tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
The Metabolic Syndrome in Hong Kong Chinese. The interrelationships among its components analyzed by structural equation modeling
Authors: Juliana CN Chan, Jacky CK Cheung, Edith MC Lau, Jean Wooà, Albert YW Chan, Ramasmyiyer Swaminathan, Clive S Cockrama
Journal: Diabetes Care (1996)

OBJECTIVE To examine the pattern of the metabolic syndrome in Chinese and the causal relationships among its components, including aging, obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperinsulinemia in these subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, the World Health Organization criteria were used for the diagnosis of glucose intolerance in a population-based study involving 1.513 Chinese subjects in two work sites. Demographic data including age, family history of diabetes, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and sitting blood pressure (BP) were documented. Fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride (TG) and insulin concentrations, and spot urinary albumin concentration (Ualb) were also measured. Structural equation modeling incorporating factor analysis and path analysis was performed to examine the causal relationships among these variables and their interactions. RESULTS Subjects who were treated with antidiabetic and/or antihypertensive drugs or who had a plasma creatinine level ≥ 150 μmol/l were excluded (n = 52). The prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were 3.9% (n = 34) and 7.2% (n = 63) in men (n = 881) and 3.1% (n = 18) and 6.7% (n = 39) in women (n = 580), respectively. In both groups, glucose intolerance was associated with increasing age, higher BMI, WHR, BP, Ualb, serum TG, and insulin levels as well as higher prevalence rates of positive family history of diabetes. Structural equation modeling showed that age was a significant determinant for both BMI and WHR. Age and obesity accounted for most of the variance of BP, Ualb, plasma glucose, insulin and TG levels either directly or indirectly. Plasma glucose was determined by a positive family history of diabetes, age, and BMI while TG was dependent on BMI and WHR. Serum insulin was mainly determined by a positive family history of diabetes, obesity, plasma glucose, and TG levels. Apart from age and obesity, BP was also determined by serum insulin, both of which had causal effects on Ualb. CONCLUSIONS This model emphasizes the centrality of aging and obesity as well as a positive family history of diabetes as major determinants of the components of the metabolic syndrome. These components in turn had causal effects upon one another. Apart from a familial tendency, a central neurohormonal mechanism may account for these abnormalities mediated primarily through obesity and in close association with aging.
Mechanical Prevention of Distal Embolization During Primary Angioplasty
Authors: Ugo Limbruno, Andrea Micheli, Marco De Carlo, Giovanni Amoroso, Roberta Rossini, Caterina Palagi, Vitantonio Di Bello, Anna Sonia Petronio, Gabriella Fontanini, Mario Mariani
Journal: Circulation (2003)

Effective myocardial reperfusion after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may be limited by distal embolization. We tested the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the FilterWire-Ex (FW), a distal embolic protection device, as an adjunct to primary PCI.Fifty-three consecutive patients undergoing primary PCI with FW protection were compared with a matched control group treated by primary PCI alone. Successful FW positioning was obtained in 47 patients (89%) without complications. Histological analysis of the content of the last 13 filters showed multiple embolic debris in all cases. FW use was associated with lower postinterventional corrected TIMI frame count (22+/-14 versus 31+/-19; P=0.005) and higher occurrence of grade 3 myocardial blush (66% versus 36%; P=0.006) and early ST-segment elevation resolution (80% versus 54%; P=0.006). At multivariate analysis, FW use was the only independent predictor of early ST-segment elevation resolution and of grade 3 myocardial blush. FW patients showed lower peak creatine kinase-MB release (236+/-172 versus 333+/-219 ng/mL; P=0.013) and greater improvement at 30 days in left ventricular wall motion score index (-0.30+/-0.19 versus -0.18+/-0.26; P=0.008) and ejection fraction (+7+/-4% versus +4+/-7%; P=0.012).FW use during primary PCI is feasible and safe. Distal embolization prevention appears to exert a beneficial effect on markers of myocardial reperfusion and on left ventricular function improvement at 30 days.
A Polymorphic −844T/C in <i>FasL</i> Promoter Predicts Survival and Relapse in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wen-Wei Sung, Yao-Chen Wang, Ya-Wen Cheng, Ming-Ching Lee, Kun-Tu Yeh, Lee Wang, John Wang, Chih-Yi Chen, Huei Lee
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2011)

