tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Impact resistance of drinking glasses.
Authors: D. Grimes
Journal: BMJ (1992)

are not itemised and not for debate may drive person responsible for the preregistration year in address this issue and to plan prospective trials.industrial support elsewhere in Europe and to this medical school, I know that consultants are These trials will also incorporate regimens for other countries, concerned that some graduates have difficulty in planned prophylaxis and an appraisal of the inci- P GRIFFIN completing their year as a house officer.These dence of factor VIII antibodies.Concern has F 0 WELLS doctors' undergraduate records often show the been expressed that treatment with monoclonally Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industrv, signs of impending disaster.The arguments for derived high purity products is associated with an London SWIA 2DY~~~~~~~~~their continuing the course are as Kelly outlined; tncreased incidence of inhibitors.-D SWALES when they are challenged to account for their There remains the question whether highAssciaionof lincalProessrs f Mdicne B ANES poor performance they give many reasons, but purity factor VIII prevents down regulation of the Departmenit of Medicine, how seriously is their commitment to medicine immune system.Evidence of benefit continues to St George's Hospital, questioned?accumulate, as indicated recently by de Biasi et al.
Costs and cost-effectiveness of the nursing programme ‘Coping with itch’ for patients with chronic pruritic skin disease
Authors: H. van Os-Medendorp, C.L.H. Guikers, P.C.M. Eland-de Kok, W.J.G. Ros, C.A.F.M. Bruijnzeel-Koomen, E. Buskens
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2008)

Itch, a major symptom of many skin diseases, has a great impact on quality of life. The nursing programme 'Coping with itch' aims at reducing itch and at helping patients to cope with itch.To explore costs and cost-effectiveness of the programme.A randomized controlled study was carried out with 56 patients. Data were gathered on medical consumption, days off work and the frequency of itching and scratching. Differences between both groups, the cost-effectiveness ratio and the percentage of patients falling into the four quadrants of the cost-effectiveness analysis plane were determined.The intervention group experienced a gain of 6 days with little itching [95% confidence interval (CI) -16-28] at 3 months and a gain of 35 days (95% CI -33-96) at 9 months. They paid more visits to the dermatology nurse than the control group. The point estimate of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was euro129.91 and euro16.60 per day with little itching at 3 months and at 9 months, respectively. At 3 months, 70% of the patients experienced favourable results and 14% of them had lower costs. At 9 months, 87% had favourable results and 31% of them had lower costs.Most of the expenses associated with the 'Coping with itch' programme were incurred during the first 3 months, but the benefits in terms of days with little itch appeared to persist and increase beyond 3 months, thus leading to a more favourable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.
Interdependencies among clinical research funders
Authors: F. D. R. Hobbs
Journal: BMJ (2014)

Metrics for British cancer research show it’s a national success story

The United Kingdom may have finally emerged from its longest economic slump in more than a century,1 but further deep cuts in government spending are expected in an attempt to reduce the country’s deficit.

Rather than cutting acute healthcare services, a raid on medical research budgets may seem more palatable to government ministers. So would such a step matter, beyond its obvious impact on academic researchers?

This question was explored in a recent report commissioned by Cancer Research UK,2 which is responsible for around a third of the £1bn (€1.26bn; $1.7bn) a year awarded by UK medical charities to researchers.3

Based on a series of systematic reviews and bibliometric analyses of research published in 2011, augmented by interviews with senior cancer researchers and funding representatives, the report draws several conclusions.

