tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Pilot Study of a Group Intervention
Authors: D K Wellisch, A Hoffman, S Goldman, J Hammerstein, K Klein, M Bell
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1999)

The psycho-oncology literature to date contains only one outcome study based on a group model for high-risk relatives of breast cancer patients. The authors set out to study the effects of group intervention in high-risk relatives of breast cancer patients.Thirty-three high-risk relatives of breast cancer patients participated in a six-session, 12-hour group intervention model that consisted of educational and psychosocial components.There was a significant reduction of depression symptoms as reported on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Similarly, there was a significant reduction of anxiety symptoms as reported on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory state scale.In this pilot study, the investigators found the group intervention model effective at reducing symptoms of depression and reactive (not chronic) anxiety.
Oral Sodium Clodronate for Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer--Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial: Medical Research Council PR04 (ISRCTN61384873)
Authors: M. D. Mason, M. R. Sydes, J. Glaholm, R. E. Langley, R. A. Huddart, M. Sokal, M. Stott, A. C. Robinson, N. D. James, M. K. B. Parmar, D. P. Dearnaley
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2007)

The most frequent site of metastases from prostate cancer is bone. Adjuvant bisphosphonate treatment improves outcomes of patients with bone metastasis–negative breast cancer, but the effects of bisphosphonates on bone metastases in prostate cancer are not known. We performed a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to determine whether a first-generation bisphosphonate could improve symptomatic bone metastasis–free survival (time to symptomatic bone metastases or death from prostate cancer) in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer who were at high risk of developing bone metastases. Between June 1, 1994, and December 31, 1997, 508 men from 26 UK sites and one New Zealand site who were within 3 years of initial prostate cancer diagnosis with no evidence of metastases from current bone scanning were randomly assigned to daily oral sodium clodronate (2080 mg/day, n = 254) or placebo (n = 254) for a maximum of 5 years. Estimates of outcome risks were compared using Kaplan–Meier analyses. The groups allocated to each treatment were well balanced. After a median follow-up of nearly 10 years, no evidence of benefit to the clodronate group was observed in terms of bone metastases–free survival (clodronate versus placebo, 80 events versus 68 events; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.88 to 1.68) or overall survival (clodronate versus placebo, 130 deaths versus 127 deaths; HR = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.80 to 1.30). Adverse events, notably gastrointestinal problems and increased lactate dehydrogenase levels, were more frequent in the clodronate group than in the placebo group; otherwise, clodronate was well tolerated. Modification of trial drug dose was more frequent in the clodronate group than the placebo group (HR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.21 to 2.19). Adjuvant sodium clodronate does not modify the natural history of nonmetastatic prostate cancer.
An epidemiological survey on ankle sprain.
Authors: M S Yeung, K M Chan, C H So, W Y Yuan
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1994)

Ankle sprain is a common sports injury and is often regarded as trivial by athletes and coaches. This epidemiological study was conducted among three categories of Hong Kong Chinese athletes: national teams, competitive athletes and recreational athletes. This study shows that as much as 73% of all athletes had recurrent ankle sprain and 59% of these athletes had significant disability and residual symptoms which led to impairment of their athletic performance. This study indicates that a proper approach towards injury prevention and a comprehensive rehabilitation programme are required.
Increased expression of heparanase in overt diabetic nephropathy
Authors: M.J. van den Hoven, A.L. Rops, M.A. Bakker, J. Aten, N. Rutjes, P. Roestenberg, R. Goldschmeding, E. Zcharia, I. Vlodavsky, J. van der Vlag, J.H. Berden
Journal: Kidney International (2006)
Croup Is Associated with the Novel Coronavirus NL63
Authors: Lia van der Hoek, Klaus Sure, Gabriele Ihorst, Alexander Stang, Krzysztof Pyrc, Maarten F Jebbink, Gudula Petersen, Johannes Forster, Ben Berkhout, Klaus Überla
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2005)

The clinical relevance of infections with the novel human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) has not been investigated systematically. We therefore determined its association with disease in young children with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).Nine hundred forty-nine samples of nasopharyngeal secretions from children under 3 y of age with LRTIs were analysed by a quantitative HCoV-NL63-specific real-time PCR. The samples had been collected from hospitalised patients and outpatients from December 1999 to October 2001 in four different regions in Germany as part of the prospective population-based PRI.DE study and analysed for RNA from respiratory viruses. Forty-nine samples (5.2%), mainly derived from the winter season, were positive for HCoV-NL63 RNA. The viral RNA was more prevalent in samples from outpatients (7.9%) than from hospitalised patients (3.2%, p = 0.003), and co-infection with either respiratory syncytial virus or parainfluenza virus 3 was observed frequently. Samples in which only HCoV-NL63 RNA could be detected had a significantly higher viral load than samples containing additional respiratory viruses (median 2.1 x 10(6) versus 2.7 x 10(2) copies/ml, p = 0.0006). A strong association with croup was apparent: 43% of the HCoV-NL63-positive patients with high HCoV-NL63 load and absence of co-infection suffered from croup, compared to 6% in the HCoV-NL63-negative group, p < 0.0001. A significantly higher fraction (17.4%) of samples from croup patients than from non-croup patients (4.2%) contained HCoV-NL63 RNA.HCoV-NL63 infections occur frequently in young children with LRTI and show a strong association with croup, suggesting a causal relationship.
Comparison of Directly Measured Left Ventricular Wall Stress and Stress Calculated from Geometric Reference Figures
Authors: JOHN W. BURNS, JAMES W. COVELL, RICHARD MYERS, JOHN ROSS
Journal: Circulation Research (1971)

