tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Manometry of the Normal Upper Esophageal Sphincter and its Alterations in Laryngectomy
Authors: Richard W. Welch, Kenneth Luckmann, Phillip M. Ricks, Samuel T. Drake, George A. Gates
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1979)

Rapid pull-through pressure profiles of the normal human upper esophageal sphincter (UES) were simultaneously studied with a conventional three-orifice Honeywell solid-state probe, an eight lumen radially perfused (RP) probe, and a circumferentially sensitive (CS) probe designed to measure UES pressure (UESP) without regard to probe orientation. Pressure curves were digitized and analyzed by computer. The Honeywell probe recorded significantly lower peak pressures than the other two methods, and had wide intrasubject pressure variations (average coefficient of variation, 53%). In contrast, UESP measured with the CS probe was constant for each subject (mean peak UESP, 121 mm Hg; average coefficient of variation, 15%). Anteroposterior RP probe UESP were identical to CS probe pressures. Thus, peak perfused anteroposterior UESP correlates with circumferentially measured sphincter squeeze.
Chronic in-center hemodialysis patients' attitudes, knowledge, and behavior towards advance directives.
Authors: J L Holley, S Nespor, R Rault
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1993)

Forty-three chronic in-center hemodialysis patients were asked about their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards advance directives. The survey collected patient demographic data and assessed attitudes, knowledge, and behavior towards advance directives by agreement or disagreement with statements. Sixty-six percent of patients did not know what a health care proxy was, and 42% did not know the legal status of a living will. However, 90% of older patients (> or = 60 yr of age) understood living wills. Although 77% of the patients had discussed their wishes about life-sustaining care with someone close to them, only 17% had had such discussions with their doctor. Twenty-one percent had completed an advance directive. Fifty percent of patients agreed with the statement that a potential problem with advance directives was that patients could change their minds about heroic treatments; 51% agreed that advance directives might interfere with a doctor's judgment. Only 26% agreed that a dialysis unit's promotion of the use of advance directives might lead to undertreatment. Patient age, race, marital status, and time on dialysis did not affect responses. A prior failed transplant and the educational level completed by the patient influenced some specific responses. Despite some concern, 79% of patients agreed that a dialysis unit policy asking patients whether they had completed an advance directive was a good idea.
Vitamin D Status in Patients With Stage IV Colorectal Cancer: Findings From Intergroup Trial N9741
Authors: Kimmie Ng, Daniel J. Sargent, Richard M. Goldberg, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Erin M. Green, Henry C. Pitot, Bruce W. Hollis, Michael N. Pollak, Charles S. Fuchs
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011)

Purpose Previous studies have suggested that higher plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 [25(OH)D] levels are associated with decreased colorectal cancer risk and improved survival, but the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in advanced colorectal cancer and its influence on outcomes are unknown. Patients and Methods We prospectively measured plasma 25(OH)D levels in 515 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer participating in a randomized trial of chemotherapy. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D lower than 20 ng/mL, insufficiency as 20 to 29 ng/mL, and sufficiency as ≥ 30 ng/mL. We examined the association between baseline 25(OH)D level and selected patient characteristics. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for death, disease progression, and tumor response, adjusted for prognostic factors. Results Among 515 eligible patients, 50% of the study population was vitamin D deficient, and 82% were vitamin D insufficient. Plasma 25(OH)D levels were lower in black patients compared to white patients and patients of other race (median, 10.7 v 21.1 v 19.3 ng/mL, respectively; P &lt; .001), and females compared to males (median, 18.3 v 21.7 ng/mL, respectively; P = .0005). Baseline plasma 25(OH)D levels were not associated with patient outcome, although given the distribution of plasma levels in this cohort, statistical power for survival analyses were limited. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among patients with stage IV colorectal cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy, particularly in black and female patients.
Sodium Intake and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Alanna C. Morrison, Roberta B. Ness
Journal: Annual Review of Public Health (2011)

