tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Symptoms of COPD in the general population are associated with overweight and obesity
Authors: Berne Eriksson, Anne Lindberg, Eva Rönmark, Bo Lundbäck
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Background : Underweight is common in severe and very severe COPD. However, there are some studies showing a high prevalence of also obesity in COPD.   Aim : The aim was to study the association of underweight and overweight and obesity with COPD in general population and with symptoms that are common in COPD.   Methods : The present study is based on pooled data from four cohorts from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) Studies. We studied 5.190 subjects of the general population with complete records of lung function, length and weight. Covariates used in multivariate analyses included age, sex, smoking habits, socio-economic status, and coexisting respiratory symptoms. Underweight was defined both as BMI    Results : Underweight, BMI   Conclusion:  Chronic cough, dyspnoea and chronic productive cough are key indicators for considering COPD (GOLD 2013). Although common in COPD, in our study we found that these conditions were associated with obesity in the general population, but not with underweight, which is associated with COPD stage 4.
Single primitive ventricle with normally related great arteries and atresia of the left A-V valve.
Authors: E O Coto, J M Raggio, P Malo, C Sainz, R Aparisi, J M Gomez-Ullate
Journal: Thorax (1978)

A child aged 2 years and 9 months was angiocardiographically diagnosed to have a single ventricle with normally related great arteries and atresia of the left A-V valve. A Blalock-Hanlon procedure and division of a large patent ductus arteriosus were followed by reduction in pulmonary artery pressure, but after operation the patient showed signs of left ventricular failure unresponsive to medical treatment, necessitating pulmonary artery banding. We have found only three similar published cases, and this is the only one with full angiographic documentation.
Quantifying the Meanings of Words
Authors: William O. Robertson
Journal: JAMA (1983)

Whether in talking with each other, interacting with patients, teaching students, or writing reports, precision in communication is always desirable. Certainly as issues of "informed consent" have emerged—first on the medical practice scene and now on the medical research scene— care and carefulness in communication seem to be capturing more attention daily. The past several years have seen a variety of programs initiated to alleviate communication difficulties between physicians, between physicians and patients, between computers and users, and among various health professionals. The success of such efforts will always depend on consistent interpretation of the words used. In 1980, Bryant and Norman,<sup>1</sup>concerned about physician-to-physician communication through laboratory and x-ray reports, selected 30 terms used frequently in those reports—such as "probably," "sometimes," and "unlikely"—which seemed subject to repeated misinterpretations or to differences in interpretations by different physicians. They asked a group of hospital-based Canadian physicians to specify on a
Radioisotope scanning of the lungs
Authors: T. K. Bell, R. Ferguson, E. I. McIlrath, J. A. Weaver
Journal: Thorax (1968)

Lung scanning with macroaggregated albumin <sup>131</sup>I was carried out in 128 patients. The technique appears to be without hazard. It is particularly useful in the detection of pulmonary embolism, but the pattern is non-specific and changes occur in other cardio-respiratory diseases. On the basis of these observations pulmonary scanning is regarded as a useful adjunct in the study of pulmonary embolism, but it cannot serve as a specific diagnostic procedure since similar patterns of scan may be found in many conditions.
Priorities for tuberculosis research: a systematic review
Authors: Jamie Rylance, Madhukar Pai, Christian Lienhardt, Paul Garner
Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2010)

Reliable and relevant research can help to improve tuberculosis control worldwide. In recent years, various organisations have assessed research needs and proposed priorities for tuberculosis. We summarise existing priority statements and assess the rigour of the methods used to generate them. We found 33 documents that specifically outline priorities in tuberculosis research. The top priority areas were drug development (28 articles), diagnosis and diagnostic tests (27), epidemiology (20), health services research (16), basic research (13), and vaccine development and use (13). The most focused questions were on the treatment and prevention of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in people co-infected with HIV. Methods used to identify these priorities were varied. Improvements can be made to ensure the process is more rigorous and transparent, and to use existing research or systematic reviews more often. WHO, Stop TB Partnership, and other organisations could adopt an incremental process of priority development, building on the existing knowledge base.
Inhibition of the Sodium Potassium Adenosine Triphosphatase Pump Sensitizes Cancer Cells to Anoikis and Prevents Distant Tumor Formation
Authors: Craig D. Simpson, Imtiaz A. Mawji, Kika Anyiwe, Moyo A. Williams, Xiaoming Wang, Amudha L. Venugopal, Marcela Gronda, Rose Hurren, Sonia Cheng, Stefano Serra, Reza Beheshti Zavareh, Alessandro Datti, Jeffrey L. Wrana, Shereen Ezzat, Aaron D. Schimmer
Journal: Cancer Research (2009)

