tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Dietary counselling and food fortification in stable COPD: a randomised trial
Authors: C E Weekes, P W Emery, M Elia
Journal: Thorax (2008)

<h3>Background:</h3> Malnutrition in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a poor prognosis, yet evidence to support the role of dietary counselling and food fortification is lacking. A study was undertaken to assess the impact of dietary counselling and food fortification on outcome in outpatients with COPD who are at risk of malnutrition. <h3>Methods:</h3> A randomised controlled unblinded trial was performed in 59 outpatients with COPD (6 months intervention and 6 months follow-up). The intervention group received dietary counselling and advice on food fortification and the controls received a dietary advice leaflet. Outcome measures were nutritional status, respiratory and skeletal muscle strength, respiratory function, perceived dyspnoea, activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life. <h3>Results:</h3> The intervention group consumed more energy (difference 194 kcal/day; p = 0.02) and protein (difference 11.8 g/day; p&lt;0.001) than controls. The intervention group gained weight during the intervention period and maintained weight during follow-up; the controls lost weight throughout the study. Significant differences were observed between the groups in St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score (difference 10.1; p = 0.02), Short Form-36 health change score (difference 19.2; p = 0.029) and Medical Research Council dyspnoea score (difference 1.0; p = 0.03); the difference in ADL score approached statistical significance (difference 1.5; p = 0.06). No differences were observed between groups in respiratory function or skeletal and respiratory muscle strength. Improvements in some variables persisted for 6 months beyond the intervention period. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> Dietary counselling and food fortification resulted in weight gain and improvements in outcome in nutritionally at-risk outpatients with COPD, both during and beyond the intervention period.
Endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) in pleural effusions
Authors: Lisete Teixeira, Marjorie Colombini, Francisco Vargas, Milena Acencio, Ruth Siqueira, Carlos Silva, Vanessa Alvarenga, Leila Antonangelo
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

The coagulation system plays an important role in the physiopathological mechanisms of inflammatory diseases compromising the pleural space. Endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) is a new marker used to evaluate coagulation system that recording hypercoagulability, as well as, hypocoagulability and reflects quantitatively the measure of generated thrombin.   Objetive:  To evaluate the ETP in pleural effusions of different etiologies.   Methods:  Thirty seven patients with pleural effusion were enrolled, previous to any treatment: 10 Lung cancer (LC), 6 breast cancer (BC), 11 tuberculosis (TB) and 10 transudates (TD). ETP in plasma (P) and pleural fluid (PF) were quantified by using the BCS system (Siemens, Germany). The results (mA) were calculated by mathematical derivation from the kinetic reaction developed where ETP is expressed by the area under the curve (AUC). Statistical analysis: One Way Anova.   Results:  In plasma, the ETP levels were lower in the TD group. In pleural fluid, the higher levels were observed in the BC group. However, considering the pleural effusions altogether, no statistical differences were observed between transudates and exudates.   Conclusion:  This preliminary result shows that ETP may be useful to characterize the fibrinolytic response of the pleural space in inflammatory conditions. A greater number of malignant and infectious exudates need to be studied to better understanding the real usefulness of ETP in the mechanism of pleural effusion formation, as well as, the management of therapeutic approach.  Support: CNPq, FAPESP
A 50-Year-Old Woman Addicted to Heroin
Authors: Charles P. O’Brien
Journal: JAMA (2008)

Heroin addiction is a complicated medical and psychiatric issue, with well-established as well as newer modes of treatment. The case of Ms W, a 50-year-old woman with a long history of opiate addiction who has been treated successfully with methadone for 9 years and who now would like to consider newer alternatives, illustrates the complex issues of heroin addiction. The treatment of heroin addiction as a chronic disease is reviewed, including social, medical, and cultural issues and pharmacologic treatment with methadone and the more experimental medication options of buprenorphine and naltrexone.
Nitrite in saliva increases gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus thickness
Authors: Håkan Björne, Joel Petersson, Mia Phillipson, Eddie Weitzberg, Lena Holm, Jon O. Lundberg
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2004)

