tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Ceiling effects of the Health Assessment Questionnaire and its modified version in some ambulatory rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Authors: G Stucki, S Stucki, P Bruhlmann, B A Michel
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1995)

OBJECTIVE--To examine if the reduced number of items in the modified version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) concerning difficulty of performing activities of daily living may lead to a reduced ability to detect clinical changes compared with the original HAQ. METHODS--In 56 consecutive ambulatory patients with rheumatoid arthritis, we examined the mean change in clinical and laboratory parameters for those who recorded improved, unchanged, or worse MHAQ scores one year after a baseline assessment. RESULTS--At baseline, about 50% of the patients had an MHAQ score &lt; 0.3 and clustered at the normal end of the scale. Because of a ceiling effect, the MHAQ failed to detect clinical improvement in 18% of the patients. Changes in clinical and laboratory parameters were associated with improved, unchanged, or worse scores with the HAQ but not the MHAQ. CONCLUSION--Although the format of the MHAQ has the advantage of eliciting a 9satisfaction9 score, limitations in its sensitivity to detect clinical improvement in patients with relatively little difficulty in activities of daily living may not justify the use of this particular version of shorter questionnaire in certain clinical settings.
The Stomach in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum
Authors: Arthur E. Cocco
Journal: JAMA (1969)

A gastroscopic examination was performed on five patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) and a history of upper-gastrointestinal tract bleeding. All five had linear or nodular, raised, submucosal lesions which were yellow in color and similar to the xanthomalike skin lesions seen in this disease. In addition, two patients had moderately severe gastritis. In view of the high incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding and a presumed defect in the vascular component of clotting in their disease, it is suggested that all patients with PXE be examined by gastroscopy and treated intensively with antacids if gastritis exists.
Conservation of hepatitis C virus 5′ untranslated sequences in hepatocellular carcinoma and the surrounding liver
Authors: Deborah E. Sullivan, Michael A. Gerber
Journal: Hepatology (1994)

Persistent infection by hepatitis C virus is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis is unknown. To study the association of hepatitis C virus with hepatocellular carcinoma, we sequenced part of the 5′ untranslated region of hepatitis C virus from the tumor tissue and the surrounding nontumorous liver of three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. No sequence differences between tumor-derived and liver-derived hepatitis C virus isolates were detected. The conservation of the 5′ untranslated region of hepatitis C virus–not only in infected hepatocytes, but also in neoplastic cells–suggests that the regulatory elements at the 5′ terminus of the viral genome play an important role in the pathobiology of hepatitis C virus. (Hepatology 1994;19:551–553).
Central neurotransmitter function and its behavioral correlates in man.
Authors: I Hanin
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1978)

The past decade has witnessed a tremendous increase in knowledge towards understanding the function of various brain neurotransmitter substances in behavior. Experimental observations in animals, utilizing specific pharmacological agents, have enabled the development of certain hypotheses regarding neurochemical substrates of behavior. These have led to cautious applications of complementary studies in humans. As a result, several neurotransmitter-related hypotheses have been developed for the explanation of normal behaviour, as well as of various abnormal behavior states in psychiatry and neurology. These hypotheses are currently undergoing extensive investigation. Highlights of the above sequence of events are presented, in order to provide as general, yet extensive, an overview of the subject as possible. Examples are provided from both basic laboratory investigations and from clinical findings. Principles of brain neurotransmitter function and interactions are reviewed. Various neurotransmitter-related hypothese of psychiatric and neurologic interest are introduced. Finally, the role that toxicants may have on behavior via alteration of brain neurotransmitter function is discussed, using the lead intoxicated animals as an illustrative example.
PRIMARY STIMULATION AND MEASUREMENT OF ANTIBODY PRODUCTION TO SHEEP RED BLOOD CELLS IN VITRO
Authors: W. A. Robinson, J. Marbrook, E. Diener
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1967)

