tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
IMMUNOLOGIC STUDY OF STRAINS OF BACILLUS PFEIFFERI ISOLATED FROM A CASE OF MENINGITIS
Authors: Ruth A. Anderson, Oscar T. Schultz
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1921)

Five strains of Bacillus pfeifferi were isolated from a case of meningitis. These strains came from the spinal fluid, blood, nose, throat, and nasopharynx. Immunologic reactions show no definite relations between these strains, although those from the nose, throat, and nasopharynx might be presumed to be related to one another. It is also presumable that the spinal fluid strain was derived from the upper air passages, and that the blood was invaded from the meninges. In spite of immunologic differences, it is believed that the five strains were genetically related. The variations in these five strains from a single case are as great as those which have been found by others for strains from different cases, or individuals. As determined by immunologic reactions, the number of so called strains of Bacillus pfeifferi is apparently limited only by the number of cultures which have been or might be isolated. It is inconceivable that under the designation Bacillus pfeifferi is included a heterogeneous mixture of innumerable distinct races of bacteria; there must be some biological relation which cannot be established by agglutination, complement fixation, or opsonin reactions. The variations which have been noted, may be an indication of a degree of instability which may have some bearing upon questions relating to the epidemiology of Bacillus pfeifferi infections and to the serum therapy of influenzal meningitis. The strain variations which have been shown to exist by immunologic methods do not support the theory of the etiological relationn of Bacillus pfeifferi to epidemic influenza, unless it can be shown that such variations are due to instability of the organism. The fact that the incidence of meningeal involvement was only slightly increased during the last pandemic is also evidence against the causal relation of the organism to the pandemic disease.
Air pollution and daily hospital admissions in metropolitan Los Angeles.
Authors: W S Linn, Y Szlachcic, H Gong, P L Kinney, K T Berhane
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2000)

We used daily time-series analysis to evaluate associations between ambient carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter [less than and equal to] 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)), or ozone concentrations, and hospital admissions for cardiopulmonary illnesses in metropolitan Los Angeles during 1992-1995. We performed Poisson regressions for the entire patient population and for subgroups defined by season, region, or personal characteristics, allowing for effects of temporal variation, weather, and autocorrelation. CO showed the most consistently significant (p<0.05) relationships to cardiovascular admissions. A wintertime 25th-75th percentile increase in CO (1.1-2.2 ppm) predicted an increase of 4% in cardiovascular admissions. NO(2), and, to a lesser extent, PM(10) tracked CO and showed similar associations with cardiovascular disease, but O(3) was negatively or nonsignificantly associated. No significant demographic differences were found, although increased cardiovascular effects were suggested in diabetics, in whites and blacks (relative to Hispanics and Asians), and in persons older than 65 years of age. Pulmonary disease admissions associated more with NO(2) and PM(10) than with CO. Pulmonary effects were generally smaller than cardiovascular effects and were more sensitive to the choice of model. We conclude that in Los Angeles, atmospheric stagnation with high primary (CO/NO(2)/PM(10)) pollution, most common in autumn/winter, increases the risk of hospitalization for cardiopulmonary illness. Summer photochemical pollution (high O(3)) apparently presents less risk.
CD4+CD25+ T cells alloactivated ex vivo by IL-2 or IL-4 become potent alloantigen-specific inhibitors of rejection with different phenotypes, suggesting separate pathways of activation by Th1 and Th2 responses
Authors: Nirupama D. Verma, Karren M. Plain, Masaru Nomura, Giang T. Tran, Catherine Robinson, Rochelle Boyd, Suzanne J. Hodgkinson, Bruce M. Hall
Journal: Blood (2008)
Charging Australians to see a family doctor would make them "think twice," says think tank
Authors: D. Brill
Journal: BMJ (2014)

A think tank has provoked debate by proposing that Australians should pay to see a general practitioner.

The Australian Centre for Health Research called for the introduction of a universal $A6 (£3; €4; $US5) upfront fee for GP visits, which it claims would reduce overuse of services and save the healthcare system almost $A750m by 2018.

The fee would make people “think twice” about seeing the doctor for minor ailments, thereby freeing up GPs to spend time with patients who need it most, the centre said.

