tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
A SEROLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN AND OTHER GROUPS OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI
Authors: Rebecca C. Lancefield
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1933)

1. All except two of 106 strains of hemolytic streptococci isolated from man, other animals, milk, and cheese have been classified into five groups, which bear a definite relationship to the sources of the cultures. These broad groups may be subdivided into specific types by methods discussed elsewhere. The specific group classification is made possible by employing two special reagents: (a) extracts prepared by treatment of the bacteria with hot hydrochloric acid, and (b) serum of animals immunized with formalinized cultures. This differentiation is not detected by the agglutination reaction. The grouping agrees with that described by other investigators on the basis of cultural and biochemical characteristics. 2. The group-specific substance present in strains of Group A has been identified chemically as carbohydrate in nature. The chemical composition of the specific substances upon which the specificity of the other groups depends has not been determined. It seems not unlikely, however, that all of them may belong in the general class of carbohydrates, each being chemically distinct and serologically specific in the individual groups.
Early Events in Sexual Transmission of HIV and SIV and Opportunities for Interventions
Authors: Ashley T. Haase
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (2010)

To constrain the growth of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and ultimately end it, effective measures must be developed to prevent sexual mucosal transmission, the major route by which new infections are acquired. I review sexual mucosal transmission of HIV and SIV, with a focus on vaginal transmission in the SIV rhesus macaque animal model, and the evidence for small founder populations of infected cells and the local expansion at the portal of entry necessary to establish systemic infection. These early events represent windows of maximum opportunity for interventions to prevent systemic infection. I highlight the paradoxical role the innate immune response plays in actually facilitating transmission, and a novel microbicide strategy that targets this innate response to prevent systemic infection, and I conclude with an agenda for future research that emphasizes mucosal immunology, virology and pathogenesis studies at each anatomic site of entry.
Clinical Application of the Forced Oscillation Technique for CPAP Titration in the Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Authors: JOAN R. BADIA, RAM OŃ FARRÉ, R. JOHN KIMOFF, EUGENI BALLESTER, LOURDES HERNÁNDEZ, MAR ROTGER, DANIEL NAVAJAS, JOSEP M. MONTSERRAT
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1999)

We have previously demonstrated that upper airway obstruction in sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) can be accurately assessed in real-time by measuring respiratory impedance ( ‖ Z ‖ ) with the forced oscillation technique (FOT). The aims of the present study were: (1) to determine the feasibility of identifying the optimal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for patients with SAHS based on analysis of the ‖ Z ‖ signal during conventional polysomnographic CPAP titration studies; and (2) to evaluate practical issues involved in the application of FOT during CPAP titration. We performed CPAP titration in 28 patients with SAHS during polysomnography (PSG) (14 nap and 14 full overnight studies) using a FOT system applied continuously to obtain an on-line measurement of ‖ Z ‖ . FOT was easily implemented and was well-tolerated by the patients. Optimal CPAP levels were determined both in the conventional manner from the standard PSG titration record and during a separate blinded analysis using the FOT signal alone. The mean conventional versus FOT-based optimal CPAP values were similar for both nap studies (10.6 ± 0.6 [mean ± SEM] versus 11.1 ± 0.6 cm H2O, respectively, p = 0.054) and overnight studies (9.9 ± 0.7 versus 9.9 ± 0.6 cm H2O, respectively, p = 1.00). Subsequent analysis of the PSG record with the FOT signal incorporated demonstrated that artefacts in the ‖ Z ‖ tracing occurred during mask leak, mouth breathing, and movement during arousal. Such abnormalities were readily identified from the flow tracing. These results indicate that, for adequate interpretation, the tracing and values of respiratory impedance obtained by FOT should be evaluated in conjunction with the flow signal. Continuous FOT-guided CPAP titration is feasible and may be a useful adjunct during manual titration. FOT could also potentially serve as the basis for automated CPAP in SAHS. Badia JR, Farré R, Kimoff RJ, Ballester E, Hernández L, Rotger M, Navajas D, Montserrat JM. Clinical application of the forced oscillation technique for CPAP titration in the sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.
Jack T Watters
Authors: R J C Steele
Journal: BMJ (2015)

Jack T Watters was brought up in Crieff, Perthshire, where he attended the local primary school. There, under the visionary headmaster D O MacLean, he received a broad, quintessentially Scottish, education, where singing and dancing were as important as arithmetic and reading. He then went on to Morrison’s Academy, also in Crieff, where he developed a lifelong love of language and the performing arts, with frequent school visits to the theatre in Perth and Pitlochry. Already cultured and widely educated by the time he left school, he went up to Edinburgh to study medicine, where his exposure to human suffering affected him deeply and made him determined to make a difference in the world.

