tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Exposure to the herbicide acetochlor alters thyroid hormone-dependent gene expression and metamorphosis in Xenopus Laevis.
Authors: Doug Crump, Kate Werry, Nik Veldhoen, Graham Van Aggelen, Caren C Helbing
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2002)

A growing number of substances released into the environment disrupt normal endocrine mechanisms in a wide range of vertebrates. Little is known about the effects and identities of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that target thyroid hormone (TH) action, particularly at the cellular level. Frog tadpole metamorphosis depends completely on TH, which has led to the suggestion of a metamorphosis-based assay for screening potential EDCs. A major mechanism of TH action is the alteration of gene expression via hormone-bound nuclear receptors. To assess the gene expression profiles in the frog model, we designed a novel multispecies frog cDNA microarray. Recently, the preemergent herbicide acetochlor was shown to accelerate 3,5,3 -triiodothyronine (T3)-induced forelimb emergence and increase mRNA expression of thyroid hormone ss receptors in ranid tadpoles. Here we show that T3-induced metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis, a species commonly used in the laboratory, is accelerated upon acute exposure to an environmentally relevant level of acetochlor. The morphologic changes observed are preceded by alterations in gene expression profiles detected in the tadpole tail, and the nature of these profiles suggest a novel mechanism of action for acetochlor.
Chorea in Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Michael I. Weintraub
Journal: JAMA (1977)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Awareness that neurological manifestations other than seizures and psychosis can occur as the initial aspect of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been sufficiently emphasized,<sup>1</sup>although they were not observed in the excellent study of Coleman and co-workers (<b>237</b>:1095-1100, 1977). The following case of acute chorea is instructive because it adds further to the clinical spectrum of childhood SLE. <h3>Report of a Case.—</h3> Sudden choreiform movements of the hands, mouth, tongue, and feet developed in a previously healthy 13-year-old girl. These progressed over a three-week period and were associated with slurred speech and a tendency to fall. The patient had a low grade fever, and laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis of SLE with strongly positive antinuclear antibody, reduced complement, anemia, elevated sedimentation rate, leukopenia, and proteinuria. She was treated with haloperidol (Haldol) and corticosteroids, which resulted in clinical recovery from chorea. A computerized axial
Visualization of Portal Venous Collaterals on a Technetium-99m Labeled Red Blood Cell Scan for Gastrointestinal Bleeding Potential Pitfall in Interpretation
Authors: S ILES, D GORDON, J A AQUINO, J CAINES
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (1987)

A Tc-99m labeled red blood cell study was performed on a patient with carcinoma of the colon and gastrointestinal bleeding. This demonstrated an unusual pattern of collateral circulation due to extrahepatic obstruction of the portal venous system by recurrent carcinoma. This pattern could be easily mistaken for small bowel loops and represents a potential pitfall in image interpretation. It emphasizes the importance of a flow study and comparison with later images.
FIP1L1-PDGFRA in chronic eosinophilic leukemia and BCR-ABL1 in chronic myeloid leukemia affect different leukemic cells
Authors: B Crescenzi, A Chase, R La Starza, D Beacci, V Rosti, A Gallì, G Specchia, M F Martelli, P Vandenberghe, J Cools, A V Jones, N C P Cross, P Marynen, C Mecucci
Journal: Leukemia (2007)
Babies born to Ethiopian immigrant mothers in Israel have been needlessly infected with HIV
Authors: J. Siegel-Itzkovich
Journal: BMJ (2008)

A study has found that four of the babies born in the past 11 years to Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to Israel who were carrying HIV were unnecessarily infected with the virus by their mothers. This has led to demands that medical practice should change ( Israel Medical Association Journal 2008;10:668).

Some of the women did not know that they were HIV positive. Others knew that they were positive but did not take steps to avoid infecting their children—for example, by taking antiretroviral drugs, having caesarean sections, and bottle feeding their babies. Three refused antiretroviral treatment.

