tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Hospital Diagnoses, Medicare Charges, and Nursing Home Admissions in the Year When Older Persons Become Severely Disabled
Authors: Luigi Ferrucci
Journal: JAMA (1997)

To characterize hospital diagnoses, procedures and charges, and nursing home admissions in the year when older persons become severely disabled, comparing those in whom severe disability develops rapidly with those in whom disability develops gradually.A prospective, population-based cohort study with at least 6 annual interviews beginning in 1982.A total of 3 communities: East Boston, Mass, New Haven, Conn, and Iowa and Washington counties in Iowa.A total of 6070 persons at least 70 years old with at least 1 interview after the fourth annual follow-up and without evidence of previous severe disability, defined as disability in 3 or more activities of daily living (ADLs).Characteristics associated with development of severe disability after the fourth annual follow-up, in which the disability is classified as catastrophic disability if the individual did not report any ADL disability in the 2 interviews prior to severe disability onset or as progressive disability if the individual had previous disability in 1 or 2 ADLs.In the year during which severe disability developed, hospitalizations were documented for 72.1% of those developing catastrophic disability and for 48.6% of those developing progressive disability. In the corresponding year, only 14.7% of those who were stable with no disability and 22.3% of those with some disability were hospitalized. The 6 most frequent principal discharge diagnoses included stroke, hip fracture, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia in both severe disability subsets; coronary heart disease and cancer in catastrophic disability; and diabetes and dehydration in progressive disability. These diagnoses occurred in 49% of those with catastrophic disability and 25% of those with progressive disability. In both severe disability subsets, the oldest patients received less intensive hospital care as indicated by charges for surgery, diagnostics, and rehabilitation and by the percentage who received major diagnostic procedures; they were also more often admitted to nursing homes.In the year when they become severely disabled, a large proportion of older persons are hospitalized for a small group of diseases. Hospital-based interventions aimed at reducing the severity and functional consequences of these diseases could have a large impact on reduction of severe disability.
Membrane electrical properties of vesicular Na-Ca exchange inhibitors in single atrial myocytes.
Authors: D R Bielefeld, R W Hadley, P M Vassilev, J R Hume
Journal: Circulation Research (1986)

Na-loading single frog atrial cells produce changes in membrane currents that are similar to the creep currents originally observed in Na-loaded cardiac Purkinje fibers. Exposure to the Na ionophore, monensin, was used to induce creep currents in isolated atrial cells. The sensitivity of myocardial creep currents to three compounds that have been shown to be inhibitors of Na-Ca exchange flux activity in isolated sarcolemmal vesicles was assessed. Dodecylamine, quinacrine, and the amiloride analog, 3',4'-dichlorobenzamil block creep currents at concentrations well below those required to block Na-dependent Ca uptake in sarcolemmal vesicles. The estimated Ki's for inhibition of myocardial creep currents were 3 microM for dodecylamin, 10 micron for quinacrine, and 4 microM for 3',4'-dichlorobenzamil. The sensitivity of creep currents to these compounds is consistent with the hypothesis that creep currents may represent the electrogenic activity of a Na-Ca exchange carrier. In an additional series of experiments, the relative specificity of these compounds was tested by examining their effects on myocardial membrane channels. Both dodecylamine and 3',4'-dichlorobenzamil were found to inhibit myocardial Ca and K currents over the same range of concentrations in which block of exchange activity occurs. These results seriously question the use of these exchange carrier inhibitors as selective experimental probes for defining the role of Na-Ca exchange in various physiological processes.
Angiotensin II Related to Sodium Excretion Modulates Left Ventricular Structure in Human Essential Hypertension
Authors: Roland E. Schmieder, Matthias R.W. Langenfeld, Anja Friedrich, Hans P. Schobel, Christoph D. Gatzka, Horst Weihprecht
Journal: Circulation (1996)