Abstract Purpose: Fas ligand (FasL) −844T/C polymorphism (rs763110) has a demonstrated association with lung cancer risk. FasL −844CC with higher FasL expression has been suggested to contribute to tumor progression via immune escape. However, the impact of FasL −844T/C polymorphism on the clinical outcome of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be identified. Experimental Design: A total of 385 adjacent normal lung tissues from patients with NSCLC were collected to determine FasL −844T/C polymorphism by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism. FasL mRNA and protein expression in lung tumors were evaluated by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of FasL −844T/C polymorphism on survival and relapse was determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The FasL −844CC genotype had higher prevalence in those with advanced tumors than in those with early tumors (P = 0.008). In addition, patients with the FasL −844CC genotype were more prone to tumor relapse than those with the FasL −844TT+TC genotype (62.1% vs. 37.9%, P = 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with the FasL −844CC genotype had poorer survival in terms of overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) than those with the FasL −844TT+TC genotype (24.1 vs. 42.8 months for OS, HR = 1.455, P = 0.004; 15.4 vs. 31.4 months for RFS, HR = 1.710, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusions: FasL −844T/C polymorphism may predict survival and relapse in NSCLC. We suggest that FasL may be a molecular target for immunotherapeutic interventions to improve the clinical outcome of patients with NSCLC. This finding should be validated by another investigative group. Clin Cancer Res; 17(18); 5991–9. ©2011 AACR.
Are C-reactive protein levels associated with bacteria in COPD exacerbations?
Authors: Tristan W. Clark
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2015)

We thank M. Miravitlles and C. Llor for their comments. While we do, of course, agree with their statement that it is impossible to detect bacteria when no sample is obtained, this issue is addressed in our study by the subgroup analysis, which examines only those patients with sputum samples tested for bacteria. This group demonstrates identical findings to our main cohort: that C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and body temperature are strongly associated with viral detection (either alone or with bacteria) but not with bacterial detection alone, and suggests that the findings in the main cohort are not due to a lack of sputum samples. We would also like to point out that it is similarly impossible to detect viruses if one does not test for them and of the studies referenced by M. Miravitlles and C. Llor as demonstrating an association between CRP level, sputum purulence and bacterial detection [1–5], none has tested for respiratory viruses apart from that by Daniels et al. [5] and this was not in a standard manner. Interestingly, another study referenced by the authors [6] did systematically test patients with exacerbations for both viruses and bacteria, and demonstrated that although infective exacerbations were associated with sputum purulence compared with those where no pathogen was detected, it found no difference in sputum purulence between exacerbations with viral or bacterial detection. It is also notable that in the randomised, placebo-controlled trial of doxycycline by Daniels et al. [5], although there was a weak association between CRP levels >50 mg·L−1 and a favourable response to antibiotics, there was no demonstrable association between antibiotic response and bacterial detection. Viruses were not tested for in a meaningful way in this study but only by serology for selected viruses, and patients with fever were excluded, which would be likely to exclude many patients with viruses. No analysis was conducted to examine the association between the small number of viruses detected by serology and CRP, sputum purulence or response to antibiotics. Therefore, the place of viral detection within this evidence base is uncertain and any conclusion about associations between bacterial detection, sputum purulence, CRP levels and response to antibiotics must acknowledge this uncertainty. Viruses detected are likely to be causally related to patients' inflammatory responses and thus COPD exacerbation <http://ow.ly/KeMPc>
Central venous catheters
Authors: R. N. Smith, J. P. Nolan
Journal: BMJ (2013)

#### Summary points

Central venous catheterisation was first performed in 1929 when Werner Frossman, a German doctor, inserted a ureteric catheter into his antecubital vein. He then walked to the radiography department so that the catheter could be guided into his right ventricle using fluoroscopy. Since then, central venous access has become a mainstay of modern clinical practice. An estimated 200 000 central venous catheters were inserted in the United Kingdom in 1994,1 and the figure is probably even higher today. Clinicians from most medical disciplines will encounter patients with these catheters. Despite the benefits of central venous lines to patients and clinicians, more than 15% of patients will have a catheter related complication.2 This review will provide an overview of central venous catheters and insertion techniques, and it will consider the prevention and management of common complications.

