tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcomes Following Institution of the Canadian Universal Leukoreduction Program for Red Blood Cell Transfusions
Authors: Paul C. Hébert, Dean Fergusson, Morris A. Blajchman, George A. Wells, Andrew Kmetic, Doug Coyle, Nancy Heddle, Marc Germain, Mindy Goldman, Baldwin Toye, Irwin Schweitzer, Carl vanWalraven, Dana Devine, Graham D. Sher
Journal: JAMA (2003)

A number of countries have implemented a policy of universal leukoreduction of their blood supply, but the potential role of leukoreduction in decreasing postoperative mortality and infection is unclear.To evaluate clinical outcomes following adoption of a national universal prestorage leukoreduction program for blood transfusions.Retrospective before-and-after cohort study conducted from August 1998 to August 2000 in 23 academic and community hospitals throughout Canada, enrolling 14 786 patients who received red blood cell transfusions following cardiac surgery or repair of hip fracture, or who required intensive care following a surgical intervention or multiple trauma.Universal prestorage leukoreduction program introduced by 2 Canadian blood agencies. A total of 6982 patients were enrolled during the control period and 7804 patients were enrolled following prestorage leukoreduction.All-cause in-hospital mortality and serious nosocomial infections (pneumonia, bacteremia, septic shock, all surgical site infections) occurring after first transfusion and at least 2 days after index procedure or intensive care unit admission. Secondary outcomes included rates of posttransfusion fever and antibiotic use.Unadjusted in-hospital mortality rates were significantly lower following the introduction of leukoreduction compared with the control period (6.19% vs 7.03%, respectively; P =.04). Compared with the control period, the adjusted odds of death following leukoreduction were reduced (odds ratio [OR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.99), but serious nosocomial infections did not decrease (adjusted OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.87-1.09). The frequency of posttransfusion fevers decreased significantly following leukoreduction (adjusted OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.79-0.94), as did antibiotic use (adjusted OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.99).A national universal leukoreduction program is potentially associated with decreased mortality as well as decreased fever episodes and antibiotic use after red blood cell transfusion in high-risk patients.
Analysis of the Patient-Therapist Relationship in Dynamic Psychotherapy: An Experimental Study of Transference Interpretations
Authors: Per Høglend, Svein Amlo, Alice Marble, Kjell-Petter Bøgwald, Øystein Sørbye, Mary Cosgrove Sjaastad, Oscar Heyerdahl
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2006)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of transference interpretations (the assumed core active ingredient) in dynamic psychotherapy, using an experimental design. Method: One hundred patients were randomly assigned to two groups. One group received dynamic psychotherapy over 1 year, with a moderate level of transference interpretations, while the other group received dynamic psychotherapy with no transference interpretations. The most common axis I disorders were depression and anxiety disorders. Forty-six patients fulfilled the general criteria for personality disorder. Seven experienced psychotherapists treated patients in both groups. Five full sessions from each treatment were rated by two evaluators with process measures in order to document treatment integrity. Outcome variables were the Psychodynamic Functioning Scales, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Scale-Circumplex version, Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, and Symptom Checklist-90-R. Quality of Object Relations Scale (lifelong pattern) and personality disorders were preselected as possible moderators of treatment effects. Change was assessed using linear-mixed models. Clinically significant change was also calculated. Results: The authors could not demonstrate differential treatment effects between the groups. However, the moderator analyses showed that transference interpretations were more helpful for patients with a lifelong history of less mature object relations. Small negative effects were observed for patients with mature object relations. Conclusions: The authors could not show differences in average effectiveness between treatments. However, the moderator analyses indicated that treatment worked through different active ingredients for different patients. Contrary to common expectation, patients with poor object relations profited more from therapy with transference interpretations than from therapy with no transference interpretations.
MUTYH-Null Mice Are Susceptible to Spontaneous and Oxidative Stress–Induced Intestinal Tumorigenesis
Authors: Katsumi Sakamoto, Yohei Tominaga, Kazumi Yamauchi, Yoshimichi Nakatsu, Kunihiko Sakumi, Kaoru Yoshiyama, Akinori Egashira, Shinobu Kura, Takashi Yao, Masazumi Tsuneyoshi, Hisaji Maki, Yusaku Nakabeppu, Teruhisa Tsuzuki
Journal: Cancer Research (2007)