Salivary nitrate from dietary or endogenous sources is reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria. In the acidic stomach, nitrite is further reduced to NO and related compounds, which have potential biological activity. We used an in vivo rat model as a bioassay to test effects of human saliva on gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus thickness. Gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus thickness were measured after topical administration of human saliva in HCl. The saliva was collected either after fasting (low in nitrite) or after ingestion of sodium nitrate (high in nitrite). In additional experiments, saliva was exchanged for sodium nitrite at different doses. Mucosal blood flow was increased after luminal application of nitrite-rich saliva, whereas fasting saliva had no effects. Also, mucus thickness increased in response to nitrite-rich saliva. The effects of nitrite-rich saliva were similar to those of topically applied sodium nitrite. Nitrite-mediated effects were associated with generation of NO and S-nitrosothiols. In addition, pretreatment with an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase markedly inhibited nitrite-mediated effects on blood flow. We conclude that nitrite-containing human saliva given luminally increases gastric mucosal blood flow and mucus thickness in the rat. These effects are likely mediated through nonenzymatic generation of NO via activation of guanylyl cyclase. This supports a gastroprotective role of salivary nitrate/nitrite.
Mary A. Boutilier and Lucinda SanGiovanni "The Sporting Woman"
Authors: I. M. Webb
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1984)

The Sporting Woman is a text that can be used to provide factual information about the Sporting Woman in the USA in a standard sense.Equally it could be used by students and lecturers, who wish to make comparative studies of either Sporting Woman in for example Great Britain and the USA or a comparison of men's and women's participation in sports, as a working manual providing a framework for study and further research.The authors have given a broad brush approach, to the topic, supplemented by detailed analyses, questions, explor- ations of assumptions, supporting notes, models and further references and therefore a great deal of data is contained in the 286 pages.
Systematic analysis of transcribed loci in ENCODE regions using RACE sequencing reveals extensive transcription in the human genome
Authors: Jia Qian Wu, Jiang Du, Joel Rozowsky, Zhengdong Zhang, Alexander E Urban, Ghia Euskirchen, Sherman Weissman, Mark Gerstein, Michael Snyder
Journal: Genome biology (2008)

Recent studies of the mammalian transcriptome have revealed a large number of additional transcribed regions and extraordinary complexity in transcript diversity. However, there is still much uncertainty regarding precisely what portion of the genome is transcribed, the exact structures of these novel transcripts, and the levels of the transcripts produced.We have interrogated the transcribed loci in 420 selected ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE) regions using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) sequencing. We analyzed annotated known gene regions, but primarily we focused on novel transcriptionally active regions (TARs), which were previously identified by high-density oligonucleotide tiling arrays and on random regions that were not believed to be transcribed. We found RACE sequencing to be very sensitive and were able to detect low levels of transcripts in specific cell types that were not detectable by microarrays. We also observed many instances of sense-antisense transcripts; further analysis suggests that many of the antisense transcripts (but not all) may be artifacts generated from the reverse transcription reaction. Our results show that the majority of the novel TARs analyzed (60%) are connected to other novel TARs or known exons. Of previously unannotated random regions, 17% were shown to produce overlapping transcripts. Furthermore, it is estimated that 9% of the novel transcripts encode proteins.We conclude that RACE sequencing is an efficient, sensitive, and highly accurate method for characterization of the transcriptome of specific cell/tissue types. Using this method, it appears that much of the genome is represented in polyA+ RNA. Moreover, a fraction of the novel RNAs can encode protein and are likely to be functional.
Abstract 3892: Inhibitory effects and regulatory mechanism of nestin in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Yoko Matsuda, Toshiyuki Ishiwata, Hisashi Yoshimura, Satoshi Yamashita, Toshikazu Ushijima, Kaiyo Takubo, Tomio Arai
Journal: Cancer Research (2014)

