tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Acute Rheumatic Fever
Authors: L. M. Voss, N. J. Wilson, J. M. Neutze, R. M. L. Whitlock, R. V. Ameratunga, L. M. Cairns, D. R. Lennon
Journal: Circulation (2001)

Background —Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) remains the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children worldwide. No therapeutic agent has been shown to alter the clinical outcome of the acute illness. Immunological mechanisms appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of ARF. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a proven immunomodulator, may benefit cardiac conditions of an autoimmune nature. We investigated whether IVIG modified the natural history of ARF by reducing the extent and severity of carditis. Methods and Results —This prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated IVIG in patients with a first episode of rheumatic fever, stratifying patients by the presence and severity of carditis before randomization. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 1 g/kg IVIG on days 1 and 2 and 0.4 g/kg on days 14 and 28, or they received a placebo infusion. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic evaluation was performed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 26, and 52 weeks. Fifty-nine patients were treated, of whom 39 had carditis (including 4 subclinical) and/or migratory polyarthritis (n=39). There was no difference between groups in the rate of normalization of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate or acute-phase proteins at the 6-week follow-up. On echocardiography, 59% in the IVIG group and 69% in the placebo group had carditis at baseline. There was no significant difference in the cardiac outcome, including the proportion of valves involved, or in the severity of valvar regurgitation at 1 year. At 1 year, 41% of the IVIG and 50% of the placebo group had carditis. Conclusions —IVIG did not alter the natural history of ARF, with no detectable difference in the clinical, laboratory, or echocardiographic parameters of the disease process during the subsequent 12 months.
Ia antigenic specificities are oligosaccharide in nature: hapten-inhibition studies.
Authors: I F McKenzie, A Clarke, C R Parish
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1977)

We have previously reported that the Ia specificities, coded for by the I region within the H-2 complex, appear to consist predominantly of carbohydrate. This conclusion was reached by examining low molecular weight Ia-bearing oligosacharides isolated from mouse serum. We now report hapten-inhibition studies which indicate that the binding of both allogeneic and xenogeneic anti-Ia antibodies to the Ia glycoproteins found predominantly on B lymphocytes can be specifically inhibited by certain free sugars. Both inhibition assays revealed that the specificity for the following Ia antigens resides predominantly in the following sugars: (a) Ia.1: N-acetyl-D-mannosamine or related sugars; (b) Ia.3: alpha-D-galactose and related sugars; (c) Ia.7: L-fucose; and (d) Ia.15: N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. It seems likely that these sugars are found at the terminal nonreducing ends of the carbohydrate portion of the Ia-bearing glycoproteins present in the lymphocyte membrane. In contrast, several public and private H-2 antigenic specificities did not appear to be sugar defined. These studies imply that at least some of the Ia genes from both the I-A and I-C subregions of the I region code for glycosyl transferases which modify oligosaccharide structure and impart specificity to the Ia antigens by alteration of their terminal sugar residues.
Utility of exhaled nitric oxide as a noninvasive biomarker of lung inflammation in a disease model
Authors: M. A. Birrell, K. McCluskie, E. Hardaker, R. Knowles, M. G. Belvisi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2006)

There is a great deal of interest in developing less invasive markers for monitoring airway inflammation and the effect of possible novel anti-inflammatory therapies that may take time to impact on disease pathology. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) has been shown to be a reproducible, noninvasive indicator of the inflammatory status of the airway in the clinic. The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of measuring eNO as a marker of the anti-inflammatory impact of glucocorticoid and an inhibitor of κB kinase-2 (IKK-2) inhibitor 2-[(aminocarbonyl)amino]-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-thiophenecarboxamide (TPCA-1), in a pre-clinical model of airway inflammation. Rats were given vehicle, budesonide or TPCA-1 prior to exposure to lipopolysaccharide, previously shown to induce an increase in eNO and airway neutrophilia/eosinophilia. Comparison of the effect of the two compounds on inflammatory components demonstrated a significant correlation between the impact on eNO and inflammatory cell burden in the airway. The current study demonstrates the usefulness of profiling potential disease-modifying therapies on exhaled nitric oxide levels and the way in which an effect on this noninvasive biomarker relates to effects on pathological parameters such as lung cellularity. Information from studies such as the current one would suggest that the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide has potential for monitoring inflammatory status in lung tissue.
Strengthening the Detection of and Early Response to Public Health Emergencies: Lessons from the West African Ebola Epidemic
Authors: Mark J. Siedner, Lawrence O. Gostin, Hilarie H. Cranmer, John D. Kraemer
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2015)