Abstract MUTYH is a mammalian DNA glycosylase that initiates base excision repair by excising adenine opposite 8-oxoguanine and 2-hydroxyadenine opposite guanine, thereby preventing G:C to T:A transversion caused by oxidative stress. Recently, biallelic germ-line mutations of MUTYH have been found in patients predisposed to a recessive form of hereditary multiple colorectal adenoma and carcinoma with an increased incidence of G:C to T:A somatic mutations in the APC gene. In the present study, a systematic histologic examination revealed that more spontaneous tumors had developed in MUTYH-null mice (72 of 121; 59.5%) than in the wild type (38 of 109; 34.9%). The increased incidence of intestinal tumors in MUTYH-null mice (11 tumors in 10 of 121 mice) was statistically significant compared with the wild type (no intestinal tumors in 109 mice). Two adenomas and seven adenocarcinomas were observed in the small intestines, and two adenomas but no carcinomas were found in the colons. In MUTYH-null mice treated with KBrO3, the occurrence of small intestinal tumors dramatically increased. The mean number of polyps induced in the small intestines of these mice was 61.88 (males, 72.75; females, 51.00), whereas it was 0.85 (males, 0.50; females, 1.00) in wild-type mice. The tumors developed predominantly in the duodenum and in the upper region of the (jejunum) small intestines. We conclude that MUTYH suppresses spontaneous tumorigenesis in mammals, thus providing experimental evidence for the association between biallelic germ-line MUTYH mutations and a recessive form of human hereditary colorectal adenoma and carcinoma. [Cancer Res 2007;67(14):6599–604]
Results of conservative management of epithelial malignant and borderline ovarian tumours
Authors: P. Morice
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (2003)

Conservative management of at least part of both the ovary and uterus can be proposed in patients with borderline ovarian tumour, in order to preserve fertility potential. This conservative management could be carried out even in patients with borderline ovarian tumour associated with non-invasive peritoneal implants (if complete resection of peritoneal disease has been performed). When facing persistent infertility after this conservative surgery, ovarian induction or an in-vitro procedure could be proposed in patients with an early-stage disease, though the number of attempts must be limited. Removal of the preserved ovary after completion of pregnancy(ies) is unnecessary if patients agree to careful follow-up. In patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, conservative management could safely be performed in young patients who wish to preserve fertility function and who fulfil the following criteria: unilateral tumour (stage IA), grade 1 (and 2?), adequate staging surgery and careful follow-up. Removal of the preserved ovary should be carried out after completion of pregnancy(ies) in order to reduce the risk of ovarian tumour recurrence.
A computer study of the relation between chamber mechanical properties and mean pressure-mean flow of the left ventricle.
Authors: J A Negroni, E C Lascano, R H Pichel
Journal: Circulation Research (1988)

Computer simulation of left ventricular contraction was used to analyze the mean left ventricular pressure-mean flow relation with changes of parameter values: end-diastolic volume, contractile state, internal resistance, characteristic resistance, capacitance, end-diastolic stiffness, and heart rate and with changes of experimental conditions: filling kinetics (constant atrial pressure as opposed to constant end-diastolic volume) and coronary perfusion pressure (constant or varying with atrial pressure, i.e., self-perfused). The chamber mechanical properties used in the simulation were defined in terms of a modified purely elastic behavior model with a flow-dependent resistive component. Computed results showed that at constant end-diastolic volume and constant ventricular perfusion pressure the mean pressure-mean flow relation was linear, except for changes in internal resistance where a cubic fit of points was more appropriate. In these conditions, parameter variations in the accepted linear relation produced changes in the slope and mean pressure axis intercept. Imposition of changes in experimental conditions gave rise to nonlinear mean pressure-mean flow relations. The results indicate that with elastic-resistive chamber mechanical properties as a starting point, the experimental conditions would be responsible for the different shapes of the mean pressure-mean flow relation obtained in isolated heart experiments. However, a more complete description of chamber properties (such as the addition of a deactivation component) could also give rise to nonlinear pump function graphs.
Cross-hybridizing snake satellite, Drosophila, and mouse DNA sequences may have arisen independently.
Authors: G Levinson, J L Marsh, J T Epplen, G A Gutman
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (1985)