Background Urinary sodium excretion and angiotensin II (Ang II), which are linked in a physiological feedback mechanism, have both been described to be blood pressure-independent determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy in essential hypertension. We conducted a study to investigate the interaction of sodium excretion with Ang II and its potential impact on myocardial hypertrophy. Methods and Results Sixty-eight patients (46 men and 22 women; mean age, 52±10 years) with untreated World Health Organization stage I to II essential hypertension were examined in a cross-sectional study. Left ventricular structure and function (two-dimensionally guided M-mode echocardiography), dietary sodium intake (as estimated by 24-hour urinary sodium excretion), and noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure over 24 hours (Spacelab 90207) were determined in parallel with plasma renin activity and plasma Ang II and serum aldosterone concentrations (radioimmunoassay). Twenty-four-hour urinary sodium excretion emerged as a strong correlate of relative wall thickness independent of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (partial r =.49, P &lt;.001). Ang II concentrations were weakly correlated with septal wall thickness ( r =.27, P &lt;.05) and left ventricular mass ( r =.25, P &lt;.05). Patients with high Ang II concentrations in relation to sodium excretion had a greater left ventricular mass (318±77 versus 257±54 g, P &lt;.02), posterior wall thickness (11.8±1.9 versus 10.5±0.8 mm, P &lt;.02), and septal wall thickness (13.6±1.8 versus 11.9±1.3 mm, P &lt;.01) than those with “relatively low” Ang II levels in relation to sodium excretion. Conclusions Impaired suppression of the renin-Ang II system appeared to act as a stimulus for myocardial hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
Is C-Reactive Protein a Specific Marker in Melanoma?
Authors: Zhi Li, Jiexiong Feng, Xiaoyi Sun
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)

TO THE EDITOR: The article by Fang et al 1 demonstrated that C-reactiveprotein(CRP)inplasmaisanindependentprognosticmarker in patients with melanoma and that it should be considered for incorporationintoprospectivestudiesofoutcomeinpatientswithmelanomaand clinicaltrialsofsystemictherapiesforthosewithmelanoma.Althoughwe appreciate theirfindings, we believe that a few issues need to be clarified before a conclusion can befirmly drawn. First,CRPisnotassociatedwithspecificdiseasesorrisksfordisease. CRPisanacute-phasereactantproducedbyhepatocytes.TheCRPtestis a general test to check for inflammation in the body and it is not specific. Thismeansthatthistestcanrevealinflammationsomewhereinthebody, butitcannotbeusedtopinpointtheexactlocation.NormalCRPconcentrations in healthy human serum are usually less than 10 mg/L, and it increases slightly with age. Increased levels of 10 to 40 mg/L are found in latepregnancy,mildinflammation,andviralinfections;40to200mg/Lin active inflammation and bacterial infection; and greater than 200 mg/L inseverebacterialinfectionsandburns. 2,3 WhenCRPisusedasamarker
Pollen-Specific, but Not Sperm-Specific, Genes Show Stronger Purifying Selection and Higher Rates of Positive Selection Than Sporophytic Genes in Capsella grandiflora
Authors: Ramesh Arunkumar, Emily B. Josephs, Robert J. Williamson, Stephen I. Wright
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2013)

Selection on the gametophyte can be a major force shaping plant genomes as 7–11% of genes are expressed only in that phase and 60% of genes are expressed in both the gametophytic and sporophytic phases. The efficacy of selection on gametophytic tissues is likely to be influenced by sexual selection acting on male and female functions of hermaphroditic plants. Moreover, the haploid nature of the gametophytic phase allows selection to be efficient in removing recessive deleterious mutations and fixing recessive beneficial mutations. To assess the importance of gametophytic selection, we compared the strength of purifying selection and extent of positive selection on gametophyte- and sporophyte-specific genes in the highly outcrossing plant Capsella grandiflora. We found that pollen-exclusive genes had a larger fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a greater proportion of adaptive substitutions, and faster protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. In contrast, sperm cell-exclusive genes had a smaller fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a lower proportion of adaptive substitutions, and slower protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. Observations of strong selection acting on pollen-expressed genes are likely explained by sexual selection resulting from pollen competition aided by the haploid nature of that tissue. The relaxation of selection in sperm might be due to the reduced influence of intrasexual competition, but reduced gene expression may also be playing an important role.
1130-224 Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: Comparison of patients with right ventricular outflow tract tachycardia and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Authors: Sei Iwai, Kenneth M Stein, Steven M Markowitz, Suneet Mittal, Amit B Guttigoli, Bindi K Shah, Ravi K Yarlagadda, Bruce B Lerman
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2004)
Gene Expression Profiling of Gliomas Strongly Predicts Survival
Authors: William A. Freije, F. Edmundo Castro-Vargas, Zixing Fang, Steve Horvath, Timothy Cloughesy, Linda M. Liau, Paul S. Mischel, Stanley F. Nelson
Journal: Cancer Research (2004)