Although the medical course at Edinburgh in the 1970s was tough, Jack always made time for socialising and indulging his love of music and the theatre. He rapidly …
Effects of Maternal Gestational Diabetes and Adiposity on Neonatal Adiposity and Blood Pressure
Authors: Betty R Vohr, Stephen T McGarvey, Cynthia Garcia Coll
Journal: Diabetes Care (1995)

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of maternal factors, including prepregnancy maternal adiposity, weight gain during pregnancy, degree of abnormality of the glucose tolerance test, glycemia during pregnancy, and treatment with insulin versus diet therapy, on neonatal body weight, adiposity, and blood pressure in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes (IGDM) and control patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 119 term IGDM, including 57 large-for-gestational-age (LGA) and 62 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants, and 143 term control infants, including 74 LGA and 69 AGA infants, were prospectively enrolled. Maternal measurements of prepregnancy weight, height, and weight gain were abstracted from medical records. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes was made on the basis of an initial 1-h 50-g glucose screen value ≥130 mg/dl followed by two abnormal values in a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test. Infant anthropometric measurements were obtained, and blood pressure was measured on day 2 of life. Correlation analyses and multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships among maternal factors and neonatal adiposity and blood pressure. RESULTS Multiple regression analyses to determine the effects of significant maternal factors on infant body mass index (BMI) revealed that prepregnancy weight and weight gain were significant predictors for both IGDM and control infants. An increased glucose screen predicted BMI for control subjects, whereas the mean 2nd and 3rd trimester glucose values were the significant predictors for IGDM. Also, increased newborn triceps skinfold thickness measurements correlated with increased systolic blood pressure for IGDM (r = 0.29, P &amp;lt; 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Increased maternal prepregnancy weight, weight gain in pregnancy, and glycemia in pregnancy all place IGDM at increased risk of macrosomia and adiposity. Increased adiposity in the IGDM appears to be related to increased infant blood pressure. Longitudinal evaluation is needed to determine whether neonatal adiposity in IGDM is predictive of increased adiposity and blood pressure during childhood.
Molecular epidemiology suggests Venezuela as the origin of the dengue outbreak in Madeira, Portugal in 2012–2013
Authors: L. Franco, I. Pagan, N. Serre Del Cor, M. Schunk, A. Neumayr, F. Molero, A. Potente, C. Hatz, A. Wilder-Smith, M.P. Sánchez-Seco, A. Tenorio
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2015)

An explosive epidemic occurred in Madeira Island (Portugal) from October 2012 to February 2013. Published data showed that dengue virus type 1 introduced from South America was the incriminated virus. We aim to determine the origin of the strain introduced to Madeira by travellers returning to Europe. Using phylogeographic analysis and complete envelope sequences we have demonstrated that the most probable origin of the strain is Venezuela.
Impact of workplace based assessment on doctors' education and performance: a systematic review
Authors: A. Miller, J. Archer
Journal: BMJ (2010)

