tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Cellular immunity to cartilage link protein in patients with inflammatory arthritis and non-arthritic controls.
Authors: M C Doran, N J Goodstone, R N Hobbs, B A Ashton
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1995)

OBJECTIVES--To determine if increased T cell responses to articular cartilage link protein have any correlation with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and if RA patients with increased responses to link protein also respond to a 17 amino acid peptide covering the 9arthritogenic9 epitope in mycobacterial hsp65 which is homologous with link protein. METHODS--The reactivity of T cells from both peripheral blood and synovial fluid, to highly purified human cartilage link protein, hsp65, the 17 amino acid peptide, and bovine type II collagen was determined in patients with RA and nonarthritic controls, by measuring the rate of mononuclear cell proliferation in the presence and absence of antigen. RESULTS--Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), significant reactivity (stimulation index (SI) &gt; 1.5) to link protein was found in 12 of 46 RA patients (26%), but in only four of 44 controls (9%). A greater proportion of RA patients (eight of 17:47%) were reactive to link protein when mononuclear cells from synovial fluid were tested. SI values, however, were generally low (0.5-3.1) and only one patient showed a PBMC response above a reference range of values calculated from the logarithmic values of the normal control population. No reactivity was observed against a 17 amino acid synthetic peptide including the arthritogenic epitope from the mycobacterial hsp65 to which T cell clones isolated from rats in the adjuvant arthritis model react. However, eight of nine RA patients and all of seven controls reacted to the intact hsp65. CONCLUSION--It remains unclear if T cell responses to link protein are involved in the pathogenesis of RA, but it is unlikely that T cells specific for the sequence homologous with the arthritogenic epitope in hsp65 are present in RA patients.
Prior receptor occupancy as a determinant of the pressor activity of infused angiotensin II in the rat.
Authors: H Thurston, J H Laragh
Journal: Circulation Research (1975)

The pressor responsiveness to angiotensin II and norepinephrine was examined in rats before and during blockade of coverting enzyme activity with the nonapeptide SQ 20881. Responses to angiotensin II were impaired by sodium deprivation but enhanced by sodium loading or bilateral nephrectomy. During the period of converting enzyme blockade, a twofold increase in the angiotensin II pressor response was observed in the salt-restricted rats, whereas only a small change occurred in the salt-loaded rats. Infusion of the inhibitor produced a profound fall in the blood pressure of the salt-depleted rats with a relatively minor fall in the sodium-loaded rats. Norepinephrine pressor responses were slightly potentiated in the salt-restricted rats after administration of SQ 20881, but no change occurred in the salt-loaded or the nephrectomized rats. These observations support the view that the decreased angiotensin II pressor activity during salt deprivation is the result of a prior occupancy of receptor sites by endogenous hormone. Therefore, a change in the number or the affinity of receptors consequent to changes in sodium balance need not be postulated to explain the phenomenon.
Accurate Prediction and Validation of Response to Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer
Authors: Arran K. Turnbull, Laura M. Arthur, Lorna Renshaw, Alexey A. Larionov, Charlene Kay, Anita K. Dunbier, Jeremy S. Thomas, Mitch Dowsett, Andrew H. Sims, J. Michael Dixon
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have an established role in the treatment of breast cancer. Response rates are only 50% to 70% in the neoadjuvant setting and lower in advanced disease. Accurate biomarkers are urgently needed to predict response in these settings and to determine which individuals will benefit from adjuvant AI therapy.
OYSTER CILIARY INHIBITION BY CYSTIC FIBROSIS CULTURE MEDIUM
Authors: B. Shannon Danes, Alexander G. Bearn
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1972)

Using the oyster ciliary test, sera and fibroblast culture fluid from certain homozygotes and heterozygotes for cystic fibrosis can be shown to contain an inhibitory factor. The tissue culture fluid derived from the metachromatic fibroblast cultures (cystic fibrosis classes I and II) show ciliary inhibition. The fluid derived from the ametachromatic fibroblast cultures (cystic fibrosis class III), thus far studied, cannot be invariably distinguished from the normal noncarriers. Similarly sera from classes I and II show marked ciliary inhibition, whereas sera from class III individuals do not consistently. These experiments support the notion of genetic heterogeneity in cystic fibrosis. The nature of the inhibitory factor in tissue culture fluid and its relationship to the serum factor remain to be explored.
Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Without a Cervix
Authors: Brenda E. Sirovich
Journal: JAMA (2004)

