tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of the Sheep Cell Agglutination Test
Authors: J. Ball, J. S. Lawrence
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1961)

<h3>Abstract</h3> Dish sponges are known to support the survival and growth of human bacterial pathogens yet are commonly used by consumers to wash dishes and clean kitchen surfaces. Exposure to foodborne pathogens via sponge use may lead to foodborne illness, which is of particular concern among susceptible populations. Limitations associated with culture-independent or - dependent methods for bacterial community characterization have challenged the complete assessment of foodborne pathogen exposure risk presented by sponges. In this study, the bacterial microbiomes of five dish sponges were characterized to evaluate the presence of viable bacterial foodborne pathogens using propidium monoazide treatment, which is a novel approach in this medium. Total and viable sponge microbiomes were subsequently metataxonomically evaluated via targeted 16S rRNA sequencing. Select pathogen viability was confirmed using targeted selective enrichment. The comparison of total and viable sponge microbiome beta diversity indicated that sponge taxonomic abundance profiles did not vary significantly according to PMA treatment. The numbers of unique bacterial species (<i>p</i>-value = 0.0465) and unique bacterial foodborne pathogens (<i>p</i>-value = 0.0102) identified were significantly lower after PMA-treatment. A total of 20 unique bacterial foodborne pathogens were detected among sponge microbiomes regardless of PMA treatment. Three to six unique viable foodborne pathogens were identified in each sponge. <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> were identified in all five viable sponge microbiomes evaluated. Viable <i>E. coli</i> were recovered from two of five sponges via targeted selective enrichment. These findings suggest that most sponge-associated bacterial communities may be viable and contain multiple viable bacterial foodborne pathogens. <h3>Importance</h3> Bacterial pathogens may exist in the domestic kitchen environment, threatening both sanitation levels and the health of residents. Dish sponges are commonly used kitchen tools that can harbor foodborne pathogens as they present adequate conditions for the survival and growth of bacteria. Using a contaminated sponge may lead to foodborne illness through direct contact with pathogens or via cross-contamination with food or other surfaces. Although bacterial foodborne pathogens have been identified in sponges, previous limitations in methodology have prevented the complete understanding of sponge microbiomes. This study used a novel application of a chemical reagent coupled with targeted amplicon sequencing to identify sponge communities and differentiate between viable and non-viable bacteria. Insights into dish sponge microbiomes and potential risks of bacterial foodborne pathogen exposure can inform food safety education programs to aid in the prevention of home-acquired foodborne illness and cross-contamination events.
Pulmonary dirofilariasis in a Caucasian patient with metastasised osteosarcoma in a non-endemic European region
Authors: L. H. Schmidt, U. Dirksen, I. Reiter-Owona, C. Khurana, K. Wiebe, R. Wiewrodt, T. Spieker
Journal: Thorax (2010)

Pulmonary dirofilariasis in a Caucasian patient with metastasised osteosarcoma in a non-endemic European regionA 22-year-old Caucasian man with a history of metastatic chondroblastic osteosarcoma was wedge resected via open thoracotomy after surveillance follow-up in 2009 revealed suspicious multifocal bipulmonary lesions on a CTscan (figure 1).Five years previously, neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy according to the COSS 96 protocol 1 had been given.Surveillance follow-up in 2009 showed new multifocal partly calcified pulmonary lesions in both lower lobes.Histologically, the resected lesion in the lower right lobe was vital tumour metastasis whereas the lesion in the lower left lobe showed a nonmalignant nodular granulomatous reaction to Dirofilaria repens (figure 2).Dirofilariasis is a common vector-borne zoonosis.Occasionally, nematodes are transmitted by mosquitoes to subcutaneous tissues of humans. 2 In extremely rare cases such as extended periods of immunosuppression, worms migrate to the lungs and cause asymptomatic granulomatous coin lesions. 2 , 3 Microscopically, typical pulmonary nodules display a central thrombosed artery and the parasite in various stages of degeneration, often surrounded by eosinophilia. 4To our knowledge, this is the first report of possible indigenous pulmonary dirofilariasis accompanying and mimicking lung metastasis in a patient with osteosarcoma.
Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy: clinicopathology and potential trigger factors in 181 patients
Authors: C.M. Rudolph, S. Al-Fares, S.A. Vaughan-Jones, R.R. Müllegger, H. Kerl, M.M. Black
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2005)

Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP; synonym: pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy) is the most common specific dermatosis of pregnancy. However, its clinical characterization is controversial and its pathogenesis uncertain.To evaluate clinical characteristics of and potential trigger factors for PEP in a large mixed ethnic population.A retrospective analysis of epidemiological, clinical, immunopathological and obstetric findings in 181 patients with PEP seen at two university-based dermatological hospitals in Graz, Austria, and London, U.K.PEP mainly affected white (88%) primigravidae (70%) in late pregnancy (83%; mean +/- SD onset 34 +/- 5 weeks) or the immediate postpartum period (15%). The most commonly involved sites were the abdomen and proximal thighs (97%). Involvement of the whole skin, including the face, palms and soles, was only rarely observed. While pruritic urticarial papules and plaques were the main morphological features at disease onset (98%), more than one-half of the patients (51%) later developed polymorphous features including erythema, vesicles, and targetoid and eczematous lesions. Topical treatment with corticosteroids and emollients was sufficient to control symptoms in the majority of patients, and skin lesions resolved after a mean +/- SD of 4 +/- 3 weeks. Multiple gestation pregnancies were observed in 13% of cases, excessive maternal weight gain in 78%.Our data confirm the benign, self-limiting nature of PEP and its favourable outcome for both the mother and the fetus. For the first time, we have documented a characteristic change in morphology with disease progression. The evidence of polymorphous clinical features in more than one-half of the patients favours the use of the term PEP. Multiple gestation pregnancies and excessive maternal weight gain, but not fetal weight and sex, were found to be significantly associated with PEP.
Epidemiological relationships between the common cold and exacerbation frequency in COPD
Authors: J. R. Hurst, G. C. Donaldson, T. M. A. Wilkinson, W. R. Perera, J. A. Wedzicha
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2005)

Higher exacerbation incidence rates in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with more rapid decline in lung function and poorer quality of life, yet the mechanisms determining susceptibility to exacerbation remain ill-defined. The same viruses responsible for common colds are frequently isolated during exacerbations. The current authors hypothesised that exacerbation frequency may be associated with an increased frequency of colds, and investigated whether increased exacerbation frequency was associated with increased acquisition of colds, or a greater likelihood of exacerbation once a cold has been acquired. A total of 150 patients with COPD completed diary cards recording peak expiratory flow, and respiratory and coryzal symptoms for a median 1,047 days. Annual cold and exacerbation incidence rates (cold and exacerbation frequency) were calculated, and the relationships between these variables were investigated. This analysis is based on 1,005 colds and 1,493 exacerbations. Frequent exacerbators ( i.e. those whose exacerbation frequency was greater than the median) experienced significantly more colds than infrequent exacerbators (1.73 versus 0.94·yr −1 ). The likelihood of exacerbation during a cold was unaffected by exacerbation frequency. Patients experiencing frequent colds had a significantly higher exposure to cigarette smoke (46 versus 33 pack-yrs). Exacerbation frequency in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with an increased frequency of acquiring the common cold, rather than an increased propensity to exacerbation once a cold has been acquired.
Prevention of fever and gram negative infection after open heart surgery by antiendotoxin.
Authors: R Freeman, F K Gould
Journal: Thorax (1985)

