tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Use of health information systems in the Russian federation in the assessment of environmental health effects.
Authors: J J Jaakkola, M Cherniack, J D Spengler, H Ozkaynak, B Wojtyniak, A Egorov, P Rakitin, B Katsnelson, S Kuzmin, L Privalova, N V Lebedeva
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2000)

The Russian Federation has made an intensive effort to compile and use information on the environment and human health. In 1996-1997, we evaluated the information that was collected and analyzed on the local (raion), regional (oblast), and federal levels with reference to its usefulness in the assessment of environmental health effects. The Russian Federation maintains standardized nationwide institutions that routinely collect health data in polyclinics and hospitals and then report to the national offices. The allocations of the workforce and the broad range of surveyed health outcomes are extensive, but a lack of systematic control of information quality limits the ability to take full advantage of these efforts. On the other hand, the hierarchical system of data collection has advantages over more decentralized or commercial health systems. A major weakness in the current reporting is the aggregation and transformation of data. Although this may not disturb the generation of health statistics, it seriously limits the use of regional and federal level data in the assessment of health effects of environmental exposures. In spite of limitations, some revised approaches to the analysis of existing data may be both feasible and fruitful. Combining information from routine data and newly collected data is likely to be the most effective way to assess the relationship between environmental exposures and diseases. Although there is a strong and justifiable desire to rapidly translate information of environmental health effects into policy alternatives, at present, it seems more useful to emphasize data quality, completeness, and plans for the use of data.
Treatment with the leukotriene inhibitor montelukast for 10 days attenuates portal hypertension in rat liver cirrhosis
Authors: Christian J. Steib, Manfred Bilzer, Mark op den Winkel, Susanne Pfeiler, Anna C. Hartmann, Martin Hennenberg, Burkhard Göke, Alexander L. Gerbes
Journal: Hepatology (2010)

The mechanisms underlying intrahepatic vasoconstriction are not fully elucidated. Here we investigated the Kupffer cell (KC)-dependent increase in portal pressure by way of actions of vasoconstrictive cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs). Liver cirrhosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation (BDL for 4 weeks; controls: sham-operation) and thioacetamide application (18 weeks). Infusion of leukotriene (LT) C4 or LTD4 in isolated perfused livers (20 nM, BDL and sham) demonstrated that LTC4 is a more relevant vasoconstrictor. In BDL animals the Cys-LT1 receptor inhibitor montelukast (1 μM) reduced the maximal portal perfusion pressure following LTC4 or LTD4 infusion. The infusion of LTC4 or D4 in vivo (15 μg/kg b.w.) confirmed LTC4 as the more relevant vasoconstrictor. Activation of KCs with zymosan (150 μg/mL) in isolated perfused BDL livers increased the portal perfusion pressure markedly, which was attenuated by LT receptor blockade (Ly171883, 20 μM). Cys-LTs in the effluent perfusate increased with KC activation but less with additional blockade of KCs with gadolinium chloride (10 mg/kg body weight, 48 and 24 hours pretreatment). KCs were isolated from normal rat livers and activated with zymosan or lipopolysaccharide at different timepoints. This resulted in an increase in Cys-LT production that was not influenced by preincubation with montelukast (1 μM). Infusion of LTC4 (20 nM) and the thromboxane analog U46619 (0.1 μM) further enhanced portal pressure, indicating additive effects. Treatment with montelukast for 10 days resulted in an impressive reduction in the basal portal pressure and an attenuation of the KC-dependent increase in portal pressure. Conclusion: Activation of isolated KCs produced Cys-LTs. Infusion of Cys-LTs increased portal pressure and, vice versa, treatment with montelukast reduced portal pressure in rat liver cirrhosis. Therefore, montelukast may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with portal hypertension. (Hepatology 2010)
Reduced C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) activities in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tsutomu Masaki, Masato Okada, Masaki Tokuda, Yasushi Shiratori, Osamu Hatase, Mutsunori Shirai, Mikio Nishioka, Masao Omata
Journal: Hepatology (1999)