Firstly, it reconfirms the relative global importance of medical research in the UK,4 at least in cancer research. As a country, Britain continues to punch well above …
Oral Antiplatelet Therapy in Cerebrovascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, and Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Huyen Tran
Journal: JAMA (2004)

Atherothrombosis is a pathophysiologic process that results in clinical ischemic events affecting the cerebral, coronary, and peripheral arterial circulation. Antiplatelet agents, used alone or in combination, are effective in preventing recurrent vascular events among individuals with established vascular disease.To summarize the current state of evidence regarding oral antiplatelet treatment in patients with cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease (CAD), and peripheral arterial disease.Using the key terms acute coronary syndrome, atherothrombosis, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, MI, peripheral arterial disease, TIA, transient ischemic attack, unstable angina,aspirin,ticlopidine,dipyridamole, and clopidogrel, we searched the MEDLINE database as well as the trial register of the Cochrane Groups to identify studies published from 1960 to August 2004. We manually searched journals and abstract booklets; scrutinized reference lists of trials and review articles; and reviewed meta-analyses, scientific statements, and guidelines from official societies.Appropriate oral first-line antiplatelet therapy is aspirin for individuals with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction; aspirin or clopidogrel for those with TIA or stroke, chronic stable angina, or peripheral arterial disease; and aspirin combined with clopidogrel for those with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. Aspirin combined with dipyridamole is a possible alternative for patients who experience a first episode of TIA or stroke in the absence of clinically apparent CAD. Although ticlopidine has been shown to be of benefit in various vascular conditions, its adverse-effect profile has limited its use.Aspirin, ticlopidine, clopidogrel, aspirin combined with clopidogrel, and aspirin combined with dipyridamole are effective in preventing recurrent vascular events among various subgroups of patients with vascular disease. Current clinical trial evidence favors the use of aspirin or clopidogrel as first-line agents for the majority of patients with vascular disease. Clinical trials evaluating combination antiplatelet therapies will direct future practice.
Mutations in the LKBI tumour suppressor gene linked to non-small cell lung cancer in Caucasians
Authors: R Curley
Journal: Thorax (2009)

Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related death in the UK. However, patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may benefit from surgery or radiotherapy, providing a cure in a small proportion. Mutations in the LKBI tumour suppressor gene have been found in several human cancers including NSCLC. This study explores the incidence of LKBI …
Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products
Authors: Robert B. Saper
Journal: JAMA (2004)

Lead, mercury, and arsenic intoxication have been associated with the use of Ayurvedic herbal medicine product (HMPs).To determine the prevalence and concentration of heavy metals in Ayurvedic HMPs manufactured in South Asia and sold in Boston-area stores and to compare estimated daily metal ingestion with regulatory standards.Systematic search strategy to identify all stores 20 miles or less from Boston City Hall that sold Ayurvedic HMPs from South Asia by searching online Yellow Pages using the categories markets, supermarkets, and convenience stores, and business names containing the word India, Indian cities, and Indian words. An online national directory of Indian grocery stores, a South Asian community business directory, and a newspaper were also searched. We visited each store and purchased all unique Ayurvedic HMPs between April 25 and October 24, 2003.Concentrations (microg/g) of lead, mercury, and arsenic in each HMP as measured by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Estimates of daily metal ingestion for adults and children estimated using manufacturers' dosage recommendations with comparisons to US Pharmacopeia and US Environmental Protection Agency regulatory standards.A total of 14 (20%) of 70 HMPs (95% confidence interval, 11%-31%) contained heavy metals: lead (n = 13; median concentration, 40 microg/g; range, 5-37,000), mercury (n = 6; median concentration, 20,225 microg/g; range, 28-104,000), and/or arsenic (n = 6; median concentration, 430 microg/g; range, 37-8130). If taken as recommended by the manufacturers, each of these 14 could result in heavy metal intakes above published regulatory standards.One of 5 Ayurvedic HMPs produced in South Asia and available in Boston South Asian grocery stores contains potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury, and/or arsenic. Users of Ayurvedic medicine may be at risk for heavy metal toxicity, and testing of Ayurvedic HMPs for toxic heavy metals should be mandatory.
Pregnant Women with Bronchial Asthma Benefit from Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A Randomized, Prospective, Controlled Trial
Authors: Cerstin Nickel, Claas Lahmann, Moritz Muehlbacher, Francisco Pedrosa Gil, Patrick Kaplan, Wiebke Buschmann, Karin Tritt, Christian Kettler, Egon Bachler, Christian Egger, Javaid Anvar, Rainhold Fartacek, Thomas Loew, Wolfhardt Rother, Marius Nickel
Journal: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (2006)

