increased in HPV Infected Papillomas in Patients with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP)
Authors: L HATAM, D ROSENTHAL, J DEVOTI, F LAM, A ABRAMSON, B STEINBERG, V BONAGURA
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2008)
Lipoprotein(a) and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Angelo M. Scanu, Richard M. Lawn, Kåre Berg
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1991)

▪Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a lipoprotein variant, was relegated for almost 25 years to the study of a few specialists. During the past 3 to 4 years, however, there has been a tremendous upsurge of interest in Lp(a), primarily because of multidisciplinary efforts in structural and molecular biology. Findings emerging from these efforts include the following: Lp(a) represents a cholesteryl-ester, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-like particle with apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 linked to apo(a); apo(a) is a glycoprotein coded by a single gene locus on the long arm of chromosome 6, which has several alleles, accounting for its remarkable size polymorphism (300 to 800 kD); apo(a) size polymorphism relates to plasma levels and density distribution of Lp(a); apo(a) is strikingly similar to plasminogen; and in vitro, Lp(a), in appropriate levels, competes for some physiologic functions of plasminogen in the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascade and may thus be thrombogenic. The LDL-like properties of Lp(a) may also confer atherogenic potential, but the mechanisms underlying this atherogenicity remain to be defined. In epidemiologic studies, high plasma Lp(a) levels have been associated with an increased incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, especially in patients less than 60 years of age. Moreover, Lp(a) has been found as an intact particle in the arterial intima, particularly in association with atherosclerotic plaque. This finding suggests that Lp(a) can traverse the endothelium, possibly by a non-receptor-mediated process, and, at the intimal level, acquire thrombogenic and atherogenic potentials. Current information justifies the need to determine plasma Lp(a) levels in patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the available techniques need to be standardized. Apolipoprotein(a) exists in isoforms of different sizes, and the importance of determining apo(a) phenotypes in clinical practice remains to be established.
HIV pandemic originated in Kinshasa around 1920, say scientists
Authors: J. Wise
Journal: BMJ (2014)

The current HIV pandemic almost certainly originated in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo around 1920, a new analysis has concluded.

The city’s transport links, particularly its railways, made Kinshasa one of the best connected of all central African cities and contributed to the spread of the virus, said a report published in Science .1 By the end of the 1940s over a million people were travelling through Kinshasa on these railways each year.

HIV is known …
The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) statement to assess clinical signs of atopic eczema in trials
Authors: Jochen Schmitt, Phyllis I. Spuls, Kim S. Thomas, Eric Simpson, Masutaka Furue, Stefanie Deckert, Magdalene Dohil, Christian Apfelbacher, Jasvinder A. Singh, Joanne Chalmers, Hywel C. Williams
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2014)
HYDROXYUREA IN THE TREATMENT OF PUSTULAR PSORIASIS
Authors: KENNETH M. STEIN, WALTER B. SHELLEY, RICHARD A. WEINBERG
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2006)

SUMMARY.— Four patients with generalized pustular psoriasis of von Zumbusch were treated with hydroxyurea in an oral dosage of 1–2 g daily. In each instance the pustular, the febrile, the leucocytic and toxic responses were significantly suppressed. It is suggested that the effectiveness of this new treatment reflects the known selective suppressant effect of hydroxyurea on the polymorphonuclear leucocytes, which apparently play a central role in this disease.
PREDICTORS OF OPTIMAL MEDICAL THERAPY AND THEIR IMPACT ON MORTALITY AND READMISSION FOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN STABLE ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE PATIENTS
Authors: Soohun Chun, Feng Qiu, Peter C. Austin, Dennis T. Ko, Muhammad Mamdani, Andrew Czarnecki, Duminda N. Wijeysundera, Maria C. Bennell, Harindra C. Wijeysundera
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2014)
Restricted V<sub>H</sub> Gene Usage and Generation of Antibody Diversity in Rabbit
Authors: Katherine L. Knight
Journal: Annual Review of Immunology (1992)