Abstract Normal epithelial cells undergo apoptosis upon detachment from the extracellular matrix, a process termed “anoikis.” However, malignant epithelial cells with metastatic potential resist anoikis and can survive in an anchorage-independent fashion. Molecules that sensitize resistant cells to anoikis will be useful chemical probes to understand this pathway. To identify novel anoikis sensitizers in anoikis-resistant PPC-1 prostate adenocarcinoma cells, a library of 2,000 off-patent drugs and natural products was screened for their ability to preferentially induce cell death in suspension over adherent culture conditions. This screen identified five members of the family of cardiac glycosides as anoikis sensitizers, including ouabain, peruvoside, digoxin, digitoxin, and strophanthidin. We conducted further studies with ouabain to discern the mechanism of cardiac glycoside-induced anoikis sensitization. Ouabain initiated anoikis through the mitochondrial pathway of caspase activation. In addition, ouabain sensitized cells to anoikis by inhibiting its known target, the Na+/K+ ATPase pump, and inducing hypoosmotic stress. Resistance to anoikis permits cancer cells to survive in the circulation and facilitates their metastasis to distant organs, so we tested the effects of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibition on distant tumor formation in mouse models. In these mouse models, ouabain inhibited tumor metastases but did not alter the growth of subcutaneous tumors. Thus, we have identified a novel mechanism to sensitize resistant cells to anoikis and decrease tumor metastasis. These results suggest a potential mechanism for the observed clinical reduction in metastasis and relapse in breast cancer patients who have undergone treatments with cardiac glycosides. [Cancer Res 2009;69(7):2739–47]
Use of an Automated Bolus Calculator in MDI-Treated Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Signe Schmidt, Merete Meldgaard, Nermin Serifovski, Camilla Storm, Tomas Møller Christensen, Birthe Gade-Rasmussen, Kirsten Nørgaard
Journal: Diabetes Care (2012)

To investigate the effect of flexible intensive insulin therapy (FIIT) and an automated bolus calculator (ABC) in a Danish type 1 diabetes population treated with multiple daily injections. Furthermore, to test the feasibility of teaching FIIT in a 3-h structured course.The BolusCal Study was a 16-week randomized, controlled, open-label, three-arm parallel, clinical study of 51 adults with type 1 diabetes. Patients aged 18-65 years in poor metabolic control (HbA(1c) 8.0-10.5%) were randomized to the Control (n = 8), CarbCount (n = 21), or CarbCountABC (n = 22) arm. During a 3-h group teaching, the Control arm received FIIT education excluding carbohydrate counting. CarbCount patients were taught FIIT and how to count carbohydrates. CarbCountABC group teaching included FIIT and carbohydrate counting and patients were provided with an ABC.At 16 weeks, the within-group change in HbA(1c) was -0.1% (95% CI -1.0 to 0.7%; P = 0.730) in the Control arm, -0.8% (-1.3 to -0.3%; P = 0.002) in the CarbCount arm, and -0.7% (-1.0 to -0.4%; P < 0.0001) in the CarbCountABC arm. The difference in change in HbA(1c) between CarbCount and CarbCountABC was insignificant. Adjusting for baseline HbA(1c) in a regression model, the relative change in HbA(1c) was -0.6% (-1.2 to 0.1%; P = 0.082) in CarbCount and -0.8% (-1.4 to -0.1%; P = 0.017) in CarbCountABC. Treatment satisfaction measured by the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (status version) improved in all study arms, but the improvement was significantly greater in CarbCountABC.FIIT and carbohydrate counting were successfully taught in 3 h and improved metabolic control and treatment satisfaction. Concurrent use of an ABC improved treatment satisfaction further.
A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study of Platinum-DNA Adducts and Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 Expression in Optimal, Stage III Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Treated with Platinum-Taxane Chemotherapy
Authors: Kathleen M. Darcy, Chunqiao Tian, Eddie Reed
Journal: Cancer Research (2007)

