tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Estrogen and progesterone replacement therapy reduces low density lipoprotein accumulation in the coronary arteries of surgically postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys.
Authors: J D Wagner, T B Clarkson, R W St Clair, D C Schwenke, C A Shively, M R Adams
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1991)

The effect of estrogen and progesterone replacement therapy on the initiating events in atherogenesis was studied in surgically postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys. Monkeys were ovariectomized and divided randomly into two groups, one receiving 17 beta-estradiol and cyclic progesterone treatment (n = 9) and ovariectomized controls receiving no hormone replacement therapy (n = 8). The monkeys were fed a moderately atherogenic diet for 18 wk to accelerate the early pathogenic processes but not to be of sufficient duration to produce grossly visible atherosclerotic lesions. Sex hormone replacement therapy decreased the accumulation of LDL and products of LDL degradation in the coronary arteries by greater than 70% while having no significant effect on plasma lipid, lipoprotein, or apoprotein concentrations. Arterial intimal lesions were small with no difference between groups. The reduction in arterial LDL metabolism occurred very early in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and was independent of indices of endothelial cell injury, such as enhanced endothelial cell turnover or leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium. Results of this study suggest that one mechanism by which sex hormone treatment inhibits the initiation of atherosclerosis is a direct effect at the level of the arterial wall by suppressing the uptake and/or degradation of LDL.
Efficacy and Safety of the Once-Daily GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Lixisenatide in Monotherapy
Authors: Vivian A. Fonseca, Ricardo Alvarado-Ruiz, Denis Raccah, Gabor Boka, Patrick Miossec, John E. Gerich
Journal: Diabetes Care (2012)

To assess efficacy and safety of lixisenatide monotherapy in type 2 diabetes.Randomized, double-blind, 12-week study of 361 patients not on glucose-lowering therapy (HbA(1c) 7-10%) allocated to one of four once-daily subcutaneous dose increase regimens: lixisenatide 2-step (10 μg for 1 week, 15 μg for 1 week, and then 20 μg; n = 120), lixisenatide 1-step (10 μg for 2 weeks and then 20 μg; n = 119), placebo 2-step (n = 61), or placebo 1-step (n = 61) (placebo groups were combined for analyses). Primary end point was HbA(1c) change from baseline to week 12.Once-daily lixisenatide significantly improved HbA(1c) (mean baseline 8.0%) in both groups (least squares mean change vs. placebo: -0.54% for 2-step, -0.66% for 1-step; P < 0.0001). Significantly more lixisenatide patients achieved HbA(1c) <7.0% (52.2% 2-step, 46.5% 1-step) and ≤ 6.5% (31.9% 2-step, 25.4% 1-step) versus placebo (26.8% and 12.5%, respectively; P < 0.01). Lixisenatide led to marked significant improvements of 2-h postprandial glucose levels and blood glucose excursions measured during a standardized breakfast test. A significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose was observed in both lixisenatide groups versus placebo. Mean decreases in body weight (∼2 kg) were observed in all groups. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal-nausea was the most frequent (lixisenatide 23% overall, placebo 4.1%). Symptomatic hypoglycemia occurred in 1.7% of lixisenatide and 1.6% of placebo patients, with no severe episodes. Safety/tolerability was similar for the two dose regimens.Once-daily lixisenatide monotherapy significantly improved glycemic control with a pronounced postprandial effect (75% reduction in glucose excursion) and was safe and well tolerated in type 2 diabetes.
Medulloblastoma Stem Cells
Authors: Xing Fan, Charles G. Eberhart
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2008)

Medulloblastoma and other embronal brain tumors are similar in appearance and differentiation potential to neural stem and progenitor cells. Expression studies performed using human tumor samples, as well as the analysis of murine transgenic models, suggest that both multipotent cerebellar stem cells and lineage-restricted progenitors of the external germinal layer can be transformed into medulloblastoma by genetic alterations. These molecular changes frequently involve constitutive activation of signaling pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch, which play a key role in non-neoplastic neural stem cells. Pharmacologic blockade of the Hedgehog and Notch pathways suppresses the growth of medulloblastoma in culture and in vivo and may prove effective in targeting the small cancer stem-cell subpopulation required for tumor initiation and long-term propagation.
Effects of Ghrelin Administration on Left Ventricular Function, Exercise Capacity, and Muscle Wasting in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Noritoshi Nagaya, Junji Moriya, Yoshio Yasumura, Masaaki Uematsu, Fumiaki Ono, Wataru Shimizu, Kazuyuki Ueno, Masafumi Kitakaze, Kunio Miyatake, Kenji Kangawa
Journal: Circulation (2004)

