tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Population-based screening for anemia using first-time blood donors
Authors: Alan E. Mast, Whitney R. Steele, Bryce Johnson, David J. Wright, Ritchard G. Cable, Patricia Carey, Jerome L. Gottschall, Joseph E. Kiss, Toby L. Simon, Edward L. Murphy
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2012)

Abstract Anemia is an important public health concern. Data from population‐based surveys such as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) are the gold standard, but are obtained infrequently and include only small samples from certain minority groups. We assessed whether readily available databases of blood donor hemoglobin values could be used as a surrogate for population hemoglobin values from NHANES. Blood donor venous and fingerstick hemoglobin values were compared to 10,254 NHANES 2005‐2008 venous hemoglobin values using demographically stratified analyses and ANOVA. Fingerstick hemoglobins or hematocrits were converted to venous hemoglobin estimates using regression analysis. Venous hemoglobin values from 1,609 first time donors correlated extremely well with NHANES data across different ages, genders, and demographic groups. Cigarette smoking increased hemoglobin by 0.26–0.59 g/dL depending on the intensity. Converted fingerstick hemoglobin from 36,793 first time donors agreed well with NHANES hemoglobin (weighted mean hemoglobin of 15.53 g/dL for donors and 15.73 g/dL for NHANES) with similar variation in mean hemoglobin by age. However, compared to NHANES, the larger donor data set showed reduced differences in mean hemoglobin between Blacks and other races/ethnicities. Overall, first‐time donor fingerstick hemoglobins approximate US population data and represent a readily available public health resource for ongoing anemia surveillance. Am. J. Hematol. 87:496–502, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Loss of Flow-Dependent Coronary Artery Dilatation in Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Isabelle Antony, Guy Lerebours, Alain Nitenberg
Journal: Circulation (1995)

Abnormal endothelium-dependent coronary response to acetylcholine has been shown in patients with essential hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that flow-dependent dilatation, which has been shown in normal human coronary arteries, is impaired in hypertensive patients.The coronary vasomotor response to maximal increase of blood flow induced by papaverine was studied in 10 control subjects and in 14 hypertensive patients with no other risk factors and angiographically normal coronary arteries. After the injection of papaverine in the midportion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), the diameter of the proximal LAD (LAD1) was measured by quantitative angiography, whereas that of the proximal circumflex artery (LCx) served as control segment. Estimates of coronary blood flow in the distal LAD (LAD2) were calculated by intracoronary Doppler flow velocity measurements. An increase in LAD2 blood flow of 521 +/- 41% (P < .001) in control subjects was associated with a 17.0 +/- 3.3% dilatation of the LAD1 (P < .001) and with no significant change in the diameter of the LCx. In hypertensive patients, despite a comparable increase in LAD2 blood flow of 406 +/- 32% (P < .001), the LAD1 failed to dilate (-0.4 +/- 0.6%, NS). The dilative response to isosorbide dinitrate was similar in control subjects and hypertensive patients (30.0 +/- 4.1%, P < .001 and 21.9 +/- 1.9%, P < .001, respectively).Thus, the flow-mediated coronary dilatation is lost in hypertensive patients, and this may impair normal dilatation observed in response to an increase in myocardial metabolic demand.
Binding sites in the rat brain for Escherichia coli S fimbriae associated with neonatal meningitis.
Authors: J Parkkinen, T K Korhonen, A Pere, J Hacker, S Soinila
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1988)

Escherichia coli strains that cause sepsis and meningitis in neonatal infants carry S fimbriae that bind to sialyl galactoside units of cell surface glycoproteins. To investigate the possible role of S fimbriae in determining the tissue tropism of neonatal meningitis, we have studied the presence of binding sites for S fimbriae in different tissues of the neonatal rat which is susceptible to meningitis caused by S-fimbriated E. coli. Purified S fimbriae were incubated on cryostat sections of different rat organs and their binding was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. In the brain of the neonatal rat, S fimbriae specifically bound to the luminal surfaces of the vascular endothelium and of the epithelium lining the choroid plexuses and brain ventricles. The binding was completely inhibited by the trisaccharide NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4Glc, a receptor analogue of S fimbriae, and by a preceding neuraminidase treatment of the sections. A recombinant E. coli strain expressing S fimbriae adhered in large numbers to the same tissue sites in the neonatal brain sections as did the purified fimbriae, whereas the non-fimbriated host strain and a recombinant strain expressing P fimbriae did not adhere to brain tissues. The results suggest that adhesion of S-fimbriated bacteria to the binding sites observed in the neonatal brain has a pathogenetic role during bacterial invasion from circulation into the cerebrospinal fluid.
Book: Clinicians' Guide to Sleep Medicine * Sleep Medicine
Authors: R. Jones
Journal: BMJ (2002)