The presence of VHa allotypic specificities on nearly all rabbit Ig molecules has perplexed immunologists for many years. How could these allotypic specificities be inherited as if controlled by alleles if the germline has hundreds of VHa allotype-encoding genes and if most of these genes are used in VDJ gene rearrangements. I review recent data indicating that the allelic inheritance of the VHa allotypes can be explained by preferential utilization of the D-proximal VH gene VH1 in VDJ gene rearrangements. The preferential usage of one VH gene, however, limits the contribution of combinatorial joining of multiple VH, D and JH gene segments to the generation of antibody diversity. The roles of somatic gene conversion and somatic mutation in generating antibody diversity are discussed. Further, the limited usage of germline VH genes in normal, allotype-suppressed and the mutant Alicia rabbit as well as the molecular basis of latent allotypes and VH/CH recombinants is reviewed.
Bortezomib appears to overcome the poor prognosis conferred by chromosome 13 deletion in phase 2 and 3 trials
Authors: S Jagannath, P G Richardson, P Sonneveld, M W Schuster, D Irwin, E A Stadtmauer, T Facon, J-L Harousseau, J M Cowan, K C Anderson
Journal: Leukemia (2006)
Sympathetic Hyperactivity during Hypothalamic Stimulation in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Kazuo Takeda, Ruben D. Buñag
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1978)

To determine whether sympathetic hyperactivity of hypothalamic origin contributes to keep blood pressures high in spontaneous hypertension, aortic pressures and sympathetic nerve spike potentials were recorded during electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus in urethane-anesthetized normotensive or hypertensive rats. Basal sympathetic nerve activity was higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in either normotensive or deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive ones even before stimulation began. Blood pressure elevations produced by hypothalamic stimulation were always preceded by substantial increases in amplitude and rate of neural firing. Changes in amplitude could not be quantified, but rates of neural firing accelerated much more in spontaneous hypertensives than in normotensives during stimulation with 50- and 100-muA currents. Similar differences between deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensives and either normotensives or spontaneous hypertensives were not statistically significant. Nerve activity invariably became quiescent immediately after hypothalamic stimulation was discontinued, and recovery from this poststimulatory inhibition was faster in spontaneously hypertensive than in normotensive rats. Although spontaneous hypertensives generally also had stronger pressor responses to various sympathomimetic stimuli, responses to hypothalamic stimulation were enhanced to a greater extent than those to either norepinephrine or sympathetic nerve stimulation. Because this selectivity indicates participation of mechanisms other than augmented cardiovascular reactivity, further enhancement of responsiveness to hypothalamic stimuli was attributed to the associated increase in sympathetic nerve firing. These results are in accord with the hypothesis that the blood pressure elevation in rats with established spontaneous hypertension is a result, at least in part, of sympathetic hyperactivity emanating from the posterior hypothalamus.
EAACI/GA<sup>2</sup>LEN/EDF guideline: management of urticaria
Authors: T. Zuberbier, C. Bindslev‐Jensen, W. Canonica, C. E. H. Grattan, M. W. Greaves, B. M. Henz, A. Kapp, M. M. A. Kozel, M. Maurer, H. F. Merk, T. Schäfer, D. Simon, G. A. Vena, B. Wedi
Journal: Allergy (2005)

This guideline is the result of a consensus reached during a panel discussion at the second International Consensus Meeting on Urticara, Urticaria 2004 , a joint initiative of the EAACI Dermatology Section and GA 2 LEN. Urticaria has a profound impact on the quality of life, and effective treatment is therefore required. The recommended first line treatment are nonsedating H 1 antihistamines. They have proven to be effective in double‐blind controlled studies, but dosages increased up to fourfold over the recommended doses may be necessary. However, for different urticaria subtypes and in view of individual variation in the course of the disease and response to treatment, additional or alternative therapies may be required. Immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporin A and corticosteroids are not recommended for long‐term treatment due to unavoidable severe adverse effects. This guideline was, in addition, accepted by the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) and formally approved by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).
Lifestyle differences in twin pairs discordant for basal cell carcinoma of the skin
Authors: T. Milan, P.K. Verkasalo, J. Kaprio, M. Koskenvuo
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2003)

