tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Correlation of the activation of the fourth component of complement (C4) with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Authors: G Senaldi, V A Makinde, D Vergani, D A Isenberg
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1988)

We investigated 14 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by paired conditioning-test transcranial magnetic stimulation to test the hypothesis that the motor cortex is hyperexcitable in ALS. Intracortical(corticocortical) inhibition was significantly less in the ALS group than in an age-matched healthy control group (85.3 ± 27.0% versus 45.2± 15.5%, respectively; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). In contrast, intracortical facilitation, motor threshold, and cortical silent period duration in the ALS patients were not different from the control group. We suggest that the selective abnormality of intracortical inhibition is best compatible with an impaired function of inhibitory interneuronal circuits in the motor cortex that in turn renders the corticomotoneuron hyperexcitable.
Family Functioning and Peer Affiliation in Children of Fathers With Antisocial Personality Disorder and Substance Dependence: Associations With Problem Behaviors
Authors: Howard B. Moss, Kevin G. Lynch, Thomas L. Hardie, David A. Baron
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2002)

OBJECTIVE: Family functioning and peer influences are theoretically linked to child psychopathology. This study quantified the functional status of families with fathers with substance dependence with or without comorbid antisocial personality disorder and evaluated the peer environments of preadolescent offspring. The authors examined associations between the child's psychopathology, paternal substance dependence/antisocial personality disorder status, and measures of family and peer environments. METHOD: Families with the presence or absence of paternal substance dependence were subdivided into those with and without paternal antisocial personality disorder. Grouped families were contrasted on measures of family functioning, the child's peer affiliation, and the child's problem behaviors. Regression analysis determined the influence of these factors on the child's psychopathology. RESULTS: Families with paternal substance dependence functioned worse than normal comparison families. However, families with paternal substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder (N=34) did not differ markedly from those with substance dependence without antisocial personality disorder (N=84). The children of fathers with both substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder had greater affiliation with deviant peers than those with substance dependence without antisocial personality disorder and comparison families (N=104). CONCLUSIONS: Children of fathers with substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder demonstrated higher externalizing and internalizing psychopathology than those with substance dependence but not antisocial personality disorder and those without either condition. Paternal substance dependence/antisocial personality disorder status and the child's affiliation with deviant peers were most robustly associated with the child's psychopathology. Research is needed to develop interventions that effectively address parental risk and healthy peer relations.
Generational increase of self-reported first attack of asthma in fifteen industrialized countries
Authors: J. Sunyer, J.M. Antó, A Tobias, P Burney, None for the European CommunityRespiratory Health Study (ecrhs)
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1999)

The prevalence of asthma has increased worldwide. However, there is only local evidence for changes in incidence. Data from the European Community Respiratory Heath Survey (ECRHS) can be analysed to reconstruct trends in incidence from 1946-1991 in cohorts born between 1946-1971 in 35 areas corresponding to 15 countries. The authors report the time trends in self-reported first occurrence of asthma and its geographical distribution. All centres completed the same cross-sectional study in 1991-92. A total of 17,613 individuals (63% of those randomly selected) were included. Recall of age of first asthma attack was recorded at an interview at one point in time in subjects aged 20-44 yrs. Relative risk of asthma by cohort was estimated using survival methods with age as the time scale. Yearly incidence of asthma increased progressively by birth cohort. The relative risks were 1.12 (0.94-1.34), 1.39 (1.17-1.66), 2.01 (1.60-2.51), and 2.33 (1.81-2.98) for the cohorts born in the years 1951-55, 1956-60, 1961-65, and 1966-71, respectively, in comparison with the cohort born in the years 1946-50. The increase occurred concurrently in most of the countries, in both males and females, and both in childhood and adulthood onset asthma. These results are consistent with a generational increase in asthma incidence during the previous decades (explained by both a period and/or a cohort effect), although some of the findings could be explained by generational increases in asthma diagnosis.
Alpha-fetoprotein has no prognostic role in small hepatocellular carcinoma identified during surveillance in compensated cirrhosis
Authors: Edoardo G. Giannini, Simona Marenco, Giacomo Borgonovo, Vincenzo Savarino, Fabio Farinati, Paolo Del Poggio, Gian Ludovico Rapaccini, Maria Anna Di Nolfo, Luisa Benvegnù, Marco Zoli, Franco Borzio, Eugenio Caturelli, Maria Chiaramonte, Franco Trevisani
Journal: Hepatology (2012)