Background— Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone–releasing peptide that also induces vasodilation, inhibits sympathetic nerve activity, and stimulates feeding through growth hormone–independent mechanisms. We investigated the effects of ghrelin on left ventricular (LV) function, exercise capacity, and muscle wasting in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods and Results— Human synthetic ghrelin (2 μg/kg twice a day) was intravenously administered to 10 patients with CHF for 3 weeks. Echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and blood sampling were performed before and after ghrelin therapy. A single administration of ghrelin elicited a marked increase in serum GH (25-fold). Three-week administration of ghrelin resulted in a significant decrease in plasma norepinephrine (1132±188 to 655±134 pg/mL; P &lt;0.001). Ghrelin increased LV ejection fraction (27±2% to 31±2%; P &lt;0.05) in association with an increase in LV mass and a decrease in LV end-systolic volume. Treatment with ghrelin increased peak workload and peak oxygen consumption during exercise. Ghrelin improved muscle wasting, as indicated by increases in muscle strength and lean body mass. These parameters remained unchanged in 8 patients with CHF who did not receive ghrelin therapy. Conclusions— These preliminary results suggest that repeated administration of ghrelin improves LV function, exercise capacity, and muscle wasting in patients with CHF.
LEUCONYCHIA (LEUCOPATHIA UNGUIUM) STRIATA.
Authors: F. PARKES WEBER
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1933)

Journal Article LEUCONYCHIA (LEUCOPATHIA UNGUIUM) STRIATA. Get access F. PARKES WEBER, M.D., F.R.C.P. F. PARKES WEBER, M.D., F.R.C.P. Senior Physician to the German Hospital, London Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology and Syphilis, Volume 45, Issue 11, 1 November 1933, Pages 467–468, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1933.tb10124.x Published: 01 November 1933
INHIBITION OF INFLUENZA VIRUS MULTIPLICATION BY ALKYL DERIVATIVES OF BENZIMIDAZOLE
Authors: Igor Tamm, Karl Folkers, Frank L. Horsfall
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1953)

The activity of compounds which inhibit the multiplication of influenza virus can be measured in chorioallantoic membrane cultures in vitro by means of hemagglutination titrations on the medium. Studies on the reproducibility of virus reproduction in membrane cultures have revealed the major variables which affect the results and thus have led to the development of a precise technique. Under strictly controlled experimental conditions, the extent of reproduction of the virus in membrane cultures is predictable within narrow limits of variation. With 10(5.5) EID(50) of influenza B virus, Lee strain, and 5.75 cm.(2) of chorioallantoic membrane per ml., the ratio of infective virus particles to susceptible allantoic cells appears to be approximately 1:28. Under these conditions, the evidence indicates that two cycles of multiplication occur and nearly maximal hemagglutination titers are found with culture medium at 36 hours. The extent of the deviation in the absolute titer in different experiments was only 0.112 log unit. At a concentration of 0.0017 M, 2,5-dimethylbenzimidazole caused inhibition of the multiplication of influenza B virus, Lee strain, which persisted for at least 70 hours as measured by hemagglutination titrations on the culture medium. The degree of inhibition was closely comparable to that demonstrated by infectivity titrations on the membrane at the end of the first cycle of virus reproduction (1).
Improvement in asthma quality of life in patients enrolled in a trial to increase lifestyle physical activity
Authors: Carol A. Mancuso, Tiffany N. Choi, Heidi Westermann, Suzanne Wenderoth, Martin T. Wells, Mary E. Charlson
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: Asthma patients know the benefits of exercise but often avoid physical activity because they are concerned it will exacerbate asthma.  Objective: To assess longitudinal asthma status in 256 primary care patients in New York City enrolled in a trial to increase lifestyle physical activity.  Methods: Patients were randomized to 2 protocols to increase physical activity during 12 months. At enrollment patients completed the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and received asthma self-management instruction through an evaluative test and workbook. Exercise and self-management were reinforced every 2 months. The AQLQ was repeated every 4 months and the ACQ was repeated at 12 months.  Results: Mean age was 43 years, 75% were women. At 12 months there were clinically important increases in physical activity with no differences between groups; thus data were pooled for asthma analyses. The enrollment AQLQ score was 5.0±1.3 and increased to 5.9±1.1; corresponding to a clinically important difference. Correlations between AQLQ and physical activity were approximately .35 (p  Conclusions: With attention to self management, increased physical activity did not compromise asthma control and for most patients was associated with improved asthma.
Improving the Care for Depression in Patients With Comorbid Medical Illness
Authors: Alan K. Koike, Jürgen Unützer, Kenneth B. Wells
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2002)