&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;/i&gt; Asthma is a serious medical problem in pregnancy and is often associated with stress, anger and poor quality of life.The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on change in blood pressure, lung parameters, heart rate, anger and health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma. &lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt; We treated a sample of 64 pregnant women with bronchial asthma from the local population in an 8-week randomized, prospective, controlled trial. Thirty-two were selected for PMR, and 32 received a placebo intervention. The systolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow and heart rate were tested, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory and Health Survey (SF-36) were employed. &lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt; According to the intend-to-treat principle, a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and a significant increase in both forced expiratory volume in the first second and peak expiratory flow were observed after PMR. The heart rate showed a significant increase in the coefficient of variation, root mean square of successive differences and high frequency ranges, in addition to a significant reduction in low and middle frequency ranges. A significant reduction on three of five State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory scales, and a significant increase on seven of eight SF-36 scales were observed. &lt;i&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/i&gt; PMR appears to be an effective method to improve blood pressure, lung parameters and heart rate, and to decrease anger levels, thus enhancing health-related quality of life in pregnant women with bronchial asthma.
Smoking cessation success rate in smokers referred to Iranian clinics
Authors: Vahid Moosavi, Ali Abdolahinia, Mohammadreza Masjedi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background : Quitting smoking at any age can be effective in reducing smoking-related health conditions. At present, smoking cessation is considered the cornerstone of tobacco control policies. This study aimed to evaluate the success rate of smokers presented to smoking cessation clinics during 2005-2010 and to determine the effective factors in this respect.  Methods : In this historical cohort study, all participants attended the smoking cessation clinics, affiliated to the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, between 2005 and 2010 were studied. Success rate was assessed two weeks after the quitting onset.  Results : Totally, 772 participants including 510 men and 262 women were studied. 50.9% of participants reported a history of quitting and a significant correlation was observed between history of quitting and success rate (p=0.04). The success rate also had a significant relationship with higher educational level and presence of restrictions on smoking. In addition, the success rate was inversely correlated with increased nicotine dependence. However, no significant relationship was found between sense of pleasure, increased concentration or personality boost and success rate of smoking cessation. By the end of the second week following abstinence, 544 participants (71%) had successfully quitted smoking.  Conclusion : History of quit attempts and higher educational level had significant correlations with success rate of smoking cessation. Presence of restrictions on smoking is also effective in this regard. However, this study showed that increased rate of nicotine dependence reduced the success rate of smoking cessation.   Keywords : Success Rate, Cessation Clinic, Quitting Smoking, Nicotine Dependence.
Detection of early stage lung cancer by electronic nose
Authors: Maris Bukovskis, Gunta Strazda, Normunds Jurka, Uldis Kopeika, Ainis Pirtnieks, Liga Balode, Jevgenija Aprinceva, Inara Kantane, Immanuels Taivans
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2013)

Background

The diagnosis of early stage lung cancer is very essential and substantially determins the five year life expectancy.

Objective

The aim of our study was to prove the potential of exhaled breath analysis to discriminate early stage lung cancer.

Methods

Exhaled breath of morphologically verified stage 1-4 lung cancer patients, mixed group of patients with COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis and healthy volunteers (no cancer group) was examined. Subjects inspired filtered air by tidal breathing for 5 minutes, and a single expiratory vital capacity was collected and sampled by electronic nose (Cyranose 320). Maximum (Rmax), AUC (∑0-60”) and tgα0-60” of the curves were analyzed by support vector machine. Age, smoking history (pack years) and ambient temperature °C were included as continuous predictors of the diagnosis.

Results

40 patients with stage 1 or 2, 49 with stage 3, 46 with stage 4 lung cancer and 109 patient with other lung diseases and healthy volunteers were recruited. 72.5% (29 out of 40) patients with stage 1-2 lung cancer and 82.3% (106 out of 135) patients with any stage of lung cancer were predicted correctly.

