tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Retroactive prayer: a preposterous hypothesis?
Authors: B. Olshansky
Journal: BMJ (2003)

Background/Aim: This retrospective study used magnetic resonance imaging to identify clinicopathological predictors of lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis in patients with advanced low rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy; only few such studies have been reported. Patients and Methods: Sixty-one patients with advanced low rectal cancer who underwent total mesorectal excision and lateral pelvic lymph node dissection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy between April 2013 and December 2019 were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the relationship between lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis and clinicopathological factors, such as lateral pelvic lymph node size, measured before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy using magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The short-axis diameter of lateral pelvic lymph nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.003, odds ratio: 2.898, 95% confidence interval=1.534-9.143) was the only identified independent preoperative predictor. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut-off value of the short-axis diameter of lateral pelvic lymph nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 6.8 mm. The area under the curve was 0.761 (95% confidence interval=0.723-0.932). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 77.8%, 72.1%, 53.8%, 88.6%, and 73.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The preoperative predictor of lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis in advanced low rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was the short-axis diameter of lateral pelvic lymph nodes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. When lateral pelvic lymph nodes with short-axis diameters above 6.8 mm are present, lateral pelvic lymph node dissection may be necessary.
Pharmacoangiographic manipulation of renal collateral blood flow.
Authors: J J Bookstein, J F Walter, J C Stanley, W J Fry
Journal: Circulation (1976)

Vasodilatory or vasoconstrictive renal pharmacoangiography was applied in investigating the significance of 50 renal artery stenoses. The technique involves comparison of selective magnification renal arteriograms before and after intra-arterial injection of epinephrine or acetylcholine, seeking changes in direction of flow in potential collateral routes. The drug injected depended upon the hemodynamic conditions during control arteriography. Final determination of significance depended on response to surgery in most patients, and renin levels in a few. Vasoconstrictive angiography was determinate in 18/26 (69%) of significant stenoses and correctly identified hemodynamic significance in each. Other angiographic signs of collateral circulation were present in seven of the other eight significant stenoses studied with the vasoconstrictive method. Vasodilatory pharmacoangiography was determinate in 20 arteries, and correctly evaluated each of nine significant and 11 insignificant lesions. Pharmacoangiography is a moderately sensitive and completely specific angiographic method for evaluating the hemodynamic significance of renal artery stenoses.
John Martel Hughes
Authors: Valerie Evans
Journal: BMJ (2006)

Paediatrician who became a pioneer in the management of cystic fibrosisTony Jackson made a considerable contribution to the transformation of cystic fibrosis from a fatal disease of infancy to a chronic disease of adults.He applied the developing technology and pharmaceutical developments to everyday practice, supported families and patients, and, after retirement, gave strategic direction to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust research and medical advisory committee, of which he was chairman.The trust awarded him its John Panchaud medal.
Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies.
Authors: F. B. MacGregor, V. E. Abernethy, S. Dahabra, I. Cobden, P. C. Hayes
Journal: BMJ (1989)

<h3>Background</h3> Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a clinicopathological disease characterised by oesophageal eosinophilia and gastrointestinal symptoms. It is caused by immunologic reactions to ingested and inhaled allergens. The diagnosis is considered if at least 15 eosinophils are detected per high-powered field in mucosal biopsies. <h3>Purpose</h3> To describe and evaluate the efficacy of oral viscous budesonide for EoE in paediatric patients. <h3>Materials and methods</h3> Patient, 11 years old, diagnosed with EoE, persistent atopic asthma and pollen rhinoconjunctivitis, with multiple food allergies. He initiated a restricted-foods diet and drug treatment with Montelukast 10 mcg/24 h, Fluticasone 50 mcg twice daily and on-demand salbutamol inhalation, which failed, although there was some clinical improvement. Therefore, treatment with budesonide suspension was initiated 0.5 mcg twice daily, 1 h after meals. Budesonide suspension is a viscous liquid consisting of budesonide nebulizer suspension (Pulmicort respules 0.50mg/ml) mixed with sodium benzoate sodium, saccharin, and glycerine with constant stirring until blended. Finally add the strawberry essence and incorporate xanthan gum on top without mixing and add water to 240 ml. The final concentration is 0.25 mg/ml. <h3>Results</h3> In our present medical case, the patient presented eosinophilic enteritis and esophagitis, despite having been treated with omeprazole, antihistamines, and dietary advice. Between April 2013 and May 2013, he had been receiving, budesonide 500 mcg/12 hourly and dietary treatment. He had a significant improvement. After the treatment the endoscopy was completely normalised. Unfortunately, 3 months later after stopping the oral steroids the patient reported recurrence of symptoms. <h3>Conclusions</h3> As with most eosinophilic diseases, oral steroids improve oesophageal eosinophilic and symptoms in patients with EoE. Treatment with budesonide induced full remission in the patient. Unfortunately, the therapeutic effect of oral steroids on the disease is abolished following cessation of treatment. Therefore, patients may have to continue on therapeutic treatment levels for an indefinite amount of time No conflict of interest.
Indian government stalls roll-out of universal healthcare plan, report says
Authors: C. Travasso
Journal: BMJ (2015)