Alpha-fetoprotein is a tumor marker that has been used for surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. The prognostic capability of this marker in patients with HCC has not been clearly defined. In this study our aim was to evaluate the prognostic usefulness of serum alpha-fetoprotein in patients with well-compensated cirrhosis, optimal performance status, and small HCC identified during periodic surveillance ultrasound who were treated with curative intent. Among the 3,027 patients included in the Italian Liver Cancer study group database, we selected 205 Child-Pugh class A and Eastern Cooperative Group Performance Status 0 patients with cirrhosis with a single HCC ≤ 3 cm of diameter diagnosed during surveillance who were treated with curative intent (hepatic resection, liver transplantation, percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency thermal ablation). Patients were subdivided according to alpha-fetoprotein serum levels (i.e., normal ≤ 20 ng/mL; mildly elevated 21-200 ng/mL; markedly elevated >200 ng/mL). Patient survival, as assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, was not significantly different among the three alpha-fetoprotein classes (P = 0.493). The same result was obtained in the subgroup of patients with a single HCC ≤ 2 cm (P = 0.714). An alpha-fetoprotein serum level of 100 ng/mL identified by receiver operating characteristic curve had inadequate accuracy (area under the curve = 0.536, 95% confidence interval = 0.465-0.606) to discriminate between survivors and deceased patients.Alpha-fetoprotein serum levels have no prognostic meaning in well-compensated cirrhosis patients with single, small HCC treated with curative intent.
LIFR is a breast cancer metastasis suppressor upstream of the Hippo-YAP pathway and a prognostic marker
Authors: Dahu Chen, Yutong Sun, Yongkun Wei, Peijing Zhang, Abdol Hossein Rezaeian, Julie Teruya-Feldstein, Sumeet Gupta, Han Liang, Hui-Kuan Lin, Mien-Chie Hung, Li Ma
Journal: Nature Medicine (2012)
Human brain slices as control assay for tumor-targeted therapy in vitro
Authors: R.P. Weenink, C.M. Dirven, W. van Houdt, D.P. Noske, S. Idema, ML Lamfers, V.W. van Beusechem, R.W. Verwer, Vu, VU medisch centrum
Journal: Neuro-Oncology (2005)
Morphology and size of stem cells from mouse and whale: observational study
Authors: M. J. Hoogduijn, J. C. van den Beukel, L. C. M. Wiersma, J. Ijzer
Journal: BMJ (2013)

<b>Objective</b> To compare the morphology and size of stem cells from two mammals of noticeably different body size. <b>Design</b> Observational study. <b>Setting</b> The Netherlands. <b>Participants</b> A humpback whale (<i>Megaptera novaeangliae</i>) and a laboratory mouse (<i>Mus musculus</i>). <b>Main outcome measures</b> Morphology and size of mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue. <b>Results</b> Morphologically, mesenchymal stem cells of the mouse and whale are indistinguishable. The average diameter of 50 mesenchymal stem cells from the mouse was 28 (SD 0.86) µm and 50 from the whale was 29 (SD 0.71) µm. The difference in cell size between the species was not statistically significant. Although the difference in bodyweight between the species is close to two million-fold, the mesenchymal stem cells of each were of similar size. <b>Conclusions</b> The mesenchymal stem cells of whales and mice are alike, in both morphology and size.
Women are aware of egg freezing but few believe it applies to them, survey shows
Authors: N. Hawkes
Journal: BMJ (2014)

Women who delay having children can insure themselves against infertility by freezing their eggs, but few see it as an option that applies to them, a survey in the United Kingdom and Denmark has found.

Although women were aware that modern techniques had made egg freezing practicable and nearly all considered it acceptable for medical or social reasons, less than a fifth of those surveyed in an online poll were actively considering it for themselves.

The results of the survey were reported on 1 July at the Munich based annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology by Camille Lallemant of the Complete Fertility Centre, a privately run clinic with centres at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton, and in Denmark.