View this table:

Confusion matrix (Support Vector Machine)





Conclusions

Exhaled breath analysis by electronic nose using support vector pattern recognition method is able to discriminate early stage lung cancer from healthy subjects and patients with different lung diseases.

Acknowledgements

Study was sponsored by ERAF activity 2.1.1.1.0 Project Nb. 2010/0303/2DP/2.1.1.1.0/10/APIA/VIAA/043/
Safety of pertussis vaccination in pregnant women in UK: observational study
Authors: K. Donegan, B. King, P. Bryan
Journal: BMJ (2014)

<b>Objective</b> To examine the safety of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. <b>Design</b> Observational cohort study. <b>Setting</b> The UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. <b>Participants</b> 20 074 pregnant women with a median age of 30 who received the pertussis vaccine and a matched historical unvaccinated control group. <b>Main outcome measure</b> Adverse events identified from clinical diagnoses during pregnancy, with additional data from the matched child record identified through mother-child linkage. The primary event of interest was stillbirth (intrauterine death after 24 weeks’ gestation). <b>Results </b>There was no evidence of an increased risk of stillbirth in the 14 days immediately after vaccination (incidence rate ratio 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 1.62) or later in pregnancy (0.85, 0.44 to 1.61) compared with historical national rates. Compared with a matched historical cohort of unvaccinated pregnant women, there was no evidence that vaccination accelerated the time to delivery (hazard ratio 1.00, 0.97 to 1.02). Furthermore, there was no evidence of an increased risk of stillbirth, maternal or neonatal death, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, haemorrhage, fetal distress, uterine rupture, placenta or vasa praevia, caesarean delivery, low birth weight, or neonatal renal failure, all serious events that can occur naturally in pregnancy. <b>Conclusion</b> In women given pertussis vaccination in the third trimester, there is no evidence of an increased risk of any of an extensive predefined list of adverse events related to pregnancy. In particular, there was no evidence of an increased risk of stillbirth. Given the recent increases in the rate of pertussis infection and morbidity and mortality in neonates, these early data provide initial evidence for evaluating the safety of the vaccine in pregnancy for health professionals and the public and can help to inform vaccination policy making.
Women's groups practising participatory learning and action to improve maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Audrey Prost, Tim Colbourn, Nadine Seward, Kishwar Azad, Arri Coomarasamy, Andrew Copas, Tanja A J Houweling, Edward Fottrell, Abdul Kuddus, Sonia Lewycka, Christine MacArthur, Dharma Manandhar, Joanna Morrison, Charles Mwansambo, Nirmala Nair, Bejoy Nambiar, David Osrin, Christina Pagel, Tambosi Phiri, Anni-Maria Pulkki-Brännström, Mikey Rosato, Jolene Skordis-Worrall, Naomi Saville, Neena Shah More, Bhim Shrestha, Prasanta Tripathy, Amie Wilson, Anthony Costello
Journal: The Lancet (2013)
Preclinical evaluation of polymer-bound doxorubicin
Authors: R. Duncan, L.W. Seymour, K.B. O'Hare, P.A. Flanagan, S. Wedge, I.C. Hume, K. Ulbrich, J. Strohalm, V. Subr, F. Spreafico, M. Grandi, M. Ripamonti, M. Farao, A. Suarato
Journal: Journal of Controlled Release (1992)
Targeting Transmembrane TNF-α Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth
Authors: Mingxia Yu, Xiaoxi Zhou, Lin Niu, Guohong Lin, Jin Huang, Wenjing Zhou, Hui Gan, Jing Wang, Xiaodan Jiang, Bingjiao Yin, Zhuoya Li
Journal: Cancer Research (2013)