Abstract To determine whether platinum-DNA adducts and/or mRNA expression of the excision nuclease excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) were associated with clinical outcome in women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), participants that had previously untreated, optimally resected, stage III EOC were randomized to paclitaxel plus cisplatin or carboplatin. DNA and RNA were extracted from PBLs collected 20 to 28 h post–drug infusion. DNA adducts were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. ERCC1 expression was evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR. There were 170 cases fully evaluable for DNA adducts and ERCC1 mRNA expression. Adduct levels ranged from 0.43 to 131 fmol platinum/μg DNA in 140 samples; and adducts were not detectable in 30 samples. ERCC1 mRNA was detectable in 132 samples and undetectable in 38. ERCC1 mRNA expression in PBLs was not associated with any clinical end point measured. The presence of detectable versus undetectable adducts was associated with longer median progression-free survival (20.4 versus 15.6 months; P = 0.084) and overall survival (60.3 versus 36.3 months; P = 0.029), respectively. Unadjusted Cox regression modeling indicated a trend toward a reduced risk of disease progression [hazard ratio (HR), 0.686; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.447–1.054; P = 0.086] and a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death (HR, 0.607; 95% CI, 0.385–0.958; P = 0.032) for women with detectable versus undetectable adducts. After adjusting for clinicopathologic variables, detectable adducts were not an independent predictor of progression-free survival or overall survival. The presence of platinum-DNA adducts, but not ERCC1 mRNA expression, in PBLs was associated with better survival, but was not an independent predictor of clinical outcome in optimal advanced EOC. [Cancer Res 2007;67(9):4474–81]
Adoption of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer in the United States
Authors: Benjamin D. Smith, I-Wen Pan, Ya-Chen T. Shih, Grace L. Smith, Jay R. Harris, Rinaa Punglia, Lori J. Pierce, Reshma Jagsi, James A. Hayman, Sharon H. Giordano, Thomas A. Buchholz
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2011)

Although intensity modulation of the radiation beam has been shown to lower toxic effects for patients receiving whole-breast irradiation, relatively simple techniques may suffice. It is thus controversial whether such treatment justifies billing for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We used the claims data to determine billing for IMRT from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare records from 2001 to 2005 for 26 163 women aged 66 years or older with nonmetastatic breast cancer treated with surgery and radiotherapy. The impact of individual covariates (demographic, health services, tumor, and treatment factors) on cost of treatment was assessed using the Wilcoxon two-sample test. Two-sided multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors for IMRT use. Cost of radiation was calculated in 2005 dollars. All statistical tests were two-sided. The number of patients with IMRT billing claims increased from 0.9% (49 of 5196) of patients diagnosed in 2001 to 11.2% (564 of 5020) in 2005. In multivariable analysis, IMRT billing was more likely for patients with left-sided tumors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16 to 1.45), for those residing in a health service area with high radiation oncologist density (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.47 to 3.68), for those treated at freestanding radiation centers (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.20 to 1.53), or for those residing in regions where the Medicare intermediary allowed breast IMRT (OR = 10.87, 95% CI = 9.26 to 12.76, all P < .001). The mean cost of radiation was $7179 without IMRT and $15 230 with IMRT. IMRT adoption contributed to an increase in the mean cost of breast radiation from $6334 in 2001 to $8473 in 2005. IMRT billing increased 10-fold from 2001 through 2005, contributing to a 33% increase in the cost of breast radiation. These findings suggest that reimbursement policy and practice setting strongly influenced adoption of IMRT billing for breast cancer.
Ultrastructure of Spontaneously Differentiated Human Malignant Melanocytes Cultured From Primary Tumors2
Authors: Christian Christian, Eugénie Chirieceanu, Colette Foa, Etienne Delain
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1977)

Ultrastructural study of early subcultures and established lines of human malignant melanocytes derived from primary tumors showed that melanocytes passed through a phase of dedifferentiation during which they took on a fibroblast-like appearance; then they had a phase of spontaneous redifferentiation. The fibroblast-like cells were characterized by the presence of network-like organelles in their cytoplasm, and the melanocytes by melanosomes.
BONE MARROW–DERIVED DENDRITIC CELLS, INFECTION WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS, AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
Authors: Stella C. Knight, Steven Patterson
Journal: Annual Review of Immunology (1997)

▪ Abstract Dendritic cells (DC) exposed to HIV-1 show nonproductive infection that may become productive as they mature. The distribution of DC within genital mucosa and their susceptibility to infection particularly with clade E viruses could be reflected in the ease of heterosexual transmission. Carriage of virus and viral antigen by DC into lymph nodes may allow clustering and activation of T cells and production of protective immune responses. However, secondary infection of activated T cells from infected DC could cause dissemination of virus and loss of infected DC and T cells. In asymptomatic infection, fewer dendritic cells with reduced capacity to stimulate CD4 T cell proliferation are found before evidence of T cell abnormalities, and these early changes in antigen-presenting cells may result in a decline in the production of CD4 memory T cells. However, DC fuel ongoing production of antibody to HIV-1. Signaling by DC to T cells may thus underlie two major features of early HIV infection—loss in CD4 + memory T cells and persistence of antibody production. In AIDS, infected dendritic and epithelial cells within the thymus may affect maturation and contribute to loss of the “naive” T cell population. Further loss of memory T cells may occur through syncytium formation with infected DC. Finally, in AIDS patients, there is a failure in the development and the function of DC from CD34 + stem cells. In conclusion, the infection of dendritic cells, loss in their numbers, and changed signaling to T cells may shape the pattern of immunity during infection with HIV-1. Conversely, treatments that reverse the defect in antigen presentation by DC may improve cell-mediated immunity.
Differential requirements for the chemokine receptor CCR7 in T cell activation during <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> infection
Authors: Mischo Kursar, Uta E. Höpken, Markus Koch, Anne Köhler, Martin Lipp, Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, Hans-Willi Mittrücker
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2005)