Sodium consumption is a target for prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure (BP) is well-established, but the relationship with CVD is less clear. This review focuses on studies investigating the association between sodium intake and CVD within five principal subgroups: age, underlying BP, gender, body size, and ethnicity. We conclude that sodium reduction results in decreased CVD risk in the general population, and some susceptible subgroups may especially benefit from preventive efforts. Older individuals, those with underlying elevated BP, and those with increased body size may benefit most, but men and women of all ages, ethnicities, and normotensives also experience reduced CVD risk in relation to lowered sodium intake. Public health policy to reduce sodium intake in the United States would have significant cost-savings, far greater than the cost of intervention, and would also result in a significant gain in quality-adjusted life years.
Unlicensed and off label drug use by children in the community: cross sectional study
Authors: E. Schirm
Journal: BMJ (2002)

Editorial by Banner and pp 1311, 1313

Studies in various hospital settings showed that many drugs taken by children either are not licensed or are used outside the terms of the product licence.1–3 Information on the extent of paediatric labelling of drugs taken by children in the community is, however, limited and based on small study populations. 4 5 We studied drugs taken by children in the community, based on the pharmacy records of prescriptions from both general practitioners and outpatient departments. We aimed to determine the number of prescriptions for unlicensed drugs for children in the community and to investigate paediatric labelling of all drugs with a product licence to determine the extent of off label use.

In the Netherlands …
Bicarbonate-rich choleresis induced by secretin in normal rat is taurocholate-dependent and involves AE2 anion exchanger
Authors: Jesús M. Banales, Fabián Arenas, Carlos M. Rodríguez-Ortigosa, Elena Sáez, Iker Uriarte, Brian R. Doctor, Jesús Prieto, Juan F. Medina
Journal: Hepatology (2006)

Canalicular bile is modified along bile ducts through reabsorptive and secretory processes regulated by nerves, bile salts, and hormones such as secretin. Secretin stimulates ductular cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)–dependent Cl− efflux and subsequent biliary HCO3 − secretion, possibly via Cl−/HCO3 − anion exchange (AE). However, the contribution of secretin to bile regulation in the normal rat, the significance of choleretic bile salts in secretin effects, and the role of Cl−/HCO3 − exchange in secretin-stimulated HCO3 − secretion all remain unclear. Here, secretin was administered to normal rats with maintained bile acid pool via continuous taurocholate infusion. Bile flow and biliary HCO3 − and Cl− excretion were monitored following intrabiliary retrograde fluxes of saline solutions with and without the Cl− channel inhibitor 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid (NPPB) or the Cl−/HCO3 − exchange inhibitor 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS). Secretin increased bile flow and biliary excretion of HCO3 − and Cl−. Interestingly, secretin effects were not observed in the absence of taurocholate. Whereas secretin effects were all blocked by intrabiliary NPPB, DIDS only inhibited secretin-induced increases in bile flow and HCO3 − excretion but not the increased Cl− excretion, revealing a role of biliary Cl−/HCO3 − exchange in secretin-induced, bicarbonate-rich choleresis in normal rats. Finally, small hairpin RNA adenoviral constructs were used to demonstrate the involvement of the Na+-independent anion exchanger 2 (AE2) through gene silencing in normal rat cholangiocytes. AE2 gene silencing caused a marked inhibition of unstimulated and secretin-stimulated Cl−/HCO3 − exchange. In conclusion , maintenance of the bile acid pool is crucial for secretin to induce bicarbonate-rich choleresis in the normal rat and that this occurs via a chloride–bicarbonate exchange process consistent with AE2 function. (Hepatology 2006;43:266–275.)
A comparative study of the psychological profiles of Indian Railways and Madhya Pradesh National and International Level Male Cricket Players: a pilot study
Authors: Sameer E Bhagirathi, Deepak Mehta, Sudhira Chandel
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2010)