The Indian government has stalled the roll-out of its ambitious healthcare plan until the plan’s proposed cost is cut, Reuters has reported. Projected to cost about Rs1.16 trillion (£12.5bn; €17.2bn; $18.5bn) over five years, the government has asked that the plan be revised because of financial constraints.

Reuters said that the programme was presented to the prime minister at a meeting in January this year but was not approved, and the health ministry was asked to rework it.1 Details about the meeting have not been made public.

Voted into power last …
Long-Term Use of Procaine Amide following Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: BERNARD D. KOSOWSKY, JACK TAYLOR, BERNARD LOWN, ROBERT F. RITCHIE
Journal: Circulation (1973)

The safety of long-term prophylactic antiarrhythmic therapy with procaine amide was studied in 78 patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction. Patients were randomly allocated to a control or treatment group and followed monthly for up to 2 years with ambulatory ECG monitoring and measurement of serum drug level, antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer, LE preparation, blood count, BUN, and SGOT. Early reactions forced discontinuation of therapy in nine of 39 treated patients within the first 3 weeks. Late reactions were observed in 14 of 16 patients who took procaine amide for 3 months or longer. Every patient on therapy for 1 year or longer demonstrated elevation in ANA titer. Comparison of monitoring data between these two groups revealed no difference in the incidence of occasional or frequent premature ventricular beats. However, during the first 6 months, treated patients tended to have fewer major arrhythmias. There were fewer sudden deaths among treated patients, but this difference did not reach statistical significance at the 5% level. It is concluded that the high incidence of toxic reactions precludes widespread use of long-term prophylactic procaine amide therapy. More precise identification of a sudden death-prone population might justify such therapy in such selected cases.
Gastro-intestinal Bleeding due to Vitamin K Deficiency complicating Labour
Authors: E. Malone
Journal: BMJ (1944)

MEDBARLTJOURNAL 559 between paralysis of the right shoulder-girdle and of the left leg, the latter occurring after the temperature had returned to normalrather an unusual occurrence.The tendon reflexes are usually absent or greatly diminished in this phase and the paralysis is flaccid.
Organizational Characteristics of Intensive Care Units Related to Outcomes of Abdominal Aortic Surgery
Authors: Peter J. Pronovost, Mollie W. Jenckes, Todd Dorman, Elizabeth Garrett, Michael J. Breslow, Brian A. Rosenfeld, Pamela A. Lipsett, Eric Bass
Journal: JAMA (1999)