Abstract In current clinical practice, histology-based grading of diffuse infiltrative gliomas is the best predictor of patient survival time. Yet histology provides little insight into the underlying biology of gliomas and is limited in its ability to identify and guide new molecularly targeted therapies. We have performed large-scale gene expression analysis using the Affymetrix HG U133 oligonucleotide arrays on 85 diffuse infiltrating gliomas of all histologic types to assess whether a gene expression-based, histology-independent classifier is predictive of survival and to determine whether gene expression signatures provide insight into the biology of gliomas. We found that gene expression-based grouping of tumors is a more powerful survival predictor than histologic grade or age. The poor prognosis samples could be grouped into three different poor prognosis groups, each with distinct molecular signatures. We further describe a list of 44 genes whose expression patterns reliably classify gliomas into previously unrecognized biological and prognostic groups: these genes are outstanding candidates for use in histology-independent classification of high-grade gliomas. The ability of the large scale and 44 gene set expression signatures to group tumors into strong survival groups was validated with an additional external and independent data set from another institution composed of 50 additional gliomas. This demonstrates that large-scale gene expression analysis and subset analysis of gliomas reveals unrecognized heterogeneity of tumors and is efficient at selecting prognosis-related gene expression differences which are able to be applied across institutions.
Congestive gastropathy and Helicobacter pylori: an endoscopic and morphometric study.
Authors: P A McCormick, E A Sankey, F Cardin, A P Dhillon, N McIntyre, A K Burroughs
Journal: Gut (1991)

Congestive gastropathy is a frequent cause of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage in patients with portal hypertension. The pathogenesis is thought to involve venous congestion with gastric mucosal capillary dilatation. We studied the relation between gastric mucosal capillary dilatation, measured morphometrically, and endoscopic appearances in 74 patients with portal hypertension and 20 control subjects. We also investigated the frequency of gastric colonisation with Helicobacter pylori. Mucosal capillaries in patients were significantly dilated compared with control subjects (p less than 0.001) but the degree of dilatation was not related to the severity of the endoscopic appearances. H pylori was identified in 19 of 74 (26%) patients but was not related to the severity of the endoscopic appearances. These results suggest that other factors in addition to mucosal venous and capillary congestion are important in the pathogenesis of endoscopic congestive gastropathy and that gastric colonisation with H pylori is unlikely to be one of these factors.
The Immunoevasive Function Encoded by the Mouse Cytomegalovirus Gene <i>m152</i> Protects the Virus against T Cell Control in Vivo
Authors: Astrid Krmpotic, Martin Messerle, Irena Crnkovic-Mertens, Bojan Polic, Stipan Jonjic, Ulrich H. Koszinowski
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1999)

Cytomegaloviruses encode numerous functions that inhibit antigen presentation in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway in vitro. One example is the mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) glycoprotein gp40, encoded by the m152 gene, which selectively retains murine but not human MHC class I complexes in the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment/cis-Golgi compartment (Ziegler, H., R. Thäle, P. Lucin, W. Muranyi, T. Flohr, H. Hengel, H. Farrell, W. Rawlinson, and U.H. Koszinowski. 1997. Immunity. 6:57-66). To investigate the in vivo significance of this gene function during MCMV infection of the natural host, we constructed recombinants of MCMV in which the m152 gene was deleted, as were the corresponding virus revertants. We report on the following findings: Deletion of the m152 gene has no effect on virus replication in cell culture, whereas after infection of mice, the m152-deficient virus replicates to significantly lower virus titers. This attenuating effect is lifted by reinsertion of the gene into the mutant. Mutants and revertants grow to the same titer in animals deprived of the function targeted by the viral gene function, namely in mice deficient in beta2-microglobulin, mice deficient in the CD8 molecule, and mice depleted of T cells. Upon adoptive transfer of naive lymphocytes into infected mice, the absence of the m152 gene function sensitizes the virus to primary lymphocyte control. These results prove that MHC-reactive functions protect CMVs against attack by CD8(+) T lymphocytes in vivo.
Functional management of ankle sprains: what volume and intensity of walking is undertaken in the first week postinjury
Authors: Mark A Tully, Chris M Bleakley, Sean R O'Connor, Suzanne M McDonough
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2012)