A $A6 fee would also offer “a simple yet powerful reminder that, as far as possible, …
Diet and duodenal ulcer.
Authors: J W Rae, R S Allison
Journal: BMJ (1969)

The measures to be taken following accidental contamination of the fingers or other parts of the body are difficult to define.There are good reasons for believing that while human immunoglobulin can -attenuate infectious hepatitis it has almost consistently failed to influence the course of post- transfusion hepatitis.'Therefore the dictum that prevention is better than cure is perhaps the best advice that can be offered at this stage, and the degree of caution to be exer- cised in laboratories and post-mortem rooms cannot be exaggerated.-Iam, etc.,
Abstract 3841: HIF-143, a novel inhibitor of complex III, inhibits pancreatic cancer growth by suppressing reactive oxygen species production and epidermal growth factor signal
Authors: Se Nyun Kim, Youn Ho Han, Dae Pill Kang, Sung Ho Park, Jung-Ho Kim, Se Won Kim, Jung Keun Kim
Journal: Cancer Research (2012)

Abstract Reactive oxygen species have been considered as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment. In this study, we characterized the anticancer activity of novel small molecule inhibitor of cytochrome bc1, HIF-143, in pancreatic cancer. HIF-143 shares common structural moiety with known cytochrome bc1 Qo inhibitors including azoxystrobin and E-α-methoxyacrylate-stilbene. HIF-143 inhibits reduction of cytochrome c by purified mitochondria in the presence of rotenone and induction of reactive oxygen species by hypoxia or epidermal growth factor in cellular context. HIF-143 also suppresses activation of EGFR and downstream ERK and AKT induced by EGF treatment. EGF-induced transcription was also inhibited by HIF-143. Interestingly, these effects were synergistic when combined with EGFR inhibitor such as Erlotinib and Gefitinib. Cell proliferation, survival, and anchorage-independent growth were also synergistically inhibited by HIF-143 and Erlotinib. HIF-143 also inhibited pancreatic tumor growth in BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer xenograft model. The inhibition of tumor growth was much higher when animals were treated with both HIF-143 and Erlotinib than individual treatment, suggesting synergistic anticancer activity in vivo. In addition, when HIF-143 was combined with Erlotinib and Gemcitabine, anticancer efficacy was increased without the increase of sign of toxicity, showing addition of HIF-143 can give clinical benefit to pancreatic cancer patients. Toxicological study showed that combination of HIF-143 and Erlotinib is safe enough with safety margin higher than 6-fold. These findings suggest that pharmacological targeting of complex III might be a promising approach to treat pancreatic cancer. These results provide scientific rational for testing of HIF-143 in the clinical trial to develop as a novel anticancer drug. 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 3841. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3841
Synthesis and Secretion of Cystic Fibrosis Ciliary Dyskinesia Substances by Purified Subpopulations of Leukocytes
Authors: Gregory B. Wilson, Valorie J. Bahm
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1980)

Cultured peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from individuals homozygous or heterozygous for the defective gene causing the inherited disease cystic fibrosis (CF) secrete three different ciliary dyskinesia substances (CDS), which can be detected by their activity in vitro in a rabbit mucociliary bioassay. Their PBL also release substances that promote mucus expulsion and destruction of the ciliated epithelium. In the present study the relative numbers of lymphocytes (T, B, and null), monocytes-macrophages (Mphi), and polymorphonuclear neutrophils were found to be normal in subjects with the CF gene, as were the responses of their PBL to phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen. Using purified subpopulations of leukocytes, we obtained evidence that both monocytes and T lymphocytes can secrete CDS in vitro with no requirement for cooperation with other lymphocyte subsets, whereas B and "null" lymphocytes probably require either differentiation or cellular cooperation for optimal secretion of CDS. Mucus expulsion and tissue destruction were produced by substances released primarily from polymorphonuclear neutrophils and secondarily from Mphi. Using cycloheximide and actinomycin D, we obtained evidence that CDS accumulation requires active protein synthesis and is not dependent on newly synthesized RNA, at least in short-term cultures. Gel filtration chromatography of active culture supernates showed that T lymphocytes synthesized only a CF-specific CDS, whereas Mphi synthesized all three CDS found in PBL cultures. Evidence is presented that one CDS is related structurally to C3a, since it can be removed with rabbit antisera specific for human C3a.
Autocrine TNF-α production supports CML stem and progenitor cell survival and enhances their proliferation
Authors: Paolo Gallipoli, Francesca Pellicano, Heather Morrison, Kamilla Laidlaw, Elaine K. Allan, Ravi Bhatia, Mhairi Copland, Heather G. Jørgensen, Tessa L. Holyoake
Journal: Blood (2013)
Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: Clinical Importance versus Statistical Significance
Authors: Siamak Sabour, Zahra Ghorbani
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2013)