Neil J Douglas Edward Arnold, pp 224, £29.99 ISBN 0340742054 Eds Teofile L Lee-Chiong Jr, Michael Sateia, Mary Carskadon Hanley and Belfus, pp 737, £55 ISBN 1560534303 Rating: ![Graphic][1]</img>![Graphic][2]</img>![Graphic][3]</img>![Graphic][4]</img>![Graphic][5]</img> Undergraduate medical students and postgraduate doctors receive too little training about disorders of sleep. This is partly because sleep medicine straddles several specialties and the number of pure sleep specialists is limited. Fortunately, awareness of sleep disorders is increasing, as are the number of books on the subject. The Clinicians' Guide is a … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [3]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [4]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-5.gif
SPINAL AMYOTROPHY WITH PUPILLARY INEQUALITY, AND JUVENILE DYSTROPHY.
Authors: L. HARRISON METTLER
Journal: JAMA (1906)

The following case, seen in consultation with Dr. Alexander C. Wiener, is reported not as such an extraordinary case, for it is one of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but on account of the association with it of inequality of the pupils. This association is exceptional. Case 1.—Mrs. J. P., aged 49, twice married, has two healthy children by her first husband. During the nine years of married life with her second husband she has borne no children, but has had four or five early abortions. <h3>Family History.</h3> —Her father died of consumption when the patient was six years old. Her mother died of paralysis of the heart at the age of 56. She has a half brother and a sister in perfect health. Nothing further of interest is in the family history. She had the usual children's diseases, and a severe attack of inflammation of the bowels twelve years ago. Menstrual
Gonococcal Arthritis Complicating Gonorrheal Pharyngitis
Authors: ALLAN LAWRENCE METZGER
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1970)

Previously described cases of gonococcal arthritis have been secondary to genitourinary tract foci. A male patient first seen with gonorrheal pharyngitis subsequently developed gonococcal septicemia and arthritis. This first reported case demonstrates the need to consider primary gonococcal infection at extragenital sites in the evaluation of patients with unexplained migratory polyarthritis.
Growth inhibition by a triple ribozyme targeted to repetitive B2 transcripts
Authors: Tina M. Crone, Shani L. Schalles, Catharine M. Benedict, Weihua Pan, Ling Ren, Sarah E. Loy, Harriet Isom, Gary A. Clawson
Journal: Hepatology (1999)

The B2 family represents a group of short repetitive sequences that are found throughout the rodent genome and are analogous to the human Alu sequences. Certain B2 subfamilies are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), and this transcription is in part controlled by the retinoblastoma protein. In addition to their putative role in retrotranspositional events, these actively transcribed B2 RNAs show a predicted highly stable secondary structure. Although B2 transcripts are normally confined to the nucleus, they demonstrate altered compartmentation after carcinogen treatment, in cancers, and in immortalized and/or transformed cell lines, the significance of which is unclear. Because modulation of B2 transcripts did not seem feasible with an antisense approach, we designed a triple ribozyme (TRz) construct to down–regulate B2 transcripts. The B2–targeted TRz undergoes efficient self–cleavage, resulting in liberation of the internal hammerhead Rz, which we targeted to a single–stranded region of the consensus B2 sequence. The liberated internal targeted Rz was 20 times more active than the corresponding double–G mutant construct that could not undergo self–cleavage, and 5 times more active than the same Rz flanked by nonspecific vector sequences. The B2–targeted TRz was used to develop stable transfectant clones from an SV40–immortalized hepatocyte cell line. These transfectant clones all showed variably reduced growth rates, accompanied by significant reductions in both cytoplasmic and nuclear B2 RNA levels: linear regression analyses showed that their growth rates were directly related to residual cytoplasmic B2 levels. Reverse–transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) analyses documented efficient self–liberation of the internal targeted Rz in vivo , and showed that the relative cytoplasmic expression levels generally paralleled the magnitude of the decrease in B2 transcripts. The RT–PCR analyses further demonstrated that up to 20% of the Rz was located in the nucleus, which presumably reflects competition between autocatalytic processing and nucleocytoplasmic transport of the initial TRz transcript
Genetic and clinical features of patients with cystic fibrosis diagnosed after the age of 16 years.
Authors: K H Gan, W P Geus, W Bakker, C B Lamers, H G Heijerman
Journal: Thorax (1995)