#### Sources and selection criteria

We searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Medline, Embase, and Clinical Evidence online. Search terms included central venous catheter, peripherally inserted central catheter, and complication. The reference lists of relevant studies were hand searched to identify other studies of interest. We also consulted relevant reports and national guidelines.

A central venous catheter is a catheter with a tip that lies within the proximal third of the superior vena cava, the right atrium, or the inferior vena cava. Catheters can be inserted through a peripheral vein or a proximal central vein, most commonly the internal jugular, subclavian, or femoral vein. …
Role of BCL2L10 methylation and TET2 mutations in higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes treated with 5-Azacytidine
Authors: M T Voso, E Fabiani, A Piciocchi, C Matteucci, L Brandimarte, C Finelli, E Pogliani, E Angelucci, G Fioritoni, P Musto, M Greco, M Criscuolo, L Fianchi, M Vignetti, V Santini, S Hohaus, C Mecucci, G Leone
Journal: Leukemia (2011)
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF GYE'S CANCER THEORY
Authors: J. Howard Mueller
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1927)

It is obviously impossible to draw definite conclusions as to the significance of the differences between our work and Gye's, and still less, of the differences between Gye's work and that of Murphy and of Flu. We can only say that in a fairly large series of experiments, extending over a period of 12 months, we have had absolutely no indication of the necessity of two factors in the production of the Rous sarcoma. In other words, we have been unable to duplicate either the results of Gye or the modified confirmations of his work by Murphy and Flu. We have shown that uncontrollable local and individual variations may produce results in occasional chicks which simulate satisfactory experiments, but when viewed as a whole, mean nothing. Because of the conflicting nature of results obtained by those who have undertaken to repeat the work, and on account of the difficulty of controlling all factors involved, we do not feel that it may be stated definitely that Gye's theory of the cause of cancer is wrong. On the other hand the theory apparently needs more evidence in its support if it is to receive further serious consideration. It is suggested, in order to untangle the subjéct as rapidly as possible, that future publications should include sufficient consecutive protocols to make the trend of the experiments obvious to the reader.
Cohort Study of Pioglitazone and Cancer Incidence in Patients With Diabetes
Authors: Assiamira Ferrara, James D. Lewis, Charles P. Quesenberry, Tiffany Peng, Brian L. Strom, Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, Samantha F. Ehrlich, Laurel A. Habel
Journal: Diabetes Care (2011)

OBJECTIVE To explore whether treatment with pioglitazone was associated with risk of incident cancer at the 10 most common sites (prostate, female breast, lung/bronchus, endometrial, colon, non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], pancreas, kidney/renal pelvis, rectal, and melanoma). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A cohort study of 252,467 patients aged ≥40 years from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Diabetes Registry was conducted. All prescriptions for diabetes medications were identified by pharmacy records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between risk of incident cancer and ever use, duration, dose, and time since initiation of pioglitazone (modeled as time-dependent variables). RESULTS In models adjusted for age, sex, year of cohort entry, race/ethnicity, income, smoking, glycemic control, diabetes duration, creatinine levels, congestive heart failure, and use of other diabetes medications, the hazard ratio (HR) for each cancer associated with ever use of pioglitazone ranged from 0.7 to 1.3, with all 95% CIs including 1.0. There was a suggestion of an increased risk of melanoma (HR 1.3 [95% CI 0.9–2.0]) and NHL (1.3 [1.0–1.8]) and a decreased risk of kidney/renal pelvis cancers (0.7 [0.4–1.1]) associated with ever use of pioglitazone. These associations were unaltered with increasing dose, duration, or time since first use. CONCLUSIONS We found no clear evidence of an association between use of pioglitazone and risk of the incident cancers examined. Because the maximum duration of follow-up was fewer than 6 years after the initiation of pioglitazone, longer-term studies are needed.
all- <i>trans</i> -Retinoic Acid Increases Nitric Oxide Synthesis by Endothelial Cells
Authors: Vinod Achan, Cam T.L. Tran, Francesca Arrigoni, Guy St.J. Whitley, James M. Leiper, Patrick Vallance
Journal: Circulation Research (2002)

