tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Replacing the NHS market
Authors: C. Ham
Journal: BMJ (1997)

The British government is working on a white paper to be published by the end of the year outlining its plans for replacing the NHS market. The likely flavour of the white paper has already been indicated in ministerial speeches that have emphasised the government's desire to avoid another reorganisation, to pilot its own policies before they are implemented across the NHS, and to encourage cooperation and team working. The test will be the ability of the white paper's authors to translate these aspirations into practical proposals. Three central questions have to be addressed: If competition is to be abolished, should the separation between purchasers and providers be maintained? What will happen to general practitioner fundholding? And, without competition, what incentives will there be to improve performance, especially when funding is tight?

The argument for ending the separation between purchasers and providers rests on the view that these responsibilities are intrinsic to the NHS market and that a commitment to replace the market should logically result in the integration of health authorities and NHS trusts. As experience has …
Readmission after hysterectomy and prophylactic low molecular weight heparin: retrospective case-control study
Authors: Gary Cook, John Depares, Maneesh Singh, Patrick McElduff
Journal: BMJ (2006)

To determine whether use of tinzaparin, a low molecular weight heparin introduced for prophylactic management of deep vein thrombosis, increases the risk of serious postoperative bleeding leading to a higher than expected 28 day readmission rate after discharge for hysterectomy.Retrospective case-control study using computerised hospital inpatient data and review of case notes.District general hospital.2108 patients undergoing hysterectomy between August 1997 and March 2003Readmission and reoperation associated with bleeding.54 cases of serious postoperative bleeding were identified, 46 of which were readmissions. These 54 cases were compared with 179 controls. Regression analysis indicated a positive relation between prophylaxis with tinzaparin and serious postoperative bleeding. There was a significant twofold increase in odds (odds ratio 2.02, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 4.05) after adjustment for type of operation, age, and type of pain relief.In the prophylactic treatment of thromboembolic disease after hysterectomy, compared with calci-heparin, tinzaperin is associated with a twofold increase in risk of serious postoperative bleeding.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PITYROSPORON OF MALASSEZ: ITS MORPHOLOGY, CULTIVATION AND PATHOGENICITY
Authors: J. M. H. MACLEOD, G. B. DOWLING
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1928)

Journal Article AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PITYROSPORON OF MALASSEZ: ITS MORPHOLOGY, CULTIVATION AND PATHOGENICITY Get access J. M. H. MACLEOD, M.D., F.R.C.P., J. M. H. MACLEOD, M.D., F.R.C.P. Pathological Laboratory, St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar G. B. DOWLING, M.D., M.R.C.P. G. B. DOWLING, M.D., M.R.C.P. Pathological Laboratory, St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology and Syphilis, Volume 40, Issue 4, 1 April 1928, Pages 139–148, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1928.tb12111.x Published: 01 April 1928
Control factors of granulopoiesis in human serum
Authors: Rex W. Bolin, William A. Robinson
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (1979)

Abstract The role of serum factors in the modulation of production of colony‐stimulating activity (CSA) has been investigated. A factor has been described, and partially characterized, in human serum that has the capacity to stimulate increased synthesis and release of CSA by human mononuclear cells (MNC). MNC RNA and protein synthesis are required to demonstrate this effect of serum, but DNA synthesis and mitotic division are not required. The factor in serum resulting in this effect is a heat‐labile protein with a molecular weight slightly greater than that of CSA.
Advocacy and Compliance in Genetic Screening
Authors: Ellen Beck, Shirley Blaichman, Charles R. Scriver, Carol L. Clow
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1974)

Abstract The relation between advocacy and compliance was evaluated in a voluntary testing program to identify carriers of the Tay—Sachs gene among 30,000 eligible subjects. The overall compliance rate was 9.8 per cent, and among subgroups of clients it was 27.6 per cent in final-year high-school students, 20 per cent in college students, 10.8 per cent in newlyweds, and 8.1 per cent in "random" eligible adults. Poor specific knowledge and lack of motivation, despite equivalent exposure to the screening option, greatly influenced the nonparticipant group by comparison with compliant subjects. The physician is the most powerful potential advocate of testing, for the Tay—Sachs gene, but he performs poorly in this role. Compliance rates can be improved in the program when its advocates are well informed and motivated. Our findings indicate a need for improved perception of the personal relevance of heredity, not only among clients of genetic screening programs but also among the personnel who function as advocates. (N Engl J Med 291:1166–1170, 1974)
Vimentin/cardiolipin complex as a new antigenic target of the antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Elena Ortona, Antonella Capozzi, Tania Colasanti, Fabrizio Conti, Cristiano Alessandri, Agostina Longo, Tina Garofalo, Paola Margutti, Roberta Misasi, Munther A. Khamashta, Graham R. V. Hughes, Guido Valesini, Maurizio Sorice
Journal: Blood (2010)
On Removal of the Uterus for Cancer
Authors: T. Keith
Journal: BMJ (1891)