1][12][13] We hypothesize that differences in organizational characteristics of ICUs are associated with significant differences in clinical and economic outcomes for patients undergoing high-risk surgical procedures that typically require postoperative care in an ICU.Abdominal aortic surgery is a relatively common procedure that is performed in a variety of acute care hospitals with different ICU organizational characteristics.Patients admitted for abdominal aortic surgery routinely require ICU admission because of high postoperative morbidity and mortal-
Detection of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA by RT-PCR in ATL patients and HTLV-I infected cell lines: clinical features and apoptosis by NOS inhibitor
Authors: T Sonoki, H Matsuzaki, A Nagasaki, H Hata, M Yoshida, M Matsuoka, N Kuribayashi, T Kimura, N Harada, K Takatsuki, H Mitsuya, M Mori
Journal: Leukemia (1999)
859-2 Utility of B-natriuretic peptide levels in predicting outcome of hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure: Results of the breathing not properly (BNP) multinational study
Authors: Alan S Maisel, Meenakshi A Bhalla, Nancy Gardetto, James McCord, Richard M Nowak, Judd E Hollander, Alan H.B Wu, Philippe Duc, Torbjørn Omland, Alan B Storrow, Padma Krishnaswamy, William T Abraham, Paul Clopton, Gabriel Steg, Marie Claude Aumont, Arne Westheim, Cathrine Wold Knudsen, Alberto Perez, Richard Kamin, Radmila Kazanegra, Howard C Herrmann, Peter A McCullough
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2004)
HCV796: A selective nonstructural protein 5B polymerase inhibitor with potent anti-hepatitis C virus activity In Vitro, in mice with chimeric human livers, and in humans infected with hepatitis C virus
Authors: Norman M. Kneteman, Anita Y. M. Howe, Tiejun Gao, Jamie Lewis, Dan Pevear, Gary Lund, Donna Douglas, David F. Mercer, D. Lorne J. Tyrrell, Frederick Immermann, Inder Chaudhary, John Speth, Stephen A. Villano, John O'Connell, Marc Collett
Journal: Hepatology (2008)

Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug development has been challenged by a lack of experience with inhibitors inclusive of in vitro, animal model, and clinical study. This manuscript outlines activity and correlation across such a spectrum of models and into clinical trials with a novel selective nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) polymerase inhibitor, HCV796. Enzyme assays yielded median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 0.01 to 0.14 μM for genotype 1, with half maximal effective concentration (EC50s) of 5 nM and 9 nM against genotype 1a and 1b replicons. In the chimeric mouse model, a 2.02 ± 0.55 log reduction in HCV titer was seen with monotherapy, whereas a suboptimal dose of 30 mg/kg three times per day in combination with interferon demonstrated a 2.44 log reduction (P = 0.001 versus interferon alone) Clinical outcomes in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin have revealed additive efficacy in treatment naïve patients. Abnormal liver function test results were observed in 8% of HCV-796 patients treated for over 8 weeks, resulting in suspension of further trial activity. Conclusion: The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor HCV796 demonstrated potent anti-HCV activity consistently through enzyme inhibition assays, subgenomic replicon, and chimeric mouse studies. Strong correlations of outcomes in the mouse model were seen with subsequent clinical trials, including a plateau in dose-related antiviral activity and additive impact from combination therapy with interferon. These outcomes demonstrate the utility of the range of in vitro and in vivo models now available for anti-HCV drug development and support the potential utility of polymerase inhibitors in future combination therapies for HCV treatment. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
TCT-672 Transcatheter Closure of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defects: Occluder Waist Length and Post-Procedural Arrhythmias
Authors: Hong Wu, Yong Zhou, Xianxian Zhao, Ni Zhu, Feng Chen, Bili Zhang, Xing Zhen, Zhifu Guo, Jianqiang Hu, Yongwen Qin
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2013)
Robot-assisted, Single-site, Dismembered Pyeloplasty for Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction with the New da Vinci Platform: A Stage 2a Study
Authors: Nicolò Maria Buffi, Giovanni Lughezzani, Nicola Fossati, Massimo Lazzeri, Giorgio Guazzoni, Giuliana Lista, Alessandro Larcher, Alberto Abrate, Cristian Fiori, Andrea Cestari, Francesco Porpiglia
Journal: European Urology (2014)
Clinical Problems: Elective Splenorenal Anastomosis
Authors: A. G. Riddell, K. Bloor, K. E. F. Hobbs, N. Jacquet
Journal: BMJ (1972)

Thirty-six patients underwent splenorenal anastomosis for haemorrhage from oesophageal varices. Twenty-nine patients were cirrhotics and seven had extrahepatic blocks or congenital hepatic fibrosis. The patients have been followed from 16 years to 6 months. The operative mortality was 11%. Recurrent haemorrhage occurred in two patients (6%) and neurological manifestations in 38% of the patients at risk. It is concluded that splenorenal anastomosis is associated with a high degree of shunt patency.
Estrogen and Coronary Heart Disease in Women
Authors: Elizabeth Barrett-Connor
Journal: JAMA (1991)