Points• The international response to the West African Ebola virus disease epidemic has exemplified the great potential of the global public health community.However, the protracted early response also revealed critical gaps, which likely resulted in exacerbation of the epidemic.• It is incumbent on international health partners to learn from missteps that occurred in the early stages of the epidemic and strengthen our public health capacity to better respond to future public health emergencies.• Strategies to consider include development of a more precise system to risk stratify geographic settings susceptible to disease outbreaks, reconsideration of the 2005 International Health Regulations Criteria to allow for earlier responses to localized epidemics before they reach epidemic proportions, increasing the flexibility of the World Health Organization director general to characterize epidemics with more granularity, development of guidelines for best practices to promote partnership with local stakeholders and identify locally acceptable response strategies, and, most importantly, making good on international commitments to establish a fund for public health emergency preparedness and response.• The recent success of the global action to stem the Ebola virus disease epidemic is laudable but should not encourage complacency in our efforts to improve the global public health infrastructure.In March 2014, Guinea identified 49 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) and reported them to international health agencies [1].Nearly twelve months later, the epidemic, having exploded into neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia, has reached over 22,000 cases and nearly 9,000 deaths.The toll on human life, impact on health infrastructure, diversion of funding from
Phase II study of irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin in patients with primary refractory or relapsed advanced oesophageal and gastric carcinoma
Authors: L. Assersohn, G. Brown, D. Cunningham, C. Ward, J. Oates, J.S. Waters, M.E. Hill, A.R. Norman
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2003)
Trends in HIV and hepatitis C virus infections among injecting drug users in Europe, 2005 to 2010
Authors: L Wiessing, G Likatavicius, D Hedrich, B Guarita, M J van de Laar, J Vicente
Journal: Eurosurveillance (2011)

Data on newly diagnosed HIV infections and HIV prevalence in 2005 to 2010 suggest falling infection rates in injecting drug users (IDUs) in the European Union (EU). However, recent increases in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in IDUs suggest increasing injecting risks in some countries. The coverage of effective prevention measures has increased, but is still low in several countries. Overall the data suggest a continued risk of new outbreaks of HIV infection among IDUs.
A longitudinal study on an autoimmune murine model of ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: T Bardos
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2005)

<b>Background:</b> Proteoglycan aggrecan (PG)-induced arthritis (PGIA) is the only systemic autoimmune murine model which affects the axial skeleton, but no studies have been performed characterising the progression of spine involvement. <b>Objectives:</b> To follow pathological events in experimental spondylitis, and underline its clinical, radiographic, and histological similarities to human ankylosing spondylitis (AS); and to determine whether the spondyloarthropathy is a shared phenomenon with PGIA, or an “independent” disease. <b>Methods:</b> Arthritis/spondylitis susceptible BALB/c and resistant DBA/2 mice, and their F1 and F2 hybrids were immunised with cartilage PG, and radiographic and histological studies were performed before onset and weekly during the progression of spondylitis. <b>Results:</b> About 70% of the PG immunised BALB/c mice develop spondyloarthropathy (proteoglycan-induced spondylitis (PGISp), and the progression of the disease is very similar to human AS. It begins with inflammation in the sacroiliac joints and with enthesitis, and then progresses upwards, affecting multiple intervertebral disks. In F2 hybrids of arthritis/spondylitis susceptible BALB/c and resistant DBA/2 mice the incidence of arthritis was 43.5%, whereas the incidence of spondylitis was &gt;60%. Some arthritic F2 hybrid mice had no spondylitis, whereas others developed spondylitis in the absence of peripheral arthritis. <b>Conclusions:</b> The PGISp model provides a valuable tool for studying autoimmune reactions in spondylitis, and identifying genetic loci associated with spondyloarthropathy.
Authors and Psychopaths
Authors: W. R. Brain
Journal: BMJ (1949)