ContextMost US women who have undergone hysterectomy are not at risk of cervical cancer—they underwent the procedure for benign disease and they no longer have a cervix. In 1996, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended that routine Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screening is unnecessary for these women.ObjectiveTo determine whether Pap smear screening among women who have undergone hysterectomy has decreased following the recommendation.DesignWe used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1992-2002), an annual, population-based telephone survey of US adults conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data about timing, type, and indication for hysterectomies were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and other sources.Study ParticipantsIn each year of the survey, a representative sample of US women 18 years and older who had undergone hysterectomy (combined n = 188 390) was studied.Main Outcome MeasureThe main outcome was the proportion of women with a history of hysterectomy who reported a current Pap smear (within 3 years). Overall proportions are age adjusted to the 2002 US female population.ResultsTwenty-two million US women 18 years and older have undergone hysterectomy, representing 21% of the population. The proportion of these women who reported a current Pap smear did not change during the 10-year study period. In 1992 (before the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations), 68.5% of women who had undergone hysterectomy reported having had a Pap smear in the past 3 years; in 2002 (6 years after the recommendation), 69.1% had had a Pap smear during the same period (P value for the comparison = .22). After accounting for Pap smears that may have preceded a recent hysterectomy and hysterectomies that spared the cervix or were performed for cervical neoplasia, we estimate that almost 10 million women, or half of all women who have undergone hysterectomy, are being screened unnecessarily.ConclusionsMany US women are undergoing Pap smear screening even though they are not at risk of cervical cancer. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations either have not been heard or have been ignored.
Best books on oncology: a personal choice
Authors: G Howard
Journal: BMJ (1994)

Oncology covers numerous different disciplines of interest to practising oncologists as well as those in other branches of medicine. For example, The Molecular Biology of Cancer will interest many “generalists,” whereas Physics and Radiation Planning is probably of relevance only to those training in, or practising, radiation oncology. Many books contain sections that would be useful to the generalist and other sections which are of interest only to specialists. The division into the following groups is therefore somewhat arbitrary.

* Clinical Oncology. J G Rees. (£12.95.) Castle House Publications, 1989. ISBN 0-8194-0133-X.

** Treatment of Cancer. 2nd edn. Ed K Sikora, K Halnan. (pounds sterling99.50.) Chapman and Hall, 1990. ISBN 0-412-29400-1.

* Molecular Biology for Oncologists. Ed J Yarnold, M Stratton, T McMillan. (450 guilders.) Elsevier, 1993. ISBN 0-444-81507-4.

Clinical Oncology is a very easily readable general introduction to this subject. It would be just as useful to a newly qualified doctor as to the interested medical student. The style is concise and it clearly discusses many of the issues that clinicians find mystifying when first faced with certain types of cancer and …
Congenital Syphilis in the Newborn
Authors: W. D. Mortimer Harris
Journal: JAMA (1965)

It should be emphasized from the outset that prevention and care of syphilis in the newborn starts with adequate examination, diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy. Adequate treatment of the pregnant woman will either prevent infection of the fetus or cure it in the already infected fetus. The earlier the treatment, the better the prognosis. A thorough medical history, a careful physical examination, and serologic tests for syphilis are the minimum essentials in the pregnant woman. These should be done as early as possible during gestation and repeated towards term. Prenatal as well as premarital examinations and serologic tests for syphilis are moreover required by law in most states. A pregnant woman with early syphilis may have frequent episodes of spirochetemia. The<i>Treponema pallidum</i>may reach the placenta and may go through the placenta to the fetus. As the duration of the disease increases spirochetemia becomes less massive and
A Universal Primer Set for PCR Amplification of Nuclear Histone H4 Genes from All Animal Species
Authors: Pascal Pineau, Michel Henry, Rodolphe Suspène, Agnès Marchio, Agnès Dettai, Régis Debruyne, Thierry Petit, Alexis Lécu, Pierre Moisson, Anne Dejean, Simon Wain-Hobson, Jean-Pierre Vartanian
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2004)

To control the quality of genomic DNA of samples from a wide variety of animals, a heminested PCR assay specifically targeting a nuclear gene has been developed. The histone H4 gene family comprises a small number of genes considered among the most conserved genes in living organisms. Tissue samples from necropsies and from cells belonging to 43 different species were studied, eight samples from invertebrates and 35 samples from vertebrates covering all classes. Ancient DNA samples from three Siberian woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) dating between 40,000 and 49,000 years before present were also tested for PCR amplification. Performance of HIST2H4 amplification were also compared with those of previously published universal PCRs (28S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and cytochrome b). Overall, 95% of species studied yielded an amplification product, including some old samples from gorilla and chimpanzees. The data indicate that the HIST2H4 amplimers are, thus, suitable for both DNA quality testing as well as species identification in the animal kingdom.
CHRONIC POST-ENCEPHALITIS IN JUVENILE DELINQUENTS
Authors: Matthew Molitch
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1935)

