tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Effect of Medical Qigong on cognitive function, quality of life, and a biomarker of inflammation in patients with cancer: A randomized controlled trial.
Authors: B. Oh, P. Butow, N. Pavlakis, P. J. Beale, S. J. Clarke, D. S. Rosenthal, L. Larkey, J. L. Vardy
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011)

9035 Background: Cancer patients often experience diminished cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) due to side effects of treatment and the disease symptoms. This study evaluates the effects of Medical Qigong (combination of gentle exercise and meditation) on cognitive function, quality of life and inflammation in cancer patients. Methods: Eighty one cancer patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (n=44) who received usual healthcare, and an intervention group (n=37) who participated in a 10-week Medical Qigong (MQ) program. Self-reported cognitive function was measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-CF) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive (FACT-Cog). The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- General (FACT-G) was used to measure QOL. C-reactive protein (CRP) was assessed as a biomarker of inflammation. Results: The MQ group self-reported significantly improved cognitive function (t51= -2.532, p=0.014, mean difference =7.78) in the EORTC-CF and all the FACT-Cog subscales: perceived cognitive impairment (t43= -2.254, p=0.029, mean difference =4.70), impact of perceived cognitive impairment on QOL (t45= -2.377, p=0.024, mean difference=1.64), and perceived cognitive abilities (t45= -2.229, p=0.031, mean difference =3.61) compared to controls. The MQ group reported significantly improved QOL (t45= -5.715, p<0.001, mean difference=12.66) and had reduced CRP levels (t45= 2.092, p=0.042, mean difference= -0.72) compared to controls. Conclusions: Results suggest that the MQ intervention may have positive effects on self-reported cognitive function, QOL and inflammation. Further research with an objective measure of cognitive function is needed.
Pancreas-specific activation of mTOR and loss of p53 induce tumors reminiscent of acinar cell carcinoma
Authors: Bo Kong, Tao Cheng, Chengjia Qian, Weiwei Wu, Katja Steiger, Jing Cao, Anna Melissa Schlitter, Ivonne Regel, Susanne Raulefs, Helmut Friess, Mert Erkan, Irene Esposito, Jörg Kleeff, Christoph W. Michalski
Journal: Molecular Cancer (2015)

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor entity with an unfavorable prognosis. Recent whole-exome sequencing identified p53 mutations in a subset of human ACC. Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is associated with various pancreatic neoplasms. We thus aimed at analyzing whether activation of mTOR with a concomitant loss of p53 may initiate ACC.We generated transgenic mouse models in which mTOR was hyperactivated through pancreas-specific, homozygous tuberous sclerosis 1 (Tsc1) deficiency, with or without deletion of p53 (Tsc1 (-/-) and Tsc1 (-/-) ; p53 (-/-) ). Activity of mTOR signaling was investigated using mouse tissues and isolated murine cell lines. Human ACC specimens were used to corroborate the findings from the transgenic mouse models.Hyperactive mTOR signaling in Tsc1 (-/-) mice was not oncogenic but rather induced a near-complete loss of the pancreatic acinar compartment. Acinar cells were lost as a result of apoptosis which was associated with p53 activation. Concomitantly, ductal cells were enriched. Ablation of p53 in Tsc1-deficient mice prevented acinar cell death but promoted formation of acinar cells with severe nuclear abnormalities. One out of seven Tsc1 (-/-) ; p53 (-/-) animals developed pancreatic tumors showing a distinctive tumor morphology, reminiscent of human ACC. Hyperactive mTOR signaling was also detected in a subset of human ACC.Hyperactive mTOR signaling combined with loss of p53 in mice induces tumors similar to human ACC.
Histologic transformation in marginal zone lymphomas
Authors: A. Conconi, S. Franceschetti, K. Aprile von Hohenstaufen, G. Margiotta-Casaluci, A. Stathis, A.A. Moccia, F. Bertoni, A. Ramponi, L. Mazzucchelli, F. Cavalli, G. Gaidano, E. Zucca
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2015)
Design, experimentation and computerized automated data analysis of synergistic drug combinations against xenograft tumors by Taxotere and T900607
Authors: Ting-Chao Chou, Hua-Jin Dong, Pieter B. M. W. M. Timmermans
Journal: Cancer Research (2005)