Previous reports have interpreted hybridization between snake satellite DNA and DNA clones from a variety of distant taxonomic groups as evidence for evolutionary conservation, which implies common ancestry (homology) and/or convergence (analogy) to produce the cross-hybridizing sequences. We have isolated 11 clones from a genomic library of Drosophila melanogaster, using a cloned 2.5-kb snake satellite probe of known nucleotide sequence. We have also analysed published sequence data from snakes, mice, and Drosophila. These data show that (1) all of the cross-hybridization between the snake, fly, and mouse clones can be accounted for by the presence of either of two tandem repeats, [GATA]n and [GACA]n and (2) these tandem repeats are organized differently among the different species. We find no evidence that these sequences are homologous apart from the existence of the simple repeat itself, although their divergence from a common ancestral sequence cannot be ruled out. The sequences contain a variety of homogeneous clusters of tandem repeats of CATA, GA, TA, and CA, as well as GATA and GACA. We suggest that these motifs may have arisen by a self-accelerating process involving slipped-strand mispairing of DNA. Homogeneity of the clusters might simply be the result of a rate of accumulation of tandem repeats that exceeds that of other mutations.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Translocation (8;21) or Inversion (16) in Elderly Patients Treated With Conventional Chemotherapy: A Collaborative Study of the French CBF-AML Intergroup
Authors: Thomas Prébet, Nicolas Boissel, Sarah Reutenauer, Xavier Thomas, Jacques Delaunay, Jean-Yves Cahn, Arnaud Pigneux, Bruno Quesnel, Francis Witz, Sylvain Thépot, Valérie Ugo, Christine Terre, Christian Recher, Emmanuelle Tavernier, Mathilde Hunault, Benjamin Esterni, Sylvie Castaigne, François Guilhot, Hervé Dombret, Norbert Vey
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2009)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with translocation (t) (8;21) or inversion (inv) (16) is associated with a favorable prognosis when treated with intensive chemotherapy. In elderly patients, these AML types are rare, and intensive treatments are much less tolerated. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the characteristics and outcome of AML with t(8;21) or inv(16) in the elderly.Patients with t(8;21) or inv(16) AML who were age 60 years or older and who received at least one course of induction chemotherapy were included. Postremission therapy consisted of low-dose maintenance chemotherapy (n = 72) or intensive consolidation (n = 56).A total of 147 patients were analyzed. The median age was 67 years. Sixty patients had t(8;21), and 87 patients had inv(16). A total of 129 patients achieved complete response (CR) after one or two induction courses (ie, 88% CR rate), and 15 patients (10%) died early (ie, during the 8 weeks after induction). During a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year probabilities of overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were 31% and 27%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed a negative impact of high WBC, impaired performance status, and deletion (9q) on OS and LFS. Administration of intensive consolidation was associated with better LFS only in patients with t(8;21). In addition, the need for critical care during induction independently predicted lower LFS.Because of a high CR rate, induction chemotherapy should be considered systematically for elderly patients who have AML with t(8;21) or inv(16). The high risk of relapse suggests that alternative strategies of postremission therapy are warranted.
Nutrition of the Domestic Cat, a Mammalian Carnivore
Authors: M. L. MacDonald, Q. R. Rogers, J. G. Morris
Journal: Annual Review of Nutrition (1984)

The objective of this review is to provide an overview of intermittent fasting regimens, summarize the evidence on the health benefits of intermittent fasting, and discuss physiological mechanisms by which intermittent fasting might lead to improved ...Read More
Crystal Retention in Renal Stone Disease
Authors: Carl Friedrich Verkoelen
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2006)