into leukiemia, lends, I think, support to the view I take.These blood diseases associated with changes in the cytogenic organs, have, as Dr. Pye-Smith has pointed out, much in com- mon with idiopathic aniemia.Many of the symptoms-the frequency of haemorrhages, irregular pyrexia, their severity and ingraveseenee, the resistance to preparations of steel, and the more or less marked influence of arsenic, and the almost invariably fatal issue-are common to both.Thus I consider all cases in whieh anaemia is not sympto- matic should be regarded as idiopathic.The term " idio- pathic aneemia" was, as is well known, first employed by Addison for that particular form of anvemia of which he gave such a masterly description.Others besides myself33 l ave urged that it should be restricted to the class of cases described by Addison.The progress of our knowledge, how- ever, in my opinion, now renders it advisable to enlarge its meaning so as to embrace all primary ansemias, and to use it as a generic term, including several species.Of these species two are well defined-chlorosis, and the form described by Addison, which has by eommon consent come to be called " pernicious aniemia, " and which name, I now think, it is useless to oppose.Probably, besides these two species, there are other distinct forms of idiopathic aneemia to which I shall have to allude in subsequent lectures.
Accuracy assessment of pharmacogenetic algorithms for warfarin dose prediction in Chinese patients
Authors: Xiaoying Lei, Yanhai Guo, Jianbin Sun, Heping Zhou, Yonglan Liu, Ping Liang, Zhen Yan
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2012)

A few warfarin pharmacogenetic dosing algorithms have been proposed,based on multiethnic or homogeneous populations, to estimate warfarin therapeutic doses. However, it remains to be proven that which algorithm is accurate in predicting warfarin dose in Chinese people. We selected eight warfarin dose predictive pharmacogenetic algorithms and retrospectively assessed the predictive accuracy of each algorithm in a total of 368 eligible outpatients by comparing the actual stable therapeutic dose to the dose predicted by the algorithm. Our results showed that a high level of performance was demonstrated by three algorithms,Gage et al., Anderson et al., and Wu et al., having a similar performance in coefficient of determination (R2) and percentage of patients predicted dose within 20% of actual dose. The Gage et al. algorithm had the lowest mean absolute error (MAE). These results indicated that the algorithm by Gage et al. provided a more accurate prediction than did the others,which suggests that this pharmacogenetic algorithm might be used in clinical practice to guide rational administration of warfarin.
Home improvement and gardening can prolong life in over 60s, study finds
Authors: I. Torjesen
Journal: BMJ (2013)

People aged over 60 years can cut their risk of heart attack and stroke and reduce their risk of death by as much as 30% by being generally active and indulging in regular home improvement activity or gardening, research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown.1

The researchers invited 4232 people aged 60 years living in Stockholm, Sweden, for a health check that assessed their cardiovascular risk and obtained information on lifestyle, such as diet, smoking, and alcohol intake, and level of physical activity. …
Genomes or exomes: evaluation of cost, time and coverage
Authors: Sumit Middha, Jeanne L Theis, Adele H Goodloe, Timothy M Olson, Jean-Pierre A Kocher
Journal: Genome biology (2011)

Next-generation sequencing technology platforms are driving the development of a variety of approaches to study genomic variation associated with disease. One of these approaches, exome sequencing, specifically targets the coding regions of the genome, which are captured and sequenced. Compared with whole genome sequencing, exome sequencing offers the advantages of being cost- and time-effective while providing deeper coverage of coding variants, which are more likely to affect function.

However, the protocol is known to be only partially reliable and might miss some of the coding regions. To assess how much coding region could be missed or of target, we compared whole genome and exome sequencing data derived from one sample that was processed by the Illumina GA-IIx platform.