Background Acute ankle sprains are usually managed functionally, with advice to undertake progressive weight-bearing and walking. Mechanical loading is an important modular of tissue repair; therefore, the clinical effectiveness of walking after ankle sprain may be dose dependent. The intensity, magnitude and duration of load associated with current functional treatments for ankle sprain are unclear. Aim To describe physical activity (PA) in the first week after ankle sprain and to compare results with a healthy control group. Methods Participants (16–65 years) with an acute ankle sprain were randomised into two groups (standard or exercise). Both groups were advised to apply ice and compression, and walk within the limits of pain. The exercise group undertook additional therapeutic exercises. PA was measured using an activPAL accelerometer, worn for 7 days after injury. Comparisons were made with a non-injured control group. Results The standard group were significantly less active (1.2±0.4 h activity/day; 5621±2294 steps/day) than the exercise (1.7±0.7 h/day, p=0.04; 7886±3075 steps/day, p=0.03) and non-injured control groups (1.7±0.4 h/day, p=0.02; 8844±2185 steps/day, p=0.002). Also, compared with the non-injured control group, the standard and exercise groups spent less time in moderate (38.3±12.7 min/day vs 14.5±11.4 min/day, p=0.001 and 22.5±15.9 min/day, p=0.003) and high-intensity activity (4.1±6.9 min/day vs 0.1±0.1 min/day, p=0.001 and 0.62±1.0 min/day p=0.005). Conclusion PA patterns are reduced in the first week after ankle sprain, which is partly ameliorated with addition of therapeutic exercises. This study represents the first step towards developing evidence-based walking prescription after acute ankle sprain.
Epidermal differentiation in normal and growth-retarded infants: studies in two animal models and in human babies
Authors: A. B. G. LANSDOWN
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1978)

The influence of prenatal growth retardation on epidermal growth and keratinization was studied in small-for-dates human babies, runt piglets and in rat fetuses subject to maternal protein deprivation. In the human babies and rat fetuses growth retardation was associated with reduced epidermal growth but normal patterns of differentiation were present. Thus, epidermal thickness was less and keratinizing zones narrower than seen in normal weight individuals. In the runt (small-for-dates) piglet, epidermal development differed from that seen in normal weight piglets of the same gestational age and from that seen in the human and rat. The epidermis was thicker with a negligible stratum granulosum and with the stratum corneum containing nucleated cells, a condition resembling 'parakeratosis'. This pattern was less often seen in normal weight piglets. Differences between the skins of the three speecies studied at a perinatal stage may be related to clear dissimilarities which exist in the tissues later. Parakeratosis as a transitory phase in the development of pig skin is probably related to a higher rate of epidermal keratinization in this species than occurs in either human babies or rat fetuses.
AML1-ETO rapidly induces acute myeloblastic leukemia in cooperation with the Wilms tumor gene, WT1
Authors: Sumiyuki Nishida, Naoki Hosen, Toshiaki Shirakata, Keisuke Kanato, Masashi Yanagihara, Shin-ichi Nakatsuka, Yoshihiko Hoshida, Tsutomu Nakazawa, Yukie Harada, Naoya Tatsumi, Akihiro Tsuboi, Manabu Kawakami, Yoshihiro Oka, Yusuke Oji, Katsuyuki Aozasa, Ichiro Kawase, Haruo Sugiyama
Journal: Blood (2005)
Prospective Randomized Trial of Docetaxel Versus Doxorubicin in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Stephen Chan, Kay Friedrichs, Daniel Noel, Tamàs Pintér, Simon Van Belle, Daniel Vorobiof, Ricardo Duarte, Miguel Gil Gil, Istvan Bodrogi, Elizabeth Murray, Louise Yelle, Gunter von Minckwitz, Stefan Korec, Peter Simmonds, Franco Buzzi, Rosario González Mancha, Gary Richardson, Euan Walpole, Monica Ronzoni, Michael Murawsky, May Alakl, Alessandro Riva, John Crown
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1999)

