tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Port Health Control
Authors: J. S. Horner
Journal: BMJ (1974)

Almost 950,000 of the 21 million passengers passing through London (Heathrow) Airport in 1973 were seen by the health control unit, which is run by the London Borough of Hillingdon. The unit provides 24-hour medical cover and its responsibilities include x-ray examination for tuberculosis and screening passengers from smallpox-infected areas. It is suggested that, in view of changing epidemiological patterns throughout the world, there is a need to modify existing procedures rather than to abandon them. The development of a follow-up system for tracing passengers at risk and improvements in presenting information about health risks to intending travellers are advocated. While such proposals might be opposed, they could be practicable.
Review of the use of marrow transplantation in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Authors: F R Appelbaum, E D Thomas
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1983)

High-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by marrow transplantation has become a widely used form of therapy for patients with acute leukemia. Because of the success of marrow transplantation in the treatment of this disease, there has been increased interest in the possible application of marrow transplantation to the treatment of other malignancies known to be sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this paper we review the rationale behind the application of marrow transplantation to the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the results that have been achieved to date.
Atypical and classical memory B cells produce <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> neutralizing antibodies
Authors: Matthias F. Muellenbeck, Beatrix Ueberheide, Borko Amulic, Alexandra Epp, David Fenyo, Christian E. Busse, Meral Esen, Michael Theisen, Benjamin Mordmüller, Hedda Wardemann
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2013)

Antibodies can protect from Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infection and clinical malaria disease. However, in the absence of constant reexposure, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels rapidly decline and full protection from clinical symptoms is lost, suggesting that B cell memory is functionally impaired. We show at the single cell level that natural Pf infection induces the development of classical memory B cells (CM) and atypical memory B cells (AtM) that produce broadly neutralizing antibodies against blood stage Pf parasites. CM and AtM contribute to anti-Pf serum IgG production, but only AtM show signs of active antibody secretion. AtM and CM were also different in their IgG gene repertoire, suggesting that they develop from different precursors. The findings provide direct evidence that natural Pf infection leads to the development of protective memory B cell antibody responses and suggest that constant immune activation rather than impaired memory function leads to the accumulation of AtM in malaria. Understanding the memory B cell response to natural Pf infection may be key to the development of a malaria vaccine that induces long-lived protection.
Monocyte inflammatory responsiveness and potential therapeutic target for pigeon fancier's hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)
Authors: Charles McSharry, M. Morrison, G. Short, K. Prentice, K. Ruddock, E. Rawlinson, Ruth Adamson, Kenneth Anderson
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Objective: HP is an interstitial lung disease caused by an immune-hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens. Lung 'foamy' macrophages are characteristic of HP, and monocytes may already be primed towards this phenotype, therefore we studied the phenotype and function of blood monocytes in HP among pigeon fanciers.

Method: Pigeon fanciers : 22 with and 23 without HP symptoms. Measures : spirometry, serum IgG to pigeon antigens, and cytokines (ELISA). Monocyte function assessed by in vitro cytokine response to relevant doses of LPS or antigen.

Results: LPS stimulation produced high (pg/ml, median [IQR]) IL-1b (976 [39, 140]), IL-6 (5161 [2000-20000]) and TNFa (521 [200, 1833]) compared with low concentrations in antigen cultures. LPS or antigen induced equal concentrations of IL-4, IL-8, IL-12 and CCL5. In contrast to LPS, antigen stimulated high concentrations (ng/ml) of CCL2 (12.5 [7.7, 16.3]) and IL-1RA (4.4 [1.3, 5.4]). The IL-1Ra concentration correlated with the serum IgG antibody titer (r=0.716, p<0.001) and with lung function (FEV1 %predicted; r= -0.408, p=0.01). The in vitro production of most cytokines by either stimulus was dose-dependently inhibited by dexamethasone (10e-8 and 10e-6M) except for CCL3 and CCL4, and there was a trend for monocytes from subjects with HP to be less steroid responsive.