Our in-house-developed workflow named TREAT (Targeted RE-sequencing and Annotation Tool) was used to align and annotate the data. We provide a summary of the comparison between the two datasets, including the total number of reads produced, the time needed for sequencing and analysis, the coverage of coding regions and the agreement between called variants.
Secular trends in ischemic heart disease mortality: regional variation.
Authors: S Y Kimm, S M Ornstein, E R DeLong, S Grufferman
Journal: Circulation (1983)

We compared secular trends in ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in four southeastern states (North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia) with those in three selected other states (California, New York, and Utah). Mortality data were obtained from U.S. vital statistics and population information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Age-adjusted IHD mortality increased until 1968 in the southeastern states and then declined and declines were greatest in the nonwhite female population. In contrast, IHD mortality in all groups in California and in the female population in New York and Utah began to decline in the early 1950s, with accelerated declines since 1968. In all states the decline in rates in nonwhite populations have been greatest in the younger age groups. This has not been true in the white populations. Declining IHD mortality correlated moderately well with the decline in death from all cardiovascular disease and from all causes, but not with the declining cerebrovascular disease mortality. Respiratory cancer mortality increased in similar proportions in California and South Carolina, two states with dissimilar IHD trends. These findings suggest that improved control of hypertension and changing patterns of cigarette smoking may not be responsible for the recent decline in IHD mortality.
Prostate cancer charity wants better information for patients
Authors: Klaus Morales
Journal: BMJ (2005)

About one in four men in the United Kingdom with prostate cancer are dissatisfied with their care, a survey of more than 1000 men with the disease shows.

The Prostate Cancer Charity's survey of 1143 men who had the disease diagnosed in the last three years showed that more than a third did not have access to a specialist nurse to discuss their diagnosis and 43% were not given any written information about the disease or its treatments and side effects. Nearly a quarter of men who said they were alone when their diagnosis was broken …
Prevalence of asthma and rhinitis in relation to long‐term exposure to gaseous air pollutants
Authors: M. Ramadour, C. Burel, A. Lanteaume, D. Vervloet, D. Charpin, H. Dutau, D. Charpin, F. Brisse, D. Vervloet
Journal: Allergy (2000)

The relationship between long‐term exposure to air pollutants, especially with regard to photochemical air pollutants, and asthma prevalence in developed countries is controversial. The objective of this cross‐sectional survey was to compare mean levels of the main gaseous air pollutants and prevalence rates of rhinitis, asthma, and asthmatic symptoms. It included 2445 children from the 8th and 9th school grades who had been living for at least 3 years in an area where some communities undergo the heaviest photochemical exposure in France. Data on rhinitis, asthmatic symptoms, and asthma prevalence were gathered with the ISAAC paper and video questionnaires. The relation between level of air pollutants and asthma was assessed first by comparison of crude prevalence rates (chi‐square test), and then by simple regression analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. No consistent association between mean SO 2 and NO 2 levels, and prevalence of rhinitis, asthma, or asthmatic symptoms could be demonstrated. In contrast, there were statistically significant associations between prevalence of asthmatic symptoms and mean ozone (O 3 ) concentration. The interpretation of such findings is not straightforward, as these symptoms can be interpreted either as respiratory irritation due to exposure to nonspecific airway stimuli or as a true asthmatic state. Additional studies are required to clarify this important issue. In conclusion, this large cross‐sectional epidemiologic survey performed in an area of high photochemical air pollution did demonstrate statistically significant associations between the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms and mean O 3 concentration.
Beating <i>Leishmania's</i> iron armor
Authors: Ruth Williams
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2006)

Leishmania parasites that lack an essential iron transporter lose the ability to replicate within macrophages. These parasites persist but do not lead to host pathology, report Chau Huynh et al. (page 2363). Targeting the newly identified LIT1 pathway could be a potential route to leishmaniasis therapy.






Figure 1

Replication of Leishmania inside phagolysome (top) fails when LIT1 is deleted (bottom).




Intracellular parasites need iron to grow and multiply, but within the phagolysosome compartment, which such parasites inhabit, the supply of iron is limited. Specialized iron transporters had been identified in other intracellular pathogens, but none had been found in Leishmania, until now. Huynh and colleagues searched the Leishmania genome for sequences with similarity to known iron transporters and found a novel gene they call Leishmania iron transporter 1 (LIT1).

Having confirmed that LIT1 behaved as an iron transporter in yeast, the team deleted the gene from Leishmania to see how the bugs would fare in mouse macrophages. By 48 to 72 hours, the number of wild-type Leishmania per phagolysome compartment had significantly increased. LIT1−/− Leishmania, on the other hand, failed to multiply. Their phagolysosome homes appeared smaller, and the bugs themselves showed signs of degeneration. Whether these bugs would be eventually cleared from the cells is unknown, as macrophages do not survive well in culture beyond 72 hours.