“Until …
Septic arthritis complicating apatite associated destructive arthropathy.
Authors: A Jones, M J Henderson, P Berman, M Doherty
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1990)

Septic arthritis can complicate many forms of arthritis. Two cases of apatite associated destructive arthropathy (AADA) complicated by sepsis are described. Diagnosis of this complication in the setting of severe joint damage is difficult as AADA and sepsis share certain characteristics--an initial, rapidly progressive, severely painful course and radiographs which show rapidly destructive changes with marked cartilage loss, bone attrition, and virtual absence of osteophyte or cyst response.
JC human polyomavirus is associated to chromosomal instability in peripheral blood lymphocytes of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients and poor clinical outcome
Authors: R. M’kacher, L. Andreoletti, S. Flamant, F. Milliat, T. Girinsky, J. Dossou, D. Violot, E. Assaf, B. Clausse, S. Koscielny, J. Bourhis, J. Bosq, A. Bernheim, C. Parmentier, P. Carde
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2009)
Enhanced acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity is associated with improved mitochondrial and contractile function in heart failure
Authors: Julie H. Rennison, Tracy A. McElfresh, Isidore C. Okere, Hiral V. Patel, Amy B. Foster, Kalpana K. Patel, Maria S. Stoll, Paul E. Minkler, Hisashi Fujioka, Brian D. Hoit, Martin E. Young, Charles L. Hoppel, Margaret P. Chandler
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2008)

Heart failure is associated with decreased myocardial fatty acid oxidation capacity and has been likened to energy starvation. Increased fatty acid availability results in an induction of genes promoting fatty acid oxidation. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible mechanisms by which high fat feeding improved mitochondrial and contractile function in heart failure. Male Wistar rats underwent coronary artery ligation (HF) or sham surgery and were immediately fed either a normal (14% kcal fat) (SHAM, HF) or high-fat diet (60% kcal saturated fat) (SHAM+FAT, HF+FAT) for 8 weeks. Mitochondrial respiration and gene expression and enzyme activities of fatty acid-regulated mitochondrial genes and proteins were assessed. Subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria were isolated from the left ventricle. State 3 respiration using lipid substrates octanoylcarnitine and palmitoylcarnitine increased in the SSM of HF+FAT compared with SHAM+FAT and HF, respectively (242 ± 21, 246 ± 21 vs. 183 ± 8, 181 ± 6 and 193 ± 17, 185 ± 16 nAO min−1 mg−1). Despite decreased medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) mRNA in HF and HF+FAT, MCAD protein was not altered, and MCAD activity increased in HF+FAT (HF, 65.1 ± 2.7 vs. HF+FAT, 81.5 ± 5.4 nmoles min−1 mg−1). Activities of short- and long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase also were elevated and correlated to increased state 3 respiration. This was associated with an improvement in myocardial contractility as assessed by left ventricular +dP/dt max. Administration of a high-fat diet increased state 3 respiration and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities, but did not normalize mRNA or protein levels of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases in coronary artery ligation-induced heart failure rats.
Recurrent involvement of the REL and BCL11Aloci in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: José I. Martı́n-Subero, Stefan Gesk, Lana Harder, Takashi Sonoki, Philip W. Tucker, Brigitte Schlegelberger, Werner Grote, Francisco J. Novo, Marı́a J. Calasanz, Martin L. Hansmann, Martin J. S. Dyer, Reiner Siebert
Journal: Blood (2002)
Is follow-up endoscopy necessary after successful medical treatment of CT-proven acute diverticulitis?
Authors: A. A. Page, A. Khan, S. Rajaratnam, N. Carroll, N. R. Hall, R. J. Davies
Journal: Gut (2011)