We review herein the evidence that estrogen is protective against the development of cardiovascular disease in women. To our knowledge, no studies in women have looked at endogenous estrogen levels as predictors of cardiovascular disease. Studies of surrogate measures of endogenous estrogen such as parity, age at menarche, and age at menopause have provided inconsistent results. Current use of oral contraceptives increases risk in older women who smoke cigarettes, but most studies of past use show no increased risk. Most, but not all, studies of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women show around a 50% reduction in risk of a coronary event in women using unopposed oral estrogen. These important observations need to be confirmed in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, since the protection is biologically plausible and the magnitude of the benefit would be quite large if selection factors can be excluded. (<i>JAMA</i>. 1991;265:1861-1867)
Rectal mucosal morphologic abnormalities in normal subjects in southern India: a tropical colonopathy?
Authors: M M Mathan, V I Mathan
Journal: Gut (1985)

Electron dense bodies and vesicles were increased in undifferentiated crypt cells and differentiated colonocytes in the rectal mucosa of healthy volunteers in southern India. In addition, in the surface colonocytes lysosomes were increased, the cells were shorter with short irregularly grouped microvilli, there was evidence of cell immaturity and a high prevalence of spiral organism infestation. There was also alterations in goblet cell mucus granules, a reticulohistiocytic response in the subluminal lamina propria and residual evidence of vascular damage. These alterations indicate a non-specific response to mucosal injury. Such changes have not been observed in the rectal mucosa of temperate zone controls and could be designated tropical colonopathy.
Autoimmune myocarditis induced by Trypanosoma cruzi.
Authors: A M Acosta, C A Santos-Buch
Journal: Circulation (1985)

Antiheart immune reactions have been reported in patients with Chagas' disease, and we have postulated that the observed cardiac lesions are mediated by autoimmune antiheart reactions elicited by the etiologic agent Trypanosoma cruzi. In this report, BALB/c mice infected with a low inoculum of T. cruzi developed splenic lymphocyte cytotoxicity against normal syngeneic neonatal cardiac myofibers in vitro 150 days after infection, whereas splenic lymphocytes obtained from mice at 15, 45, 90, or 120 days after infection or from matched controls did not. No antiheart antibody or antibody-directed cellular cytotoxicity was observed, nor was there an increase in natural killer cell activity. Hearts from mice studied at 150 days after infection showed mononuclear cell myocarditis with myocytolysis in the absence of intracellular T. cruzi forms. Hearts from the other mice did not exhibit any histologic changes. Other reports from our laboratory have identified a cross-reacting antigen (SRA) shared by T. cruzi and striated muscle. Immunization of BALB/c mice with SRA produced immunopathogenic dynamics similar to those seen with long-term T. cruzi infection. Collectively these data indicate that the cardiac lesions seen in patients with Chagas' disease may be attributed to autoimmune reactions elicited by cross-reacting antigens of T. cruzi and striated muscle.
Changes in Gene Expression Profiles Following Pre-Surgical Statin Treatment in a Window-of-Opportunity Breast Cancer Trial
Authors: O. Bjarnadottir, I. Johansson, Q. Romero, P. Bendahl, C. Rose, K. Jirström, D. Grabau, I. Hedenfalk, S. Borgquist
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2013)
THE "THICK DROP" METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF SCANTY SPIROCHAETES IN THE BLOOD
Authors: H. M. Woodcock
Journal: BMJ (1918)

r D I589-infection of tinned food witlh B. botulinus.Moreover, certainly one of my patients has disclaimed ever having taken tinned food at all; and its relative infrequence among soldiers from abroad who have lived very largely on tinned food is significant.
Abstract 4413: Rosiglitazone prevents graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
Authors: Eun-Kee Song, Ho-Young Yhim, Jun-Mo Yim, Joo-Yun Yim, Min-Young Song, Na-Ri Lee, Jae-Yong Kwak, Chang-Yeol Yim, Myung-Hee Sohn
Journal: Cancer Research (2012)