all-trans-Retinoic acid (atRA) has important effects on the developing and mature cardiovascular system. Nitric oxide (NO) production has been associated with the atRA-induced differentiation of neuronal cells, and we hypothesized that NO may also mediate certain actions of atRA in the cardiovascular system. We studied the effects of atRA on NO production by endothelial cells and determined whether regulation of enzymes responsible for metabolism of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) contributed to the effects seen. Murine endothelioma (sEnd.1) cells were incubated with or without atRA. Nitrite production was determined using the Griess reaction. The expression of NO synthase (NOS) and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) genes was determined by Northern blotting. A reporter gene assay was also used to study the effect of atRA on the DDAH II promoter. atRA significantly increased nitrite production by sEnd.1 cells despite no increase in eNOS expression. atRA also increased DDAH II gene expression and promoter activity and reduced the ratio of ADMA to symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) in culture medium. The DDAH inhibitor 4124W significantly reduced the induction of NO synthesis by atRA. The present study demonstrates that atRA increases NO synthesis in endothelial cells without increasing eNOS expression. atRA also increases the expression of DDAH II, the predominant DDAH isoform in endothelial cells. Our data suggests that the induction of NO synthesis by atRA may be facilitated by DDAH II. This pathway may help to explain some of the effects of atRA on the cardiovascular system.
Time-trends and circumstances surrounding ankle injuries in men's professional football: an 11-year follow-up of the UEFA Champions League injury study
Authors: Markus Waldén, Martin Hägglund, Jan Ekstrand
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2013)

Ankle injury is common in football, but the circumstances surrounding them are not well characterised.To investigate the rates, especially time-trends, and circumstances of ankle injuries in male professional football.27 European clubs with 1743 players were followed prospectively between 2001/2002 and 2011/2012. Time loss injuries and individual-player exposure during training sessions and matches were recorded. Injury rate was defined as the number of injuries/1000 h.A total of 1080 ankle injuries were recorded (13% of all injuries) with lateral ligament ankle sprain being the most common injury subtype (51% of all ankle injuries). The rates of ankle injury and ankle sprain were 1/1000 h and 0.7/1000 h, respectively. The ankle sprain rate declined slightly over time during the 11-year study period (on average 3.1%/season) with a statistically significant seasonal trend (p=0.041). Foul play according to the referee was involved in 40% of the match-related ankle sprains. Syndesmotic sprains and ankle impingement were uncommon causes of time loss (3% each of all ankle injuries).Lateral ligament ankle sprain constituted half of all ankle injuries in male professional football, whereas ankle impingement syndromes were uncommon. The ankle sprain rate decreased slightly over time, but many ankle sprains were associated with foul play. Our data extend the body of literature that provides football policy makers with a foundation to review existing rules and their enforcement.
Classification of Clear-Cell Sarcoma as a Subtype of Melanoma by Genomic Profiling
Authors: Neil H. Segal, Paul Pavlidis, William S. Noble, Cristina R. Antonescu, Agnes Viale, Umadevi V. Wesley, Klaus Busam, Humilidad Gallardo, Dianne DeSantis, Murray F. Brennan, Carlos Cordon-Cardo, Jedd D. Wolchok, Alan N. Houghton
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2003)

Purpose: To develop a genome-based classification scheme for clear-cell sarcoma (CCS), also known as melanoma of soft parts (MSP), which would have implications for diagnosis and treatment. This tumor displays characteristic features of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), including deep soft tissue primary location and a characteristic translocation, t(12;22)(q13;q12), involving EWS and ATF1 genes. CCS/MSP also has typical melanoma features, including immunoreactivity for S100 and HMB45, pigmentation, MITF-M expression, and a propensity for regional lymph node metastases. Materials and Methods: RNA samples from 21 cell lines and 60 pathologically confirmed cases of STS, melanoma, and CCS/MSP were examined using the U95A GeneChip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) analysis exploited genomic correlations within the data to classify CCS/MSP. Results: Unsupervised analyses demonstrated a clear distinction between STS and melanoma and, furthermore, showed that CCS/MSP cluster with the melanomas as a distinct group. A supervised SVM learning approach further validated this finding and provided a user-independent approach to diagnosis. Genes of interest that discriminate CCS/MSP included those encoding melanocyte differentiation antigens, MITF, SOX10, ERBB3, and FGFR1. Conclusion: Gene expression profiles support the classification of CCS/MSP as a distinct genomic subtype of melanoma. Analysis of these gene profiles using the SVM may be an important diagnostic tool. Genomic analysis identified potential targets for the development of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of this disease.
SOME POINTS IN THE ANATOMY AND PATHOLOGY OF THE HERNIAL SAC
Authors: E. S. Carmichael
Journal: BMJ (1908)