A method for the primary stimulation and measurement of antibody production to sheep red blood cells in vitro has been described. In this system when mouse spleen cells are incubated with sheep erythrocytes large complement-dependent plaques are formed. The number and size of plaques increases from day 1 to day 3 of incubation with an average of 4.4 plaque areas per 1 x 10(6) cells plated at day 3. There is a linear relationship between the number of spleen cells plated and the number of plaques formed. Plaque formation is inhibited by colchicine, actinomycin D, and rabbit anti-mouse globulin. This system offers a possible means for the direct in vitro measurement of the number of cells in a population susceptible to antigenic stimulation by sheep erythrocytes.
Chest wall motion in preterm infants using respiratory inductive plethysmography
Authors: RH Warren, SM Horan, PK Robertson
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1997)

Preterm infant tidal breathing may be different from that of healthy full-term infants because of various features of the premature thorax. The purpose of this project was to describe chest wall motion in the preterm infant (gestational age &lt;37 weeks) and compare it with chest wall motion data in a group of healthy, full-term infants. We wanted to use an objective bedside method for assessment with minimal disruption to the infant. The study population consisted of 61 preterm human infants whose mean(+/-sD) postconceptional age at time of study was 35.3+/-2.1 weeks. During the study, the infants were quietly awake in a prone position. Preterm infants had initially been admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit for acute management and had been transferred to a step-down area, where they were in stable condition for study. Data were collected with a semiquantitatively calibrated, noninvasive respiratory inductive plethysmograph. Mean(+/-SD) phase angle was significantly greater in preterm infants than in full-term infants (60.6+/-39.8 degrees versus 12.5+/-5.0 degrees, respectively, p &lt; or = 0.0001). The laboured breathing index was significantly greater in preterm infants than in full-term infants (1.35+/-0.35 versus 1.01+/-0.01, respectively, p = 0.001). The ribcage contribution to breathing did not differ significantly between preterm and full-term infants (25.5+/-17.7% versus 36.3+/-14.4%, respectively, p = 0.11). These results indicate a significant increase in the degree of ribcage and abdomen asynchrony in the preterm subjects compared to the full-term infants. Plethysmography provided a time-efficient and objective method of assessing chest wall motion in this fragile population.
HIGH INCIDENCE OF FUNCTIONAL ION CHANNEL ABNORMALITIES IN A CONSECUTIVE LONG QT SYNDROME COHORT WITH GENETIC VARIANTS OF UNKNOWN SIGNIFICANCE
Authors: Marwan Refaat, Annette Buur Steffensen, Jens-Peter David, Amer Mujezinovic, Kirstine Calloe, Julianne Wojciak, Robert L. Nussbaum, Melvin Scheinman, Nicole Schmitt
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2014)
Dietary menhaden oil lowers plasma prostaglandins and calcium in mice bearing the prostaglandin-producing HSDM1 fibrosarcoma.
Authors: A H Tashjian, E F Voelkel, D R Robinson, L Levine
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1984)

The omega 3 class of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5), has been shown to alter the patterns of arachidonic acid (20:4) metabolism in both in vitro and in vivo systems. To examine further the role of arachidonic acid conversion to prostaglandins (PG) in hypercalcemic mice bearing the PG-producing HSDM1 fibrosarcoma, we have performed experiments in which control and tumor-bearing animals were fed diets either low (0.1-0.2% of total fatty acid) or high (17%) in EPA. In all five experiments performed, tumor-bearing mice eating control diets had markedly elevated (average sixfold above control) plasma concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGE2 (PGE2-M), while in mice bearing HSDM1 tumors and eating the EPA-enriched menhaden oil diet, the elevation was reduced to only twice control values. The increase in plasma calcium concentration (approximately 2.5 mg/dl above control) in tumor-bearing animals was also reduced significantly (P less than 0.05) to only 1.3 mg/dl above control in mice eating the diet enriched in EPA. Plasma immunoreactive hydroxy fatty acids (i12-HETE) and sulfidopeptide leukotrienes (iSRS) were not elevated in tumor-bearing mice and were unaffected by diet. The contents of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were lower in tumor tissue from animals eating the diet high in EPA, whereas the tissue contents of i12-HETE and iSRS were not altered by diet. Fatty acid analysis of liver and tumor tissue revealed marked increases in certain omega 3 fatty acids (20:5, 22:5, and 22:6) from animals eating the enriched diet. Body weights, tumor weights, and tumor histology were not significantly altered by diet. To determine whether dietary calcium played a role in the elevation of plasma calcium in mice bearing the HSDM1 tumor and the reduction of plasma calcium in animals fed EPA, we compared results in mice fed diets containing 0.80% (normal) and 0.015% (deficient) calcium. The increases in plasma calcium and PGE2-M observed in tumor-bearing mice were the same on both normal and very low calcium intakes. We conclude, in mice of the Swiss albino strain bearing the HSDM1 fibrosarcoma, that consumption of a diet enriched in EPA reduces the production of cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism and thereby reduces the elevation of plasma calcium concentration. Dietary enrichment with EPA did not alter the production of serologically determined lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid.
Left Bundle-Branch Block
Authors: Lawrence Gould
Journal: JAMA (1973)