The proto-oncogene product pp60(c-src) is the cellular homologue of the Rous sarcoma transforming gene, and it is a non-receptor-linked and membrane-associated tyrosine kinase. There is a close correlation between elevated pp60(c-src) activity and cell transformation. We have recently reported that pp60(c-src) was activated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of human and Long-Evans cinnamon (LEC) rats. However, the mechanisms involved in this process remain unknown. C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) is a novel cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase that inactivates the members of the Src family protein tyrosine kinase in vitro. We investigated the role of Csk in hepatocarcinogenesis by analyzing the location, amount of Csk, and its kinase activity levels in nontumorous cirrhotic and tumorous sections of HCC of patients and an animal model of LEC rats. Csk tyrosine kinase activity was significantly reduced in tumorous tissues compared with nontumorous sections of patients as well as LEC rats. A single immunoreactive band at 50 kd was detected with Csk antibody in normal liver (NL), chronic hepatitis (CH), and nontumorous cirrhotic (NTC) segments of HCC of patients and LEC rats. In human tumorous tissues, Western blot revealed a 53-kd immunoreactive band, which was slightly larger than the usual 50-kd band of Csk. These results suggest that the reduced activity of tyrosine kinase of Csk may play an important role in the malignant transformation of hepatocytes in human and LEC rat, and the appearance of 53-kd Csk-related protein may be closely involved in the progression of cirrhosis to HCC in humans, and that 50-kd Csk may act as an antioncogene through the negative regulation of pp60(c-src) in the development of human HCC.
EFFECTS OF AN APOLIPOPROTEIN A-1 INDUCER ON PROGRESSION OF CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS IN PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED INFLAMMATORY MARKERS
Authors: Rishi Puri, Yu Kataoka, Kathy Wolski, Allan Gordon, Jan Johansson, Norman Wong, Steven Nissen, Stephen Nicholls
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2014)
Child Head Injury Enquiry has also been suspended
Authors: A. Seymour
Journal: BMJ (2011)

As a lay trustee of the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE), I share the alarm of clinicians and epidemiologists over the decision to suspend the National Confidential Enquiries into Maternal and Perinatal Deaths to “review” them.1 This does a grave disservice to all …
Abstract 2795: Safety profile and therapeutic potential in breast cancer of STX140, an original tubulin binding agent
Authors: Florence Meyer-Losic, Ann Fiore, Mark Carlson, Jeffrey Lauer, Pierre Roubert, Sonia Bernetière, Charleen Oligo, Laurent Vignaux, Hervé Gaudry, Paul A. Foster, Simon P. Newman, Atul Purohit, Matthew P. Leese, Philip G. Kasprzyk
Journal: Cancer Research (2012)