<h3>Introduction</h3> Accepted practice following resolution of medically treated acute diverticulitis is to perform subsequent luminal imaging. The aim of this clinical evaluation study was to assess this process and to quantify the added diagnostic value of follow-up endoscopy in patients with acute diverticulitis diagnosed by CT scan and treated conservatively with antibiotics and radiologically-guided abscess drainage if required. <h3>Methods</h3> All patients admitted as an emergency with CT-proven diverticulitis from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2009 were included. All case notes and imaging were reviewed, and the results of subsequent endoscopy recorded. <h3>Results</h3> One hundred and ten patients (median age 63 years (range 35–97 years)) with CT-proven acute diverticulitis were admitted as an emergency over the 12 month period. Those patients requiring emergency surgery (n=14) were excluded. Of the 96 patients treated medically, subsequent endoscopy was arranged for 80 (83%). Of these, 73 (76%) attended for endoscopy. No cases of colorectal cancer were identified, including in those who did not have endoscopy. Additional pathology was identified in 13 (18%) patients, with hyperplastic polyps in 7 and adenomas in 6. Only one (1%) patient had an adenoma with high grade dysplasia. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Although endoscopic follow-up was only carried out in 76% of patients, it is unlikely that any cancers were missed. It may not be necessary to perform subsequent endoscopy in patients with CT-proven diverticulitis that is successfully treated without the need for surgery, but a larger cohort of patients will be required to confirm this.
Clinical Experience with the Dalkon Shield
Authors: R. W. Jones, H. Parker, M. Elstein
Journal: BMJ (1973)

<h3>Background and Objectives:</h3> Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can quantify extent of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury after cardiac arrest. Our objective was to determine the association between adult-derived threshold of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) &lt;650x10<sup>−6</sup>mm<sup>2</sup>/s in &gt;10% of brain tissue and unfavorable outcome after pediatric cardiac arrest. Since ADC decreases exponentially as a function of increasing age, we determined association 1) having &gt;10% of brain tissue below a novel age-dependent ADC threshold, and 2) age-normalized whole brain mean ADC and unfavorable outcome. <h3>Methods:</h3> Retrospective study of patients ≤18 years old who had cardiac arrest and a clinically obtained brain MRI within 7 days. Primary outcome was unfavorable neurologic status at hospital discharge based on Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) score. ADC images were extracted from three-direction diffusion imaging. We determined whether each patient had &gt;10% of voxels with ADC below prespecified thresholds. We computed whole brain mean ADC for each patient. <h3>Results:</h3> One-hundred-thirty-four patients were analyzed. Patients with ADC &lt;650x10<sup>−6</sup>mm<sup>2</sup>/s in &gt;10% of voxels had 15 times higher odds (95%CI 5, 65) of unfavorable outcome compared to patients with ADC &lt;650x10<sup>−6</sup>mm<sup>2</sup>/s (AUROC 0.72 [95%CI 0.63, 0.80]). This ADC criteria had a sensitivity and specificity of 0.49 and 0.94, and positive and negative predictive values of 0.93 and 0.52 for unfavorable outcome. The age-dependent ADC threshold that yielded optimal sensitivity and specificity for unfavorable outcome was &lt;300x10<sup>−6</sup>mm<sup>2</sup>/s below each patient’s predicted whole brain mean ADC. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for this ADC threshold were 0.53, 0.96, 0.96, and 0.54, respectively (OR: 26.4 [95%CI 7.5, 168.3]; AUROC 0.74 [95%CI 0.66, 0.83]). Lower age-normalized whole brain mean ADC was also associated with unfavorable outcome (OR 0.42 [0.24, 0.64], AUROC 0.76 [95%CI 0.66, 0.82]). <h3>Discussion:</h3> Quantitative diffusion thresholds on MRI within 7 days after cardiac arrest were associated with unfavorable outcome in children. Age-independent ADC threshold was highly specific for predicting unfavorable outcome. However, specificity and sensitivity increased when using age-dependent ADC thresholds. Age-dependent ADC thresholds may improve prognostic accuracy and require further investigation in larger cohorts. <h3>Classification of Evidence:</h3> This study provides Class III evidence that quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) within 7 days post-arrest can predict an unfavorable clinical outcome in children.
Propranolol in the treatment of infantile haemangiomas: lessons from the European Propranolol In the Treatment of Complicated Haemangiomas (PITCH) Taskforce survey
Authors: E. Wedgeworth, M. Glover, A.D. Irvine, I. Neri, E. Baselga, T.H. Clayton, P.E. Beattie, J.V. Bjerre, N.P. Burrows, R. Foelster-Holst, L. Hedelund, A. Hernandez-Martin, H. Audrain, K. Bhate, S.J. Brown, S. Baryschpolec, S. Darne, A. Durack, V. Dvorakova, J. Gach, N. Goldstraw, H. Goodyear, S. Grabczynska, D. Greenblatt, J. Halpern, R.M.R. Hearn, S. Hoey, B. Hughes, R. Jayaraj, E.K. Johansson, M. Lam, S. Leech, G.M. O'Regan, D. Morrison, W. Porter, R. Ramesh, T. Schill, L. Shaw, A.E.M. Taylor, R. Taylor, J. Thomson, P. Tiffin, M. Tsakok, S.R. Janmohamed, B. Laguda, T. McPherson, A.P. Oranje, A. Patrizi, J.C. Ravenscroft, H. Shahidullah, L. Solman, A. Svensson, C.F. Wahlgren, P.H. Hoeger, C. Flohr
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2015)