Abstract Introduction: Nestin, a progenitor/stem cell marker, is expressed in human pancreatic cancer, and we have previously shown that its expression positively correlates with invasiveness and metastasis of the cancer (Cancer Biol Ther, 2011; Am J Pathol. in press). Here, we examined the inhibitory effects of nestin expression using nestin-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) in pancreatic cancer cells. We also investigated the regulatory mechanism of nestin expression in pancreatic cancer. Methods: siRNA targeting nestin was transfected to the pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC-1 and PK-45H, and we analyzed the effect on cell behaviors including proliferation, migration, invasion, sphere-forming ability, and sensitivity to gemcitabine. Next, to clarify the mechanisms of nestin expression, pancreatic cancer cells were injected into the spleen of NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Sug/Jic (NOG) mice, and pancreatic cancer cells were also collected from metastatic foci of NOG mice. We compared the methylation status of the promoter and the 1st and 2nd introns of the nestin gene in metastatic and parental cancer cells using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing. Results: Nestin siRNA inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and sphere-forming ability of the pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Co-treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with gemcitabine and nestin siRNA decreased cell viability compared to administration of gemcitabine or nestin siRNA alone. Cells derived from the metastatic nodules of NOG mice showed higher expression of nestin compared with parental cells, and methylation of the nestin promoter and the 1st and 2nd introns was lower in the metastatic cells. Compared to control siRNA-treated mice, nestin siRNA significantly inhibited primary and metastatic tumor formation derived from human pancreatic cancer cells in an orthotopic implantation model using NOG mice. In summary, decreasing nestin expression in pancreatic cancer cells using nestin siRNA suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and sphere formation in vitro and primary and metastatic tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, nestin siRNA had synergistic effects with gemcitabine in inhibiting pancreatic cancer cell growth. These findings suggest that nestin plays a key role in pancreatic cancer cell metastasis and stemness, and that administration of nestin siRNA is a novel therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: Yoko Matsuda, Toshiyuki Ishiwata, Hisashi Yoshimura, Satoshi Yamashita, Toshikazu Ushijima, Kaiyo Takubo, Tomio Arai. Inhibitory effects and regulatory mechanism of nestin in pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3892. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3892
Altered Immunity Accompanies Disease Progression in a Mouse Model of Prostate Dysplasia
Authors: Amy H. Tien, Lixin Xu, Cheryl D. Helgason
Journal: Cancer Research (2005)

