tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Animals in Research
Authors: Steven J. Smith
Journal: JAMA (1988)

THIS COMMENTARY is an appeal to American physicians and scientists to assume a primary role in defending the use of animals for biomedical research. The historical role of the physician and the American Medical Association (AMA) in preserving biomedical research was recently reviewed.<sup>1</sup>Few if any Americans—physicians, scientists, or laypersons— would argue against the need for humane treatment of animals in research. However, a balance must be achieved between assurance that research animals are treated humanely and legislation that would severely restrict biomedical research and impede medical progress. Well-financed and determined opponents of animal research have devised a potent strategy to dismantle animal research through a series of legislative and regulatory initiatives designed to restrict research and increase its cost. These initiatives place the future health of humans<i>and</i>animals at risk (<i>Washingtonian</i>, vol 21, 1986, p 112;<i>US News World Rep</i>, Aug 31,1987, p 48).<sup>2-4</sup> Most individuals
The effect of cyclo-DfKRG peptide immobilization on titanium on the adhesion and differentiation of human osteoprogenitor cells
Authors: Stéphane Pallu, Chantal Bourget, Reine Bareille, Christine Labrugère, Michel Dard, Andreas Sewing, Alfred Jonczyk, Michel Vernizeau, Marie Christine Durrieu, Joelle Amédée-Vilamitjana
Journal: Biomaterials (2005)
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and ischaemic heart disease: an evaluation of the evidence
Authors: M R Law, J K Morris, N J Wald
Journal: BMJ (1997)

<h3>Abstract</h3> <b>Objectives:</b> To estimate the risk of ischaemic heart disease caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and to explain why the associated excess risk is almost half that of smoking 20 cigarettes per day when the exposure is only about 1% that of smoking. <b>Design:</b> Meta-analysis of all 19 acceptable published studies of risk of ischaemic heart disease in lifelong non-smokers who live with a smoker and in those who live with a non-smoker, five large prospective studies of smoking and ischaemic heart disease, and studies of platelet aggregation and studies of diet according to exposure to tobacco smoke. <b>Results:</b> The relative risk of ischaemic heart disease associated with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke was 1.30 (95% confidence interval 1.22 to 1.38) at age 65. At the same age the estimated relative risk associated with smoking one cigarette per day was similar (1.39 (1.18 to 1.64)), while for 20 per day it was 1.78 (1.31 to 2.44). Two separate analyses indicated that non-smokers who live with smokers eat a diet that places them at a 6% higher risk of ischaemic heart disease, so the direct effect of environmental tobacco smoke is to increase risk by 23% (14% to 33%), since 1.30/1.06=1.23. Platelet aggregation provides a plausible and quantitatively consistent mechanism for the low dose effect. The increase in platelet aggregation produced experimentally by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke would be expected to have acute effects increasing the risk of ischaemic heart disease by 34%. <b>Conclusion:</b> Breathing other people9s smoke is an important and avoidable cause of ischaemic heart disease, increasing a person9s risk by a quarter. <h3>Key messages</h3> Analysis of 19 epidemiological studies shows that people who have never smoked have an estimated 30% greater risk of ischaemic heart disease if they live with a smoker (P&lt;0.001) This is surprisingly large—almost half the risk of smoking 20 cigarettes per day even though the exposure is only 1% of that of a smoker The excess risk from smoking one cigarette per day is 39%—similar to the risk in a non-smoker living with a smoker The effect is mainly explained by a non-linear dose-response relation between expsoure to tobacco smoke and risk of heart disease Detailed analysis shows no significant bias; dietary confounding can account for an excess risk of only 6%, so revising the excess risk from 30% to 23%
Charity says its staff are put at risk by US military's description of itself as "humanitarian"
Authors: J. Burgermeister
Journal: BMJ (2003)

The German head of Medecins Sans Frontieres has warned that the lives of doctors and nurses working in Iraq are being put at risk by the US military's decision to brand many of its own activities as humanitarian help.