Abstract STX-140 is an anti-tubulin binding agent which has demonstrated a good anti-tumor efficacy profile. Although the binding site on tubulin differs from other classical tubulin binders, one could anticipate the same type of safety issues with such an agent, namely neurotoxicity. In order to differentiate this compound, we evaluated its efficacy in a transgenic model of mammary cancer, its neurotoxicity potential, and its therapeutic index in a breast cancer model. STX140 efficacy was evaluated in C3(1) Tag transgenic mice which develop mammary carcinomas. In those transgenic animals, the disease progresses in a similar fashion to human breast cancer, with the development of tumors which show the same histological characteristics as the human pathology. In these mice, STX140 was able to significantly increase the survival of the animals and to suppress the emergence of metastases, whereas paclitaxel was completely inactive on both parameters. Neurotoxicity potential was assessed in a thermal hyperalgesia model in comparison with paclitaxel. Continuous oral treatment of mice with STX-140 did not induce an increase sensibility to heat as measured by the latency of paw withdrawal after a heat stimulus. However, paclitaxel increased this heat sensitivity starting after the second i.v. administration, underlying the neurotoxicity of this compound, which is observed in the clinic. Finally, in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenografts, two different schedules of oral administration were evaluated in order to determine the therapeutic index and PK parameters were measured in parallel to the anti-tumor efficacy. Continuous (QD) and intermittent (Monday, Wednesday, Friday; MWF) treatments were evaluated and a large panel of doses were tested. The therapeutic index was determined as the ratio of the exposure observed between the first toxic dose and first active dose. The TI for the QD schedule was 2.1 and was 1.7 for the MWF schedule, showing the potential good safety index of this compound. Taking into account the previous data reported elsewhere and new data presented here, which underline the great efficacy and safety profile of STX140, this compound is considered for further preclinical and clinical development. 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 2795. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2795
A predictive scoring system for the seroclearance of HBsAg in HBeAg-seronegative chronic hepatitis B patients with genotype B or C infection
Authors: Jessica Liu, Mei-Hsuan Lee, Richard Batrla-Utermann, Chin-Lan Jen, Uchenna H. Iloeje, Sheng-Nan Lu, Li-Yu Wang, San-Lin You, Chuhsing K. Hsiao, Hwai-I. Yang, Chien-Jen Chen
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2012)
Tumor targeting of innate and adaptive immunity by the adoptive cell transfer of engineered T lymphocytes co-expressing iNKT and tumor-specific MHC-I TCRs
Authors: Benjamin O Tschumi, Justyna Iwaszkiewicz, Lianjun Zhang, Stéphanie Corgnac, Jean-Pierre Mach, Pedro Romero, Alena Donda
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2014)

Meeting abstracts CD1d-restricted invariant NKT cells (iNKT) exert potent anti-tumor effects by virtue of their ability to transactivate NK cells, dendritic cells and T lymphocytes. However, their use in cancer immunotherapy has been limited by their short-lived activation followed by a phase of
More needs to be done to tackle the "double cruelty" of HIV and TB in Africa, says government
Authors: P. Moszynski
Journal: BMJ (2011)

Failure to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in Africa is undermining inroads made in response to the AIDS epidemic in the continent, say MPs in a new report on global tuberculosis.

At a discussion on tackling tuberculosis and HIV in Africa held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global TB on 22 March, the UK development minister Stephen O’Brien said: “We need to make still greater progress against HIV and TB co-infection—and the double cruelty it can represent.”

The UK Coalition to Stop TB says that tuberculosis kills more people living with HIV than any other infection. People who are HIV positive are 20 to 40 times more likely to develop active tuberculosis than people not infected. And without proper treatment, nine …
Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: 2013 update on diagnosis, risk‐stratification, and management
Authors: Ayalew Tefferi
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2013)