Summary Background Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is a multifactorial disease with a complex interplay of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, including patterns of solar exposure, with childhood exposure being of particular relevance. Case–control studies in disease-discordant twin pairs adjust for familial factors and improve the power of conventional case–control studies. Objectives To investigate the roles of sociodemographic, dietary, medication, hormonal and other lifestyle factors in the aetiology of BCC. Methods The study base comprised all same-sex twins who had answered the baseline health questionnaire of the Finnish Adult Twin Cohort Study in 1975. Information on all histologically confirmed cases of BCC was retrieved from the nationwide cancer registry. The first twin to have BCC was defined as the case and his/her co-twin (alive at the time of diagnosis) as the control. Only pairs with the first BCC between 1976 and 1999 were included in the study (n = 333). Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to assess BCC risk by study factors. Results A significantly increased risk was associated with smoking status in females but not in males. The risk was higher in dizygotic than in monozygotic females, possibly indicating the presence of a gene–smoking interaction. Suggestive but statistically nonsignificant increases in risk were observed for higher education, urticaria and atopic eczema, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and coffee. A suggestive risk decrease was observed for outdoor work. No clear effects were observed for marital status, body mass index, use of alcohol, tea, fruit and vegetables or oral contraceptives. Conclusions The results suggest a role for smoking and possibly also for other lifestyle factors in the risk of contracting BCC.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF BLOOD VESSELS IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE EAR.
Authors: GEORGE E. SHAMBAUGH
Journal: JAMA (1904)

The course of the blood stream through the labyrinth of the ear has been a subject of considerable uncertainty and difference of opinion among anatomists. The reasons are obvious, for the complicated series of cavities that go to make up the labyrinth of the ear makes the study of the blood supply by the ordinary method from sections very inaccurate, unless laborious methods of reconstruction are used. This element of difficulty was successfully overcome, however, when Eichler introduced the method of making celloidin casts of the labyrinth in which the circulation could be viewed in its entirety. But with this accomplished, and with such a complete picture of the blood supply before one, the complicated network of vessels found in the labyrinth of the adult ear is, in many places, very difficult if not quite impossible to disentangle with any degree of accuracy. The arteries offer the chief difficulty, for
Imaging a dying tumor
Authors: Hema Bashyam
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2007)

When T cells come across a tumor, they kill off the outer layers and then move in, say Boissonnas et al. on page 345. The authors use intravital microscopy to show that this infiltration and obliteration of the tumor is antigen dependent.






Figure 1

Solid tumors are destroyed (top) only when tumor cells (green) express antigen.




Intravital microscopy has previously revealed the killing strategy of T cells in lymphoid tissue. The T cells use a search-and-destroy tactic, moving rapidly through the tissue while constantly scanning for targets. When an enemy is identified, they stop, kill the intruder, and then resume the hunt. The T cells' method of killing inside a solid nonlymphoid tumor environment, however, is less certain. “We knew that the immune system can reject tumors,” says senior author Sebastian Amigorena, “but we didn't really understand how T cells function inside the tumor.”

Amigorena and his colleagues now show that the initial contact between anti-tumor T cells and their targets is at the tumor periphery. Once the peripheral cells are dead, the T cells attack the next layer and the next, thus gradually diminishing the tumor mass. This method of tumor destruction by T cells is dependent on antigen expression by the tumor cells. In tumors that do not express a cognate antigen, T cells are initially detected in the periphery but then drift away when they fail to find an appropriate target.

The team now plans to use their imaging set-up to investigate whether anti-tumor T cells are doing the killing on their own or, as seen in lymphoid tissue, are recruiting other immune cells. Knowing what cells work against a tumor might lead to anti-tumor strategies that help these cells penetrate to a tumor's depths.