The purpose of the study was to find out the comparative result of the Psychological Profiles of Indian Railways and Madhya Pradesh International and National Level Male Cricket Players. The subject's age ranged between 18 and 25 years, they all were selected randomly from the Railways and Madhya Pradesh as U-19 and U-22 Cricket teams. The experts made two groups of 49–49 players, one group made up of Madhya Pradesh cricket players and another group made up of Railways Cricket players, those who are continuously participating at national and international level. The experts used questionnaires of Rainer and Martin's Sports Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) and the Maudsley Personality Inventory; the questions addressed various aspects of Sports Competition Anxiety and Personality traits of cricket players, respectively. The questionnaire has filled by the Railways and Madhya Pradesh U-19 and U-22 Cricket teams players, respectively. For the evaluation of questionnaire two sample t test was employed, and the findings revealed that there was a significant difference found that is, 2.8 in their Personality parameters, it means Railways Cricketers were better in their Personality as compare to Madhya Pradesh Cricketers and found Insignificant that is, 0.12 in the SCAT, which means there was no difference in Sports Competition Anxiety of Railways Cricketers and Madhya Pradesh Cricketers. Sports Psychology can help a lot in assessing the personality and sports anxiety characteristics of the players or individuals performance in cricket not only demands systematic training to develop physical and physiological variables but also demands training and considerations of psychological characteristics for success in this field.
Medical sense and nonsense in biography
Authors: J A M. Gray
Journal: BMJ (1983)

and FEV,/FVC.In the figure the results, adjusted for age and height, are expressed relative to baseline values of the never smoked group for FEVI, FVC, and FEV1/FVC as 100%.The index FEV1 shows the steepest decline with amount smoked.In contrast, the ratio FEVI/FVC is a misleading indicator as it fails to show deterioration of lung function for moderate, heavy, and very heavy smokers._100 ~C\ *(FVC) ......(FEV/FVC) J 0 909 (FEV1) 90 *e, ~' -<15 15-24 25-34 35+ Smokers (cigarettes smoked /doy)Relation of lung function indices to smoking habits in non-smokers, ex-smokers who have not smoked for eight or more years, and smokers by number of cigarettes smoked a day.Baseline values of non- smokers are taken as 100°,, for the indices FEVI, FVC, and FEVI/FVC.We suggest that at least two indices (FEV1, and FEV1/FVC) should be reported as a matter of routine for all comparisons between groups.Both decline with age but only FEV1 is positively correlated with height.Appropriate adjustments for age and height can be easily made.2We are fairly confident that the subgroup of smokers without airflow obstruction studied by Dr Nemery and others would have been found to have lower FEV1 values than the asymptomatic non-smokers.Also the smokers without airflow obstruction were lighter by about 2 kg, adjusting for height.This difference, although appreciable and in the expected direction, is not significant because of small numbers.We agree entirely with their concluding statement: "From a practical point of view loss of excess weight in middle aged smokers should not always be regarded as favourable, since it could point to deteriorating lung function and chronic obstructive lung disease."To this we would add that it is much better to.be an overweight non-smoker than to be an underweight smoker.3
Peer-Reviewed Publication of Clinical Trials Completed for Pediatric Exclusivity
Authors: Daniel K. Benjamin, Philip Brian Smith, M. Dianne Murphy, Rosemary Roberts, Lisa Mathis, Debbie Avant, Robert M. Califf, Jennifer S. Li
Journal: JAMA (2006)