Physician to the London Hospital and-the Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases Of what interest, you may be wondering, is the psycho- pathology of authors except perhaps to the psychiatrist?I hope to show that it raises questions of considerable importance, primarily to doctors, but indirectly to every- one else.The relationship of mental instability to genius in general may seem to be of merely theoretical interest, but, since author$ directly influence the minds of their fellow men more deeply than any other kind of genius, their mental peculih%rities possess great social implications.Moreover, if we conclude that there is some positive rela- tionship between their abnormalities and their achieve- ments, we may find in this creative tension a contribution to the solution of thie problems that confront many of our _,............ 1 _ ordinary patients.Finally, our appreciation of an author's writing is greatly enriched by an understanding of his psychology.At this point two possible objections need to be con- sidered.Is it not enough, you may think, for us to enjoy the works of genius without bothering to analyse how they
Genetic engineering in plants
Authors: C Simoens
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (1995)

Until now most research, and its funding, has been focused on animal and human health care as well as simple microbiological model systems such as Escherichia coli . and yeast. Molecular plant studies have generally lagged behind, often simply adapting discoveries from the animal field to plants. Clearly, good health and the efficient tackling of diseases is crucial for the well-being of humans, and good remedies have a high economic value for the pharmaceutical industry. However, one should not forget that plants are an essential component of the large ecosystem that is our planet. They are not only the basic food producers but they are also necessary for a balanced atmosphere (oxygen production) and stable and viable elimates. Especially in this period of demographic explosion and growing environmental deterioration, there is a need to rebuild our agricultural systems. Plants also have a wide variety of 'non-food' uses, for instance as energy sources, construction materials, or cosmetics. Last, but not least, they produce a lot of chemicals that can be used as pharmaceuticals. The growing awareness of the importance of plants has coincided with the development of plant molecular biology. Specific features make them idealy suited for gene engineering and genetic sudies in general.
Airway inflammation following exposure to diesel exhaust: a study of time kinetics using induced sputum
Authors: C. Nordenhäll, J. Pourazar, A. Blomberg, J-O. Levin, T. Sandström, E. Ädelroth
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2000)

The adverse health effects of particulate matter pollution are of increasing concern. In a recent bronchoscopic study in healthy volunteers, pronounced airway inflammation was detected following exposure to diesel exhaust (DE). The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the time kinetics of the inflammatory response following exposure to DE using induced sputum from healthy volunteers. Fifteen healthy nonsmoking volunteers were exposed to DE particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 microm 300 microg x m(-3) and air for 1 h on two separate occasions. Sputum induction with hypertonic saline was performed 6 and 24 h after each exposure. Analyses of sputum differential cell counts and soluble protein concentrations were performed. Six hours after exposure to DE, a significant increase was found in the percentage of sputum neutrophils (37.7 versus 26.2% p=0.002) together with increases in the concentrations of interleukin-6 (12.0 versus 6.3 pg x mL(-1), p=0.006) and methylhistamine (0.11 versus 0.12 microg x L(-1), p=0.024). Irrespective of exposure, a significant increase was found in the percentage of sputum neutrophils at 24 as compared to 6 h, indicating that the procedure of sputum induction itself may change the composition of sputum. This study demonstrates that exposure to diesel exhaust induces inflammatory response in healthy human airways, represented by an early increase in interleukin-6 and methylhistamine concentration and the percentage of neutrophils. Induced sputum provides a safe tool for the investigation of the inflammatory effects of diesel exhaust, but care must be taken when interpreting results from repeated sputum inductions.
Relationship of Physical Fitness vs Body Mass Index With Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiovascular Events in Women
Authors: Timothy R. Wessel
Journal: JAMA (2004)