Of 27 patients with left bundle-branch block following acute myocardial infarction, five died. Left bundle-branch block was present on admission in 26 patients, and subsequently appeared in one. Fourteen of 16 patients who did not have a temporary pacemaker placed prophylactically survived the acute myocardial infarction. Of the 22 survivors, 16 are still alive, an average of 12.7 months after the acute myocardial infarction. Thus, left bundle-branch block in acute myocardial infarction does not affect prognosis, and is not an indication for prophylactic insertion of a transvenous pacemaker or of a permanent pacemaker.
The long-term pathological evolution of chronic hepatitis C
Authors: M Yano, H Kumada, M Kage, K Ikeda, K Shimamatsu, O Inoue, E Hashimoto, J H Lefkowitch, J Ludwig, K Okuda
Journal: Hepatology (1996)

Most patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) develop chronic hepatitis. Unfortunately, the pathological evolution of this disease over time is not completely understood. We studied 70 HCV-positive patients, from whom 2 to 10 liver biopsy specimens (mean, 3.9) had been obtained during an interval of 1 to 26 years (mean, 8.8 years). Each biopsy specimen was evaluated independently by four pathologists who each provided a numerical score for the grade of portal/periportal necroinflammation (0-4), grade of lobular necroinflammation (0-4), their sum (final grade), and the stage of fibrosis (1-4). The scores were correlated with progression of disease, if any, and transition to cirrhosis. During follow-up, 35 patients (50%) developed cirrhosis. Cirrhosis developed in all patients with a high final grade (> or = 5) of necroinflammation on initial biopsy who were followed for 10 years and in 96% of patients with an intermediate final grade (3.5-4.9) who were followed for 17 years. Only 30.4% of patients with low final grade (< or = 3.4) on initial biopsy developed cirrhosis after 13 years. All patients with evidence of septal fibrosis with incomplete nodularity (stage 3.0-3.4) in the initial biopsy progressed to unequivocal cirrhosis by 10 years. The rate of progression to cirrhosis was accelerated in patients whose initial biopsies showed high-grade and -stage lesions. This study demonstrates the importance of grading and staging liver biopsy lesions in chronic hepatitis C, particularly for patients with high-grade necroinflammation, septal fibrosis, and regions of modularity on initial biopsy who are at high risk of developing advanced cirrhosis in the ensuing decade.
Attenuation of both apoptotic and necrotic actions of cadmium by Bcl-2.
Authors: Masami Ishido, Rieko Ohtsubo, Tatsumi Adachi, Manabu Kunimoto
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2002)