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005

4944 

Quantitative determination of synergistic/antagonistic combinations of antitumor agents in vitro in terms of isobologram and combination index (CI) is relatively easy to be carried out using computer simulation. However, drug combination against xenograft tumor is frequently complicated by variability, experimental size, experimental optimization and cost. This paper demonstrates how to overcome these difficulties by using microtubule targeting antitumor agents, Taxotere (TXT) and [T900607][1] (T607), as examples and using the median-effect principle (Chou) and the CI method (Chou-Talalay). We have succeeded in quantitative determination and antitumor synergism of these two drugs without enhancement of toxicity. This conclusion is reached with i) constant ratio combination (diagonal scheme); ii) previously established optimal conditions (doses, schedule and route) and with determining tumor size and body weight changes; and iii) the use of new computer software “CompuSyn” (Chou & Martin, 2003). In all, only 72 nude mice were used and about 2 months were spent for each experiment. Human colon carcinoma HCT-116 xenografts were implanted on day 0, and i.v. treatment, Q3Dx4 and x3 were started on day 14 with TXT (3, 5, 6, 7 mg/kg) and/or T607 (15, 25, 30, 35mg/kg) on day 14, 17, 20, 23, 32, 35 and 38, (n=6). Computerized analysis indicates that synergism (CI<1) occurred on day 32 with increasing synergism on D35 as indicated by the Fa-CI plots and the isobologram. Surprisingly, body weight decreases during and after combination treatment were less than those treated with each drug alone. This is considered a rare incidence of mutual protection in toxicity. Computer simulation of dose-reduction index (DRI) indicates that TXT doses can be reduced by 1.8-fold and T607 doses can be reduced by 4.5-fold when compared with each drug alone for a given degree of tumor suppression. Thus, decreases in dose led to decrease in toxicity while not compromising therapeutic effects. In a similar experiment with human mammary carcinoma MX-1 xenografts, T607 (25-35mg/kg) and TXT (7.5-15mg/kg) Q3Dx4, i.v. were given on D7, 10, 13 and 16. Increasing therapeutic synergism was observed on 16, 19 and 21. On D19, T607 (30mg/kg) and TXT (15mg/kg) resulted in 0/6 and 2/4 tumor disappearance, respectively, whereas in combination 5/5 tumor disappearance was observed. These results suggest that in vivo drug combinations can be conducted efficiently and synergy can be quantitatively determined, and that combination of TXT and T-607 for clinical development is warranted.

 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=T900607&atom=%2Fcanres%2F65%2F9_Supplement%2F1167.3.atom
Mutations in NONO lead to syndromic intellectual disability and inhibitory synaptic defects
Authors: Dennis Mircsof, Maéva Langouët, Marlène Rio, Sébastien Moutton, Karine Siquier-Pernet, Christine Bole-Feysot, Nicolas Cagnard, Patrick Nitschke, Ludmila Gaspar, Matej Žnidarič, Olivier Alibeu, Ann-Kristina Fritz, David P Wolfer, Aileen Schröter, Giovanna Bosshard, Markus Rudin, Christina Koester, Florence Crestani, Petra Seebeck, Nathalie Boddaert, Katrina Prescott, Rochelle Hines, Steven J Moss, Jean-Marc Fritschy, Arnold Munnich, Jeanne Amiel, Steven A Brown, Shiva K Tyagarajan, Laurence Colleaux
Journal: Nature Neuroscience (2015)
Abstract P011: Inverse Relationship between Environmental Contaminant Perfluorooctane Acid and Coronary Heart Disease in Diabetes
Authors: Baqiyyah Conway, Karen Innes
Journal: Circulation (2015)