Much of pediatric drug use is off-label because appropriate pediatric studies have not been conducted and the drugs have not been labeled by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in children. In 1997, Congress authorized the FDA to grant extensions of marketing rights known as "pediatric exclusivity" if FDA-requested pediatric trials were conducted. As a result, there have been over 100 product labeling changes. The publication status of studies completed for pediatric exclusivity has not been evaluated.To quantify the dissemination of results of studies conducted for pediatric exclusivity into the peer-review literature.Cohort study of all trials conducted for pediatric exclusivity between 1998 and 2004 as determined by MEDLINE and EMBASE searches through 2005, the subsequent labeling changes, and the publication of those studies in peer-reviewed journals. We categorized any labeling changes resulting from the studies as positive or negative for the drug under study. We then evaluated aspects of the studies and product label changes that were associated with subsequent publication in peer-reviewed medical journals.Publication of the trial data in peer-reviewed journals.Between 1998 and 2004, 253 studies were submitted to the FDA for pediatric exclusivity: 125 (50%) evaluated efficacy, 51 (20%) were multi-dose pharmacokinetic, 34 (13%) were single-dose pharmacokinetic, and 43 (17%) were safety studies. Labeling changes were positive for 127/253 (50%) of studies; only 113/253 (45%) were published. Efficacy studies and those with a positive labeling change were more likely to be published.The pediatric exclusivity program has been successful in encouraging drug studies in children. However, the dissemination of these results in the peer-reviewed literature is limited. Mechanisms to more widely disperse this information through publication warrant further evaluation.
Preclinical Efficacy of the Anti-Hepatocyte Growth Factor Antibody Ficlatuzumab in a Mouse Brain Orthotopic Glioma Model Evaluated by Bioluminescence, PET, and MRI
Authors: Erik S. Mittra, Hua Fan-Minogue, Frank I. Lin, Jason Karamchandani, Venkataraman Sriram, May Han, Sanjiv S. Gambhir
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2013)

Ficlatuzumab is a novel therapeutic agent targeting the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-MET pathway. We summarize extensive preclinical work using this agent in a mouse brain orthotopic model of glioblastoma.Sequential experiments were done using eight- to nine-week-old nude mice injected with 3 × 10(5) U87 MG (glioblastoma) cells into the brain. Evaluation of ficlatuzumab dose response for this brain tumor model and comparison of its response to ficlatuzumab and to temozolamide were conducted first. Subsequently, various small-animal imaging modalities, including bioluminescence imaging (BLI), positron emission tomography (PET), and MRI, were used with a U87 MG-Luc 2 stable cell line, with and without the use of ficlatuzumab, to evaluate the ability to noninvasively assess tumor growth and response to therapy. ANOVA was conducted to evaluate for significant differences in the response.There was a survival benefit with ficlatuzumab alone or in combination with temozolamide. BLI was more sensitive than PET in detecting tumor cells. Fluoro-D-thymidine (FLT) PET provided a better signal-to-background ratio than 2[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) PET. In addition, both BLI and FLT PET showed significant changes over time in the control group as well as with response to therapy. MRI does not disclose any time-dependent change. Also, the MRI results showed a temporal delay in comparison to the BLI and FLT PET findings, showing similar results one drug cycle later.Targeting the HGF/c-MET pathway with the novel agent ficlatuzumab appears promising for the treatment of glioblastoma. Various clinically applicable imaging modalities including FLT, PET, and MRI provide reliable ways of assessing tumor growth and response to therapy. Given the clinical applicability of these findings, future studies on patients with glioblastoma may be appropriate.
Growth and hormone profiling in children with congenital melanocytic naevi
Authors: R. Waelchli, J. Williams, T. Cole, M. Dattani, P. Hindmarsh, H. Kennedy, A. Martinez, S. Khan, R.K. Semple, A. White, N. Sebire, E. Healy, G. Moore, V.A. Kinsler
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2015)