We were interested to read the article by Choi et al. (2012), who investigated the effects of increased fluoride exposure and delayed neuro behavioral develop ment by reviewing published studies and performing a meta-analysis.Of the 39 studies identified, the authors considered 27 to be eligible.Choi et al. reported a mean difference in IQ (intelli gence quotient) score between exposed and reference populations of -0.4 (95% confidence interval: -0.5, -0.3) using a randomeffects model.Thus, children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas.Even if we ignore the weaknesses of the study (Choi et al. 2012), including a lack of individual-level information and the high probability of confounding because the authors did not adjust for covariates, a difference of 0.4 in mean IQ is clinically negligible (Jeckel et al. 2007;Rothman et al. 2008; Szklo and Nieto 2007) even though it was statistically significant.In general, clinical importance takes priority over statistical significance.The p-value can easily change from significant to nonsignificant because of sample size or the mean difference and standard deviation of the variable in the study population (Jeckel et al. 2007;Rothman et al. 2008;Szklo and Nieto 2007).As Choi et al. (2012) pointed out in their conclusion, there is a "possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children's neurodevelopment."Such a conclusion can be considered an ecological fallacy, which can easily lead to mis interpretation of the results.It is important to know that statistics cannot provide a simple substitute for clinical judgment (Jeckel et al.
Brucella Infection Transmitted by Dog Bite
Authors: Mason G. Robertson
Journal: JAMA (1973)

To the Editor.—  During the first ten months of 1972, fifteen cases of brucellosis were reported in Georgia, matching the number in a preceding two-year period. 1 Thirteen of these cases were due to Brucella suis , the remaining two cases from B abortus . Georgia's total of 108 cases in the last decade, ranks sixth in the nation. Most of the human cases have arisen in abattoirs, probably by inhalation of infective aerosols. Others have resulted from direct contact with tissue or excreta of infected animals.  We have recently seen a farmer with brucellosis following an accidental dog bite; circumstantial evidence suggests that the dog bite was the means of transmission.  Report of a Case.—  The patient was hospitalized from Aug 22, 1972 through Aug 29 in Savannah, Ga for a febrile illness of several weeks' duration. He had been followed for a number of years because of several problems. These
Bodily perceptions in surgical patients
Authors: W O Goldthorp
Journal: BMJ (1982)

referred for further medical management.Studies of healthy competitive swimmers2 revealed values for red blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration significantly lower than expected mean values, though for indi- viduals no values lay outside the expected normal range (mean ±2 SD).Many such endurance-trained athletes have above-average work capacities3 and they expect their haema- tological values to be above average.Their values, lying at the lower end of a normal range, are medically unremarkable but appear "poor" to the layman.These athletes require reassurance, and the term "sports anaemia" may reinforce the suspicion that there is an illness which requires treatment.Indeed, it is unfortunately common practice for athletes to consume iron preparations with no medical supervision in an effort to cure or even prevent this "anaemia."
Wild-type FOXP3 is selectively active in CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cells of healthy female carriers of different FOXP3 mutations
Authors: Sara Di Nunzio, Massimiliano Cecconi, Laura Passerini, Alicia N. McMurchy, Udo Baron, Ivana Turbachova, Silvia Vignola, Erica Valencic, Alberto Tommasini, Anne Junker, Giantonio Cazzola, Sven Olek, Megan K. Levings, Lucia Perroni, Maria Grazia Roncarolo, Rosa Bacchetta
Journal: Blood (2009)
Ethacrynic Acid in Pathological Fluid Retention
Authors: Robert J. Sperber
Journal: JAMA (1965)