Background: The perfluoralkyl acid, perfluorooctanoate is a persistent and widespread environmental contaminant that has been linked to proinflammatory as well as anti-inflammatory changes in both humans and experimental models. Perfluorooctanoate, also called C8, has been positively related to several risk factors for both coronary heart disease and diabetes in the general population. However, the relationship of C8 to coronary heart disease in adults with diabetes remains unexplored. This study examines the association of C8 with coronary heart disease in individuals with diabetes drawn from a large Appalachian population. Methods: Data on 3943 adults aged ≥20 years with diabetes were obtained from the C8 Health Project, which collected blood samples, self-reported demographics, medical diagnoses, height, and weight in 2005-2006 as part of a legal settlement following perfluorooctanoate (C8) contamination of drinking water in West Virginia and Ohio. Results: The population was 52% female and 98% White. ...
Affinity Maturation of a Potent Family of HIV Antibodies Is Primarily Focused on Accommodating or Avoiding Glycans
Authors: Fernando Garces, Jeong Hyun Lee, Natalia de Val, Alba Torrents de la Pena, Leopold Kong, Cristina Puchades, Yuanzi Hua, Robyn L. Stanfield, Dennis R. Burton, John P. Moore, Rogier W. Sanders, Andrew B. Ward, Ian A. Wilson
Journal: Immunity (2015)
Regular Tai Chi Chuan exercise improves T cell helper function of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with an increase in T-bet transcription factor and IL-12 production
Authors: S-H Yeh, H Chuang, L-W Lin, C-Y Hsiao, P-W Wang, R-T Liu, K D Yang
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2008)

Background: Exercise has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); its benefit to immune function, however, remains to be determined. Objective: This study investigated the effect of a 12-week course of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) exercise on T cell helper (Th) reaction in patients with type 2 DM. Methods: A case-control study was performed in 30 pairs of patients with type 2 DM and normal age-matched adults. Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, mediators (interleukin (IL)-12, IL-4 and transforming growth factor (TGF)β) and transcription factors (T-bet, GATA-3 and FoxP3) of Th1/Th2/T regulatory (Treg) reaction were measured before and after a 12-week TCC exercise programme. Results: Fasting glucose and HbA1c levels in the patients with type 2 DM were significantly higher than in age-matched controls before exercise. After TCC exercise, HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 DM significantly decreased (7.59 (0.32)% vs 7.16 (0.22)%; p = 0.047) and blood levels of IL-12 increased significantly (5.96 (1.10) vs 12.96 (3.07); p = 0.035). To study the molecular Th1/Th2/Treg reaction, patients with type 2 DM were found to have lower T-bet but not GATA-3 or FoxP3 expression than normal controls before TCC exercise. After the 12-week TCC exercise T-bet expression significantly increased in patients with type 2 DM. Conclusions: A 12-week TCC exercise programme decreases HbA1c levels along with an increase in the Th1 reaction. A combination of TCC with medication may provide an even better improvement in both metabolism and immunity of patients with type 2 DM.
VEGF165 promotes osteolytic bone metastasis in a Ewing’s sarcoma mouse model by upregulating RANKL
Authors: Hui Guan, Zhichao Zhou, Ying Cao, Xiaoping Duan, Eugenie S. Kleinerman
Journal: Cancer Research (2005)