Increasing evidence suggests that altered immune function accompanies, and indeed may facilitate, cancer progression. In this study, we sought to determine the nature of, and cellular mechanisms underlying, changes in immune status during disease progression in a transgenic mouse model of prostate dysplasia. Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, as well as in the secondary lymphoid tissues, displayed altered phenotypes. Although evidence of antitumor immunity was detected, there was a paradoxical decrease in the ability of T cells to proliferate in vitro at later stages of disease progression. Detailed analysis of the draining lumbar lymph nodes revealed an increased frequency and number of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells and an enhanced production of inhibitory cytokines, which correlated with impaired T-cell function. Functional studies confirmed a role for CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in suppressing T-cell proliferation as well as regulating the growth of transplanted prostate tumor cells. In addition, our studies show for the first time that anti-CD25 antibody treatment reduces, but does not prevent, tumor growth in a transgenic mouse model of prostate dysplasia. Taken together, this work provides compelling evidence that prostate tumor progression is accompanied by altered immune function and, moreover, that regulatory T cells play an important role in this process. These studies thus provide the impetus for development of specific and effective strategies to deplete regulatory T cells, or suppress their function, as an alternative or adjunct strategy for reducing tumor growth.
miR 16 modulates human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell phenotype
Authors: Prasanna Tamarapu parthasarathy, Gurukumar Kollongod Ramanathan, Richard F. Lockey, Narasaiah Kolliputi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Introduction: Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is progressive fatal disease characterized by excessive proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (hPASMCs) and obliteration of small pulmonary arteries, leading to severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure.  Objective: Serotonin mediates hPASMCs proliferation through serotonin transporter (SERT). Recently micro RNAs have been shown to be involved in pathogenesis of PAH. miR16 targets SERT and Cyclin D1.Our previous results show that miR-16 was down regulated in hypoxic PAH mice. We hypothesize that over expression of miR16 can alter PAH phenotype. In the present study, we investigated the phenotypic consequences of overexpression of miR16 in hPASMCs in vitro.  Methods: hPASMCs were commercially obtained and cultured according to manufacturer instructions. Cells were transfected with plasmid containing miR16 expressing or control vector by electroporation. Post transfection, cells were treated with different concentrations of serotonin and qPCR, immunoblot was performed to assess the effects of miR-16 on PAH phenotypic markers.  Results: hPASMCs transfected with miR16 decreased the expression levels of cyclin D1, SERT when compared to controls. In addition, proliferation markers such as proliferating nuclear cell antigen (PCNA), calponin a phenotypic marker was significantly suppressed in miR16 over expressed hPASMCs.  Conclusions: miR-16 over expression down regulates SERT and CyclinD1 levels. Most importantly miR-16 modulates hPASMCs phenotype which is a major hallmark in PAH, implicating a potential therapeutic role in PAH.  This work was supported by RO1HL105932NIH, AHA09SDG2260957.
Effects of Nitroglycerin on Responses of the Systolic Time Intervals to Exercise
Authors: WILLARD S. HARRIS, NESET AYTAN, JEAN M. POUGET
Journal: Circulation (1973)

The effects of 0.6 mg sublingual nitroglycerin on responses of the left ventricular (LV) systolic time intervals to a 4-min exercise step test were determined in 10 patients with angina and 10 normal controls. In normal subjects, the exercise test shortened total electromechanical systole corrected for heart rate (Q2 c 22 msec but left the LV ejection time corrected for heart rate (LVET c ) unchanged. By contrast, in the angina group, exercise failed to shorten the Q2 c but prolonged the LVET c 25 msec. In both groups, nitroglycerin shortened the LVET c and Q2 c after exercise. By decreasing LV afterload, preload, and hypoxia, and by improving LV function, nitroglycerin abolished the abnormal marked prolongation of LVET c after exercise in angina patients and converted the failure of their Q2 c to shorten after exercise into a normal shortening of Q2 c . Nitroglycerin also had marked effects at rest, which contributed importantly to its effects on the systolic temporal responses to exercise. Suppression by nitroglycerin of LVET c prolongation after exercise diminishes myocardial oxygen consumption and is antianginal. Most important, assessment of this action provides an objective, though noninvasive, means to evaluate the efficacy of nitrates in improving LV performance with exercise in angina patients.
<i>MGMT</i> Promoter Methylation Status Can Predict the Incidence and Outcome of Pseudoprogression After Concomitant Radiochemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients
Authors: Alba A. Brandes, Enrico Franceschi, Alicia Tosoni, Valeria Blatt, Annalisa Pession, Giovanni Tallini, Roberta Bertorelle, Stefania Bartolini, Fabio Calbucci, Alvaro Andreoli, Giampiero Frezza, Marco Leonardi, Federica Spagnolli, Mario Ermani
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2008)