Ulrike von Pilar said that the charity had scaled back its foreign staff in Baghdad in response to the bombing of the Red Cross headquarters on 27 October. She strongly condemned the targeting of Red Cross workers as a …
Reporting Guidelines for Survey Research: An Analysis of Published Guidance and Reporting Practices
Authors: Carol Bennett, Sara Khangura, Jamie C. Brehaut, Ian D. Graham, David Moher, Beth K. Potter, Jeremy M. Grimshaw
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2011)

Background Research needs to be reported transparently so readers can critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the design, conduct, and analysis of studies. Reporting guidelines have been developed to inform reporting for a variety of study designs. The objective of this study was to identify whether there is a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research. Methods and Findings We conducted a three-part project: (1) a systematic review of the literature (including "Instructions to Authors" from the top five journals of 33 medical specialties and top 15 general and internal medicine journals) to identify guidance for reporting survey research; (2) a systematic review of evidence on the quality of reporting of surveys; and (3) a review of reporting of key quality criteria for survey research in 117 recently published reports of self-administered surveys. Fewer than 7% of medical journals (n = 165) provided guidance to authors on survey research despite a majority having published survey-based studies in recent years. We identified four published checklists for conducting or reporting survey research, none of which were validated. We identified eight previous reviews of survey reporting quality, which focused on issues of non-response and accessibility of questionnaires. Our own review of 117 published survey studies revealed that many items were poorly reported: few studies provided the survey or core questions (35%), reported the validity or reliability of the instrument (19%), defined the response rate (25%), discussed the representativeness of the sample (11%), or identified how missing data were handled (11%). Conclusions There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research. The majority of key reporting criteria are poorly reported in peer-reviewed survey research articles. Our findings highlight the need for clear and consistent reporting guidelines specific to survey research. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
UN report predicts shortfall in AIDS funding in developing countries
Authors: S. Mayor
Journal: BMJ (2003)

Funding for the prevention and treatment of AIDS in low and middle income countries is only about half what is needed to provide basic services, warned a report published by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) last week.

The Report on the State of HIV/AIDS Financing estimated that $4.7bn (£2.8bn; €4.1bn) should be available to spend on the AIDS epidemic in developing countries in 2003. This figure was based on pledges from private, national, and international funding sources. Although funding has increased considerably over the past five years, it is likely to fall far short of that needed in the future. The report estimated that more …
Procainamide-Induced Psychosis
Authors: Matthew Menken
Journal: JAMA (1979)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> The article "Procainamide-Induced Psychosis" by McCrum and Guidry (240:1265, 1978) is an interesting anecdote, but in what useful sense is "psychosis" the proper designation of the patient's mental state? Clearly the patient was confused and had a shortened attention span. We are not told of his capacity to manipulate old knowledge, learn new information, or orient himself. The authors appear to doubt that the aberrant behavior was organically derived. In fact, the observation that procainamide hydrochloride can induce an acute confusional state with delirium, if true, is an important clinical observation. The clinical picture described is familiar to any clinic having administered scopolamine to a woman in labor or having treated an alcoholic during an abstinence syndrome or a patient with herpes simplex encephalitis. Surely, we should avoid imprecise terms like "functional psychosis" to describe such patients. As biochemical psychiatry comes of age, it is increasingly important
Seropositivity for HIV and the development of AIDS or AIDS related condition: three year follow up of the San Francisco General Hospital cohort
Authors: A. R Moss, P. Bacchetti, D. Osmond, W. Krampf, R. E Chaisson, D. Stites, J. Wilber, J.-P. Allain, J. Carlson
Journal: BMJ (1988)

The three year actuarial progression rate to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a cohort of men in San Francisco who were seropositive for the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) was 22%. An additional 26 (19%) developed AIDS related conditions. β<sub>2</sub> Microglobulin concentration, packed cell volume, HIV p24 antigenaemia, and the proportion and number of T4 lymphocytes each independently predicted progression to AIDS. β<sub>2</sub> Microglobulin was the most powerful predictor. The 111 subjects tested who were normal by all predictors (40%) had a three year progression rate of 7%, and the 68 subjects who were abnormal by two or more predictors (24%) had a progression rate of 57%. Two thirds of all men who progressed to AIDS were in the last group. The median T4 lymphocyte count in subjects who did not progress to AIDS fell from 626 × 10<sup>6</sup> to 327 × 10<sup>6</sup>/1. HIV p24 antigenaemia developed in 7% of the subjects per year. The proportion who were abnormal by two or more predictive variables rose to 41%. At three years an estimated two thirds of the seropositive subjects showed clinical AIDS, an AIDS related condition, or laboratory results that were highly predictive of AIDS. It is concluded from the observed rates and the distribution of predictive variables at three years that half of the men who were seropositive for HIV will develop AIDS by six years after the start of the study, and three quarters will develop AIDS or an AIDS related condition.
Case 51-1967
Authors: Kurt J. Isselbacher, Robert E. Scully
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1967)