We examined the effects of cadmium on the bcl-2 family of proteins--bcl-2, bax, bad, and bcl-xS/L--in cadmium-induced cytotoxicity. Addition of 10 microM cadmium to cultured porcine kidney LLC-PK(1) cells caused apoptosis. Western blot analyses revealed that cadmium markedly increased endogenous bcl-2 protein (to 3-4 times the level in wild-type cells) earlier than metallothionein induction, but that the metal did not enhance the induction of bax, bad, or bcl-xS proteins. Cadmium also induced the transcript of bcl-2, with the amount of bcl-2 reaching a maximum at 1-2 hr of exposure; this increase occurred earlier than cadmium-induced increase in the protooncogene such as c-myc. A cadmium-induced increase in endogenous bcl-2 protein was also seen in rat primary thymocytes. Overexpression of the bcl-2 protein by gene transfection prevented cadmium-induced apoptosis. Following the detection of apoptosis, lactate dehydrogenase release in the culture medium (a marker of necrosis) was observed, and this release was also inhibited by overexpression of bcl-2. Electron microscopic observations also supported the fact that cadmium induced apoptotic chromatin condensation at an early stage of exposure, followed by necrotic features of the cells, both of which were also inhibited by overexpression of bcl-2 proteins. Thus, our data demonstrated that both apoptotic and necrotic actions of cadmium were attenuated by bcl-2.
Structural changes in axillary eccrine glands following long-term treatment with aluminium chloride hexahydrate solution
Authors: E. HOLZLE, O. BRAUN-FALCO
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1984)

Axillary skin biopsies from fifteen patients with axillary hyperhidrosis who had received long‐term treatment with aqueous aluminium chloride solution were examined histologically. The apocrine glands were normal, but the eccrine glands showed conspicuous morphological changes of varying severity. These included vacuolization of the secretory epithelium, dilatation of eccrine acini with atrophy of secretory cells, and accumulation of PAS‐positive, diastase‐resistant material in the dilated lumen of the secretory coils. The histological changes correlated in most patients with decreased secretion of sweat. We conclude that long‐term blockage of the distal acrosyringium due to aluminium salts may lead to functional and structural degeneration of the eccrine acini.
The Posology of Amantadine: A Note of Caution
Authors: Todd S. Ing
Journal: JAMA (1980)

Amantadine hydrochloride is an antiviral agent effective in the prophylaxis and symptomatic management of respiratory tract infections caused by type A influenza viruses. The realization that amantadine has a broad spectrum of activity against influenza A subtypes and that new antigenic variants, such as Hsw1N1 (swine) and H1N1 (Russian), are also suppressed, has prompted recommendations for a broader use of amantadine in the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infections. 1   While amantadine appears to be a relatively safe drug, widespread use may lead to complications, unless its pharmacokinetics are more widely appreciated. Amantadine is not metabolized in man, and more than 90% of an ingested dose can be recovered unchanged in the urine. 2 The importance of urinary excretion is underlined by studies in hemodialysis patients, which reveal that plasma amantadine levels remain elevated for a prolonged period in patients with negligible renal function. 3 Not surprisingly, toxic effects of amantadine
Decreased Expression of Gastrokine 1 and the Trefoil Factor Interacting Protein TFIZ1/GKN2 in Gastric Cancer: Influence of Tumor Histology and Relationship to Prognosis
Authors: Steven F. Moss, Jin-Woo Lee, Edmond Sabo, Anna K. Rubin, John Rommel, Bruce R. Westley, Felicity E.B. May, John Gao, Patricia A. Meitner, Rose Tavares, Murray B. Resnick
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2008)

Abstract Purpose: Transcriptional profiling showed decreased expression of gastrokine 1 (GKN1) and the related trefoil factor interacting protein (TFIZ1/GKN2) in Helicobacter pylori infection. Decreased GKN1 and GKN2 mRNA expression has been reported in gastric adenocarcinoma. We have examined GKN1 and GKN2 protein expression in a large gastric cancer series, correlated expression with tumor subtype, and evaluated their utility as prognostic biomarkers. Experimental Design: GKN1, GKN2, and the trefoil factors TFF1 and TFF3 were examined in tissue microarrays from 155 distal gastric adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemical expression was correlated with clinical outcome. GKN1 and GKN2 expression was measured by real-time PCR and Western analysis in samples of gastric cancer and adjacent nonneoplastic mucosa. Results: GKN1 was lost in 78% of diffuse and 42% of intestinal cancers (P &amp;lt; 0.0001, diffuse versus intestinal). GKN2 expression was lost in 85% of diffuse and 54% of intestinal type cancers (P &amp;lt; 0.002). GKN1 and GKN2 down-regulation were confirmed by Western and real-time PCR analysis. Loss of either protein was associated with significantly worse outcome in intestinal-type tumors by univariate analysis; and GKN2 loss remained a predictor of poor outcome in multivariate analysis (P &amp;lt; 0.033). TFF1 was lost in &amp;gt;70%, and TFF3 was expressed in ∼50% of gastric cancers. Conclusions: Loss of GKN1 and GKN2 expression occurs frequently in gastric adenocarcinomas, especially in the diffuse subtype. GKN1 and GKN2 loss are associated with shorter overall survival in the intestinal subtype.
Chronotropic Effects of Ouabain and Heart Rate on Canine Atrium in Vivo
Authors: STEPHEN M. WITTENBERG
Journal: Circulation Research (1974)