Effective priming of T cell responses depends on cognate interactions between naive T cells and professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). This contact is the result of highly coordinated migration processes, in which the chemokine receptor CCR7 and its ligands, CCL19 and CCL21, play a central role. We used the murine Listeria monocytogenes infection model to characterize the role of the CCR7/CCR7 ligand system in the generation of T cell responses during bacterial infection. We demonstrate that efficient priming of naive major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ia–restricted CD8+ T cells requires CCR7. In contrast, MHC class Ib–restricted CD8+ T cells and MHC class II–restricted CD4+ T cells seem to be less dependent on CCR7; memory T cell responses are independent of CCR7. Infection experiments with bone marrow chimeras or mice reconstituted with purified T cell populations indicate that CCR7 has to be expressed on CD8+ T cells and professional APCs to promote efficient MHC class Ia–restricted T cell priming. Thus, different T cell subtypes and maturation stages have discrete requirements for CCR7.
Gelatinolytic Activity in Atherosclerotic Plaques Is Highly Localized and Is Associated With Both Macrophages and Smooth Muscle Cells In Vivo
Authors: Dolf Segers, Frank Helderman, Caroline Cheng, Luc C.A. van Damme, Dennie Tempel, Eric Boersma, Patrick W. Serruys, Rini de Crom, Antonius F.W. van der Steen, Paul Holvoet, Rob Krams
Journal: Circulation (2007)

Background— Atherosclerosis is considered an inflammatory disease. Recent studies provided evidence for a predominant upstream location of plaque inflammation. The present study introduces a novel technique that evaluates the underlying mechanism of this spatial organization. Methods and Results— In hypercholesterolemic rabbits, atherosclerosis of the infrarenal aorta was induced by a combination of endothelial denudation and a high-cholesterol diet (2% cholesterol for 2 months). At the time of death, aortic vessel segments were dissected and reconstructed with a new technique that preserved the original intravascular ultrasound–derived lumen geometry. This enabled us to study the spatial relation of histological markers like macrophages, smooth muscle cells, lipids, gelatinolytic activity, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Results showed a predominant upstream localization of macrophages and gelatinase activity. Colocalization studies indicated that gelatinase activity was associated with macrophages and smooth muscle cells. Further analysis revealed that this was caused by subsets of smooth muscle cells and macrophages, which were associated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein accumulation. Conclusions— Upstream localization of a vulnerable plaque phenotype is probably due to an accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, which activates/induces subsets of smooth muscle cells and macrophages to gelatinase production.
Monoamine transporters in human endometrium and decidua
Authors: S. R. Hansson, B. Bottalico, V. Noskova, B. Casslen
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (2008)

Monoamines play important roles in decidualization, implantation, immune modulation and inflammation. Furthermore, monoamines are potent vasoactive mediators that regulate blood flow and capillary permeability. Regulation of the uterine blood flow is important both during menstruation and pregnancy. Adequate monoamine concentrations are essential for a proper implantation and physiological development of pregnancy. Unlike most transmitter substances, monoamines are recycled by monoamine transporters rather than enzymatically inactivated. Their intracellular fate is influenced by their lower affinity for inactivating enzymes than for vesicular transporters located in intracellular vesicles. Thus, cells are capable not only of recapturizing and degrading monoamines, but also of storing and releasing them in a controlled fashion. The general objective of the present review is to summarize the role of the monoamine transporters in the female human reproduction. Since the transporter proteins critically regulate extracellular monoamine concentrations, knowledge of their distribution and cyclic variation is of great importance for a deeper understanding of the contribution of monoaminergic mechanisms in the reproductive process. MEDLINE was searched for relevant publications from 1950 to 2007. Two families of monoamine transporters, neuronal and extraneuronal monoamine transporters, are present in the human endometrium and deciduas. New knowledge about monoamine metabolism in the endometrium during menstruation and pregnancy will increase understanding of infertility problems and may offer new pharmacological approaches to optimize assisted reproduction.
The Gastric Origin of Angina Pectoris
Authors: H. W. Verdon
Journal: BMJ (1911)

MEZDICAL JOURNAL6I32. As soon as the cold weather commences both, to a great extent, become extinct.Daring the late summer and fall months of 1909, while we had a severe epidemic *-of typhoid fever in Montreal amongst the adults and young people, at the same time we had an epidemic of polio- myelitis amongst the young children and babies.$ T!he action of the nitrites is upon everyr kind of plain muscle throughout the body (Dixon's Pharmacology, p. 194).