Conclusion: Development of HP was not limited by the potential of subjects' monocytes to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines. There appeared to be different LPS and antigen-driven cytokine endotypes. The relative steroid-insensitivity of some cytokines suggests that additional anti-inflammatory strategies might be useful in treating HP.
Testing for exercise dependent hypoxemia in a population
Authors: Paul Easton, Mariana Chan
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Introduction: Since 1999 in the province of Alberta, a standard test has identified patients who benefit from low flow oxygen therapy (LFOT) for hypoxemia occurring only during exercise. The Alberta Walk Test (AWalkT) is a double blind, air versus oxygen protocol of three 6 minute walk tests (practice, then oxygen or air in random order), done in 30 sites. AWalkT is for patients NOT hypoxemic at rest who desaturate   Questions: What is the: 1) outcome of widespread exercise testing, 2) incidence of LFOT for exercise dependent hypoxemia, 3) safety of multiple site testing?  Results: In 12 years, 6,913 patients in Alberta have challenged the AWalkT. 54% had a “positive” outcome by: desaturating to   Summary: The Alberta Walk Test effectively identifies within this population, patients with exercise hypoxemia who improve performance with low flow oxygen.
Translocator Protein Blockade Reduces Prostate Tumor Growth
Authors: Arlee Fafalios, Ardavan Akhavan, Anil V. Parwani, Robert R. Bies, Kevin J. McHugh, Beth R. Pflug
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2009)

Abstract Purpose: The transmembrane molecule, translocator protein (TSPO), has been implicated in the progression of epithelial tumors. TSPO gene expression is high in tissues involved in steroid biosynthesis, neurodegenerative disease, and in cancer, and overexpression has been shown to contribute to pathologic conditions including cancer progression in several different models. The goal of our study was to examine the expression and biological relevance of TSPO in prostate cancer and show that the commonly prescribed benzodiazepine lorazepam, a ligand for TSPO, exhibits anticancer properties. Experimental Design: Immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarrays was used to determine the expression profile of TSPO in human prostate cancer tissues. To show the effect of TSPO ligands (lorazepam and PK11195) in prostate cancer, we used cell proliferation assays, apoptosis ELISA, prostate cancer xenograft study, and immunohistochemistry. Results: TSPO expression is increased in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, primary prostate cancer, and metastases compared with normal prostate tissue and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Furthermore, TSPO expression correlates with disease progression, as TSPO levels increased with increasing Gleason sum and stage with prostate cancer metastases demonstrating the highest level of expression among all tissues examined. Functionally, we have shown that lorazepam has antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we have shown that TSPO overexpression in nontumorigenic cells conferred susceptibility to lorazepam-induced growth inhibition. Conclusion: These data suggest that blocking TSPO function in tumor cells induces cell death and denotes a survival role for TSPO in prostate cancer and provides the first evidence for the use of benzodiazepines in prostate cancer therapeutics. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(19):6177–84)
Effect of fenofibrate on the need for laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy (FIELD study): a randomised controlled trial
Authors: AC Keech, P Mitchell, PA Summanen, J O'Day, TME Davis, MS Moffitt, M-R Taskinen, RJ Simes, D Tse, E Williamson, A Merrifield, LT Laatikainen, MC d'Emden, DC Crimet, RL O'Connell, PG Colman
Journal: The Lancet (2007)
Textbook of International Health
Authors: Paul F Basch
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1990)

1. Introduction 2. International Health before 1900 3. The Organization of International Health Since 1900 4. What we Want to Know-Data on Health 5. From Data to Information to Decision 6. The Social Context: Sickness, Illness and Disease 7. Health on the Edge 8. Development, Environment and Health 9. International Programs and Projects 10. Science and Technology 11. The Cost of Sickness and the Price of Health 12. Inventing the Health Sector 13. Reforming the Health Sector 14. Infectious Diseases: Emerging and Submerging 15. Doing International Health
Unraveling the Mechanisms of Endocrine Resistance in Breast Cancer: New Therapeutic Opportunities
Authors: Suleiman Massarweh, Rachel Schiff
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2007)