Positive chronotropic effects from the combination of ouabain administration and rapid stimulation were sought in the atrium and ventricle of ten anesthetized vagotomized dogs with intact atrioventricular conduction during the infusion of ouabain (1 µg/kg min -1 ) until the onset of ventricular tachycardia. Sinus rhythm was interrupted every minute by 15 seconds of atrial pacing at either 150 or 200 beats/min. Positive chronotropic effects were recognized immediately after pacing as (1) early ventricular escape beats during vagal stimulation, (2) early atrial escape beats during vagal stimulation, or (3) blunting of the normal postpacing atrial depression. Positive chronotropic effects were rate dependent in both chambers, but they were seen less often in the atrium than in the ventricle. Early ventricular escape beats occurred in all ten dogs at a pacing rate of 200 beats/min when 69 ± 12% of the dose of ouabain required to induce ventricular tachycardia had been administered. They occurred in six of ten dogs at 150 beats/min after infusion of 81 ± 6% of the dose of ouabain which induces tachycardia. Early atrial escape beats did not occur when the hearts were paced at 150 beats/min. However, they appeared in three of ten dogs paced at 200 beats/min after infusion of 93 ± 5% of the dose of ouabain which induces tachycardia. Blunting of the normal postpacing atrial depression occurred in six of ten dogs at both 150 and 200 beats/ min at 100 ± 4% and 89 ± 5%, respectively, of the dose of ouabain required to induce ventricular tachycardia. Six additional dogs with heart block were paced at an atrial rate of 250 beats/min to facilitate positive chronotropic effects in the atrium with simultaneous ventricular pacing at 60 beats/min to delay the onset of positive chronotropic effects in the ventricle. This procedure allowed more consistent and relatively earlier detection of atrial positive chronotropic effects. In these experiments, early atrial escape beats occurred in five dogs after infusion of 80 ± 3% of the dose of ouabain required to induce ventricular tachycardia, and blunting of the normal postpacing atrial depression occurred in all six dogs after 78 ± 3% of the tachycardia-inducing dose of ouabain had been infused. It was concluded that toxic doses of ouabain induce positive chronotropic effects in the atrium of intact dogs. The effects occur later than do similar effects in the ventricle. Moreover, the positive chronotropic effects are heart rate dependent in both chambers and can be studied by atrial-ventricular; differential rate experiments.
When Disaster Strikes: How Individuals and Communities Cope With Catastrophe
Authors: Dorothy M. Bernstein
Journal: JAMA (1987)

There is a paradox about events of disastrous magnitude. While it is well known that calamities such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and raging fires can wreak immediate havoc, damaging life and property, it is less well recognized that mental trauma surfacing in some individuals after such incidents can have a long-lasting, pervasive effect. Disasters test individuals and communities far beyond their usual capabilities. Most often, rescuers rise to meet the need in valiant fashion, but the emotional aftermath in some individuals seems less heroic; these persons are left to battle it out alone and unnoticed. Minor everyday events can trigger reenactment of a brush with death in survivors, who may remain emotionally disabled long after the danger is past. Such morbidity is not usually calculated when statisticians tabulate the destructive effect of a disastrous event. Additionally, there may be unanticipated victims following a disaster. Behind the primary victims lies a whole