Polycythemia Vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) primarily characterized by erythrocytosis and thrombocytosis, respectively. Other disease features include leukocytosis, splenomegaly, thrombohemorrhagic complications, vasomotor disturbances, pruritus and a small risk of disease progression into acute myeloid leukemia or myelofibrosis.Almost all patients with PV harbor a JAK2 mutation. When PV is suspected, the presence of a JAK2 mutation highly suggests the diagnosis and its absence, combined with normal or increased serum erythropoietin level, excludes the diagnosis. Differential diagnosis of ET should include reactive thrombocytosis, chronic myeloid leukemia, prefibrotic myelofibrosis and RARS-T (refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts associated with marked thrombocytosis). A JAK2 mutation is found in 50-70% of patients with ET, myelofibrosis or RARS-T and is capable of distinguishing reactive from clonal thrombocytosis.Current risk stratification in PV and ET is designed to estimate the likelihood of thrombotic complications: high-risk is defined by the presence of age >60 years or presence of thrombosis history; low-risk is defined by the absence of both of these two risk factors. Recent data considers JAK2V617F and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors as additional risk factors for thrombosis. Presence of extreme thrombocytosis (platelet count >1,000 × 10(9) /L) might be associated with acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AvWS) and, therefore, risk of bleeding. Risk factors for shortened survival in both PV and ET include advanced age, leukocytosis, and history of thrombosis.Survival is near-normal in ET and reasonably long in PV. The 10-year risk of leukemic/fibrotic transformation is <1%/1% in ET and <3%/10% in PV. In contrast, the risk of thrombosis exceeds 20%. The main goal of therapy is therefore to prevent thrombohemorrhagic complications. In low risk patients, this is effectively and safely accomplished by the use of low-dose aspirin in both PV and ET and phlebotomy (hematocrit target of <45%) in PV. In high risk patients, treatment with hydroxyurea is additionally recommended, although not mandated in older patients without JAK2V617F or CV risk factors. Treatment with busulfan or interferon-α is usually effective in hydroxyurea failures. Screening for clinically significant AvWS is recommended before administrating aspirin in the presence of extreme thrombocytosis.
Abstract 5457: High levels of fatty acid synthase expression in esophageal cancers represent a potential target for therapy
Authors: Hajime Orita, Jonathan Coulter, Ellen Tully, Elizabeth Montgomery, Masaaki Abe, Hiroshi Maekawa, Kouichi Sato, Masahiko Tsurumaru, Okio Hino, Edward Gabrielson
Journal: Cancer Research (2010)

Abstract Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is overexpressed in many human cancers and is considered to be a promising target for therapy. To investigate the expression of this candidate target in esophageal cancer, we evaluated expression of FAS protein in - cases of esophageal squamous cancer, - cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and - cases of Barrett's esophagus with dysplasia - a lesion thought to represent a pre-invasive precursor to esophageal cancer. Using immunohistochemistry, we found significantly higher levels of FAS expression in -% of the squamous cancers and -% of the adenocarcinomas compared to normal esophageal epithelium. To evaluate the potential for inhibiting this enzyme as a treatment of esophageal cancer, we treated mice bearing xenografts of the Colo680N (squamous carcinoma) and Bic1 (adenocarcinoma) cell lines using C93, a rationally designed molecule that inhibits FAS activity. In these experiments, C93 significantly inhibited the growth of orthotopic xenograft tumors from without causing anorexia and weight loss in the treated animals. We conclude that, similar to several other common types of human cancer, FAS is expressed at very high levels in esophageal cancer, and growth of these cancers can be inhibited by pharmacological agents that target this enzyme. Moreover, this high expression of FAS is also seen in pre-invasive lesions of the esophagus, leading us to propose considering of FAS-inhibitors for purposes of esophageal cancer chemoprevention. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5457.
Marasmus Resulting from Gastrointestinal Allergy
Authors: P. Warren
Journal: BMJ (1957)

Marasmus Resulting from Gastro-intestinal Allergy Allergy to cow's milk has been held accountable for a multitude of gastro-intestinal symptoms in infants.Vomiting, colic, diarrhoea, melaena, and constipation have all been reported in various patients (Collins-Williams, 1956).In most of these cases, however, the infants do well in that they gain weight in spite of their symptoms (Nelson, 1954).The following case of gastro-intestinal allergy to cow's milk is thus particularly interesting in that the symptoms were so severe that the presenting picture was one of marasmus.CASE REPORT An 8-weeks-old white male infant was admitted to hos- pital on November 20, 1956, because of protracted vomit- ing, dehydration, and failure to thrive.The mother's preg-
Surgery of the Oesophagus
Authors: Earle W. Wilkins
Journal: JAMA (1972)