BACKGROUND--Cystic fibrosis is usually diagnosed in childhood, but a number of patients are not diagnosed until adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients diagnosed at an older age had a different genetic constitution, manifestations of disease, and prognosis from those diagnosed at an early age. METHODS--Clinical data and results of lung function tests and DNA analysis of 143 adult patients with cystic fibrosis were entered into a computerised database. Patients diagnosed before their 16th birthday (early diagnosis, ED) were compared with those diagnosed at 16 years of age or older (late diagnosis, LD). RESULTS--Mean age of diagnosis of the ED group was 4.6 years compared with 27.7 years for the LD group. Mean (SD) percentage predicted pulmonary function was better for the LD group than for the ED group: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 72.5 (31.1)% and 52.0 (24.8)%, and forced vital capacity (FVC) 89.8 (25.7)% and 71.9 (23.0)%, respectively. Colonisation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was present in 70% of the ED group and 24% of the LD group. In the ED group 81% had pancreatic insufficiency compared with only 12% of the LD group. None of the LD group was homozygous for delta F508 compared with 58% of the ED group. In the LD group 72% were compound AF508 heterozygotes and 28% had two non-delta F508 mutations. CONCLUSIONS--Among this group of 143 adult patients with cystic fibrosis late diagnosis is caused mainly by delayed expression and mild progression of clinical symptoms. Late diagnosis is associated with milder pulmonary disease, less pancreatic insufficiency, and different cystic fibrosis mutations. Since mortality in cystic fibrosis depends on the progression of pulmonary disease, patients with a late diagnosis have a better prognosis than those diagnosed early.
Risk factors for renal glomerular and vascular changes in an autopsy-based population survey: The Hisayama Study
Authors: Michiaki Kubo, Yutaka Kiyohara, Isao Kato, Yumihiro Tanizaki, Ritsuko Katafuchi, Hideki Hirakata, Seiya Okuda, Masazumi Tsuneyoshi, Katuo Sueishi, Masatoshi Fujishima, Mitsuo Iida
Journal: Kidney International (2003)
The Medicare Debate — Round One
Authors: Linda H. Aiken, Karl D. Bays
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1984)

Depletion of Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is expected by the early 1990s.1 The complexities of the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance programs, which pay monthly stipends to over 35 million people, have overshadowed Medicare in quadrennial reviews mandated by the Social Security Act. Even the National Commission on Social Security Reform,2 whose 1983 report led to major legislative changes, gave little attention to Medicare's looming problems. The 1982–1983 Advisory Council on Social Security, for the first time, was asked to concentrate its review and recommendations on Medicare. The council's report,3 sent to Congress in March 1984, formally begins . . .
Are asthma-like symptoms in elite athletes associated with classical features of asthma?
Authors: T K Lund, L Pedersen, S D Anderson, A Sverrild, V Backer
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2009)

Background: Asthma is frequent in elite athletes and clinical studies in athletes have found increased airway inflammation. Objective: To investigate asthma-like symptoms, airway inflammation, airway reactivity (AR) to mannitol and use of asthma medication in Danish elite athletes. Methods: The study group consisted of 54 elite athletes (19 with doctor-diagnosed asthma), 22 non-athletes with doctor-diagnosed asthma (steroid naive for 4 weeks before the examination) and 35 non-athletes without asthma; all aged 18–35 years. Examinations (1 day): questionnaires, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) in parts per billion, spirometry, skin prick test, AR to mannitol and blood samples. Induced sputum was done in subjects with asthma. Results: No significant difference was found in values for eNO, AR and atopy between 42 elite athletes with and 12 without asthma-like symptoms. Elite athletes with doctor-diagnosed asthma had less AR (response dose ratio 0.02 (0.004) vs 0.08 (0.018) p&lt;0.01) and fewer sputum eosinophils (0.8% (0–4.8) vs 6.0% (0–18.5), p&lt;0.01) than non-athletes with doctor-diagnosed asthma. Use of inhaled corticosteroids was similar in the two groups (not significant). In all, 42 elite athletes had asthma-like symptoms but only 12 had evidence of current asthma. Elite athletes without asthma had asthma-like symptoms more frequently than non-athletes without asthma (68.6% vs 25.7%, p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Asthma-like symptoms in elite athletes are not necessarily associated with classic features of asthma and alone should not give a diagnosis of asthma. More studies are needed to further investigate if and how the asthma phenotype of elite athletes differs from that of classical asthma.
268. Primary Mouse Marrow Stromal Cells Behave as Antigen-Presenting Cells in Syngeneic Immune Responses
Authors: John Stagg, Sandra Pommey, Jacques Galipeau
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2005)