Individual contributions of obesity and physical fitness (physical activity and functional capacity) to risk of coronary heart disease in women remain unclear.To investigate the relationships of measures of obesity (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio) and physical fitness (self-reported Duke Activity Status Index [DASI] and Postmenopausal Estrogen-Progestin Intervention questionnaire [PEPI-Q] scores) with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors, angiographic CAD, and adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in women evaluated for suspected myocardial ischemia.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) is a multicenter prospective cohort study. From 1996-2000, 936 women were enrolled at 4 US academic medical centers at the time of clinically indicated coronary angiography and then assessed (mean follow-up, 3.9 [SD, 1.8] years) for adverse outcomes.Prevalence of obstructive CAD (any angiographic stenosis >or=50%) and incidence of adverse CV events (all-cause death or hospitalization for nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, unstable angina, or other vascular events) during follow-up.Of 906 women (mean age, 58 [SD, 12] years) with complete data, 19% were of nonwhite race, 76% were overweight (BMI >or=25), 70% had low functional capacity (DASI scores <25, equivalent to <or=7 metabolic equivalents [METs]), and 39% had obstructive CAD. During follow-up, 337 (38%) women had a first adverse event, 118 (13%) had a major adverse event, and 68 (8%) died. Overweight women were more likely than normal weight women to have CAD risk factors, but neither BMI nor abdominal obesity measures were significantly associated with obstructive CAD or adverse CV events after adjusting for other risk factors (P =.05 to.88). Conversely, women with lower DASI scores were significantly more likely to have CAD risk factors and obstructive CAD (44% vs 26%, P<.001) at baseline, and each 1-MET increase in DASI score was independently associated with an 8% (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.99; P =.02) decrease in risk of major adverse CV events during follow-up.Among women undergoing coronary angiography for suspected ischemia, higher self-reported physical fitness scores were independently associated with fewer CAD risk factors, less angiographic CAD, and lower risk for adverse CV events. Measures of obesity were not independently associated with these outcomes.
Coffee Drinking, Mortality, and Cancer Incidence: Results From a Norwegian Prospective Study&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN1"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: B K Jacobsen, E Bjelke, G Kvåle, I Heuch
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1986)

Relationships between coffee consumption and occurrence of cancer as well as mortality were explored in a Norwegian study of 13,664 men and 2,891 women who in 1967–69 reported their coffee consumption. No statistically significant positive associations were found between coffee consumption and disease. A weak negative association was found with total cancer incidence even when the first 4 of the 11½ years of follow-up were excluded, and strong negative associations with coffee drinking were noted for cancer of the kidney and non melanoma skin cancer. For cancer of the pancreas and bladder, no increase in incidence was found among those with a high coffee consumption. In subjects less than 65 years of age at start of follow-up, coffee drinking showed a significant inverse association with colon cancer.
A randomised study of two training programmes for general practitioners in the techniques of shoulder injection
Authors: G J Gormley
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2003)

To evaluate the impact of two different modes of shoulder injection training on the level of confidence and number of injections performed by general practitioners (GPs)Demographic details, and information on referrals for shoulder problems, shoulder joint injection activity, and confidence in the six months before training were obtained for 40 GP principals at baseline. Standardised training in the techniques of shoulder joint injection using rubber mannequins was given to all GPs. Twenty of these GPs were randomly allocated to receive additional training on patients in hospital joint injection clinics. Six months after both forms of training the shoulder injection and referral activities of all GPs were reassessed.Both training groups had comparable demographic characteristics and baseline clinical activity. GPs who had additional training with patients reported a marked increase in their level of confidence in performing shoulder injections and the number performed. The number of shoulder referrals did not differ between the groupsTraining on patients in addition to conventional training on mannequins increased GPs' shoulder injection activity and their level of confidence. Hospital injection clinics may provide a suitable setting in which to train GPs interested in developing their shoulder joint injection skills.
Effect of chest physiotherapy on oxygen saturation in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Authors: J A Pryor, B A Webber, M E Hodson
Journal: Thorax (1990)