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared treatment and outcomes for depressed primary care patients with and without comorbid medical conditions and assessed the impact of quality improvement programs for these patients. METHOD: The study group included 1,356 patients with major depression, dysthymia, or subthreshold depression from 46 managed primary care clinics. Clinics were randomly assigned depression treatment programs consisting of usual care for depression or one of two quality improvement programs for depression. The quality improvement programs included training experts and nurse specialists to provide education and assessment, plus access to nurse specialists for medication follow-up or access to psychotherapists. Outcomes were assessed at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: At 6- and 12-month follow-up, the likelihood of having a probable depressive disorder was higher, but the rates of use of antidepressant medication and specialty counseling were similar, for depressed patients with comorbid medical disorders than for depressed patients who did not have comorbid medical disorders. Among the depressed patients with comorbid medical disorders, the combined quality improvement programs resulted in greater use of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy and lower rates of probable depressive disorders at both 6- and 12-month follow-up than did the usual care depression treatment program. CONCLUSIONS: Depressed patients with comorbid medical disorders tend to have similar rates of treatment but worse depression outcomes than depressed patients without comorbid medical illness. Quality improvement programs for depression can improve treatment rates and outcomes for depressed primary care patients with comorbid medical illness. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for clinical practice.
Structured training and assessment in ERCP has become essential for the Calman era
Authors: A C B WICKS, G S M ROBERTSON, P S VEITCH
Journal: Gut (1999)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is one of the most difficult endoscopic procedures to learn. It has a significant complication rate even when undertaken by experienced practitioners. During the procedure, patients have a right to expect a competent practitioner to be in charge as complications may result in cholangitis, bleeding, pancreatitis, duodenal and biliary perforation, and consequent death.1 However, in the United Kingdom, there are no guidelines either for the training required by these doctors or the assessment of proficiency.

This issue has become increasingly important. The use of ERCP has increased with the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy2 3 and the minimal access management of gallstones.4 Developments such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are likely to reduce the number of purely diagnostic ERCPs needed, leaving only the more difficult therapeutic procedures to be done using this method. It has become increasingly obvious that competence in ERCP reduces complications,5 maximises therapeutic potential and reduces costs incurred in unsuccessful and repeated procedures. Finally, time available for ERCP training within the confines of specialist registrar training schemes has decreased.

In the past, recommendations (mainly from the USA) have emphasised the number of procedures that a trainee needs to master in order to achieve competence. Often, these recommendations represent a pragmatic, consensus view of the number of procedures a trainee could realistically expect to perform under supervision, rather than the number actually needed to achieve a definitive level of success—for example, an 80% cannulation rate of the desired duct.6 A survey of the American College of Physicians suggests that 50 ERCPs are sufficient7 and guidelines from American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) propose that 35 ERCPs are enough.8 In practice, it seems that as the number of endoscopic procedures performed by trainees increase,9 10there is a …
Rapid single-nucleotide polymorphism-based identification of clonal Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis by the use of real-time PCR and high-resolution melting curve analysis
Authors: S.N. Anuj, D.M. Whiley, T.J. Kidd, K.A. Ramsay, S.C. Bell, M.W. Syrmis, K. Grimwood, C.E. Wainwright, M.D. Nissen, T.P. Sloots
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2010)
Physical Fitness of Canadian Physical Education Students with a Note on International Differences
Authors: Roy J. Shephard, Peter Pimm
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1975)