Ethacrynic acid was effective in completely reversing pathological fluid retention in 13 of the 14 patients studied. The long-term studies in 29 patients demonstrated the effectiveness and relative safety of the drug when used in cases of true diuretic need over a period of months. The dose had to be individualized, but was generally 50 mg twice daily in digitalized patients. When used in higher doses or in combination with other effective diuretics, the marked fluid loss occasionally resulted in serious changes in electrolyte balance. Therefore, caution is necessary when introducing this new and useful oral diuretic in instances in which it is truly needed for effective management of pathological fluid retention.
Surgeon who refused to operate on man with swastika tattoo should not be disciplined, says German Medical Association
Authors: N. Stafford
Journal: BMJ (2010)

A surgeon in Germany who refused to operate on a man already anaesthetised because he noticed a swastika tattooed on the patient’s upper arm should not be reprimanded, Jorg-Dietrich Hoppe, head of the German Medical Association, has said. 

After noticing the tattoo of an imperial eagle perched on a swastika the surgeon said he could not continue, an 11 December article in the Munich daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported. “I cannot operate on this man,” the newspaper quoted the surgeon as telling the patient’s wife. “I am a Jew.”

The 46 year old surgeon, who later explained that his conscience …
JAK2<sup>V617F</sup> mutation can occur exclusively in the erythroid lineage and be absent in granulocytes and progenitor cells in classic myeloproliferative disorders
Authors: Barbara K. Zehentner, Michael R. Loken, Denise A. Wells
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2006)

A recent article in Blood, ''How I Treat Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)'' by Cines and Bussel, was read with great interest [1].Placing in perspective the new treatment modalities is useful to all hematologists, yet the only published data the authors cited to support their recommendations were a meta-analysis of patients with platelet counts below 30,000, which did not differentiate between treated and untreated patients.There are no publications extant that suggest that treatment-naive, otherwise healthy adult ITP patients with any platelet count are at risk for significant bleeding.In 1988, Brox et al. showed a significant rise in the platelet count with high doses of ascorbic acid in refractory ITP patients [2].Subsequent to Brox's report a study of ascorbic acid for the treatment of refractory ITP was published by Jubilirer [3], which failed to confirm Brox's data; however, it is to be noted that no bleeding episodes occurred in the treatment arm.In 1983 Burns and Saleem [4] published a review of the natural history of refractory ITP patients (steroid and splenectomy failures) and concluded that significant hemorrhagic events were extremely rare.In 2001 Vianelli et al. [5] reported on the long-term follow-up of 310 patients with ITP and concluded that ''prospective studies are required to evaluate whether it may be reasonable to treat only symptomatic patients independently of age.''Since 1988 (Auerbach), steroids have not been used in any of more than 40 patient referrals irrespective of platelet counts without thrombocytopenia-related morbidity.For platelet counts > 10,000, vitamin C alone was prescribed and bruising was virtually eliminated.This result is not unexpected inasmuch as improvement in capillary fragility and wound healing are well-recognized salutary effects with vitamin C. For counts < 10,000 WinRho and/or Rituxan has been universally successful.Therefore, it may not be unreasonable to suggest that our conventional approach to managing ITP in otherwise healthy adults (corticosteroids/ splenectomy) must be reexamined.Even in the pre IVIG, WinRho, and Rituxan era, bleeding was rarely encountered during splenectomies in ''refractory'' ITP patients.Our most important admonition, ''before else, do no harm,'' should be heeded before recommending potentially toxic therapies.
Impact of Cataract Surgery on Motor Vehicle Crash Involvement by Older Adults
Authors: Cynthia Owsley
Journal: JAMA (2002)