<b>Objective</b> To investigate the literature for evidence that workplace based assessment affects doctors’ education and performance. <b>Design</b> Systematic review. <b>Data sources</b> The primary data sources were the databases Journals@Ovid, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Evidence based reviews (Bandolier, <i>Cochrane Library</i>, DARE, HTA Database, and NHS EED) were accessed and searched via the Health Information Resources website. Reference lists of relevant studies and bibliographies of review articles were also searched. <b>Review methods</b> Studies of any design that attempted to evaluate either the educational impact of workplace based assessment, or the effect of workplace based assessment on doctors’ performance, were included. Studies were excluded if the sampled population was non-medical or the study was performed with medical students. Review articles, commentaries, and letters were also excluded. The final exclusion criterion was the use of simulated patients or models rather than real life clinical encounters. <b>Results</b> Sixteen studies were included. Fifteen of these were non-comparative descriptive or observational studies; the other was a randomised controlled trial. Study quality was mixed. Eight studies examined multisource feedback with mixed results; most doctors felt that multisource feedback had educational value, although the evidence for practice change was conflicting. Some junior doctors and surgeons displayed little willingness to change in response to multisource feedback, whereas family physicians might be more prepared to initiate change. Performance changes were more likely to occur when feedback was credible and accurate or when coaching was provided to help subjects identify their strengths and weaknesses. Four studies examined the mini-clinical evaluation exercise, one looked at direct observation of procedural skills, and three were concerned with multiple assessment methods: all these studies reported positive results for the educational impact of workplace based assessment tools. However, there was no objective evidence of improved performance with these tools. <b>Conclusions</b> Considering the emphasis placed on workplace based assessment as a method of formative performance assessment, there are few published articles exploring its impact on doctors’ education and performance. This review shows that multisource feedback can lead to performance improvement, although individual factors, the context of the feedback, and the presence of facilitation have a profound effect on the response. There is no evidence that alternative workplace based assessment tools (mini-clinical evaluation exercise, direct observation of procedural skills, and case based discussion) lead to improvement in performance, although subjective reports on their educational impact are positive.
Ligand Binding and Activation of PPAR<b>γ</b>by Firemaster<sup>®</sup>550: Effects on Adipogenesis and Osteogenesis<i>in Vitro</i>
Authors: Hari K. Pillai, Mingliang Fang, Dmitri Beglov, Dima Kozakov, Sandor Vajda, Heather M. Stapleton, Thomas F. Webster, Jennifer J. Schlezinger
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2014)

Background: The use of alternative flame retardants has increased since the phase out of pentabromodiphenyl ethers (pentaBDEs). One alternative, Firemaster® 550 (FM550), induces obesity in rats. Triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a component of FM550, has a structure similar to that of organotins, which are obesogenic in rodents.Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that components of FM550 are biologically active peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands and estimated indoor exposure to TPP.Methods: FM550 and its components were assessed for ligand binding to and activation of human PPARγ. Solvent mapping was used to model TPP in the PPARγ binding site. Adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation were assessed in bone marrow multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell models. We estimated exposure of children to TPP using a screening-level indoor exposure model and house dust concentrations determined previously.Results: FM550 bound human PPARγ, and binding appeared to be driven primarily by TPP. Solvent mapping revealed that TPP interacted with binding hot spots within the PPARγ ligand binding domain. FM550 and its organophosphate components increased human PPARγ1 transcriptional activity in a Cos7 reporter assay and induced lipid accumulation and perilipin protein expression in BMS2 cells. FM550 and TPP diverted osteogenic differentiation toward adipogenesis in primary mouse bone marrow cultures. Our estimates suggest that dust ingestion is the major route of exposure of children to TPP.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that FM550 components bind and activate PPARγ. In addition, in vitro exposure initiated adipocyte differentiation and antagonized osteogenesis. TPP likely is a major contributor to these biological actions. Given that TPP is ubiquitous in house dust, further studies are warranted to investigate the health effects of FM550.Citation: Pillai HK, Fang M, Beglov D, Kozakov D, Vajda S, Stapleton HM, Webster TF, Schlezinger JJ. 2014. Ligand binding and activation of PPARγ by Firemaster® 550: effects on adipogenesis and osteogenesis in vitro. Environ Health Perspect 122:1225–1232; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408111
Bortezomib plus rituximab versus rituximab in patients with high-risk, relapsed, rituximab-naïve or rituximab-sensitive follicular lymphoma: subgroup analysis of a randomized phase 3 trial
Authors: Pier Luigi Zinzani, Nuriet K Khuageva, Huaqing Wang, Bernardo Garicochea, Jan Walewski, Achiel Van Hoof, Pierre Soubeyran, Dolores Caballero, Rena Buckstein, Dixie-Lee Esseltine, Panteli Theocharous, Christopher Enny, Eugene Zhu, Yusri A Elsayed, Bertrand Coiffier
Journal: Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2012)