Mean left ventricular wall force was determined with a calibrated transmural auxotonic strain gauge in the left ventricle of six anesthetized, open-chest dogs with intact circulation. The gauge was oriented in the plane of the minor left ventricular equator, midway between the papillary muscles. Left ventricular internal volume was derived from the passive pressure-volume curve of the arrested heart and calculated mean wall stress was derived both from spherical and ellipsoidal reference figures for the left ventricle and compared with measured forces. Control left ventricular end-diastolic pressure averaged 3.0 ± 0.6 mm Hg (SE). At this level of end-diastolic pressure, measured peak wall stress averaged 97.2±14.4 g/cm 2 , whereas calculated peak wall stress averaged 79.3±9.9 and 118.6±12.9 g/cm 2 , for the spherical and ellipsoidal models, respectively. Measured end-diastolic wall force values averaged 9.4±4.5 and 29.2±8.1 g/cm 2 at an end-diastolic pressure of 3.0 and 12.3 mm Hg, respectively. In all cases, stress values calculated from spherical reference figures for the left ventricle were significantly lower than those measured directly. In four other experiments, using right heart bypass, the ventricular septum was exposed and active wall force was determined at two or more sites on the left ventricular minor equator. Wall stress at these sites differed by an average of 15.3%, indicating that stresses around the minor equator are relatively uniform. These studies lend validity to the application of geometric models in the calculation of mean wall stress and favor the application of an ellipsoid for the geometric reference figure.
Early treatment with, and time receiving, first disease-modifying antirheumatic drug predicts long-term function in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis
Authors: T. M. Farragher, M. Lunt, B. Fu, D. Bunn, D. P. M. Symmons
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2009)

<h3>Objectives</h3> To investigate the influence of early disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment on long-term functional outcome in patients with recent-onset inflammatory polyarthritis (IP), and the impact of the duration of first and subsequent DMARD treatment. <h3>Methods</h3> 642 subjects from a primary care registry of patients with new-onset IP, recruited 1990–4, were followed up for 10 years. Mean change in Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores between baseline and 10 years were compared by time to, and time receiving, first DMARD treatment and total time receiving treatment, using linear regression. Adjustment for time-dependent confounders and censoring was performed using marginal structural weights. <h3>Results</h3> When adjusted for baseline and subsequent disease severity, those treated early (&lt;6 months from symptom onset) experienced a non-significant improvement in function compared with those never treated (adjusted mean difference in change (adj_MDIC) in HAQ −0.24; 95% CI −0.58 to 0.09); and a significant benefit for each additional month of treatment within 6 months of the onset of symptoms (adj_MDIC −0.10; 95% CI −0.19 to −0.02). Patients who discontinued their first DMARD within 6 months experienced a significant deterioration in long-term function (adj_MDIC in HAQ 0.28; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.52), while those who continued their first treatment for &gt; 3 years experienced an improvement (adj_MDIC in HAQ −0.37; 95% CI −0.77 to 0.04). <h3>Conclusions</h3> The importance of time to, and response to, first DMARD treatment and total duration of DMARD treatment in modifying the 10-year function in patients with IP has been demonstrated.
Donor G Protein β3 Subunit 825TT Genotype Is Associated with Reduced Kidney Allograft Survival
Authors: JOACHIM BEIGE, STEFAN ENGELI, JENS RINGEL, GERD OFFERMANN, ARMIN DISTLER, ARYA M. SHARMA
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1999)