Decreasing arterial oxygen saturation has been reported in patients with cystic fibrosis during postural drainage when this was combined with other manoeuvres, which did not, however, include thoracic expansion exercises or pauses for relaxation and breathing control. When these features were included in an active cycle of breathing techniques during postural drainage in 20 patients with cystic fibrosis there was no fall in arterial oxygen saturation during the procedure (mean values 87.1%, 87.9%, and 86.7% before, during, and after treatment).
Remission by imaging in rheumatoid arthritis: should this be the ultimate goal?
Authors: Désirée van der Heijde
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2012)

Remission is often selected as the 'treat to target'. There is a plea to include imaging. Imaging remission can apply to structural damage and/or inflammation. For structural damage, radiographs are mostly used. A definition is needed which could be either strict, with no progression occurring, or which takes measurement error into account and uses the smallest detectable change. Mostly imaging remission refers to inflammation as assessed by ultrasound or MRI. The reason for arguing that imaging remission should be included for inflammation is that inflammation may still be present in patients who are in clinical remission. The level of inflammation depends on the clinical remission definition that is used. Bone marrow oedema is the feature that is most predictive of radiographic progression. However, before imaging remission can be implemented as a recommendation, a definition of remission by imaging needs to be established. A choice has to be made about the level of inflammation that can be tolerated and how this needs to be assessed (which imaging method, which feature, which joints, which cut-off point). Moreover, imaging remission should only be selected as a target if it can be proved that it can be treated and that the outcome of the patients will be improved by trying to achieve imaging remission in addition to clinical remission. This proof is not yet available, and too many unanswered questions remain to recommend including imaging remission of inflammation in a definition of remission.
Comparison of the behavior of normal factor IX and the factor IX BM variant hilo in the prothrombin time test using tissue factors from bovine, human, and rabbit sources
Authors: Jerry B. Lefkowitz, Dougald M. Monroe, Carol K. Kasper, Harold R. Roberts
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (1993)

Abstract A subset of hemophilia B patients have a prolonged bovine‐brain prothrombin time. These CRM + patients are classified as having hemophilia Bm. The prolongation of the prothrombin time has been reported only with bovine brain (referred to as ox brain in some literature) as the source of thromboplastin; prothrombin times determined with thromboplastin from rabbit brain or human brain are not reported to be prolonged. Factor IX from a hemophilia Bm patient (factor IX Hilo) was isolated. The activity of factor IX Hilo was compared to that of normal factor IX in prothrombin time assays when the thromboplastin source was of bovine, rabbit, or human origin. Factor IX, either normal or Hilo, prolonged a prothrombin time regardless of the tissue factor source. However, unless thromboplastin was from a bovine source, this prolongation required high concentrations of factor IX. Further, factor IX normal was as effective as factor IX Hilo in prolonging the prothrombin time when rabbit or human thromboplastin was used. With bovine thromboplastin, factor IX Hilo was significantly better than factor IX normal at prolonging the prothrombin time. The amount of prolongation was dependent on the amount of factor IX Hilo added. In addition, the prolongation was dependent on the concentration of factor × present in the sample. The prothrombin time changed as much as 20 seconds when the factor × concentration was varied from 50% to 150% to normal (fixed concentration of factor IX Hilo). These results demonstrate the difficulty of classifying the severity of a hemophilia Bm patient based on the bovine brain prothrombin time unless both the factor IX and factor × concentrations are known.
An intra-patient placebo-controlled phase I trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intradermal IMM-101 in melanoma
Authors: J. Stebbing, A. Dalgleish, A. Gifford-Moore, A. Martin, C. Gleeson, G. Wilson, L.R. Brunet, J. Grange, S. Mudan
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2011)