Measurements of physical fitness have been carried out on 161 University of Toronto physical and health education students, 78 men and 83 women; 144 of the students were non-smokers, and the remainder had a relatively light cigarette consumption, 10 men averaging 12.3 cigarettes/day and 7 women 8.7 cigarettes/day. The more fit members of the group tended to volunteer for maximum testing, while less fit subjects elected sub-maximum test procedures. Allowing for this factor, the average V̇O 2 (max) was 49.0 ml./kg. min in the male non-smokers, 37.7 ml./kg. min in the female non-smokers, 51.8 ml./kg. min for male smokers and 42.9 ml./kg. min for female smokers. Measurements of skinfold thicknesses (average readings for four groups 12.2, 13.3, 19.5 and 15.3 mm) with estimates of body fat (18.0, 28.5, 21.9 and 27.7%), muscle strength and lean mass support the view that although most students perceive themselves as fit, neither the men nor the women have an exceptional capacity for endurance work. Despite a recent and fairly light cigarette habit, lung volumes are poorer in the smokers than in the non-smokers. Even at the first laboratory visit, bicycle ergometer predictions of V̇O 2 (max) over-estimate direct treadmill readings for this group, the discrepancy being 5-6% for the men and 8-9% for the women. Results are compared with published information on physical education students from other nations. There seem national differences between endurance-oriented Scandinavian students and heavy, contact-sport oriented North Americans.
A PSYCHIATRIC STUDY OF 250 SEX OFFENDERS
Authors: BENJAMIN APFELBERG, CARL SUGAR, ARNOLD Z. PFEFFER
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1944)

1. The clinical records of 250 male nonpsychotic sex offenders, admitted consecutively to the psychiatric division of Bellevue Hospital over a period of thirteen months, were studied. Clinical data regarding type of offense, age, racial origin, nativity, education, religion, marital status, and previous offenses are presented. 2. Pedophilia and exhibitionism were the most frequent types of offense, together comprising two-thirds of the cases. The remaining four types of offense—statutory rape, incest, sex relations associated with force, and homosexuality—together comprising one-third of the cases. 3. The statutory rape group was, on the average, younger than the pedophilia and exhibitionism groups. There were 53 (22%) Negroes in the series. This represents a greater incidence of Negro offenders than would be expected from the population percentages in New York City. 4. Fifty-six (23%) were of foreign birth. This represents a smaller incidence of sex offenders among the foreign born than would be expected from their ratio to the native-born population in New York City. 5. Sixty-two (15.7%) had completed 8 grades of schooling. Of these 15 completed four years of high school and 9 had attended college. Of the remainder, 4 (1.7%) had attended ungraded school and 10 (4.1%) had no schooling whatsoever. The others had less than 8 grades of schooling. 6. Only 64 (26.4%) were married and living with their wives at the time of the offense, as compared with 109(45%) who were single. The remainder were either divorced, separated or widowed. 7. Seventy-seven (32%) had been previously charged with sex offenses, and 87 (38%) had been previously charged with non-sex offenses. The remainder had no past criminal record. 8. The psychopathology of the sexual perversions in the main consists of faulty psychosexual development—"fixation" at an infantile or childhood level, or persistence of infantile attitudes toward infantile objects, resulting in an inability to attain sexually mature attitudes later in life. 9. From a medico-legal and social standpoint, the pedophiliac sex offender is a problem of chief importance and when such an offender following completion of a sentence is still a potential menace, means should be adopted for further supervision. Psychiatric examination of all sex offenders should be made mandatory through legislative enactment. Through an educational program, the public and all who have the handling of sex offenders should be made acquainted with the potentialities for rehabilitation which can be offered in certain types of offenders through psychiatric methods, and should understand that purely penological measures are unsatisfactory.
The BODE index: a new grading system in COPD
Authors: D J Powrie
Journal: Thorax (2004)