Abstract Two thirds of breast cancers express the estrogen receptor (ER), which contributes to tumor development and progression. ER-targeted therapy is therefore widely used in breast cancer to inhibit signaling through ER and disrupt breast cancer growth. This therapeutic strategy, particularly using the antiestrogen tamoxifen, is proven to increase the cure rates in early breast cancer, improve patient outcomes in advanced disease, and reduce breast cancer incidence in the prevention setting. Despite the recent integration of more powerful endocrine agents into breast cancer care, resistance to all forms of endocrine therapy remains a major problem. New insight into ER biology and progress in understanding resistance mechanisms, mediated by molecular crosstalk between ER and various growth factor signaling pathways, are generating tremendous promise for new therapeutic opportunities to target resistance and improve breast cancer disease outcomes.
A systematic review of cognition in homeless children and adolescents
Authors: Randolph W Parks, Richard J Stevens, Sean A Spence
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2007)

Objectives The cognitive function of homeless children and adolescents may be overlooked, albeit understandably, when societal interventions focus on their immediate housing needs. Nevertheless, homelessness might be hypothesized to carry many risks for the developing mind and brain. We wanted to discover whether this hypothesis had been tested previously. Design A systematic review to examine whether cognitive impairments were reported in homeless children and adolescents. Setting Objective, systematic review of standard databases, examined by key word searches. Participants Children and adolescents. Main outcome measures Formal assessments of cognition. Results We found that in spite of there being many homeless children in the world, fewer than 2000 have been assessed cognitively and reported in the literature. Yet when compared with those who are domiciled, these children tend to have lower intellectual functioning and decreased academic achievement. Furthermore, adolescents evince cognitive impairments in the contexts of drug, physical, and sexual abuse. Conclusions We suggest that cognitive and mental health screening be incorporated into those intervention programs deployed to facilitate societal reintegration of homeless children and adolescents.
P157 Staff education improves non-invasive ventilation outcomes in COPD patients presenting with acute hypercapnoeic respiratory failure.
Authors: S. Roychowdhury, O. Kankam, C. Jackson, D. Sword, K. Prasad, V. Stark
Journal: Thorax (2010)

<h3>Introduction</h3> Non invasive ventilation (NIV) is safe and effective treatment for acute hypercapnoeic respiratory failure. National guidelines1 have been in existence since 2002 but despite widespread use of NIV, there is evidence to suggest that adherence is variable.2 A recent update provides a specific focus for NIV use in COPD patients and recommends a protocol for weaning.3 We sought to assess local adherence to British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines and outcomes in this group of patients before and after targeted education of staff involved in the provision of acute NIV. <h3>Method</h3> In November 2008, 25 coded case notes were audited retrospectively using the BTS audit tool. The results were presented at the local Clinical Governance meeting followed by cyclical dedicated educational sessions comprising an overview of BTS guidelines and simulated clinical scenarios for Nursing and Medical staff involved in acute NIV services. A prospective audit was then conducted 6 months later to assess changes to NIV practice. <h3>Results</h3> Analysis of the prospective study (n=25) compared to the retrospective study (n=25), demonstrated an improvement in all the assessed measures reflecting better adherence to the published guidelines .NIV was instituted within 60 min of admission in a higher proportion of patients (92% vs 80%) A similar trend was seen in documentation of initial NIV settings (84% vs 76%) and written management plans (88% vs 40%). A positive effect was also seen in the recording of blood gas analysis at 1–2 h (80% vs 56%) and at 4–6 h (72% vs 36%) Weaning as per the recommended protocol3 was achieved in 40% patients. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Targeted cyclical didactic educational sessions for staff involved in the provision of acute NIV services improves adherence to National guidelines and potentially leads to improved patient outcomes. However, adhering to the recommended weaning protocols3 may be difficult to achieve in a busy district general Hospital with a significant number of admissions with acute exacerbation of COPD.
Pulmonary Vein Region Ablation in Experimental Vagal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Kristina Lemola, Denis Chartier, Yung-Hsin Yeh, Marc Dubuc, Raymond Cartier, Andrew Armour, Michael Ting, Masao Sakabe, Akiko Shiroshita-Takeshita, Philippe Comtois, Stanley Nattel
Journal: Circulation (2008)