The article calls on the health ministry to change its opt-in policy, in which pregnant women are …
Contrast Agent May Aid Cancer Detection
Authors: Bridget M. Kuehn
Journal: JAMA (2007)

.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2006/nci-17 .htm). The study of nearly 20 000 women showed that both drugs reduced the risk of developing invasive breast cancer by about 50%. And a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials revealed that aromatase inhibitors, including letrozole, are associated with statistically significantly improved survival of patients with advanced breast cancer compared with standard hormonal treatments such as tamoxifen (Mauri D et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006;98:1285-1291). While the NCI endorsed the head-tohead comparison of letrozole and raloxifene in the STELLAR trial in late January after months of reviews, the institute’s director, John Niederhuber, MD, soon thereafter expressed concern and called for a new review of the study. At question was whether the costly trial would provide sufficiently valuable information to justify its $100 million price tag. Two other large trials of aromatase inhibitors—in these cases, exemestane and anastrozole—are already under way. Because these are placebocontrolled studies, they will provide more thorough adverse effect profiles of the aromatase inhibitors, require smaller enrollments of 4000 to 6000 women, and take less time to complete. “We’re going to confirm that these drugs are better than tamoxifen and raloxifene, and when we report results 4 to 6 years earlier than STELLAR, what new information is STELLAR going to provide us?” asked Goss, who is leading one of the trials. Wickerham took issue with the placebo-controlled trials, however, noting that they require smaller enrollments because more women taking a placebo will develop breast cancer. “The troubling part of it is that 50% of those who develop breast cancer in the placebo group do so unnecessarily,” he said. STELLAR is on a list of projects being reconsidered in light of the NCI’s tight budget.Niederhuberdiscussedtheimpact of a possible 10% cut in funding to clinicaltrialsforfiscalyear2007duringanNCI Board of Scientific Advisors meeting in March.Henoted that if a cutof thismagnitudeoccurs,anestimated30to35phase 3 trials and 60 phase 2 trials would need to be postponed or shelved within the NCI’s clinical cooperative groups.
The Selection of Residents
Authors: Thomas A. Deutsch
Journal: JAMA (1988)

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —In his article on the use of scores from Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) tests in the selection of residents in ophthalmology and otolaryngology, Dr McCollister<sup>1</sup>implies that inclusion of NBME scores in the evaluation of resident applicants reduces the role of the medical school faculty in the application process. As a program director in ophthalmology with responsibility for selecting applicants for interviews, I must disagree that this conclusion is justified by his data. We receive approximately ten applications for every interview slot. Selection of the interview pool from this applicant pool requires weighing the objective and subjective information received about each student. The Part I NBME scores are only one piece of data and reflect one approach to evaluating preclinical knowledge. Everyone who deals with this process realizes the interrelationship between these test scores and the dean's letter, election to
P175Endothelial dysfunction correction in acute coronary syndrome: focus on trimetazidine
Authors: AR Babaeva, SI Davidov, AA Tarasov, VV Titova
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2014)

Purpose: endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in atherosclerotic plague instability, leading to manifestation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the capability of Trimetazidine as an agent for endothelial function correction in ACS. Methods: 60 patients (34 men and 26 women, mean age 58.7±3.4) with ACS (31 unstable angina pts and 29 myocardial infarction pts) were recruited in the investigation. They were divided randomly into two groups. The 1st group at the same time as receiving standard therapy was treated with Trimetazidine modified-release tablets 35 mg (T-MR) twice daily during 3 months (n=30). The 2nd one received only standard therapy (n=30). The efficacy of treatment was assessed on the basis of ACS clinical course and dynamics of angina symptoms in compared groups. Von Willebrand factor (WF) and Endothelin-1 (E) plasma concentrations were evaluated in all pts with ACS before and after treatment. Results: The compared ACS groups were similar with respect to age, gender, ACS course and associated conditions. There were no differences in WF levels (1.25±0.16 u/ml, 1.22±0.15 u/ml, respectively, p>0.05) and in E levels (2.09±0.28 fmol/ml, 2.03±0.59 fmol/ml, respectively, p>0.05) in two groups before treatment. No severe cardiovascular complications were registered in both groups during investigation. The intensity, frequency, duration of angina episodes and requirement in nitrates decreased more dramatically in the 1st group than in 2nd group after treatment. We defined significant decrease of WF levels on 41% (from 1.25±0.16 to 0.74±0.10 u/ml, p< 0,05) and E levels decrease on 61% (from 2.09±0.28 to 1.28±0.35 fmol/ml, p>0.05) in the 1st group. Lowering of WF and E in 2nd group was not reliable (from 1.22±0.15 to 1.13±0.13 u/ml, p>0.05 and from 2.03±0.59 to 1.77±0.46, p>0.05 respectively). Significant difference in WF levels between groups was noted after treatment: in the 1st group it was lower than in the 2nd (p<0.05). Conclusions: Obtained data suggest the benefits of T-MR in combination with standard therapy for ACS treatment as this regimen not only improves symptoms of ACS but also positively impacts on endothelial function.
Overweight individuals are at increased risk for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: Kathleen K. Nicol, Brent J. Shelton, Mary Ann Knovich, John Owen
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2003)