2922   We have previously demonstrated that human TC-71 Ewing’s sarcoma cells overexpress VEGF 165  compared to normal human osteoblasts. A VEGF 165 -siRNA was synthesized, which specifically inhibited VEGF 165  but not VEGF 189  or VEGF 121 . TC-71 cells stably transfected with our VEGF 165 -siRNA plasmid (TC/7-1) had decreased VEGF 165  expression with no change in VEGF 189 . Intratibia injection of TC/7-1 cells resulted in decreased tumor growth and less osteolytic bone destruction compared to tumors formed from control-transfected (TC/si) cells. An in vitro osteoclast formation assay demonstrated that recombinant human VEGF 165  induced osteoclast formation from murine bone marrow cells. The purpose of this study was to determine whether VEGF 165  contributed to the osteolytic process in Ewing’s sarcoma. TRAP staining demonstrated significantly fewer osteoclasts in the TC/7-1-bone region interface compared to that in the TC/si-control-bone interface. RANKL (receptor activator of NF-κB ligand) is a critical osteoclastogenesis factor. We, therefore, next determined whether altering VEGF 165  had an effect on RANKL. Western blot analysis demonstrated that RANKL was decreased in TC/7-1 cells. Incubation of these cells with recombinant VEGF 165  upregulated RANKL in a dose-dependent manner. Maximum upregulation occurred at 2 hours. The induction of RANKL by VEGF 165  was also detected in MC3T3 mouse osteoblast cells and bone marrow stromal cells as assessed by Western blot and RT-PCR. By contrast, recombinant human placenta growth factor (PLGF) failed to upregulate RANKL expression indicating that induction of RANKL by VEGF 165  was not mediated through VEGFR-1. Anti-VEGFR-2 antibody failed to block the upregulation of RANKL by VEGF 165  suggesting that VEGFR-2 is also not involved in this process. We are currently using siRNA technology to inhibit the VEGF 165  co-receptor neuropilin-1 to investigate if this receptor is involved in the upregulation of RANKL by VEGF 165 . Taken together, these data suggest that modulation of RANKL by VEGF 165  may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the osteolytic process induced by Ewing’s sarcoma cells. VEGF 165  may, therefore, play an important role in modulating RANKL gene expression in the bone marrow microenvironment during the metastatic process.
Balancing the effect of corona on therapeutic efficacy and macrophage uptake of lipid nanocapsules
Authors: P. Sánchez-Moreno, P. Buzón, H. Boulaiz, J.M. Peula-García, J.L. Ortega-Vinuesa, I. Luque, A. Salvati, J.A. Marchal
Journal: Biomaterials (2015)
Abstract P314: High Prevalence of Behavioural Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Nepalese Community undergoing Socio-epidemiological Transition
Authors: Abhinav Vaidya, Natalia Oli, Umesh R Aryal, Damber B Karki, Alexandra Krettek
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Behavioral risk factors, particularly the major four- tobacco consumption, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity- are accountable for a major proportion of cardiovascular disease burden. Driven by urbanization and globalization, these risk factors are rising in many of the low- income countries including Nepal. Population-based surveys and hospital reports indicate cardiovascular diseases are rising in Nepal. The first countrywide WHO-STEPS risk factor survey conducted in 2007-2008 showed that 23.8% are daily smokers, 28.5% are current drinkers, and 61.9% consumed less than five servings of fruits and vegetables, while 5.5% had low physical activity. Risk factors are generally more prevalent in urban areas than rural. We aimed to study the status of these behavioural risk factors in a community that is rapidly undergoing transition from a village to an urban community. We conducted the study in Duwakot and Jhaukhel, two urbanizing villages 13 kilometers from the capital Kathmandu. Six clusters were randomly selected. Altogether 777 adults aged 25-59 years consented to participate. Questions were based on the WHO-STEPS survey. Current smokers included those who affirmed to the question ‘Do you smoke?’ Current drinkers had ‘consumed alcohol in the previous one month’. Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake indicated those who were taking less than five servings of combined fruit and vegetable in a day. Physical activity was subjectively measured by asking about the respondent’s activities at work, travel and leisure. Having low physical activity meant not meeting any of the GPAQ (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) criteria of adequate physical activity. Prevalence of the four major behavioral risk factors was high in the community. Addictive behavioural risk factors were particularly higher in the males than in the females: current smoking (33.5% vs. 14.7%), current smokeless tobacco consumption (20.2% vs. 3.3%), and current alcohol drinking (34.5 % vs. 12.6%). Only 2% of the study population fulfilled the recommended minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables. Low physical activity was present in 43.3% of the respondents, with a higher prevalence seen among the females, elderly, more educated and those on non-agro works. In conclusion, there is particularly high physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake in the community indicating negative effects of urbanization such as changing dietary habit and escalating sedentary lifestyle. Because the community is still beginning to urbanize, it is important that timely population-based health promotional strategies and favourable environmental modifications are implemented to counteract the effects of urbanization.
A phase I/II, open-label, randomised study of nintedanib plus mFOLFOX6 versus bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients
Authors: E. Van Cutsem, H. Prenen, G. D'Haens, J. Bennouna, A. Carrato, M. Ducreux, O. Bouché, A. Sobrero, L. Latini, H. Staines, Z. Oum'Hamed, H. Dressler, M. Studeny, J. Capdevila
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2015)
Accidental Poisoning of Children
Authors: S Sitaraman, U Sharma, S Saxena
Journal: BMJ (1953)