Bone marrow derived stromal cells (MSCs) are actively studied for regenerative medicine and for the delivery of therapeutic gene products. However, MSCs possess properties of their own that may influence the desired therapeutic effect. Several studies have demonstrated that primary human and mouse MSCs can suppress the proliferation of T cells in response to allogeneic cells in vitro. However, the effect of MSCs on syngeneic immune responses has been largely overlooked. We describe here for the first time that primary mouse MSCs behave as antigen-presenting cells able to activate antigen-specific syngeneic T cells. The functional phenotype of C57bl/6 derived MSCs was confirmed by osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation assays. C57bl/6 derived MSCs were negative for CD45, CD31, CD86 and CD40 expression and positive for CD73, CD105, CD44 and CD80 expression. Upon gamma interferon (IFNg) stimulation, MSCs upregulated MHC class I and class II molecules, but not CD80, while they were consistently negative for CD86, CD40, CD45 and CD31. When IFNg-stimulated MSCs were exposed to soluble ovalbumin (ova) at doses of 2.5, 1.25 and 0.625 mg/ml, and cocultured for 20 hrs in the presence of MHC class II restricted ova-specific T-T hybridomas (MF2.2D9 cells), we observed significant IL-2 release (respectively 867, 722 and 551 ng/ml) as measured by ELISA. These levels of IL-2 were comparable to those obtained with the dendritic cell line DC2.4 and significantly greater to those obtained with C57bl/6 mouse embryonic fibroblasts (P<0.005). This experiment was repeated more than 5 times with similar results, suggesting that MSCs can process soluble ovalbumin and activate ova-specific MHC class II restricted hybridomas. On the other hand, IFNg-stimulated and non-stimulated MSCs failed to induce IL-2 release from MHC class I restricted T-T hybridomas (RF33.70 cells). We then determined whether MSCs cultured with soluble ova could be used to immunize syngeneic mice. C57bl/6 mice were injected twice intraperitonealy at 2-weeks interval with 0.1 and 0.2 million MSCs exposed to ova and IFNg, ova only or IFNg only. Three weeks after the first injections, reactivated splenocytes were assessed for cytotoxicity against ova-expressing EG7 cells or control EL4 cells. Splenocytes from mice injected with MSCs exposed to ova and IFNg displayed potent CD8-mediated ova-specific cytotoxicity in vitro. Furthermore, when immunized mice were challenged subcutaneously with 2 million EG7 cells at three weeks after the first injections, 8 out of 9 mice were still tumor-free 45 days after EG7 injection. Taken together, our data suggest that primary mouse MSCs can behave as conditional antigen-presenting cells able to activate syngeneic T cells and confer protective immunity against a xenoantigen.
ADENOMATOSIS, OR THE DIFFUSE ADENOMATOUS GOITER
Authors: J. EARL ELSE
Journal: JAMA (1925)

Under the term adenoma, there is described in the literature two definite distinct pathologic entities, adenomatosis, or the diffuse adenomatous goiter, and true adenoma, which is a definite encapsulated growth beginning from a single point and answering all the requirements of the benign tumors. Adenomatosis of the thyroid is characterized by a diffuse new formation of acini usually involving the entire thyroid gland, beginning with the fetal type without secretion, but later assuming the adult or colloid type, and giving rise to no symptoms at first, but later to those of pure hyperthyroidism. Wilson, in 1913, briefly described this condition and applied the term adenomatosis. Goetsch, in 1920 and 1921, described the early stage under the term diffuse adenomatosis, but referred to the new formation of acini as "an abortive attempt at the formation of young small alveoli." Plummer, in his writings, has grouped adenomatosis with the adenomas, treating them
Researcher objects to drinks industry representative sitting on alcohol research body
Authors: Susan Mayor
Journal: BMJ (2004)

A researcher working on alcohol dependence has criticised the appointment of the chief executive of a lobby group funded by the drinks industry to the United Kingdom's Alcohol Education and Research Council (AERC) because he fears a potential conflict of interest.