Mice infected with wild-type Leishmania developed skin lesions indicative of cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, when infected with LIT1−/− Leishmania, no lesions appeared. Interestingly, samples from the mice injected with LIT1−/− bugs still contained live Leishmania up to 6 months later, despite the pathology-free status of these mice. Removal of the iron transporter LIT1, thus, obliterates Leishmania's virulence and renders the bug incapable of replication, yet does not kill it. The team is currently interested in determining the intracellular location of the surviving LIT1−/− bugs and in seeing whether this location allows them to acquire iron by an alternative route. This is an important question—if answered, it could lead to new treatments capable of completely eliminating the parasites from their infected hosts.
Diseases of the urinary system. Prospects for the treatment of renal diseases.
Authors: A J Wing
Journal: BMJ (1977)

Therapeutic advances in treating renal disease have demanded considerable medical resources during the past decade.Most of these resources, both manpower and financial, have been required for the dialysis and transplantation of patients with end-stage renal disease.Prospects of extending these treatments to all who may profit from them depend on the availability of sufficient health resources and on the medical priority accorded to extending the lives of patients who would otherwise die in renal failure.Prospects of reducing the numbers of patients with end-stage renal disease hinge on research into the primary renal diseases from which they suffer and into treatments to prevent these diseases progressing. Reducing progressive renal diseaseThe causes of end-stage renal failure in patients needing dialysis and transplantation are listed in the table.These are the diseases that must be prevented or whose progression must be averted.Glomerulonephritis appears to be the most important, but this has been confirmed by biopsy in relatively few cases.Among those biopsied, in 32 5,, of the European and 287",, of the British cases the histological diagnosis was "advanced sclerosing glomerulonephritis," which implies that almost one- third of patients had presented for diagnosis at a stage of the Primary renal diseases of patients treated for end-stage renal failure in 27 European countries and in Britain.*Diagnosis Europe (",, patients) Britain (", patients) Glomerulonephritis 46-6 46-9 Glomerulonephritis (histologically examined) (10-0) (13-1) Pyelonephritis 19-9 18-0 Drug-induced/ analgesic abuse 3-3 1-9 Cystic renal disease 8-4 9-9 Hereditary /congenital 3-2 3-1 Renal vascular disease 5-4 6-6 Other identified rare diseases
Camptothecin derivative-loaded poly(caprolactone-co-lactide)-b-PEG-b-poly(caprolactone-co-lactide) nanoparticles and their biodistribution in mice
Authors: Leyang Zhang, Yong Hu, Xiqun Jiang, Changzheng Yang, Wei Lu, Yong Hua Yang
Journal: Journal of Controlled Release (2004)
Abstract 5629: Arginine depravation therapy with arginine deiminase and autophagy inhibition is a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of metastatic sarcomas that lack argininosuccinate synthetase expression
Authors: Dean Weich, Shunqiang Li, Tom Kitchens, Munir R. Tanas, Philip Boone, David Y. Chen, Douglas R. Adkins, John Bomalski, Brian P. Rubin, Brian A. Van Tine
Journal: Cancer Research (2012)

Abstract While sarcomas are a rare group of tumors, the poor response to current clinical regimens represents an important unmet need in oncology. A better therapeutic understanding of the biology and metabolism of sarcoma growth is necessary to develop novel therapies to treat patients with this group of tumors. Argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of citrulline to arginine. When ASS1 is not expressed arginine becomes an essential amino acid to a cancer cell that must be delivered from the diet. Immunohistochemical analysis of 701 patient specimens representing 45 subtypes of sarcoma demonstrates that ASS1 is not expressed in over 85% of sarcomas (619 of 701 patient samples). This suggests that sarcomas may be sensitive to the arginine deprivation therapy using pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20). Treatment of a panel of leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and Ewing's sarcoma cell lines with ADI-PEG20 resulted in cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis when ASS1 expression was low, whereas the ASS1 high osteosarcoma cell line MG63 continued to divide. Response in sarcoma cell lines is dependent on ASS1 expression, as bone sarcomas, soft tissue sarcomas, complex cytogenetic sarcomas and translocation dependent sarcomas all demonstrate cell cycle inhibition upon treatment with ADI-PEG20. The IC50 for treated cell lines treated with ADI-PEG20 ranged from 0.02-0.1ug/mL in ASS1 low sensitive cell lines. Treatment of sarcomas that lack ASS1 with ADI-PEG20 induces autophagy. Depletion of arginine by ADI-PEG20 in ASS1 negative sarcomas when combined with chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy, induces cell death as measured by Annexin V. Xenograft of the ASS1 low expressing osteosarcoma cell line MNNG into nude mice followed by treatment with ADI-PEG20 demonstrated a significantly slower tumor growth rate as compared to PBS treated controls. Experiments are now ongoing in mice using the combination of chloroquine and ADI-PEG20. Successful control of tumor burden by using arginine deprivation therapy and autophagy inhibition in our preclinical studies will help to justify and orient future clinical trials for this innovative treatment for patients with sarcoma that lack ASS1 expression. 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 5629. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5629