Abstract GVHD is a host tissue injury mediated by donor-host immune reactions, and a major complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARδ) plays an important role in regulating immune responses. We investigated the role of rosiglitazone, a synthetic PPARδ agonist, in a murine parent-to-F1 GVHD model. During mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR), rosiglitazone inhibited the proliferative response and cytotoxicity of responder cells, and induced more apoptosis in CD4+, CD8+, and B220+ cells than in NK1.1+, Mac-1+, CD4/CD25+ and CD3/NK1.1+ cells. The in vivo administration of rosiglitazone demonstrated histologic improvements of GVHD in the liver, skin, spleen and intestine. Rosiglitazone treatment inhibited GVHD-induced increases in serum levels of TNFα, IFNα, IL-6, and IL-12, and the decreases in TGFβ and IL-10. Splenic leukocyte immunophenotyping demonstrated that while the proportions of both donor and host CD4/CD25+ and CD3/NK1.1+ cells were increased by the treatment with rosiglitazone, both donor and host CD8+ cells were decreased. Rosiglitazone treatment inhibited GVHD-induced decreases in the expression of phosphate and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), and the increases in the expression of p-Akt and nuclear NF-κB in the spleen. These results indicate that rosiglitazone and activation of PPARδ may be useful to protect the host from GVHD. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4413. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4413
Relaxin induces an extracellular matrix-degrading phenotype in human lung fibroblasts in vitro and inhibits lung fibrosis in a murine model in vivo.
Authors: E N Unemori, L B Pickford, A L Salles, C E Piercy, B H Grove, M E Erikson, E P Amento
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1996)

Pulmonary fibrosis is the common end stage of a number of pneumopathies. In this study, we examined the ability of the human cytokine, relaxin, to block extracellular matrix deposition by human lung fibroblasts in vitro, and to inhibit lung fibrosis in a bleomycin-induced murine model. In vitro, relaxin (1-100 ng/ml) inhibited the transforming growth factor-beta-mediated over-expression of interstitial collagen types I and III by human lung fibroblasts by up to 45% in a dose-dependent manner. Relaxin did not affect basal levels of collagen expression in the absence of TGF-beta-induced stimulation. Relaxin also blocked transforming growth factor-beta-induced upregulation of fibronectin by 80% at the highest relaxin dose tested (100 ng/ml). The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, or procollagenase, was stimulated in a biphasic, dose-dependent manner by relaxin. In vivo, relaxin, at a steady state circulating concentration of approximately 50 ng/ml, inhibited bleomycin-mediated alveolar thickening compared with the vehicle only control group (P < 0.05). Relaxin also restored bleomycin-induced collagen accumulation, as measured by lung hydroxyproline content, to normal levels (P < 0.05). In summary, relaxin induced a matrix degradative phenotype in human lung fibroblasts in vitro and inhibited bleomycin-induced fibrosis in a murine model in vivo. These data indicate that relaxin may be efficacious in the treatment of pathologies characterized by lung fibrosis.
β-Adrenergic stimulation induces cardiac ankyrin repeat protein expression: involvement of protein kinase A and calmodulin-dependent kinase
Authors: Oliver Zolk, Michael Marx, Elmar Jäckel, Ali El-Armouche, Thomas Eschenhagen
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2003)

The cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), a nuclear transcription co-factor that negatively regulates cardiac gene expression, is increased in human heart failure and in animal models of cardiac hypertrophy. The mechanism by which CARP expression is regulated and the consequences of CARP overexpression on cardiac contractility are unknown.Compared to vehicle treated controls, 4-day treatment of male Wistar rats with the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline (2.4 mg/kg per day) induced hypertrophy and significantly increased CARP mRNA and CARP protein levels in left ventricles. The signalling pathways were investigated in more detail in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Treatment of cells with isoprenaline (1 micromol/l) caused a significant increase in CARP mRNA and protein by approximately 50%. Combined beta(1)- and beta(2)-adrenoceptor blockade, inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA; Rp-cAMPS, 100 micromol/l), and inhibition of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMK; KN-62, 10 micromol/l) completely reversed the effects of isoprenaline. To examine the consequences of CARP overexpression on contractile function, an adenovirus encoding human CARP as well as a control virus were constructed. Although the basal force of contraction was not different, contractile response to Ca(2+) and isoprenaline was significantly diminished in engineered heart tissue infected with the recombinant adenovirus that carries the CARP gene (Ad.CARP).Our study provides the first evidence that overexpression of CARP, which is thought to act as a transcriptional co-repressor, may deteriorate contractile function of the heart tissue. Furthermore, beta-adrenoceptor stimulation and activation of PKA and CaMK have been identified as mechanisms that induce expression of CARP in cardiomyocytes.