The results of a study of boys with chronic post-encephalitis who found their way into an institution for juvenile delinquents are given. The literature was reviewed and correlations were made with the author's case material. The subject was discussed under the headings of diagnosis, change of behavior, impairment of mentality, deterioration of mentality, school work, forensic responsibility and treatment. Case histories of 10 boys are appended.
Plasmalogen-Derived Lysolipid Induces a Depolarizing Cation Current in Rabbit Ventricular Myocytes
Authors: Ray A. Caldwell, Clive M. Baumgarten
Journal: Circulation Research (1998)

Abstract —Plasmalogen rather than diacyl phospholipids are the preferred substrate for the cardiac phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) isoform activated during ischemia. The diacyl metabolite, lysophosphatidylcholine, is arrhythmogenic, but the effects of the plasmalogen metabolite, lysoplasmenylcholine (LPLC), are essentially unknown. We found that 2.5 and 5 μmol/L LPLC induced spontaneous contractions of intact isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes (median times, 27.4 and 16.4 minutes, respectively) significantly faster than lysophosphatidylcholine (&gt;60 and 37.8 minutes, respectively). Whole-cell recordings revealed that LPLC depolarized the resting membrane potential from –83.5±0.2 to –21.5±1.0 mV. Depolarization was due to a guanidinium toxin–insensitive Na + influx. The LPLC-induced current reversed at –18.5±0.9 mV and was shifted 26.7±4.2 mV negative by a 10-fold reduction of bath Na + (Na + /K + permeability ratio, ≈ 0.12±0.06). In contrast, block of Ca 2+ channels with Cd 2+ and reducing bath Cl – failed to affect the current. The actions of LPLC were opposed by lanthanides. Gd 3+ and La 3+ were equally effective inhibitors of the LPLC-induced current and equally delayed the onset of spontaneous contractions. However, the characteristics of lanthanide block imply that Gd 3+ -sensitive, poorly selective, stretch-activated channels were not involved. Instead, the data are consistent with the view that lanthanides increase phospholipid ordering and may thereby oppose membrane perturbations caused by LPLC. Plasmalogens constitute a significant fraction of cardiac sarcolemmal choline phospholipids. In light of their subclass-specific catabolism by phospholipase A 2 and the present results, it is suggested that LPLC accumulation may contribute to ventricular dysrhythmias during ischemia.
Different stromal cell lines support lineage-selective differentiation of the multipotential bone marrow stem cell clone LyD9.
Authors: K H Lee, T Kinashi, K Tohyama, K Tashiro, N Funato, K Hama, T Honjo
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1991)

An interleukin 3-dependent multipotential stem cell clone, LyD9, has been shown to generate mature B lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils by coculture with primary bone marrow stromal cells. We report here that coculture with the cloned stromal cell lines PA6 and ST2 can support differentiation of LyD9 cells predominantly into granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)- and granulocyte (G)-CSF-responsive cells, respectively. However, these stromal cell lines were unable to support lymphopoiesis of LyD9 cells. The GM-CSF-dependent line, L-GM, which was derived from LyD9 cells cocultured with PA6 stromal cells, could differentiate into macrophages and granulocytes in the presence of GM-CSF. The L-GM line can further differentiate predominantly into neutrophils by coculture with ST2 stromal cells. The G-CSF-dependent line, L-G, which was derived from LyD9 cells cocultured with ST2 stromal cells, differentiated into neutrophils in response to G-CSF. Although the stromal cell-supported differentiation of LyD9 cells required the direct contact between LyD9 and stromal cells, a small fraction of LyD9 cells that were pretreated with 5-azacytidine could differentiate into neutrophils and macrophages without direct contact with stromal cells. These results indicate that different stromal cell lines support lineage-selective differentiation of the LyD9 stem cell and that 5-azacytidine treatment can bypass the requirement of direct contact with stromal cells, albeit with a lower frequency.
Anthropometric characteristics of selected combat athletic groups
Authors: Venkteshwarlu Kankanala, Eraz A Gunen, Ameh S Igah
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2010)