<i>Surgery of the Oesophagus</i>is a verbatim account of 20 presentations, by 17 experts, on topics related to the esophagus. The authors were members of an international panel invited by the Postgraduate Medical Centre in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, to discuss many of the challenging problems dealing with that challenging organ, the esophagus. Venerable names, such as Barrett, Allison, d'Abreu, Belsey, and Waterston, highlighted the program. The audience, or participants, included some 64 guests, knowledgeable experts themselves. This setting provided a unique opportunity for an earnest, thoughtful, and informative discussion of issues that confront the surgeon interested in the esophagus. The papers are recorded as they were spoken, not read, and the resulting text provides a friendly interchange, pleasant and easy to read, rather than an authoritative textbook treatise. At the same time, the book will have greater value to the mature surgeon than to the learning resident. It is not
<i>In Vivo</i> Salicylate Hydroxylation: A Potential Biomarker for Assessing Acute Ozone Exposure and Effects in Humans
Authors: LING LIU, JUDITH A. LEECH, R. BRUCE URCH, FRANCES S. SILVERMAN
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1997)

Ozone is known to yield hydroxyl radical, which may contribute to ozone-mediated lung injury. In the presence of hydroxyl radical, salicylate is hydroxylated to form 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA). There is no evidence of enzymatic formation of 2,3-DHBA. We hypothesized that salicylate hydroxylation might be used as a biomarker indicating human exposure to ozone. Healthy, nonsmoking volunteers, 18 to 34 yr of age, were given acetylsalicylic acid (975 mg) or placebo orally 0.5 h before an exposure. Subjects were exposed to ozone (0.12 or 0.4 ppm) or filtered air in an environmental chamber for 2 h, while performing intermittent exercise. Results indicate significant decrements in FVC, FEV1.0, forced expiratory flows at 50% and 75% of FVC, and peak expiratory flow rate, and an increase in airway resistance, after exposure to 0.4 ppm ozone in comparison with air control (p < 0.05). Exposure to 0.4 ppm ozone also resulted in increased symptom numbers and severity (p < 0.05). When subjects were exposed to 0.12 ppm ozone, changes of pulmonary function and symptoms reported were minimal. Plasma concentration of 2,3-DHBA was significantly increased after exposure to 0.12 and 0.4 ppm ozone in comparison with air control (p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between ozone-induced changes of pulmonary function and normalized salicylate hydroxylation (p < 0.05). The results indicate that exposure to ozone can initiate in vivo production of hydroxyl radical, a potent reactive agent. Salicylate hydroxylation may then serve as a sensitive dosimetric biomarker for ozone exposure, even at subclinical ozone exposure levels.
Clinical Lecture on Some Cases of Acute Rheumatism with Hyperpyrexia
Authors: A. T. H. Waters
Journal: BMJ (1876)

THE BRITISH MEDICAL 7OURNAL.pulse was io6.The bath was used for the second time at 12.30 YT%1TI~~~~~~~~AT ~~(night), eight hours after the first bath.The patient's.tvnmperature CLINICAL LECTURE ~~~~~on entrance was 103.3 deg.; on removal 101.3 deg.; the pulse io6 and ON 93,.The temperature of> the bath was gradually reduced as before SOME CASES OF ACUTE RHEUMATISM ~from 95 deg. to 75 dleg.The patient remained in the bath thirty minutes.The second bath, therefore., reduced the temperature two WITH HYPERPYREXIA.degrees, and lowered the pulse thirteen heats a minute.The patient Deliverdat te Livepool Roal In/rmary.experiencedthe same comfort from the bath as before, and slept after Ddi-ze;-e at he Lile~-ol Ryal Ifli-ary.remival from it.The temperature, however, gradually rose again, By A. T. H.ATERS, 1I.D, F.R.C.P.,and at 2.25 P-.51. on the 9th _(fourteen hours after the second bath), it B PhA.iT.
Howard Sidney Reeve
Authors: B. Reeve
Journal: BMJ (2009)

Howard Sidney Reeve was born in Edmonton, Middlesex. After an early childhood spent in Canada, the family returned to England and settled in Dulwich, where Howard attended Alleyn’s School. He developed a lifelong interest in amateur radio and obtained an operator’s licence at the age of 16, which enabled him to keep in touch with many friends throughout his …