Motor vehicle crash risk in older drivers is elevated in those with cataract, a condition that impairs vision and is present in half of adults aged 65 years or older.To determine the impact of cataract surgery on the crash risk for older adults in the years following surgery, compared with that of older adults who have cataract but who elect to not have surgery.Prospective cohort study of 277 patients with cataract, aged 55 to 84 years at enrollment, who were recruited from 12 eye clinics in Alabama from October 1994 through March 1996, with 4 to 6 years of follow-up (to March 1999).Police-reported motor vehicle crash occurrence involving patients who elected to have surgery compared with those who did not.Comparing the cataract surgery group (n = 174) with the no surgery group (n = 103), the rate ratio for crash involvement was 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.94), adjusting for race and baseline visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. The absolute rate reduction associated with cataract surgery was 4.74 crashes per million miles of travel.In our sample, patients with cataract who underwent cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation had half the rate of crash involvement during the follow-up period compared with cataract patients who did not undergo surgery. Cataract surgery thus may have a previously undocumented benefit for older driver safety, reducing subsequent crash rate.
Evaluation of left ventricular function and mitral regurgitation during left ventricular‐based pacing in patients with heart failure
Authors: Etienne Yves, Jacques Mansourati, Abdelkader Touiza, Gilard Martine, Valérie Bertault‐Valls, Philippe Guillo, Boschat Jacques, Jean Jacques Blanc
Journal: European Journal of Heart Failure (2001)
On the Treatment of Spinal Curvature
Authors: L. A. Sayre
Journal: BMJ (1884)

A_E&Pt. 20,i8& the-V.ilicrococci in different gases, but as the method employed was imporfkct I need not allude to it.SEPIES III.TABLE A.-Cultivaticrns.Excision of ankle-joint, Jan. 11th.
Roger's ants: a new pest in hospitals
Authors: K J Gray, C Porter, P M Hawkey, S G Compton, J P Edwards
Journal: BMJ (1995)

EDITOR,--We wish to report what we believe to be the first infestation of a hospital by Roger's ants (Hypoponera punctatissima). Winged ants were first sighted around the nurses' station in the cardiac intensive care unit in October 1994, and several members of staff reported multiple stings from the ants. The likely source of the infestation was found to be a wall cavity behind a wash hand sink. A persistently leaking waste pipe had damaged plaster boards and cavity timbers and had soaked the concrete floor. The area was heavily populated with sewage flies (Psychoda …
Open letter to the chief medical officer
Authors: I. Chalmers, E. Hey
Journal: BMJ (2001)

Dear Professor Donaldson,

The long awaited report of the inquiry into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary has now been published. The report echoes many of the themes that you have developed and reiterated since you became chief medical officer. It notes, for example, that “error, once acknowledged, allows lessons to be learned” and that “learning from error, rather than seeking someone to blame, must be the priority.”1

You have also recently explained in the BMJ how clinical governance will facilitate the delivery of quality care, which should be characterised by “a no blame, questioning, learning culture, excellent leadership, and an ethos where staff are valued and supported as they form partnerships with patients.”2 Similarly, in the letter you sent to every doctor last month, you noted that there had not been a real appreciation of the frequency with which, when things go wrong, “the true cause lies in weaknesses within the system rather than culpable actions of an individual.” Your letter also drew attention to a statement recently issued on behalf of the government, the medical profession, and the NHS which emphasised “the need to acknowledge ‘honest failure’” and that “the first response should not be blame and retribution.”3

Few would wish to criticise your frequent promulgation of these principles.2–6 What puzzles us—and many other doctors—is why you and your colleagues in the civil service and government have not ensured that …
Lautrec by Lautrec
Authors: Charles G. Roland
Journal: JAMA (1965)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec has become a legendary personage. Some biographers have suggested that he led a dissolute immoral life; a motion picture depicting Lautrec's life also intimated that he possessed a grotesque malady. These legends receive little support in<i>Lautrec by Lautrec</i>, which avowedly aims to show that the painter was not a monster. From the wealth of previously unpublished material including many of the painter's own letters, the coauthors have drawn much of the content of their volume. They succeed in creating a bond of sympathy for the painter which extends beyond appreciation of his art. Lautrec is seen a man, with man's frailties which yet are balanced by compassion, humor and wit, and lack of self-pity. The tone is restrained and dispassionate, and the effect convincing. The book is organized chronologically. Medical aspects of Lautrec's life are not clarified. Indeed, no real effort is made to explain the