The mechanisms that are involved in renal stone disease are not entirely clear. In this article, the various concepts that have been proposed during the past century are reviewed briefly and integrated into current insights. Much attention is dedicated to hyaluronan (HA), an extremely large glycosaminoglycan that may play a central role in renal stone disease. The precipitation of poorly soluble calcium salts (crystal formation) in the kidney is the inevitable consequence of producing concentrated urine. HA is a major constituent of the extracellular matrix in the renal medullary interstitium and the pericellular matrix of mitogen/stress-activated renal tubular cells. HA is an excellent crystal-binding molecule because of its size, negative ionic charge, and ability to form hydrated gel-like matrices. Crystal binding to HA leads to crystal retention in the renal tubules (nephrocalcinosis) and to the formation of calcified plaques in the renal interstitium (Randall's plaques). It remains to be determined whether one or both forms of renal crystal retention are involved in the development of kidney stones (nephrolithiasis).
A phase I/II study of oral uracil/tegafur (UFT), leucovorin and irinotecan in patients with advanced colorectal cancer
Authors: H.J. Mackay, M. Hill, C. Twelves, R. Glasspool, T. Price, S. Campbell, A. Massey, M.A. Macham, M. Uzzel, S.M. Bailey, C. Martin, D. Cunningham
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2003)

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), toxicity profile and response rate of the oral 5-fluorouracil prodrug UFT (tegafur/uracil) and leucovorin (LV) in combination with irinotecan in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer.Patients and methodsPatients with histologically proven advanced or metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma received first-line chemotherapy comprising UFT 250 mg/m2/day and LV 90 mg/day given on days 1 to 14, with escalating doses of irinotecan (200–300 mg/m2) administered intravenously on day 1 of a three-weekly cycle. Eligibility criteria were standard. The MTD was defined as the dose at which >33% of six patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) during cycle 1.ResultsA total of 32 patients were studied. Initially, six patients were treated at each of the irinotecan dose levels (200, 250 and 300 mg/m2) combined with UFT 250 mg/m2/day and LV 90 mg/day. DLTs consisting of grade 3 or 4 diarrhoea and febrile neutropenia were observed in one of 20 patients at 250 mg/m2 and three ofsix patients at the 300 mg/m2 irinotecan dose level. Having defined the MTD, the 250 mg/m2 dose level was established as the recommended dose (RD) and expanded to 20 patients in whom treatment was generally well tolerated. The overall response rate was 19%, with five patients having a partial response (PR) and 18 stable disease (SD) out of 32 response-evaluable patients.ConclusionUFT and LV can be safely combined with irinotecan. The RDs for future studies are UFT250 mg/m2/day and LV 90 mg/day given on days 1–14, with irinotecan 250 mg/m2 administered on day 1, every 3 weeks. This combination is well tolerated and active. Further investigation of UFT and LV in combination with irinotecan is warranted in patients with colorectal cancer.
Bioenergetics of immune cells to assess rheumatic disease activity and efficacy of glucocorticoid treatment
Authors: A Kuhnke
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2003)

<b>Objective:</b> To investigate whether activity and glucocorticoid treatment of rheumatic diseases are reflected by selected parameters of cellular energy metabolism of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). <b>Methods:</b> PBMC were obtained from 30 healthy volunteers, 28 patients (16 inactive; 12 active) with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, or other autoimmune diseases, and five patients with infectious diseases. Patients with active rheumatic diseases were examined before and 4–5 days after starting, restarting, or increasing the dose of glucocorticoids. Cellular oxygen consumption (as a measure of ATP production), bioenergetic ability to be stimulated, and major ATP consuming processes were measured amperometrically with a Clark electrode. <b>Results:</b> A normal value for oxygen consumption of 3.84 (SEM 0.1) (all data in nmol O<sub>2</sub>/min/10<sup>7</sup> cells) independent of sex was found. In patients with inactive disease the respiration rate was slightly higher, but was significantly increased in active patients to 4.82 (SEM 0.33) (p&lt;0.001). PBMC from active patients showed a significantly lower bioenergetic response to a mitogenic stimulus than controls (p&lt;0.05). In stimulated cells from active patients there was a significant reduction in cation transport and protein synthesis. All parameters above were almost normalised within 4–5 days upon optimised treatment with glucocorticoids. For comparison, PBMC from patients with active infectious diseases also showed an increased respiration rate; their response to mitogenic stimulation was even higher. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study shows for the first time that parameters describing the cellular function of PBMC in bioenergetic terms are suitable for (<i>a</i>) describing semiquantitatively the activity of a rheumatic disease and (<i>b</i>) assessing the therapeutic effect on the disease.
Structural and Functional Evolution of Three Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides
Authors: K. Inoue
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2005)