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, TTP, has increased dramatically in the past few years with the identification of the role of ADAMTS13. Nonetheless, risk factors for the development of acute TTP are few. Informally, obesity was felt to be common in patients with TTP and so a formal study was undertaken to further define this association. We report our data in 105 patients with classical TTP as defined by thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. We found that marked obesity is a previously unrecognized risk factor with an associated odds ratio of 7.6. Interestingly, despite this increased risk, obesity might well be associated with lower mortality, although this did not reach statistical significance.
MEDICAL TREATMENT OF INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION.
Authors: C. D. SPIVAK
Journal: JAMA (1899)

Under the term "Intestinal Obstruction," or ileus, passio iliaca, miserere, we understand a variety of pathologic conditions in which a more or less complete interruption of the passage of the intestinal contents is the most prominent symptom. Whatever may be the cause of the obstruction, mechanic or dynamic, or a combination of the two; strangulation, volvulus, intussusception, obstruction by tumors or foreign bodies within the bowel or external to it, fecal accumulation or paralysis of the bowel, the physician is confronted with a certain set of symptoms invariably present in and common to all of the mentioned etiologic factors, namely: Sudden onset, pain, constipation, vomiting, abdominal distension and diminished quantity of urine. The general diagnosis of intestinal obstruction is easily made, but the differential diagnosis is very difficult, and in some cases, strangulation, for instance, almost impossible during life. When we bear in mind that the initial symptoms of appendicitis
Preoperative Acetazolamide SPECT is Useful for Predicting Outcome of Shunt Operation in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Patients
Authors: Shoko M. Yamada, Noritaka Masahira, Yu Kawanishi, Yasunori Fujimoto, Keiji Shimizu
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2013)

Good outcome of shunt surgery for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) patients are highly dependent on accurate preoperative assessments. Acetazolamide ethylcysteinate-dimer-single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) was applied to iNPH patients for more exact preoperative evaluation.Sixty-five patients were categorized into 3 groups: group I (normals, n = 30), group II (with ventriculomegaly due to age-relating changes, n = 10), and group III (who underwent shunt surgery based on the diagnosis of iNPH, n = 25). Acetazolamide SPECT was performed in all patients, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was performed before and 1 month after the surgery in group III.Acetazolamide SPECT study demonstrated normal increase of cerebral blood flow (CBF, more than 40%) in groups I and II. Group III was classified into 2 subgroups on the examination; a mean increasing percentage (%increase) of CBF was less than 20% in group IIIa and more than 40% in group IIIb. One month after the surgery, acetazolamide SPECT showed normal %increase of CBF in IIIa, and the increase in postoperative MMSE score was significantly greater in group IIIa than IIIb (P < 0.05). In iNPH patients, less than 20% increase in preoperative acetazolamide SPECT predicted improvement of MMSE score with 100% sensitivity and 60% specificity.Poor %increase of CBF by acetazolamide implies a low capacity for vasodilation in the brain due to compression and stretching by ventriculomegaly. Acetazolamide SPECT study is not an absolute examination but one of the valuable supplementary objective examinations to determine the surgical indication in iNPH-suspected patients.
Reproductive Hormone Levels in Men Exposed to Persistent Organohalogen Pollutants: A Study of Inuit and Three European Cohorts
Authors: Aleksander Giwercman, Anna Rignell-Hydbom, Gunnar Toft, Lars Rylander, Lars Hagmar, Christian Lindh, Henning S. Pedersen, Jan K. Ludwicki, Vladimir Lesovoy, Maryna Shvets, Marcello Spano, Gian Carlo Manicardi, Davide Bizzaro, Eva C. Bonefeld-Jorgensen, Jens Peter Bonde
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2006)