TNF antagonists may offer therapeutic potential in solid tumors, but patients who have high serum levels of TNF-α fail to respond to infliximab, suggesting consumption of the circulating antibody and loss of transmembrane TNF-α (tmTNF-α) on tumors by ectodomain shedding. Addressing this possibility, we developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds both full-length tmTNF-α and its N-terminal truncated fragment on the membrane after tmTNF-α processing but does not cross-react with soluble TNF-α. We documented high levels of tmTNF-α expression in primary breast cancers, lower levels in atypical hyperplasia or hyperplasia, but undetectable levels in normal breast tissue, consistent with the notion that tmTNF-α is a potential therapeutic target. Evaluations in vitro and in vivo further supported this assertion. tmTNF-α mAb triggered antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against tmTNF-α-expressing cells but not to tmTNF-α-negative cells. In tumor-bearing mice, tmTNF-α mAb delayed tumor growth, eliciting complete tumor regressions in some mice. Moreover, tmTNF-α mAb inhibited metastasis and expression of CD44v6, a prometastatic molecule. However, the antibody did not activate tmTNF-α-mediated reverse signaling, which facilitates tumor survival and resistance to apoptosis, but instead inhibited NF-κB activation and Bcl-2 expression by decreasing tmTNF-α-positive cells. Overall, our results established that tmTNF-α mAb exerts effective antitumor activities and offers a promising candidate to treat tmTNF-α-positive tumors, particularly in patients that are nonresponders to TNF antagonists.
Superoxide Dismutase Expression Attenuates Cigarette Smoke– or Elastase-generated Emphysema in Mice
Authors: Robert F. Foronjy, Oleg Mirochnitchenko, Olga Propokenko, Vincent Lemaitre, Yuxia Jia, Masayori Inouye, Yasunori Okada, Jeanine M. D'Armiento
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2005)

Rationale: Oxidants are believed to play a major role in the development of emphysema.Objectives: This study aimed to determine if the expression of human copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) within the lungs of mice protects against the development of emphysema.Methods: Transgenic CuZnSOD and littermate mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (6 h/d, 5 d/wk, for 1 yr) and compared with nonexposed mice. A second group was treated with intratracheal elastase to induce emphysema.Measurements: Lung inflammation was measured by cell counts and myeloperoxidase levels. Oxidative damage was assessed by immunofluorescence for 3-nitrotyrosine and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and lipid peroxidation levels. The development of emphysema was determined by measuring the mean linear intercept (Lm).Main Results: Smoke exposure caused a fourfold increase in neutrophilic inflammation and doubled lung myeloperoxidase activity. This inflammatory response did not occur in the smoke-exposed CuZnSOD mice. Similarly, CuZnSOD expression prevented the 58% increase in lung lipid peroxidation products that occurred after smoke exposure. Most important, CuZnSOD prevented the onset of emphysema in both the smoke-induced model (Lm, 68 exposed control vs. 58 exposed transgenic; p < 0.04) and elastase-generated model (Lm, 80 exposed control vs. 63 exposed transgenic; p < 0.03). These results demonstrate for the first time that antioxidants can prevent smoke-induced inflammation and can counteract the proteolytic cascade that leads to emphysema formation in two separate animal models of the disease.Conclusions: These findings indicate that strategies aimed at enhancing or supplementing lung antioxidants could be effective for the prevention and treatment of this disease.
Identification of the alternatively spliced exons of murine CD45 (T200) required for reactivity with B220 and other T200-restricted antibodies.
Authors: P Johnson, L Greenbaum, K Bottomly, I S Trowbridge
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1989)

Cell lines expressing specific variants of murine CD45 (T200) were established by infection with retroviral constructs of four cDNAs encoding different forms of CD45. These lines were then used to determine which sequences encoded by alternatively spliced exons of CD45 were required to generate antigenic determinants recognized by anti-CD45 mAbs. The binding of two B220 antibodies (14.8 and RA32C2) to CD45 was dependent on the expression of the first alternatively spliced exon (exon A). A third B220 antibody, RA3-6B2, did not bind to any of the forms of CD45 expressed on fibroblasts. A newly defined anti-CD45R antibody, C363.16A, reacts with an antigenic site dependent upon the expression of the second alternatively spliced exon, exon B.