Presentation of case First admission. A fifty-two-year-old woman entered the hospital because of melena.One year previously, after an episode of vomiting, a gastrointestinal series showed esophageal varices. She was told that she had diabetes, and chlorpropamide (Diabinese) was prescribed. Subsequently, several episodes of melena occurred, each lasting for a few days. Three weeks before entry she became weak and fatigued. Four days before admission melena recurred.Throughout her adult life she had consumed up to a bottle of wine daily. Twenty years previously there had been an episode of jaundice, unaccompanied by pain. There was no known exposure . . .
Abstract 4898: Association of CD44 expression and ALDH1 activity in thyroid cancer.
Authors: Toshihiro Okada
Journal: Cancer Research (2013)

Abstract Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is considered to be one of the most aggressive human malignancies, and the mean survival time (MST) after diagnosis is approximately six months, regardless of treatments. ATC is known to arise from differentiated thyroid cancers such as papillary (PTC) or follicular (FTC) cancers. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the characteristics of cancer stem cell are associated with ATC. Materials and methods: One PTC cell line (TPC1), one FTC cell line (FTC-133), and two ATC cell lines (FRO, ACT-1) were analyzed for surface markers (CD24/CD44, CD44 variant isoform, EpCAM), and ALDH1 enzymatic activities (ALDEFLUOR) by FACS. In addition, relative mRNA expression of these molecules were determined by real-time RT-PCR. Results: CD44s (standard form) expressions in the PTC cell line (TPC1) and the FTC cell line (FTC-133) were higher than those in the ATC cell lines (FRO and ACT-1). On the other hand, ALDH1 activities of ATC cell lines were higher than those of the PTC and the FTC cell lines. An inverse correlation between the expression of CD44s and ALDH1 activity was observed in the thyroid cancer cell lines. As for the expressions of CD44 variant forms, ACT-1 showed a higher and FRO showed a moderate expressions of CD44v6. On the other hand, either TPC1 or FTC-133 showed negative expression of CD44v6. The expressions of EpCAM in the ATC cell lines were higher than those in the differentiated cancer cell lines, and EpCAM expressions were inversely correlated with the expressions of CD44s. ATC cell lines showed higher levels of ALDH1 enzymatic activities and EpCAM expressions compared with those in the differentiated cancer cell lines. A strong positive correlation was observed between the expression of EpCAM and ALDH1 activity in the thyroid cancer cell lines. Both ALDH1 and EpCAM mRNA expressions were higher in the ATC cell lines compared with those in the differentiated cancer cell lines in the RT-PCR analyses. Conclusion: In our present study, the expressions of CD44 and EpCAM, and ALDH1 enzymatic activity were different between the differentiated thyroid cancer cell lines and the anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines. Our data suggest that these molecules might be involved in the development and aggressive phenotype of anaplastic thyroid cancer. Citation Format: Toshihiro Okada. Association of CD44 expression and ALDH1 activity in thyroid cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4898. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4898
Listen to Me Good:The Life Story of an Alabama Midwife
Authors: Judy Barrett Litoff
Journal: JAMA (1997)