Oral propranolol is widely prescribed as first-line treatment for infantile haemangiomas (IHs). Anecdotally, prescribing practice differs widely between centres.The Propranolol In the Treatment of Complicated Haemangiomas (PITCH) Taskforce was founded to establish patterns of use of propranolol in IHs.Participating centres entered data on all of their patients who had completed treatment with oral propranolol for IHs, using an online data capture tool.The study cohort comprised 1097 children from 39 centres in eight European countries. 76·1% were female and 92·8% had a focal IH, with the remainder showing a segmental, multifocal or indeterminate pattern. The main indications for treatment were periocular location (29·3%), risk of cosmetic disfigurement (21·1%) and ulceration and bleeding (20·6%). In total 69·2% of patients were titrated up to a maintenance regimen, which consisted of 2 mg kg(-1) per day (85·8%) in the majority of cases. 91·4% of patients had an excellent or good response to treatment. Rebound growth occurred in 14·1% upon stopping, of whom 53·9% were restarted and treatment response was recaptured in 91·6% of cases. While there was no significant difference in the treatment response, comparing a daily maintenance dose of < 2 mg kg(-1) vs. 2 mg kg(-1) vs. > 2 mg kg(-1) , the risk of adverse events was significantly higher: odds ratio (OR) 1 vs. adjusted OR 0·70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·33-1·50, P = 0·36 vs. OR 2·38, 95% CI 1·04-5·46, P = 0·04, Ptrend < 0·001.The PITCH survey summarizes the use of oral propranolol across 39 European centres, in a variety of IH phases, and could be used to inform treatment guidelines and the design of an interventional study.
A Multifaceted Intervention for Quality Improvement in a Network of Intensive Care Units
Authors: Damon C. Scales
Journal: JAMA (2011)

Evidence-based practices improve intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes, but eligible patients may not receive them. Community hospitals treat most critically ill patients but may have few resources dedicated to quality improvement.To determine the effectiveness of a multicenter quality improvement program to increase delivery of 6 evidence-based ICU practices.Pragmatic cluster-randomized trial among 15 community hospital ICUs in Ontario, Canada. A total of 9269 admissions occurred during the trial (November 2005 to October 2006) and 7141 admissions during a decay-monitoring period (December 2006 to August 2007).We implemented a videoconference-based forum including audit and feedback, expert-led educational sessions, and dissemination of algorithms to sequentially improve delivery of 6 practices. We randomized ICUs into 2 groups. Each group received this intervention, targeting a new practice every 4 months, while acting as control for the other group, in which a different practice was targeted in the same period. MAIN MEASURE OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the summary ratio of odds ratios (ORs) for improvement in adoption (determined by daily data collection) of all 6 practices during the trial in intervention vs control ICUs.Overall, adoption of the targeted practices was greater in intervention ICUs than in controls (summary ratio of ORs, 2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-7.74). Improved delivery in intervention ICUs was greatest for semirecumbent positioning to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (90.0% of patient-days in last month vs 50.0% in first month; OR, 6.35; 95% CI, 1.85-21.79) and precautions to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infection (70.0% of patients receiving central lines vs 10.6%; OR, 30.06; 95% CI, 11.00-82.17). Adoption of other practices, many with high baseline adherence, changed little.In a collaborative network of community ICUs, a multifaceted quality improvement intervention improved adoption of care practices.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00332982.