Physical performance efficiency and effectiveness in different sports depends to a large on the size, weight and proportion of the physique of the athlete. Several kinanthropometric studies have shown significant associations between anthropometric characteristics of judo, karate and taekwondo combat athletic groups. To achieve the purpose of the study anthropometric characteristics of 80 judo (45 males and 35 females), 90 karate (40 males and 50 females) and 60 taekwondo (35 males and 25 females) who have been training for atleast 3 years have been measured. The anthropometric measures include body mass, standing height, abdominal circumference, waist circumference and hip circumference. These measurements were made by following the standards of anthropometric protocols of the international working group of kinanthropometrics. Differences between the male and female subjects of each group were determined. The results revealed greater waist circumference (92.80 0.75 cm), waist hip ratio (0.70 0.01 cm) and conicity index (174.93 1.27) of male judo groups compared to those of male karate and taekwondo groups. However male karate groups have higher mean value for triceps (7.29 0.22 mm), biceps (7.73 0.21 mm) compared with those of judo and taekwondo groups, whereas male taekwondo groups have significantly higher mean value for height (172.91 1.12 cm) and hip circumference (136.40 1.21 cm) compared to male judo and karate groups. Among the female combat athlete groups, karate groups have significantly higher value for triceps (15.10 0.29 mm) and biceps (13.30 0.36 mm) compared to the female judo and taekwondo groups. However female taekwondo group was heavier (66.08 1.30 kg) and have higher conicity index (159.69 2.01) than the female judo and karate groups. The difference between the selected female combat athletic groups in height, body mass index, abdominal circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist hip ratio were insignificant.
Effect of aspirin treatment on chondromalacia patellae.
Authors: G Bentley, I J Leslie, D Fischer
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1981)

Twenty-nine patients (21 females and 8 males) with chondromalacia patellae diagnosed by arthroscopy were randomly allocated to receive aspirin or placebo for 3 months. Clinical and arthroscopic examination after 3 months showed no significant change in symptoms, signs, or macroscopic appearances in either group. Surgical treatment was performed in 14 patients for deteriorating symptoms.
Dissection of familial correlations in hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence suggests intrafamilial viral transmission and genetic predisposition to infection
Authors: S Plancoulaine, M K Mohamed, N Arafa, I Bakr, C Rekacewicz, D-A Tregouet, D Obach, M El Daly, V Thiers, C Feray, M Abdel-Hamid, L Abel, A Fontanet
Journal: Gut (2008)

<h3>Objective:</h3> Unsafe injections and transfusions used during treatments are considered to be responsible for many cases of transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in developing countries, but cannot account for a substantial proportion of present infections. The aim of the present work was to investigate familial clustering of HCV infection in a population living in a highly endemic area. <h3>Design, setting and participants:</h3> A large seroepidemiological survey was conducted on 3994 subjects (age range, 2–88 years) from 475 familial clusters in an Egyptian rural area. Epidemiological methods appropriate for the analysis of correlated data were used to estimate risk factors and familial dependences for HCV infection. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to investigate HCV strain similarities within and among families. <h3>Main outcome measures:</h3> HCV familial correlations adjusted for known risk factors, similarities between viral strains. <h3>Results:</h3> Overall HCV seroprevalence was 12.3%, increasing with age. After adjustment for relevant risk factors, highly significant intrafamilial resemblances in HCV seroprevalence were obtained between father–offspring (odds ratio (OR) = 3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.8 to 6.2)), mother–offspring (OR = 3.8 (95% CI, 2.5 to 5.8)), and sibling–sibling (OR = 9.3 (95% CI, 4.9 to 17.6)), while a weaker dependence between spouses (OR = 2.2 (95% CI, 1.3 to 3.7)) was observed. Phylogenetic analysis showed greater HCV strain similarity between family members than between unrelated subjects, indicating that correlations can be explained, in part, by familial sources of virus transmission. In addition, refined dissection of correlations between first-degree relatives supported the role of host genes predisposing to HCV infection. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Current HCV infection in endemic countries has a strong familial component explained, at least partly, by specific modes of intrafamilial viral transmission and by genetic predisposition to infection.
Self-organizing features and categories through attentive resonance
Authors: Stephen Grossberg
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (1998)

Because “people create features to subserve the representation and categorization of objects” (abstract) Schyns et al. “provide an account of feature learning in which the components of a representation have close ties to the categorization history of the organism” (sect. 1.1). This commentary surveys self-organizing neural models that clarify this process. These models suggest how “top-down information should constrain the search for relevant dimensions/features of categorization” (sect. 3.4.2).
Abstract 13894: “Reverse McConnell’s Sign”: A Unique Right Ventricular Mechanical and Functional Feature in Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Avneet Singh, Juan Lei, Hani Kozman, Jingfeng Wang, Kan Liu
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Introduction: Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) can clinically mimic acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and induce pump failure and hemodynamic instability. Clinicians often face the challenge of differentiating the two without cardiac catheterization, especially when hemorrhagic stroke or severe trauma is the stressor for TTC and cardiac catheterization is contraindicated. Also, misdiagnosing TTC as AMI can lead to initiating inotropes which are known to cause further hemodynamic compromise in TTC. Therefore, distinguishing TTC from AMI with real time cardiovascular imaging other than coronary angiogram is crucial in these patients. Hypothesis: Echocardiographic RV contractile and functional features can help differentiate TTC and AMI. Methods: In a retrospective study, we compared echocardiographic RV contractile and functional features in 80 consecutive TTC patients and 75 AMI patients from September 2009 to February 2014. Results: We identified a characteristic echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) co...