Naturally occurring preoperative antibody to enteric Gram negative bacilli (Escherichia coli agglutinins or antiendotoxin, or both) in 30 patients who had had open heart surgery was associated with a significantly lower incidence of early postoperative fever and postoperative Gram negative infection than occurred in 56 patients without preoperative antibodies. The protective effect was shown to be associated with antiendotoxin rather than antibody to the somatic antigen of the bacteria. Active or passive immunisation of patients having open heart surgery against endotoxin is likely to decrease significantly the morbidity after cardiopulmonary bypass.
Mammographic Density and Breast Cancer Risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers
Authors: Gillian Mitchell, Antonis C. Antoniou, Ruth Warren, Susan Peock, Judith Brown, Russell Davies, Jenny Mattison, Margaret Cook, Iqbal Warsi, D. Gareth Evans, Diana Eccles, Fiona Douglas, Joan Paterson, Shirley Hodgson, Louise Izatt, Trevor Cole, Lucy Burgess, Ros Eeles, Douglas F. Easton
Journal: Cancer Research (2006)

Abstract High breast density as measured on mammograms is a strong risk factor for breast cancer in the general population, but its effect in carriers of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations is unclear. We obtained mammograms from 206 female carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, 96 of whom were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer and 136 relatives of carriers who were themselves noncarriers. We compared the mammographic densities of affected carriers (cases) and unaffected carriers (controls), and of mutation carriers and noncarriers, using a computer-assisted method of measurement and visual assessment by two observers. Analyses were adjusted for age, parity, body mass index, menopausal status, and hormone replacement therapy use. There was no difference in the mean percent density between noncarriers and carriers. Among carriers, increasing mammographic density was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (Ptrend = 0.024). The odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval) for breast cancer associated with a density of ≥50% was 2.29 (1.23-4.26; P = 0.009). The OR did not differ between BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers or between premenopausal and postmenopausal carriers. The results suggest that the distribution of breast density in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers is similar to that in non-carriers. High breast density in carriers is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, with the relative risk being similar to that observed in the general population. Use of mammographic density could improve individual risk prediction in carriers. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(3): 1866-72)
Ludwig's angina and mediastinitis due to Streptococcus milleri: usefulness of computed tomography
Authors: X van der Brempt, G Derue, F Severin, L Colin, J P Gilbeau, F Heller
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1990)

Despite intensive use of antibiotics, Ludwig's angina remains a potentially lethal infection because of the risk of upper airway obstruction and spread into the mediastinum. We present two patients who survived mediastinitis complicating Ludwig's angina due to Streptococcus milleri. Computed tomography performed early in the course of the disease detected pus collections and directed appropriate drainage procedures.
Long-term immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccination and policy for booster: an Italian multicentre study
Authors: Alessandro Remo Zanetti, Andrea Mariano, Luisa Romanò, Raffaele D'Amelio, Maria Chironna, Rosa Cristina Coppola, Mario Cuccia, Rossana Mangione, Fosca Marrone, Francesco Saverio Negrone, Antonino Parlato, Emanuela Zamparo, Carla Zotti, Tommaso Stroffolini, Alfonso Mele
Journal: The Lancet (2005)
A new microemulsion formulation of cyclosporin (Neoral) is effective in the treatment of cyclosporin-resistant dermatoses
Authors: J.F. BOURKE, J. BERTH-JONES, J. HOLDER, R.A.C. GRAHAM-BROWN
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1996)

Journal Article A new microemulsion formulation of cyclosporin (Neoral) is effective in the treatment of cyclosporin‐resistant dermatoses Get access J.F. BOURKE, J.F. BOURKE Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LEI 5WW, U.K. Dr J.F.Bourke. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar J. BERTH‐JONES, J. BERTH‐JONES Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LEI 5WW, U.K. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar J. HOLDER, J. HOLDER Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LEI 5WW, U.K. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar R.A.C. GRAHAM‐BROWN R.A.C. GRAHAM‐BROWN Department of Dermatology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LEI 5WW, U.K. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 134, Issue 4, 1 April 1996, Pages 777–779, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1996.tb06990.x Published: 01 April 1996 Article history Accepted: 26 May 1995 Published: 01 April 1996
Interaction Between Hepatitis B Surface Proteins and Monomeric Human Serum Albumin
Authors: Bernd Krone, Angela Lenz, Klaus-Hinrich Heermann, Maria Seifer, Lu Xuangyong, Wolfram H. Gerlich
Journal: Hepatology (1990)