▴ Celli BR, Cote CG, Marin JM, et al . The body-mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, and exercise capacity index in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med2004;350:1005–12 [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] COPD is a heterogeneous disease that has systemic manifestations in addition to those resulting from airflow obstruction. While FEV1 is a good predictor of mortality, it correlates less well with dyspnoea and health status. The authors hypothesised that a multidimensional grading system would prove a better predictor of outcomes than FEV1 … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNew%2BEngland%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DNEJM%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.aulast%253DCelli%26rft.auinit1%253DB.%2BR.%26rft.volume%253D350%26rft.issue%253D10%26rft.spage%253D1005%26rft.epage%253D1012%26rft.atitle%253DThe%2BBody-Mass%2BIndex%252C%2BAirflow%2BObstruction%252C%2BDyspnea%252C%2Band%2BExercise%2BCapacity%2BIndex%2Bin%2BChronic%2BObstructive%2BPulmonary%2BDisease%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa021322%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F14999112%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa021322&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=14999112&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fthoraxjnl%2F59%2F5%2F427.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000189363600008&link_type=ISI
Expression of the leukemic prognostic marker CD7 is linked to epigenetic modifications in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Sally L Rogers, Yun Zhao, Xiaoyan Jiang, Connie J Eaves, Dixie L Mager, Arefeh Rouhi
Journal: Molecular Cancer (2010)

Abstract Background Expression levels of the cell surface glycoprotein, CD7, and the serine protease, elastase 2 (ELA2), in the leukemic cells of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have been associated with clinical outcome. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the variable expression of these genes in the leukemic cells. Results To address this question, we compared the level of their expression with the DNA methylation and histone acetylation status of 5' sequences of both genes in leukemic cell lines and primitive (lin - CD34 + ) leukemic cells from chronic phase CML patients. DNA methylation of the ELA2 gene promoter did not correlate with its expression pattern in lin - CD34 + cells from chronic phase CML patient samples even though there was clear differential DNA methylation of this locus in ELA2 -expressing and non-expressing cell lines. In contrast, we found a strong relation between CD7 expression and transcription-permissive chromatin modifications, both at the level of DNA methylation and histone acetylation with evidence of hypomethylation of the CD7 promoter region in the lin - CD34 + cells from CML patients with high CD7 expression. Conclusion These findings indicate a link between epigenetic modifications and CD7 expression in primitive CML cells.
Trioxsalen bath plus UVA effective and safe in the treatment of psoriasis
Authors: MATTI HANNUKSELA, JAAKKO KARVONEN
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1978)

Seventy-four patients with psoriasis were treated using a trioxsalen bath (50 mg/150 l of water) and long wave ultraviolet light (UVA) given in an ordinary PUVA-cabin. Good or excellent results were observed in 92% of the patients in the initial phase and in 63% during the maintenance treatment. Because of local side-effects the therapy was discontinued in two patients. One of them developed contact hypersensitivity to trioxsalen and the other developed blisters with such low doses of UVA that it was difficult to maintain the proper dose. The therapy was started with 0.28 J/cm2 of UVA and after an average of 18 treatments, when the average dose was 1.70 J/cm2, the patients were moved to maintenance treatment which took place at 1--4 week intervals. The therapy was well tolerated and cosmetically very acceptable. The final tan was even on all but the face, which remained untanned.
VIRUS PARTICLES IN THE THYMUS OF CONVENTIONAL AND GERM-FREE MICE
Authors: Etienne de Harven
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1964)

Electron microscope study of thymuses of both conventional and germ-free mice has revealed the presence of typical virus particles associated with the thymic lymphocytes or with the thymic epithelial cells. The particles resemble those associated with several murine leukemias and their viral nature seems convincingly substantiated by morphological observation. Germ-free mice are therefore not virus-free. The biological significance of these particles is still unknown and we can only speculate as to the possible relationship of these particles to the incidence of "spontaneous" leukemia, to the lymphocytosis stimulating factor of Metcalf, and to the numerous latent viral infections of laboratory mice.