Persistent organohalogen pollutant (POP) exposure may have a negative impact on reproductive function. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of POP exposure on the male hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis.Participants included 184 Swedish fishermen and spouses of pregnant women from Greenland (n = 258), Warsaw, Poland (n = 113) , and Kharkiv, Ukraine (n = 194).Serum levels of 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (p,p -DDE) were determined in the four populations, showing different exposure patterns: Swedish fishermen, high CB-153/low p,p -DDE; Greenland, high CB-153/high p,p -DDE; Warsaw, low CB-153/moderate p,p -DDE; Kharkiv, low CB-153/high p,p -DDE. Serum was also analyzed for testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) , inhibin B, luteinizing hormone (LH) , and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) . Free testosterone levels were calculated based on testosterone and SHBG.We found significant center-to-center variations in the associations between exposure and the outcomes. The most pronounced effects were observed in Kharkiv, where statistically significant positive associations were found between the levels of both CB-153 and p,p -DDE and SHBG, as well as LH. In Greenland, there was a positive association between CB-153 exposure and LH. In the pooled data set from all four centers, there was positive association between p,p -DDE and FSH levels [beta = 1.1 IU/L; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-1.1 IU/L]. The association between CB-153 levels and SHBG was of borderline statistical significance (beta = 0.90 nmol/L; 95% CI, -0.04 to 1.9 nmol/L).Gonadotropin levels and SHBG seem to be affected by POP exposure, but the pattern of endocrine response is the subject of considerable geographic variation.
Long-term control of Chagas disease in Venezuela: effects on serologic findings, electrocardiographic abnormalities, and clinical outcome.
Authors: H Acquatella, F Catalioti, J R Gomez-Mancebo, V Davalos, L Villalobos
Journal: Circulation (1987)

To evaluate the long-term effects (20 years) of a Chagas control program (CCP) in Venezuela, a prospective serologic evaluation was carried out from 1981 to 1984 on 5771 inhabitants (8%) of Roscio county. This region was selected as a representative area where the national CCP was implemented effectively. Comparison with a serologic survey performed in the same region before the CCP disclosed a reduction in seropositive subjects from 47.8% to 17.1% (p less than .001), most marked amongst children and teenagers from 29.9% to 1.9%, suggesting that transmission of the disease had diminished. Similar seropositivity changes after the CCP were observed nationwide. Because decreased superinfection would also be expected to occur, we tried to ascertain whether the clinical outcome of seropositive individuals living in Roscio county had improved. The mean age of seropositive subjects between both surveys increased significantly from 34.9 +/- 17.3 to 46.7 +/- 15.1 years (p less than .001). Additionally, we examined clinically and obtained electrocardiograms from 775 seropositive subjects. They were classified as asymptomatic (group A, n = 614) or as symptomatic, having mild-to-moderate heart symptoms (group B, n = 99) or having advanced congestive heart failure (group C, n = 62). Their electrocardiograms were compared with those of 923 seronegative subjects collected simultaneously and with published data obtained before the CCP. Comparison of the age-related rates of electrocardiographic abnormalities of seropositive individuals before and after the CCP showed that they did not differ significantly by linear regression analysis, by the Kruskal-Wallis test, or by the normal approximation to the binomial distribution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Abstract 2500: Radiosensitizing effects of neem leaf extract in human neuroblastoma xenograft is through modulation of apoptotic pathway
Authors: Jamunarani Veeraraghavan, Sheeja Aravindan, Mohan Natarajan, Vibhudutta Awasthi, Terence S. Herman, Natarajan Aravindan
Journal: Cancer Research (2011)