Multiple congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN) is a rare mosaic RASopathy, caused by postzygotic activating mutations in NRAS. Growth and hormonal disturbances are described in germline RASopathies, but growth and hormone status have not previously been investigated in individuals with CMN.To explore premature thelarche, undescended testes, and a clinically abnormal fat distribution with CMN through prospective endocrinological assessment of a cohort of subjects with CMN, and a retrospective review of longitudinal growth of a larger group of patients with CMN from outpatient clinics (which included all subjects in the endocrinological assessment group).Longitudinal growth in a cohort of 202 patients with single or multiple CMN was compared with the U.K. National Child Measurement Programme 2010. Forty-seven children had hormonal profiling including measurement of circulating luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, growth hormone, prolactin, pro-opiomelanocortin, estradiol, testosterone, cortisol, thyroxine, insulin-like growth factor-1 and leptin; 10 had oral glucose tolerance testing 25 had dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans for body composition.Body mass index increased markedly with age (coefficient 0·119, SE 0·016 standard deviation scores per year), at twice the rate of the U.K. population, due to increased adiposity. Three per cent of girls had premature thelarche variant and 6% of boys had persistent undescended testes. Both fat and muscle mass were reduced in areas underlying large naevi, resulting in limb asymmetry and abnormal truncal fat distribution. Anterior pituitary hormone profiling revealed subtle and variable abnormalities. Oral glucose tolerance tests revealed moderate-severe insulin insensitivity in five of 10, and impaired glucose tolerance in one.Interpersonal variation may reflect the mosaic nature of this disease and patients should be considered individually. Postnatal weight gain is potentially related to the underlying genetic defect; however, environmental reasons cannot be excluded. Naevus-related reduction of fat and muscle mass suggests local hormonal or metabolic effects on development or growth of adjacent tissues, or mosaic involvement of these tissues at the genetic level. Premature thelarche and undescended testes should be looked for, and investigated, as for any child.
Comprehensive comparison of three commercial human whole-exome capture platforms
Authors: None Asan, Yu Xu, Hui Jiang, Chris Tyler-Smith, Yali Xue, Tao Jiang, Jiawei Wang, Mingzhi Wu, Xiao Liu, Geng Tian, Jun Wang, Jian Wang, Huangming Yang, Xiuqing Zhang
Journal: Genome biology (2011)

Exome sequencing, which allows the global analysis of protein coding sequences in the human genome, has become an effective and affordable approach to detecting causative genetic mutations in diseases. Currently, there are several commercial human exome capture platforms; however, the relative performances of these have not been characterized sufficiently to know which is best for a particular study. We comprehensively compared three platforms: NimbleGen's Sequence Capture Array and SeqCap EZ, and Agilent's SureSelect. We assessed their performance in a variety of ways, including number of genes covered and capture efficacy. Differences that may impact on the choice of platform were that Agilent SureSelect covered approximately 1,100 more genes, while NimbleGen provided better flanking sequence capture. Although all three platforms achieved similar capture specificity of targeted regions, the NimbleGen platforms showed better uniformity of coverage and greater genotype sensitivity at 30- to 100-fold sequencing depth. All three platforms showed similar power in exome SNP calling, including medically relevant SNPs. Compared with genotyping and whole-genome sequencing data, the three platforms achieved a similar accuracy of genotype assignment and SNP detection. Importantly, all three platforms showed similar levels of reproducibility, GC bias and reference allele bias. We demonstrate key differences between the three platforms, particularly advantages of solutions over array capture and the importance of a large gene target set.
An isoleucine-zipper motif enhances costimulation of human soluble trimeric GITR ligand
Authors: Dawei Cui, Shengjun Wang, Yu Chen, Jia Tong, Jie Ma, Li Tang, Xianzhi Yang, Ye Shi, Jie Tian, Liwei Lu, Huaxi Xu
Journal: Cellular and Molecular Immunology (2010)
Some functional characteristics of the oesophageal vestibule in infants and children
Authors: A. R. Chrispin, G. W. Friedland, D. E. Wright
Journal: Thorax (1967)

The oesophageal vestibule lies immediately above the stomach and during quiet respiration is located partly in the thorax, partly in the hiatus in the diaphragm, and partly in the abdomen. An analysis of some aspects of function of the vestibule in infants and children who have a non-contractile gullet above the vestibule is presented. Opening of the vestibule is related to deglutition and is independent of the oesophagus above. In its opening and closing the vestibule is shown to have the characteristics of a `muscle throttle9. The rapidity of the event of either opening or closing is accounted for. The important relationship of calibre of lumen of the vestibule to flow through it is analysed. The effect of the indentations of mucosa into the lumen when the vestibule is partially open is analysed from a theoretical standpoint, and it is inferred that the vestibule when only partially open has the characteristics of a highly efficient choke.