MMICBRSJOURNALor absence of dentures has much effect, except when the level is still very high.This may seem surprising, but a little consideration of the mechanism involved shows that it can be expected.The alcohol concentration of even a weak drink such as beer is several hundred times as high as that of the tissue fluids of even a very drunk man, so it is not surprising that traces in the mouth, pharynx, tonsils, and probably even the sinuses lead to very high breath readings immediately after drink- ing.This high figure falls exponentially so that the time taken to fall to a negligible level is not much affected by the nature of the drink, and is in fact 15 to 30 minutes.Two mechanisms are involved in this fall, evaporation into the breath and diffusion through the mucous membranes.If alcohol is trapped under a dental plate it can still be absorbed, and if it cannot escape into the breath it cannot affect the breath alcohol level, so that dentures make very little difference.Alcohol on the surface of the dentures them- selves will quickly evaporate, as they are nonabsorbent.Similarly, washing the mouth with water will not remove alcohol from the mucous membranes of the mouth much faster than the breath does, and will not affect the pharynx and sinuses at all.If the breath contains alcohol, mouth washing may give a spuriously low reading by cooling the breath,' so from a legal point of view it is a practice to be deprecated.-Iam, etc.,
Evolutionary relationships of avian Eimeria species among other Apicomplexan protozoa: monophyly of the apicomplexa is supported.
Authors: J R Barta, M C Jenkins, H D Danforth
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (1991)

Direct, reverse transcriptase-mediated, partial sequencing of the small-subunit (16S-like) ribosomal RNA (srRNA) of Eimeria tenella and E. acervulina was performed. Sequences were aligned by eye with six previously published, partial or complete srRNA sequences of apicomplexan protists (Plasmodium berghei, Theileria annulata, Cryptosporidium sp., Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis muris, and S. gigantea). Six eukaryotic protists (a slime mold, a yeast, two dinoflagellates, and two ciliates) acted as an outgroup for a parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis (PAUP Ver. 3.0). The 188 phylogenetically informative sites (i.e., those positions that neither were unvaried nor had only autapomorphic substitutions) supported a single tree topology 481 steps in length with a consistency index of 0.65 in which the monophyly of the Apicomplexa was supported. The two Eimeria species and S. muris, S. gigantea, and T. gondii formed a pair of monophyletic groups that were sister groups. The two Sarcocystis species were not hypothesized to be sister taxa. The genera Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium were hypothesized to form the sister group to these five coccidia and T. annulata. A priori data-editing techniques that deleted "variable" positions prior to analysis failed to recognize the monophyly of the Apicomplexa when the same parsimony-based tree-building algorithm was used. Inability of the outgroup taxa to root the well-supported ingroup tree (Apicomplexa) at a unique site when these taxa were used individually for this purpose reinforces the need for an appropriate, multiple-taxon outgroup in such analyses.
Syphilis and gonorrhoea increase sharply in England
Authors: S. Mayor
Journal: BMJ (2015)

Figures from Public Health England have shown a major increase in the number of people with syphilis and gonorrhoea—particularly in men who have sex with men (MSM), as the number of syphilis diagnoses increased by nearly half and gonorrhoea cases increased by one third in 2013-14.1

Annual data showed that 439 243 new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were reported in England in 2014, a small (0.3%) decrease from the previous year. Chlamydia was the most commonly diagnosed STI, accounting for nearly half of cases (47%; 206 774), followed by genital warts (70 612).

The routinely collected figures on STI tests …
Identification of a novel immune checkpoint regulator and potential therapeutic antibody target in oncology
Authors: Nathan Sallee, Artur Karasyov, David Bellovin, Ryan Liang, Jacqueline de la Torre, Servando Palencia, Ernestine Lee, Kevin Hestir, Thomas Brennan, Luis Borges, Arthur Brace, Brian Wong
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2015)

Meeting abstracts Antibody blockade of immune checkpoint regulators such as PD-1 and CTLA4 has been shown to be an effective cancer treatment strategy; however, a large percentage of patients still do not respond to existing therapies. Discovery of additional immune checkpoints and development of