Midwife Margaret Charles Smith, a 91-year-old midwife, and Linda Janet Holmes, a long-time friend and historian of Alabama's midwives, have combined their talents to present a fascinating and powerful account of the career of Alabama's oldest living midwife. Born in Greene County, Alabama, in 1906, Margaret Charles Smith attended nearly 3000 births between 1949, when she received her midwife permit, and 1981, when she attended her last birth. During her distinguished midwifery career, she never lost a mother and rarely lost a baby. Despite her impressive record, as well as those of other midwives, Alabama joined with many southern states in the mid 1970s to enact laws that effectively ended the practice of lay midwifery. In fact, between 1976 and 1981, some 150 black Alabama midwives lost their midwifery permits. Each of the six chapters of this work begins with a sensitive introduction by Holmes that places the actual words
High Serum Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Rates and Small High-Density Lipoproteins Are Associated With Young Age in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Marianne Zeller, David Masson, Michel Farnier, Luc Lorgis, Valérie Deckert, Jean-Paul Pais de Barros, Catherine Desrumaux, Pierre Sicard, Jacques Grober, Denis Blache, Philippe Gambert, Luc Rochette, Yves Cottin, Laurent Lagrost
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2007)
Long‐term severe diabetes only leads to mild cardiac diastolic dysfunction in Zucker diabetic fatty rats
Authors: Anneleen Daniels, Dominik Linz, Marc van Bilsen, Hartmut Rütten, Thorsten Sadowski, Sven Ruf, Hans‐Paul Juretschke, Claudia Neumann‐Haefelin, Chantal Munts, Ger J. van der Vusse, Frans A. van Nieuwenhoven
Journal: European Journal of Heart Failure (2012)
Effects of progressive reduction in coronary blood flow on regional and global left ventricular contraction and relaxation during normal and increased afterload: a roentgen videometric study
Authors: M. G St JOHN SUTTON, E. L RITMAN
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1982)

The effects of step-wise reduction in left circumflex coronary blood flow on: 1) posteroinferior wall dynamics; 2) normally-perfused anterior wall dynamics; and 3) cavity function were assessed simultaneously by roentgen videometric analysis of left ventricular angiograms in open-chest dogs during normal and increased afterload. At control coronary flow with normal afterload, peak rates of systolic thickening and diastolic thinning of the posteroinferior and anterior walls were similar. Step-wise reduction in circumflex coronary flow resulted in a progressive fall in systolic and diastolic posteroinferior wall dynamics. Increased LV afterload resulted in a decrease in posteroinferior wall dynamics even at control coronary flow, and reduction in flow resulted in even greater deterioratation than occurred with normal afterload. The decrease in posteroinferior wall dynamics with reduction in circumflex coronary flow was accompanied by an increase in peak rates of systolic thickening and diastolic thinning of the normally perfused anterior wall. The level of coronary blood flow at which this increase in anterior wall dynamics occurred, varied with LV loading conditions, occurring earlier when afterload was increased. There was no earlier or greater decrease in diastolic than systolic wall dynamics with progressive reduction in coronary flow with either normal or increased afterload. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic pressure and ejection fraction changed little until coronary blood flow was reduced to 50% of control; by contrast, stroke-work was exquisitely sensitive to changes in coronary flow. There was no correlation between changes in regional and cavity systolic or diastolic function. The delay in onset of LV cavity dysfunction with ischemia may have been partly due to the "compensatory increase" in anterior wall dynamics, counterbalancing the impaired posteroinferior wall dynamics.
Hepatitis C virus: virology and life cycle
Authors: Chang Wook Kim, Kyong-Mi Chang
Journal: Clinical and Molecular Hepatology (2013)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family. It causes acute hepatitis with a high propensity for chronic infection. Chronic HCV infection can progress to severe liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the last decade, our basic understanding of HCV virology and life cycle has advanced greatly with the development of HCV cell culture and replication systems. Our ability to treat HCV infection has also been improved with the combined use of interferon, ribavirin and small molecule inhibitors of the virally encoded NS3/4A protease, although better therapeutic options are needed with greater antiviral efficacy and less toxicity. In this article, we review various aspects of HCV life cycle including viral attachment, entry, fusion, viral RNA translation, posttranslational processing, HCV replication, viral assembly and release. Each of these steps provides potential targets for novel antiviral therapeutics to cure HCV infection and prevent the adverse consequences of progressive liver disease.
A randomized phase II trial of preoperative docetaxel (D) and capecitabine (C) given sequentially or concurrently for Her2 negative breast cancers.
Authors: S Harichand-Herdt, A Zelnak, T Styblo, M Rizzo, S Gabram, H Bumpers, C D'Orsi, K Carlson, D Senior-Crosby, N Sellers, T Pierce, D Hicklin, J Srinivasiah, F Schnell, R Hermann, R O'Regan
Journal: Cancer Research (2009)