Abstract Induction of apoptosis is directly correlated with the biological effectiveness of radiation (IR). Recently we have shown in neuroblastoma (NB) cells that IR modulates apoptotic signaling cascade and further demonstrated that fractionation relatively impede IR-induced cell death. It is therefore important to identify bioactive compounds that enhance IR-induced cell death and potentiate the use of radiotherapy in NB patients. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of neem leaf extract (NLE) on IR-associated apoptotic transcriptional modulation and cell death. NB xenografts developed in athymic NCr-nu/nu nude mice with human SK-N-MC cells were exposed to SDR (10Gy) or FIR (2Gy/Day for 5days) with or without NLE. IR exposures were limited to the tumor in flank region, while rest of the animal was protected by a specially designed cerrobend shield. Transcriptional activation of 84 apoptotic pathway focused genes was assessed using QPCR profiling. Cell death was measured using TdT nick end labeling. The results revealed that FIR significantly induced 55 genes and suppressed 10 genes, while SDR induced 49 and suppressed 5 genes. Of these, 46 genes were upregulated and 4 genes were downregulated after FIR and SDR, respectively. NLE inhibited 14 FIR-induced and 15 SDR-induced genes in human NB xenograft. To that end, NLE significantly inhibits anti-apoptotic NAIP, Birc6, Birc8, NOL3 after both SDR and FIR. Conversely, NLE significantly enhanced FIR- and SDR-induced pro-apoptotic BAK1, BAX, BCL10, Casp1, Casp10 CARD8 and CRADD in this setting. Furthermore, compared to mock-IR, DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that FIR and SDR significantly increased cell death. More importantly, NLE robustly and significantly conferred FIR- and SDR-induced cell death. Together, these data imply that NLE may exert radiosensitization mutually by activating pro-apoptotic signaling and negating survival signaling and, may thus serve as a potential “deliverable” to further potentiate radiotherapy in mitigating NB progression and relapse. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2500. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2500
Extracellular potentials related to intracellular action potentials during impulse conduction in anisotropic canine cardiac muscle.
Authors: M S Spach, W T Miller, E Miller-Jones, R B Warren, R C Barr
Journal: Circulation Research (1979)

This paper considers a quantitative description of intracellular and transmembrane currents in anisotropic muscle, with emphasis on the factors that determine the extracellular potentials. Although Vmax of the intracellular action potential had no relation to changes in conduction velocity in anisotropic tissue with constant membrane properties, the extracellular waveforms were quite sensitive to velocity changes. Large amplitude biphasic deflection occurred in the fast areas, and in the slow areas the waveforms were of lower amplitude and triphasic in shape; i.e., negative potentials preceded the biphasic positive-negative deflection. The extracellular potentials were simulated on the bases of a model of intracellular currents, and the theoretical and measured results showed good agreement. In tissue with anisotropic conductivity, the relationship between the spatial intracellualr potential gradient and the magnitude of the extracellular potential of the excitation wave was opposite to the classical relationship in isotropic tissue. Due to the influence of the effective intracellular conductivity on the spread of intracellular currents and on conduction velocity, in anisotropic tissue the extracellular potential decreased as the intracellular potential gradient increased. The peak values of the positive and negative potentials and the spatial distribution of the potential gradients varied considerably along the activation front. These findings were accounted for by differences in the distribution and spatial extent of the transmembrane currents, which were determined by the intracellular currents. The theoretical analysis showed that intracellular and transmembrane currents were proportional to the local conduction velocities of the wavefront. Thereby, it was not possible to have a "uniform layer" of current when there were differences in conduction velocity along the length of the excitation wave. The implications of the analysis are considerable, since the gratifying agreement between the theoretical and measured results indicates that the details of the extracellular waveforms can be explained on the basis of the distribution of intracellular currents; i.e., extracellular potentials provide a sensitive index of intracellular current flow.