The randomized phase 3 LYM3001 trial in relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL) demonstrated higher overall (ORR) and complete response (CR) rates and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) with bortezomib-rituximab versus rituximab. We report findings in high-risk patients (FL International Prognostic Index [FLIPI] score ≥3, and high tumor burden by modified Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomas Folliculaires [GELF] criteria). Patients aged ≥18 years with grade 1/2 FL, ≥1 measurable lesion, and documented relapse or progression following prior therapy, rituximab-naïve or rituximab-sensitive, were enrolled at 164 centers in 29 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Patients were randomized (1:1) to five 5-week cycles of bortezomib-rituximab (bortezomib 1.6 mg/m2, days 1, 8, 15, and 22, all cycles; rituximab 375 mg/m2, days 1, 8, 15, and 22, cycle 1, and day 1, cycles 2–5; N=336) or rituximab alone (N=340). Randomization was stratified by FLIPI score, prior rituximab, time since last dose of anti-lymphoma therapy, and geographical region. The primary endpoint of the study was PFS. 103 bortezomib-rituximab and 98 rituximab patients had high-risk FL. The ORR was 59% versus 37% (p=0.002), the CR/CRu rate was 13% versus 6% (p=0.145), and the durable response rate was 45% versus 26% (p=0.008) with bortezomib-rituximab versus rituximab. Median PFS was 9.5 versus 6.7 months (hazard ratio [HR] 0.667, p=0.012) with bortezomib-rituximab versus rituximab; median time to progression was 10.9 versus 6.8 months (HR 0.656, p=0.009); median time to next anti-lymphoma treatment was 14.8 versus 9.1 months (HR 0.762, p=0.103); and the 1-year Overall Survival rate was 83.1% versus 76.6%. Overall, 51% of bortezomib-rituximab and 32% of rituximab patients reported grade ≥3 adverse events, including neutropenia (18%, 6%), anemia (4%, 5%), diarrhea (8%, 0%), thrombocytopenia (5%, 2%), and sensory neuropathy (1%, 0%). High-risk FL patients treated with bortezomib-rituximab had significantly higher ORR and longer PFS than patients receiving rituximab alone, with greater clinical benefit than in the overall study population; additional toxicity was acceptable and did not affect treatment feasibility. The phase 3 LYM3001 trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, with the identifier NCT00312845.
The Effect of Elevated Body Mass Index on Ischemic Heart Disease Risk: Causal Estimates from a Mendelian Randomisation Approach
Authors: Børge G. Nordestgaard, Tom M. Palmer, Marianne Benn, Jeppe Zacho, Anne Tybjærg-Hansen, George Davey Smith, Nicholas J. Timpson
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2012)

Adiposity, assessed as elevated body mass index (BMI), is associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD); however, whether this is causal is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that positive observational associations between BMI and IHD are causal.In 75,627 individuals taken from two population-based and one case-control study in Copenhagen, we measured BMI, ascertained 11,056 IHD events, and genotyped FTO(rs9939609), MC4R(rs17782313), and TMEM18(rs6548238). Using genotypes as a combined allele score in instrumental variable analyses, the causal odds ratio (OR) between BMI and IHD was estimated and compared with observational estimates. The allele score-BMI and the allele score-IHD associations used to estimate the causal OR were also calculated individually. In observational analyses the OR for IHD was 1.26 (95% CI 1.19-1.34) for every 4 kg/m(2) increase in BMI. A one-unit allele score increase associated with a 0.28 kg/m(2) (95 CI% 0.20-0.36) increase in BMI and an OR for IHD of 1.03 (95% CI 1.01-1.05) (corresponding to an average 1.68 kg/m(2) BMI increase and 18% increase in the odds of IHD for those carrying all six BMI increasing alleles). In instrumental variable analysis using the same allele score the causal IHD OR for a 4 kg/m(2) increase in BMI was 1.52 (95% CI 1.12-2.05).For every 4 kg/m(2) increase in BMI, observational estimates suggested a 26% increase in odds for IHD while causal estimates suggested a 52% increase. These data add evidence to support a causal link between increased BMI and IHD risk, though the mechanism may ultimately be through intermediate factors like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. This work has important policy implications for public health, given the continuous nature of the BMI-IHD association and the modifiable nature of BMI. This analysis demonstrates the value of observational studies and their ability to provide unbiased results through inclusion of genetic data avoiding confounding, reverse causation, and bias.
Primary biliary cirrhosis in India
Authors: A. K. S. Samanta, A. G. Bhagwat, M. Mukherjee, N. M. Gupta, S. Sehgal, D. V. Datta
Journal: Gut (1973)