AN' ileal variety of intussusception (which according to .:Leichens,ternoccurs in only 8 per cent. of cases) compli- -cated by containing a Meckel's diverticulum, and occurring Fin a haemophilic, forms a combination sufficiently rare to -merit recording: At 8 p.m., November 24th, 1905, I was called to see a boy, .aged1Y, who had been ill since the previous day, with what was thought to be a " bilious attack," to which he was 'said to "be subject.Family History.His maternal great-grandmother was healthy, but both her -sisters died from haemorrhage in confinements, and both her .brothersdied from haemorrhage.She had five children-four daughters, one of whom died from haemorrhage in her sixth .confinement,and another died from " change of life "I; and one son (patient's grandfather), who, during the first thirty years of life, was a " bleeder."He had one son and three daughters (one .ofwhom was patient's mother), none of whom suffered from -haemophilia.The patient had one brother, a marked haemo- ,philic, and one sister, healthy.F. F. F. M. M. Died from haemor-Died from haemor-Died
Extrathymic T Cell Lymphopoiesis
Authors: Delphine Guy-Grand, Orly Azogui, Susanna Celli, Sylvie Darche, Michel C. Nussenzweig, Philippe Kourilsky, Pierre Vassalli
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2003)

In the absence of thymopoiesis, T lymphocytes are nevertheless present, mainly in the gut epithelium. Ontogeny of the extrathymic pathway and the extent of its involvement in euthymic mice are controversial. These questions have been addressed by assessing the expression of recombinase activating gene (RAG) through the use of green fluorescent protein RAG2 transgenic mouse models. In athymic mice, T lymphopoiesis occurs mainly in the mesenteric lymph node and less in the Peyer's patches. Ontogenic steps of this lymphopoiesis resemble those of thymopoiesis, but with an apparent bias toward γδ T cell production and with a paucity of oligoclonal αβ T cells possibly resulting from a deficit in positive selection. Whether in athymic or euthymic mice, neither T intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) nor cryptopatch cells (reported to contain precursors of IEL) displayed fluorescence indicating recent RAG protein synthesis. Newly made T cells migrate from the mesenteric node into the thoracic duct lymph to reach the gut mucosa. In euthymic mice, this extrathymic pathway is totally repressed, except in conditions of severe lymphocytic depletion. Thus, in normal animals, all gut T IEL, including CD8αα+ cells, are of thymic origin, CD8αα+ TCRαβ+ IEL being the likely progeny of double negative NK1-1− thymocytes, which show polyclonal Vα and Vβ repertoires.
Notch Signaling, γ-Secretase Inhibitors, and Cancer Therapy
Authors: Ie-Ming Shih, Tian-Li Wang
Journal: Cancer Research (2007)

The Notch signaling pathway represents a critical component in the molecular circuits that control cell fate during development. Aberrant activation of this pathway contributes to tumorigenesis. The role of Notch in human cancer has been highlighted recently by the presence of activating mutations and amplification of Notch genes in human cancer and by the demonstration that genes in the Notch signaling pathway could be potential therapeutic targets. It has become clear that one of the major therapeutic targets in the Notch pathway are the Notch receptors, in which gamma-secretase inhibitors prevent the generation of the oncogenic (intracellular) domain of Notch molecules and suppress the Notch activity. This review article summarizes the biological roles of Notch molecules in cancer development with special emphasis on the promise and challenges in applying gamma-secretase inhibitors as a new line of targeted therapeutic agents.