Professor Robin Room, a professor at the University of Stockholm and director of the Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs in Stockholm, Sweden, was concerned by the recent appointment of Jean Coussins, chief executive of the Portman Group. The group was set up in 1989 by UK drinks producers, and its main aim was “to promote responsible drinking.” Ms Coussins was appointed by the secretary of state for culture, the government department that oversees the work of the AERC.

The AERC aims to increase awareness of alcohol issues, facilitate a reduction in alcohol related harm in society, and …
Proton radiotherapy of skin carcinomas
Authors: Y. UMEBAYASHI, K. UYENO, H. TSUJII, F. OTSUKA
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1994)

At the Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, we performed a pilot study of proton-beam radiotherapy in 12 patients with the following types of carcinoma: Bowen's disease (4), oral verrucous carcinoma (5), and squamous cell carcinoma (3). They received total doses of 51-99.2 Gy in fractions of 2-12.5 Gy. All of the tumours responded well to the treatment. All four lesions of Bowen's disease, three of the five oral verrucous carcinomas, and the three squamous cell carcinomas completely regressed following irradiation. Two squamous cell carcinomas recurred during the follow-up period. One recurrent squamous cell carcinoma was successfully treated by a salvage surgical operation, and in the other case the patient refused further therapy. In two verrucous carcinomas there was 90% regression of tumour volume. No severe radiation-related complication occurred. As proton radiotherapy produces good local tumour control without significant morbidity to the surrounding normal tissues, it may prove to be a useful therapeutic modality for the treatment of skin carcinomas.
"CHOLESTEROLEMIA AND THYROID DISORDER"
Authors: Albert A. Epstein
Journal: JAMA (1934)

ABSTRACT To the Editor:— I have read with interest your editorial of July 14 on cholesterolemia and thyroid disorder.The reader who has not followed the evolution of the subject would doubtless conclude, from what you have written, that the discovery of the relationship between thyroid activity and the cholesterol content of the blood is a very recent one. For this reason it might be of interest to mention that Lande and I pointed out in 1922 (Studies on Blood Lipoids, Arch. Int. Med.30:563 [Nov.] 1922) and supported by extensive protocols the existence of an inverse relationship between thyroid activity and cholesterolemia. In subsequent publications (Thyroid Therapy and Thyroid Tolerance in Chronic Nephrosis, The Journal, Sept. 18, 1926, p. 913; Ueber Diabetes albuminuricus, die sogenannte chronische Nephrose, Arch. f. Verdauungskr.44:31 [Aug.] 1928) I have repeatedly discussed this subject and have utilized the principles involved as an index
Selective Upregulation of Endothelin B Receptor Gene Expression in Severe Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Michael Bauer, Heinrike Wilkens, Frank Langer, Sven O. Schneider, Henning Lausberg, Hans-Joachim Schäfers
Journal: Circulation (2002)

The pulmonary circulation is an important site for the production and clearance of endothelin (ET)-1, a potent vasoactive and mitogenic peptide. Increased plasma ET-1 levels are observed in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PHT) and may contribute to the regulation of pulmonary vascular resistance, as well as to proliferative changes in the pulmonary vascular bed.We prospectively assessed changes in plasma big ET-1 levels and changes in ET(A) and ET(B) receptor gene expression in 14 consecutive patients undergoing pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for thromboembolic PHT. Plasma big ET-1 levels were higher in patients with PHT (median, 2.2 pg/mL; 25th to 75th percentile, 1.5 to 3.0 pg/mL) compared with age-matched controls (median, 1.2 pg/mL; 25th to 75th percentile, 1.0 to 1.4 pg/mL; P=0.002). In addition to increased plasma big ET-1 levels, selective upregulation of ET(B) receptor mRNA transcripts and immunoreactive protein in the pulmonary artery was observed in the patients; however, ET(A) receptor gene expression was unaffected.These data suggest that changes in the ET signaling system in PHT caused by thromboembolic disease are not limited to an increased production of ET-1: they also affect ET receptor gene expression.