In a prospective search to study the occurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis, only one patient with this disease was encountered during the last six years. This is also the first documented case of primary biliary cirrhosis from the Indian subcontinent.
Hepatitis C virus infection and lymphoproliferative diseases: Prospective study on 1,576 patients in France
Authors: P. Hausfater, P. Cacoub, Y. Sterkers, V. Thibault, Z. Amoura, L. Nguyen, P. Ghillani, V. Leblond, J.C. Piette
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2001)

Abstract Context Discordant data have been reported about the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases and the putative role of HCV in lymphomagenesis. Objective To assess the prevalence of HCV infection in patients admitted to a hematology department in Paris, France. Design Prospective, controlled study. Setting University medical center. Patients 813 patients admitted to the Hematology department (164 B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, 34 Hodgkin's diseases, 107 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 54 multiple myeloma, 12 Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, 17 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 6 hairy cell leukemia, 189 myeloproliferative diseases, 6 solid organ tumors, and 224 nonmalignant diseases) and 694 patients admitted to the Internal Medicine department (control group). Measurements All patients were tested for antibodies to HCV by a third‐generation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results HCV antibodies were detected in 20 of 813 (2.46%) patients in Hematology including 11 of 394 (2.79%) patients with lymphoproliferative diseases, 3 of 164 (1.83%) B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, 2 of 107 (1.87%) chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 1 of 54 (1.85%) multiple myeloma, 1 of 189 (0.5%) myeloproliferative diseases, and 8 of 224 (3.57%) nonmalignant hematologic diseases. HCV antibodies were detected in 3 of 694 (0.43%) patients in the control group. HCV contamination preceded B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma only in 2 of 3 HCV‐positive patients. Conclusion The prevalence of HCV infection was low (1.83%) in patients with B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma. HCV seems not to play a major role in the pathogenesis of B‐cell lymphoma in France. Cofactors should be stressed to explain geographical discrepancies. Am. J. Hematol. 67:168–171, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory impedance using forced oscillation technique in preschool children with a history of wheezing
Authors: Claudia Calogero, Niccolò Parri, Grazia Fenu, Peter Sly, Barbara Cuomo, Massimo Palumbo, Enrico Lombardi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Background: This study aimed to assess respiratory impedance using the forced oscillation technique (FOT) in preschool children with a history of wheezing.  Methods: FOT respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) at 6, 8, 10 Hz, as well as resonant frequency (Fres), were measured in kindergartens. Children were labelled to have a history of wheezing (WZ) if, based on questionnaires, they had had a diagnosis of asthma, or >3 episodes of WZ ever, or WZ during the previous year. All children had no respiratory symptoms or signs at the time of testing. Post-bronchodilator (BD) impedance was assessed 15 min after administration of salbutamol 200 mcg via MDI and a spacer.  Results: A total of 165 healthy (H) children (82 female; median age 4.8 yr, range 2.9-6.1) and 64 WZ children (25 female, median age 4.6 yr, range 2.7-6.0) were evaluated. Mean (SD) Rrs, Xrs and Fres are reported in the table. Post-BD changes were not significantly different in the two groups.  Conclusions: Rrs, Xrs and Fres were not significantly different in asymptomatic preschool children with a history of WZ and in controls. Other indices, such as the area under the curve of Xrs, need to be investigated.