Standard therapy for glioblastoma (GBM) is temozolomide (TMZ) administration, initially concurrent with radiotherapy (RT), and subsequently as maintenance therapy. The radiologic images obtained in this setting can be difficult to interpret since they may show radiation-induced pseudoprogression (psPD) rather than disease progression.Patients with histologically confirmed GBM underwent radiotherapy plus continuous daily temozolomide (75 mg/m(2)/d), followed by 12 maintenance temozolomide cycles (150 to 200 mg/m(2) for 5 days every 28 days) if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no enhancement suggesting a tumor; otherwise, chemotherapy was delivered until complete response or unequivocal progression. The first MRI scan was performed 1 month after completing combined chemoradiotherapy.In 103 patients (mean age, 52 years [range 20 to 73 years]), total resection, subtotal resection, and biopsy were obtained in 51, 51, and 1 cases, respectively. MGMT promoter was methylated in 36 patients (35%) and unmethylated in 67 patients (65%). Lesion enlargement, evidenced at the first MRI scan in 50 of 103 patients, was subsequently classified as psPD in 32 patients and early disease progression in 18 patients. PsPD was recorded in 21 (91%) of 23 methylated MGMT promoter and 11 (41%) of 27 unmethylated MGMT promoter (P = .0002) patients. MGMT status (P = .001) and psPD detection (P = .045) significantly influenced survival.PsPD has a clinical impact on chemotherapy-treated GBM, as it may express the glioma killing effects of treatment and is significantly correlated with MGMT status. Improvement in the early recognition of psPD patterns and knowledge of mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are crucial to eliminating biases in evaluating the results of clinical trials and guaranteeing effective treatment.
The PTPN22 susceptibility risk variant is not associated with the rate of joint destruction in anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: J. A. B. van Nies, R. Knevel, N. Daha, M. P. M. van der Linden, P. K. Gregersen, M. Kern, S. le Cessie, J. J. Houwing-Duistermaat, T. W. J. Huizinga, R. E. M. Toes, A. H. M. van der Helm-van Mil
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2010)

A missense single-nucleotide polymorphism in the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 ( PTPN22 ) gene, which encodes a negative regulator of T-cell activation, is an important genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility.1 The association of the PTPN22 susceptibility risk allele and the severity of joint destruction is unclear as a result of contradictory observations.2,–,6 To determine an individual patient's rate of joint destruction accurately, it is required that radiological measurements are collected by means of standard procedures, scored quantitatively and sensitively and are repeated in time. Consequently, differences in used measurements and analysis methods may contribute to the occurrence of contrasting findings. Second, although the effect of PTPN22 on RA susceptibility is confined to the anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive group,2 6 most studies on PTPN22 and joint destruction did not analyse the ACPA-positive subset.2,–,5 The present study studied the effect of the PTPN22 susceptibility risk variant on the rate …
Immunofluorescent localization of secretin in the canine duodenum
Authors: J. M. Polak, S. Bloom, I. Coulling, A. G. E. Pearse
Journal: Gut (1971)

The endocrine polypeptide (APUD) cells responsible for the production and storage of secretin have been demonstrated, in canine duodenum, by the application of an indirect immunofluorescence technique, using anti-pure porcine secretin, to carbodiimide-fixed cryostat sections. The cells are identified, by the use of parallel cytochemical and ultrastructural preparations, as the small granular S cells. These are essentially restricted to the transitional zone of the duodenal mucosa, with whose lumen their apical projections probably always make contact. There is no need to alter the title of the cells since S can now stand for secretin instead of for small.
Pre-operative pulmonary evaluation of lung cancer patients: a review of the literature
Authors: P. M. B. van Tilburg, H. Stam, H. C. Hoogsteden, R. J. van Klaveren
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2009)

Complete anatomical resection of the primary tumour is still the standard of care in patients with early stage lung cancer. Because these patients are usually smokers who also suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, regional differences in pulmonary function due to lung tissue destruction exist. The purpose of the present article is to evaluate the currently available guidelines and to discuss novel methods for the pre-operative functional and anatomical pulmonary evaluation in lung cancer patients. Despite the fact that knowledge on the pre-operative evaluation of the pulmonary function has substantially increased during the past decade, the majority of the studies are small, underpowered and, with exception of a proposed algorithm, not prospectively validated in independent cohorts. The future harmonisation of guidelines is required and novel imaging techniques should be incorporated in the pre-operative evaluation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with borderline pulmonary function.