Abstract. Recent studies have identified a novel polymorphism (C825T) of the gene encoding the β3 subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins (Gβ3), associated with enhanced activation of G proteins, which appears to be more common in hypertensive patients. In the present study, the relationship between this genetic variant and kidney allograft survival was examined over the first 3 yr after transplantation, in 320 consecutive Caucasian patients recruited from the Berlin-Steglitz transplantation center between 1988 and 1993. Clinical parameters, transplantation data, and details of graft survival were retrieved from clinical records. After multivariate adjustment for covariates (Cox hazard regression), the Gβ3 825TT donor-genotype was associated with a significantly decreased graft survival representing a relative risk of graft loss of 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 4.8) compared to TC and CC grafts within the observation period. This association between donor TT genotype and graft survival remained stable even after stepwise exclusion of covariates from the multivariate model. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between recipient genotype and allograft function. These findings indicate that individuals receiving renal allografts from donors homozygous for the Gβ3-825T allele may have an increased risk of developing allograft failure. Additional studies on the role of this genetic marker as well as the role of pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins in the development of chronic rejection appear warranted.
Strain-Dependent Vascular Remodeling
Authors: Vyacheslav A. Korshunov, Bradford C. Berk
Journal: Circulation (2004)

Atherosclerosis of the carotid artery, called intima-media thickening (IMT), is a form of vascular remodeling that is an important predictor for cardiovascular events and has a strong genetic component.Recently, we established a mouse model of vascular remodeling based on partial ligation of the carotid, which is relevant to the "Glagov phenomenon." We hypothesized that there would be genetically determined differences in outward remodeling and IMT induced by carotid flow alterations. We compared vascular remodeling among 5 inbred strains of mice. Despite similar changes in flow among the strains in the left carotid artery (LCA), we observed dramatic differences in remodeling of the partially ligated LCA relative to control. The smallest IMT volume (26+/-3 microm3) was found in C3H/HeJ mice, and the largest were in SJL/J (59+/-10 microm3) and FVB/NJ (81+/-6 microm3). Shear stress did not differ after ligation among strains. Lumen area decreased only when stenosis was > or =55%. IMT correlated significantly with outward remodeling among inbred strains (except C3H). There were significant strain-dependent differences in remodeling index (measured as vessel area/IMT), which suggest fundamental alterations in sensing or transducing hemodynamic signals among strains. Among hemodynamic factors, low shear stress and high heart rate were predictive for IMT. Specifically, heart rate (bpm: C3H, 592+/-6; SJL, 649+/-6; FVB, 683+/-7) but not systolic blood pressure (mm Hg: C3H, 116+/-2; SJL, 119+/-1; FVB, 136+/-1) was predictive.The present study indicates that performing a genetic cross of these strains and total genome scan should identify genes that mediate vascular remodeling.
Beta Receptor Blocking Agents in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: J A Vedin, C E Wilhelmsson
Journal: The Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology (1983)

In the western world coronary heart disease (CHD) constitutes the single most common cause of death from middle age on in both men and women (1). This fact remains despite a recent decline in mortality from the disease in some countries including the USA (2). The magnitude of the problem has induced planning and realization of a number of trials aimed at reducing mortality and new events. The natural history of CHD is usually divided into two major parts separated by the initial manifestation of the disease. During the period preceding the initial clinical manifestation certain factors have been found to be statistically significantly associated with increased risk of an initial event, i.e. primary risk factors. Measures aimed at these factors are usually included under a common heading, primary prevention. In an analogous way factors associated with increased risk of a second or further events are termed secondary risk factors, and measures aimed at a reduction of these late complications are grouped under the heading secondary prevention. Coronary heart disease has three major clinical manifestations: angina pec­ toris, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death, listed in as­ cending order of clinical urgency. Despite widespread availability of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in some areas few victims of sudden cardiac death had been exposed to secondary prevention, and for a number of reasons, despite the high prevalence of the symptom, there have been very few systematic studies or controlled trials of secondary prevention in angina pectoris. An acute myocardial infarction constitutes a clinical �vent that defines a subcategory of the population that, in addition to be�ng easy to find, has
Epstein-Barr virus regulates activation and processing of the third component of complement.
Authors: C Mold, B M Bradt, G R Nemerow, N R Cooper
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1988)

Serum incubated with purified EBV was found to contain C3 cleavage fragments characteristic of C3c. Since the cofactors necessary for such cleavage of C3b by factor I are not normally present in serum, EBV was tested for factor I cofactor activity. Purified EBV from both human and marmoset EBV-producing cell lines was found to act as a cofactor for the factor I-mediated breakdown C3b to iC3b and iC3b to C3c and C3dg. EBV also acted as a cofactor for the factor I-mediated cleavage of C4b to iC4b and iC4b to C4c and C4d. EBV from both the human and marmoset cell lines accelerated the decay of the alternative pathway C3 convertase. The classical pathway C3 convertase was unaffected. Multiple lines of evidence eliminated the possibility that marmoset or human CR1 was responsible for the functional activities of EBV preparations. The spectrum of activities was different from CR1 in that EBV and EBV-expressing cell lines failed to rosette with C3b or particles bearing C3b, the primary functional assay for CR1, and EBV did not accelerate classical pathway C3 convertase decay, another property of CR1. In addition, CR1 could not be detected immunologically on marmoset or human EBV-expressing cells and mAbs to CR1 failed to alter EBV-produced decay acceleration and factor I cofactor activities, although the antibodies blocked the same CR1-dependent functional activities. The multiple complement regulatory activities exhibited by purified EBV derived from human and marmoset cells differ from those of any of the known C3 or C4 regulatory proteins. These various activities would be anticipated to provide survival value for the virus by subverting complement- and cell-dependent host defense mechanisms.
New Genetic Tactics to Model Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in the Mouse
Authors: Charles Keller, Mario R. Capecchi
Journal: Cancer Research (2005)