Abstract Abstract #5122 Background The efficacy of D and C as single agents and in combination is well established in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Novel sequential and concurrent regimens of D and C were evaluated in patients with her2-negative breast cancer eligible for preoperative therapy. MethodsPatients with Stage I (&amp;gt;1.0cm), II or III, Her2- breast cancer were randomized to two treatment arms: Arm A: sequential therapy with D 100 mg/m2 Q 3 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by C 1000mg/m2 BID on days 1-14 of a 3-week cycle, for 4 cycles; Arm B: concurrent therapy with D 50mg/m2 on day 1 and C 1000mg/m2 BID on days 1-7 of a 2-week cycle for 8 cycles. The planned total dose of D and C and number of cycles were identical on both arms. Tissue was collected at baseline, midway and post-therapy for correlative studies. Endpoints included pathologic complete response (pCR) rate, response rate, and toxicity. Results To date 38 of 80 planned patients have been accrued (4/07-6/08). Data are available for 33 patients; 16 African American (AA) (49%), 16 Caucasian (49%), and 1 Hispanic (2%). Patients were accrued from a university center (59%), county hospital (31%) and community sites (10%). Histology: Infiltrating ductal carcinoma (76%), infiltrating lobular carcinoma (15%), metaplastic tumors (6%), mucinous carcinoma (3%). Four patients had inflammatory breast cancer. 17 patients (52%) had ER+ or PR+ tumors and 16 (48%) had ER-/PR- tumors (triple negative tumors or TNT). The average tumor size at baseline was 4.0cm+/-3.0cm. In 29 patients who completed therapy, both regimens were relatively well tolerated: 9 patients (Arm A, N=3 (23%); Arm B, N=6 (38%)) had grade 3 toxicity, predominantly hand-foot syndrome, diarrhea or neuropathy. Dose reductions were required for 12 patients due to toxicity (11 required for C, 1 for D). To date, the pCR rate is 7%, observed only in AA patients with TNTs. In this subgroup the pCR rate was 18%.&amp;#x2028; &amp;#x2028; Discussion This study represents the first effort to accrue patients through a Georgia-based trial network, providing a unique opportunity to treat patients from a region with a large AA population. Our preliminary results suggest modest activity of D and C, with greater activity in the concurrent arm and in AA patients with TNTs. An official interim analysis is planned and updated results will be presented. Correlative studies which focus on molecular differences in responders and non-responders, particularly in the TNT group will be presented. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 5122.
Invisible gastric carcinoma detected by random biopsy: long-term results after photodynamic therapy
Authors: T. Rabenstein, A. May, L. Gossner, H. Manner, O. Pech, E. Günter, J. Huijmans, M. Vieth, M. Stolte, C. Ell
Journal: Endoscopy (2008)

See also: Commentaire de travail de T. Rabenstein et al., pp. 899Endoscopy 2008; 40(11): 1057-1058DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1306885
The accuracy of elevated concentrations of endotoxin in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the rapid diagnosis of gram-negative pneumonia.
Authors: M H Kollef, P R Eisenberg, M F Ohlendorf, M R Wick
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1996)

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of elevated concentrations of endotoxin in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid for the diagnosis of gram-negative pneumonia. Sixty-three hospitalized adults underwent 71 evaluations with BAL using quantitative cultures for suspected lung infection. A cutoff value of > 5 EU/ml for the concentration of endotoxin in BAL fluid yielded the best operating characteristics for the diagnosis of gram-negative pneumonia (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 75.0%; area under receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve, 0.88). Good diagnostic agreement was found between elevated concentrations of endotoxin in BAL fluid and microbiologically confirmed gram-negative pneumonia (kappa statistic, 0.64; concordance 83.1%). Gram stain examination of BAL fluid for the presence of gram-negative bacteria yielded inferior operating characteristics (sensitivity, 63.2%; specificity, 75.0%; area under ROC curve, 0.69). Poor diagnostic agreement was observed between BAL fluid Gram stain results and microbiologically confirmed gram-negative pneumonia (kappa statistic, 0.35; concordance, 71.8%). These findings suggest that a concentration of endotoxin in BAL fluid > 5 EU/ml is superior to Gram stain examination for the rapid identification of patients with gram-negative pneumonia.