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are a group of hormones playing important roles in cardiovascular and osmoregulatory systems in vertebrates. Among the NP subtypes, atrial NP (ANP), B-type NP (BNP), and ventricular NP (VNP) are circulating hormones expressed exclusively in the heart (cardiac NPs). The constitution of cardiac NPs is variable among species of vertebrates. In order to understand the evolutionary and functional significance of such variation, we performed a systematic survey of cardiac NP cDNAs in nine taxonomically diverse teleosts inhabiting environments of varying salinity. The discovery of the coexistence of the ANP, BNP, and VNP genes in the eel and rainbow trout suggested that the ancestral teleost had all three cardiac NPs. As the VNP cDNA was undetectable in ayu and six species of Neoteleostei, it is possible that VNP was lost before the divergence of Osmeroidei. The ANP gene was also undetectable in the medaka. Thus, only the BNP gene is universal in species examined in the present study. Synthetic medaka BNP preferentially activated two medaka GC-A–type receptors, suggesting that the three cardiac NPs share the same receptor. However, the regulation of BNP expression may be the most strict because ATTTA repeats in the 3′-untranslated region and the dibasic motif in the ring are conserved among teleosts and tetrapods. Linkage analyses in the rainbow trout located ANP, BNP, and VNP genes on the same chromosome, which suggested the generation of the VNP gene by tandem duplication as observed with ANP and BNP genes. If the duplication occurred before the divergence of tetrapods and teleosts, VNP may exist in the tetrapod lineage.
Peptide immunoreactive nerves and cells of the guinea pig gall bladder and biliary pathways.
Authors: W Cai, J Gu, W Huang, G P McGregor, M A Ghatei, S R Bloom, J M Polak
Journal: Gut (1983)

<h3>Background</h3> Several cross-sectional studies have demonstrated associations between diet quality, including fruit and vegetable consumption, and mental health. However, research examining these associations longitudinally, while accounting for related lifestyle factors (eg, smoking, physical activity) is scarce. <h3>Methods</h3> This study used data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), a large, national longitudinal survey of Canadians. The sample included 8353 participants aged 18 and older. Every 2 years from 2002/2003 to 2010/2011, participants completed self-reports of daily fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, smoking and symptoms of depression and psychological distress. Using generalised estimating equations, we modelled the associations between fruit and vegetable consumption at each timepoint and depression at the next timepoint, adjusting for relevant covariates. <h3>Results</h3> Fruit and vegetable consumption at each cycle was inversely associated with next-cycle depression (β=−0.03, 95% CI −0.05 to −0.01, p&lt;0.01) and psychological distress (β=−0.03, 95% CI −0.05 to −0.02, p&lt;0.0001). However, once models were adjusted for other health-related factors, these associations were attenuated (β=−0.01, 95% CI −0.04 to 0.02, p=0.55; β=−0.00, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.02, p=0.78 for models predicting depression and distress, respectively). <h3>Conclusions</h3> These findings suggest that relations between fruit and vegetable intake, other health-related behaviours and depression are complex. Behaviours such as smoking and physical activity may have a more important impact on depression than fruit and vegetable intake. Randomised control trials of diet are necessary to disentangle the effects of multiple health behaviours on mental health.