HBsAg is known to bind to human serum albumin polymerized by glutaraldehyde, human serum albumin has been found in preparations of HBsAg by several investigators. However, it is not yet known whether natural human serum albumin binds to hepatitis B virus under physiological conditions. We studied the binding between natural or recombinant HBsAg and monomeric human serum albumin by immunological, biochemical and biophysical methods. The binding capacity of 20–nm HBs spheres was variable but ranged up to six molecules HSA/sphere. A reversible binding site for human serum albumin was exclusively localized in the preS2 domain, whereas the S domain was inactive in vitro . Human serum albumin copurified with HBsAg of human origin during gel chromatography or sucrose–gradient centrifugation. This human serum albumin was monomeric in sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The preS2 bound part of the human serum albumin could be removed from HBsAg by high–salt, such as CsCl centrifugation, but another part could only be removed by treatment with a disulfide cleaving reagent. Most of this covalently bound human serum albumin was retained at the HBsAg particle after complete cleavage of medium–sized HBs protein with trypsin. This indicates a second way in which albumin binds irreversible to cysteine(s) of the small HBs protein (SHBs, P24 and GP27)(HEPATOLOGY 1990;11:1050–1056.).
Maintenance of T cell Rap1 signalling protects mice against collagen-induced arthritis
Authors: J R F Abreu, S Krausz, W Dontje, A M Grabiec, D deLaunay, M E Sanders, M J Vervoordeldonk, P P Tak, K A Reedquist
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2010)

Background Activation of the small GTPase Rap1 in T lymphocytes regulates cell adhesion, cytokine production and reactive oxygen species production.The authors have recently identifi ed blocked Rap1 activation as one of the T cell receptor proximal signalling defects in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on July 15, 2023 by guest.
Ghrelin Improves Renal Function in Mice with Ischemic Acute Renal Failure
Authors: Ryo Takeda, Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Etsu Suzuki, Hiroshi Satonaka, Daisuke Nagata, Shigeyoshi Oba, Masataka Sata, Masao Takahashi, Yuji Yamamoto, Yasuo Terauchi, Takashi Kadowaki, Kenji Kangawa, Tadaichi Kitamura, Ryozo Nagai, Yasunobu Hirata
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2005)

Growth hormone and IGF-1 have been suggested to have tissue-protective effects. Ghrelin is a stomach-derived growth hormone secretagogue. The effects of ghrelin on ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal failure in mice were examined. Ischemic acute renal failure was induced by bilateral renal artery clamping for 45 min and reperfusion for 24 h. Ghrelin (100 microg/kg mouse) or vehicle was injected subcutaneously six times before surgery and three times after surgery every 8 h. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, the right kidney was isolated and perfused. Acetylcholine (ACh)- and adrenomedullin-induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation of renal vessels significantly improved in ghrelin-pretreated mice (%Delta renal perfusion pressure by 10(-7) M ACh -63.5 +/- 3.7 versus -41.2 +/- 5.5%; P < 0.05). This change was associated with significant increases of nitric oxide release in the kidneys of ghrelin-treated mice (10(-7) M ACh 35.5 +/- 5.8 versus 16.9 +/- 3.5 fmol/g kidney per min; P < 0.05). Serum concentration of urea nitrogen (53 +/- 7 versus 87 +/- 15 mg/dl; P < 0.05) and renal injury score were significantly lower in the ghrelin group (2.5 +/- 0.8 versus 5.3 +/- 1.5; P < 0.01). Tubular apoptotic index was significantly lower in the ghrelin group (5 +/- 5 versus 28 +/- 4; P < 0.05). Furthermore, the survival rate after the 60-min ischemic period was higher in the ghrelin group (80 versus 20%; P < 0.05). Ghrelin treatment significantly increased the serum level of IGF-1. However, such renal protective effects of ghrelin on ischemia/reperfusion injury were not observed in insulin receptor substrate-2 knockout mice. These results suggest that ghrelin may protect the kidneys from ischemia/reperfusion injury and that this effect is related to an improvement of endothelial function through an IGF-1-mediated pathway.
Cytokine production from sputum cells after allergenic challenge in IgE‐mediated asthma
Authors: J. Bettiol, J. Sele, M. Henket, E. Louis, M. Malaise, P. Bartsch, R. Louis
Journal: Allergy (2002)