Background— Pulmonary vein (PV) –encircling radiofrequency ablation frequently is effective in vagal atrial fibrillation (AF), and there is evidence that PVs may be particularly prone to cholinergically induced arrhythmia mechanisms. However, PV ablation procedures also can affect intracardiac autonomic ganglia. The present study examined the relative role of PVs versus peri-PV autonomic ganglia in an experimental vagal AF model. Methods and Results— Cholinergic AF was studied under carbachol infusion in coronary perfused canine left atrial PV preparations in vitro and with cervical vagal stimulation in vivo. Carbachol caused dose-dependent AF promotion in vitro, which was not affected by excision of all PVs. Sustained AF could be induced easily in all dogs during vagal nerve stimulation in vivo both before and after isolation of all PVs with encircling lesions created by a bipolar radiofrequency ablation clamp device. PV elimination had no effect on atrial effective refractory period or its responses to cholinergic stimulation. Autonomic ganglia were identified by bradycardic and/or tachycardic responses to high-frequency subthreshold local stimulation. Ablation of the autonomic ganglia overlying all PV ostia suppressed the effective refractory period–abbreviating and AF-promoting effects of cervical vagal stimulation, whereas ablation of only left- or right-sided PV ostial ganglia failed to suppress AF. Dominant-frequency analysis suggested that the success of ablation in suppressing vagal AF depended on the elimination of high-frequency driver regions. Conclusions— Intact PVs are not needed for maintenance of experimental cholinergic AF. Ablation of the autonomic ganglia at the base of the PVs suppresses vagal responses and may contribute to the effectiveness of PV-directed ablation procedures in vagal AF.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Expressing Osteogenic and Angiogenic Factors Synergistically Enhance Bone Formation in a Mouse Model of Segmental Bone Defect
Authors: Sanjay Kumar, Chao Wan, Girish Ramaswamy, Thomas L Clemens, Selvarangan Ponnazhagan
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2010)

The potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in tissue regeneration is increasingly gaining attention. There is now accumulating evidence that MSC make an important contribution to postnatal vasculogenesis. During bone development and fracture healing, vascularization is observed before bone formation. The present study determined the potential of MSC, transduced ex vivo with a recombinant adeno-associated virus 6 (rAAV6) encoding bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a mouse model of segmental bone defect created in the tibiae of athymic nude mice. Mouse MSC that were mock-transduced or transduced with rAAV6-BMP2:VEGF were systemically transplanted following radiographic confirmation of the osteotomy. Effects of the therapy were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements for BMP2 and VEGF, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for bone density, three-dimensional microcomputed tomography (microCT) for bone and capillary architecture, and histomorphometry for bone remodeling. Results of these analyses indicated enhanced bone formation in the group that received BMP2+VEGF-expressing MSC compared to other groups. The therapeutic effects were accompanied by increased vascularity and osteoblastogenesis, indicating its potential for effective use while treating difficult nonunion bone defects in humans.
Salvage Radiotherapy for Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Andrew J. Stephenson
Journal: JAMA (2004)

PPROXIMATELY 30000 MEN ANnually in the United States will have recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy. 1 Initially, for most of these patients the only evidence of recurrent disease is an increasing serum prostatespecific antigen (PSA) level without radiographic or physical evidence of disease.][4] However, some patients with an increasing PSA level will have disease initially confined to the pelvis that subsequently may give rise to distant metastases.Isolated local relapse potentially can be cured by salvage radiotherapy, but there is no proven cure for metastatic disease.Complicating the treatment of these patients is the inability to distinguish patients with an isolated local recurrence from those with occult distant metastases, who are unlikely to ben-
Central nervous system involvement in mantle cell lymphoma: clinical features, prognostic factors and outcomes from the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network
Authors: C.Y. Cheah, A. George, E. Giné, A. Chiappella, H.C. Kluin-Nelemans, W. Jurczak, K. Krawczyk, H. Mocikova, P. Klener, D. Salek, J. Walewski, M. Szymczyk, L. Smolej, R.L. Auer, D.S. Ritchie, L. Arcaini, M.E. Williams, M. Dreyling, J.F. Seymour
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2013)
c-ANCA positivity in a Belgian patient with pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis
Authors: I Stappaerts, J Bogers, D Ebo, E Vanden Broecke, WJ Stevens, E Van Marck, P Vermeire
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1997)