This phase III study compared docetaxel and doxorubicin in patients with metastatic breast cancer who had received previous alkylating agent-containing chemotherapy.Patients were randomized to receive an intravenous infusion of docetaxel 100 mg/m(2) or doxorubicin 75 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks for a maximum of seven treatment cycles.A total of 326 patients were randomized, 165 to receive doxorubicin and 161 to receive docetaxel. Overall, docetaxel produced a significantly higher rate of objective response than did doxorubicin (47.8% v 33.3%; P =.008). Docetaxel was also significantly more active than doxorubicin in patients with negative prognostic factors, such as visceral metastases (objective response, 46% v 29%) and resistance to prior chemotherapy (47% v 25%). Median time to progression was longer in the docetaxel group (26 weeks v 21 weeks; difference not significant). Median overall survival was similar in the two groups (docetaxel, 15 months; doxorubicin, 14 months). There was one death due to infection in each group, and an additional four deaths due to cardiotoxicity in the doxorubicin group. Although neutropenia was similar in both groups, febrile neutropenia and severe infection occurred more frequently in the doxorubicin group. For severe nonhematologic toxicity, the incidences of cardiac toxicity, nausea, vomiting, and stomatitis were higher among patients receiving doxorubicin, whereas diarrhea, neuropathy, fluid retention, and skin and nail changes were higher among patients receiving docetaxel.The observed differences in activity and toxicity profiles provide a basis for therapy choice and confirms the rationale for combination studies in early breast cancer.
Severe recurrent Crohn’s disease of ileocolonic anastomosis and antimicrobial (anti-mycobacterial) therapy
Authors: T J Borody, L B Heifets
Journal: Gut (2006)

We read the recent debate from Taipei ( Gut 2005; 54 :1151–6) on which is the best image guided ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), proposed by Lin and colleagues1 and Huo and colleagues.2 This is an interesting topic for hepatologists and gastroenterologists.

The papers by Lin et al stated that in the treatment of HCC, radiofrequency (RFA) was superior to percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) and percutaneous acetic acid injection (PAI) with respect to local recurrence, overall survival, and cancer free survival, but RFA also caused more major complications. In contrast, Huo et al stressed that …
Menstrual status in women and sleep-related outcomes
Authors: Francisco Gomez Real, Ferenc Macsali, Cecilie Svanes, Ernst Omenaas, Eva Lindberg, Karl Franklin, Bryndis Benediktsdottir, Thorarin Gislasson, Ane Johannessen, Vivi Schlunssen, Christer Janson, Mathias Holm, Rain Jogi
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: There is limited knowledge about how menstrual status may influence sleep related outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether irregular menstruation and menopause affect sleep related symptoms including insomnia and gastroesophageal reflux,

Methods: A population-based sample of 8588 women aged 25-55 years answering the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe (RHINE) postal questionnaire were analyzed. Logistic regression models were adjusted for BMI, age, smoking history and socioeconomic status.

Results: Women reporting irregular menstruations had significantly more sleep-related symptoms (reflux after going to bed OR=1.67 [1.30 - 2.15], difficulty falling asleep (DIS) 1.42 [1.11 - 1.80], difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS) 1.44 [1.23 - 1.70], excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) 1.27 [1.08 - 1.48] and early morning awakening (EMA) 1.45 [1.15 - 1.82]) than women menstruating regularly. Menopausal women had significantly higher risk of sleep-related symptoms (reflux after going to bed OR=1.43 [1.07 - 1.90], DIS 2.04 [1.58 - 2.63], DMS 1.87 [1.57 – 2.23], EDS 1.44 [1.21 - 1.73] and EMA 1.73 [1.38 - 2.17]) than premenopausal women.

Conclusions: Sleep quality among women was significantly related to menstrual status; women with irregular menstruations and menopausal women suffered from more sleep-related symptoms with insomnia and gastroesophageal reflux.