Background: Th2 cytokine production from airway cells is thought to govern the eosinophilic airways inflammation in allergic asthma. Induced sputum has become a widely used technique to assess airways inflammation . Methods: By applying the technique of induced sputum to collect airways cells, we have assessed the spontaneous production of a set of cytokines, including interleukin‐4, 6, 10, interferon‐γ and tumour necrosis factor‐α, 6 h after a bronchial allergenic challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) in 12 sensitized asthmatics and compared the results obtained after inhalation of saline as control. A group of eight healthy non‐allergic subjects was enrolled to control for any non‐specific effect of Dpt. Cytokines were measured by a dynamic immunoassay during a 24‐h sputum cell culture. Results: Allergen challenge in sensitized asthmatics caused an acute and a late bronchospasm together with a rise in sputum eosinophil counts. Afterwards allergen sputum cells from allergic asthmatics displayed a rise in their production of IL‐4 ( P &lt; 0.01), IL‐6 ( P &lt; 0.05) and IL‐10 ( P &lt; 0.05) when compared to saline. By this time sputum generation of IL‐4 in atopic asthmatics was greater than in healthy subjects ( P &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, in allergic asthmatics there was a strong correlation between the rise in interleukin‐4 production from sputum cells and the rise in sputum eosinophils ( r = 0.87, P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Sputum cell culture is a useful model to assess cytokine production in allergic asthmatics who show a marked up‐regulation of Th2 cytokines following acute allergen exposure. The rise in sputum eosinophil count following allergen challenge strongly correlates with the rise in IL‐4 generation from sputum cells.
Crackdown on Unproven Cancer Treatments Focuses on Internet Marketers
Authors: K. Ross
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2008)

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it had sent warning letters to 25 companies that peddle unapproved cancer treatments on the Internet. The companies, identified through consumer complaints and a daylong Web search by employees of the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission, and Canadian government agencies, were given 15 days to address the violations outlined in the letters. The companies ’ products — including shark cartilage; the botanicals bloodroot and Cat’s Claw; ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in pomegranates; and an herbal tea called Essiac — are legal to sell in the United States, said Gary Coody, the FDA’s national health fraud coordinator. The problem lies in the claims that the companies make about their products ’ intended uses and benefi ts. Many of the products cited in the warning letters are marketed as “dietary supplements” and are regulated under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Supplements are exempt from the rigorous testing and approval procedures that the FDA requires of new drugs, but marketers are prohibited from claiming that their wares prevent, treat, or cure any disease. Thus, the FDA warned Precision Herbs
Who benefits from calling a solar keratosis a squamous cell carcinoma?
Authors: R. Marks
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2006)

Conflicts of interest None declared. Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day, And make me travel forth without my cloak... 1 At the end of 2004 a tidal wave swept through the Asian Pacific Region. By mid‐January it became clear that around 300 000 people had died, and millions more were devastated by loss of home and environment. The after‐effects will be felt in this area for at least a generation. In mid‐January I visited the Regional Dermatology Training Centre of the International Foundation for Dermatology in Moshi, Tanzania as part of my responsibilities in the International League for Dermatological Societies. I used the opportunity to visit the ward where a small proportion of the dermatology patients is admitted for more intensive care. There was a young man who had been admitted with severe progressive pyoderma gangrenosum of both legs which was unresponsive to the limited systemic therapy available. He was unable to be sent home to his village in rural Africa because of the high risk of secondary infection, which was likely to be lethal under these conditions. Consequently, he agreed to amputation of both legs, which was performed. By a miracle, he recovered well and the wounds healed.