We present the case of a 69 yr old, white male, suffering from diffuse interstitial lung disease, finally diagnosed as paracoccidioidomycosis or South American blastomycosis. During the course of his disease, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (c-ANCAs) became positive, suggesting the possibility of a Wegener's granulomatosis. Transbronchial biopsies and a video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy revealed only the pulmonary yeast infection, without other co-existing pathology. During treatment with itraconazole, the patient improved clinically and functionally, and c-ANCAs became negative. Serological monitoring confirmed the diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing positive c-ANCAs in a patient with paracoccidioidomycosis. It re-emphasizes the fact that cautious interpretation of c-ANCAs in patients without convincing clinical signs or pathological evidence of a granulomatous vasculitis is absolutely necessary. In this era of increased mobility, a thorough medical history, including documentation of travel, remains an inexpensive tool in making a diagnosis and is still the cornerstone of good medical practice.
Age-related differences in chest radiographic staging of sarcoidosis in Japan
Authors: Michiru Sawahata, Yukihiko Sugiyama, Yosikazu Nakamura, Masayuki Nakayama, Naoko Mato, Hideaki Yamasawa, Masashi Bando
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Age-related differences in chest radiographic staging of sarcoidosis in JapanTo the Editor:Sarcoidosis is generally thought to occur more frequently in adults ,40 years of age, with incidence peaking in patients aged between 20 and 29 years [1].In Japan, as well as in Europe, there is a second peak in females .50 years of age [2, 3].When comparing the results of national epidemiological surveys conducted in Japan between 1960 and 2004, the incidence rate in females .50 years of age can be seen to have gradually increased while that for bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL) has decreased [3].However, whether there is any association between these trends in Japan remains to be elucidated.An earlier study conducted in Europe suggested that older patients are less likely to present with stage 1 sarcoidosis at diagnosis [2].
How many concepts of consciousness?
Authors: Ned Block
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (1995)

Abstract With some help from the commentators, a few adjustments to the characterizations of A-consciousness and P-consciousness can avoid some trivial cases of one without the other. But it still seems that the case for the existence of P without A is stronger than that for A without P. If indeed there can be P without A, but not A without P, this would be a remarkable result that would need explanation.
Do quantitative cultures of protected brush specimens modify the initial empirical therapy in ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia?
Authors: F Rodriguez de Castro, J Sole-Violan, A Aranda Leon, J Blanco Lopez, G Julia-Serda, P Cabrera Navarro, J Bolanos Guerra
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1996)

The real contribution of the protected specimen brush (PSB) to guide the choice of antimicrobial therapy in ventilated patients with severe pneumonia is not well established. This study aimed to assess how data obtained by PSB changed the initial empirical therapy. One hundred and ten ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia were entered into a prospective study. All patients underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy within the first 24 h after clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Specimens were obtained by PSB and were processed for quantitative cultures using standard methods. When patients were started on empirical antibiotics, a standard therapeutic regimen was followed. The decision to introduce, withdraw, maintain, or modify antibiotic therapy, according to the PSB culture results, was left to the attending physician. Pneumonia was the final diagnosis in 45 (41%) of the 110 patients. Pneumonia was excluded in 47 (43%) patients and in the remaining 18 (16%) the diagnosis was uncertain. The initial therapeutic plans were considered to be adequate in 40 patients (36%) and inadequate in 37 cases (34%). In 17 patients (15%), therapeutic changes were made based on the results of PSB cultures. In one case appropriate antibiotics were introduced; in nine cases the therapeutic regimen was reduced to select a narrower and rational therapy; and in seven patients therapy was changed because the prescribed antimicrobial agents were ineffective against the organisms recovered. This study shows that therapeutic changes were made based on the results of PSB cultures in 38% of the patients with pneumonia. In contrast, the PSB technique has no impact on antimicrobial therapy of patients without pneumonia.