Abstract Using conditional knock-in and knock-out techniques, we designed a mouse model of the childhood muscle cancer alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) that is driven by the chromosomal translocation product, Pax3:Fkhr. Tumors that closely recapitulate the spectrum of molecular markers and histology seen in human ARMS are exclusively produced in this model. Unexpectedly, expression of Pax3:Fkhr in muscle satellite cells did not produce tumors, but it did in differentiating myofibers. Expression of Pax3:Fkhr in muscle is necessary but not sufficient to initiate tumorigenesis at high frequency. This model offers new insight into the roots of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and illustrates the utility of Cre-loxP technology for studying otherwise inaccessible cancers in the mouse.
Vaccine Efficacy in Senescent Mice Challenged with Recombinant SARS-CoV Bearing Epidemic and Zoonotic Spike Variants
Authors: Damon Deming, Timothy Sheahan, Mark Heise, Boyd Yount, Nancy Davis, Amy Sims, Mehul Suthar, Jack Harkema, Alan Whitmore, Raymond Pickles, Ande West, Eric Donaldson, Kristopher Curtis, Robert Johnston, Ralph Baric
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2006)

Background In 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was identified as the etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome, a disease characterized by severe pneumonia that sometimes results in death. SARS-CoV is a zoonotic virus that crossed the species barrier, most likely originating from bats or from other species including civets, raccoon dogs, domestic cats, swine, and rodents. A SARS-CoV vaccine should confer long-term protection, especially in vulnerable senescent populations, against both the 2003 epidemic strains and zoonotic strains that may yet emerge from animal reservoirs. We report the comprehensive investigation of SARS vaccine efficacy in young and senescent mice following homologous and heterologous challenge. Methods and Findings Using Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particles (VRP) expressing the 2003 epidemic Urbani SARS-CoV strain spike (S) glycoprotein (VRP-S) or the nucleocapsid (N) protein from the same strain (VRP-N), we demonstrate that VRP-S, but not VRP-N vaccines provide complete short- and long-term protection against homologous strain challenge in young and senescent mice. To test VRP vaccine efficacy against a heterologous SARS-CoV, we used phylogenetic analyses, synthetic biology, and reverse genetics to construct a chimeric virus (icGDO3-S) encoding a synthetic S glycoprotein gene of the most genetically divergent human strain, GDO3, which clusters among the zoonotic SARS-CoV. icGD03-S replicated efficiently in human airway epithelial cells and in the lungs of young and senescent mice, and was highly resistant to neutralization with antisera directed against the Urbani strain. Although VRP-S vaccines provided complete short-term protection against heterologous icGD03-S challenge in young mice, only limited protection was seen in vaccinated senescent animals. VRP-N vaccines not only failed to protect from homologous or heterologous challenge, but resulted in enhanced immunopathology with eosinophilic infiltrates within the lungs of SARS-CoV–challenged mice. VRP-N–induced pathology presented at day 4, peaked around day 7, and persisted through day 14, and was likely mediated by cellular immune responses. Conclusions This study identifies gaps and challenges in vaccine design for controlling future SARS-CoV zoonosis, especially in vulnerable elderly populations. The availability of a SARS-CoV virus bearing heterologous S glycoproteins provides a robust challenge inoculum for evaluating vaccine efficacy against zoonotic strains, the most likely source of future outbreaks.
Quality of Life After Treatment for Prostate Cancer: No Difference Between Surgery and Radiotherapy?
Authors: Dirk Vordermark, Oliver Koelbl
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2003)

reporting on general health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes ina cohort of 2,306 assessable patients, diagnosed in 1994 and 1995, 2 yearsafter treatment with either radical prostatectomy (RP), radiotherapy (RT),hormone ablation, or watchful waiting. The main results were that nosigniﬁcant differences between the various treatment modalities were de-tected, and that impaired urinary and sexual function and the resulting botherwere associated with signiﬁcantly reduced scores in the majority of generalHRQOL domains assessed. Such studies comparing quality of life betweendifferent modalities of prostate cancer treatment are of great importance,given that the rates of tumor control appear to be remarkably similar betweendifferent treatment approaches, as supported by a recent interspecialtycomparison of data from leading centers.