tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Tuberculosis Screening of Immigrants to Low-Prevalence Countries
Authors: KEVIN SCHWARTZMAN, DICK MENZIES
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2000)

All adult immigrant applicants to Canada undergo chest radiographic screening for tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculin skin testing could reduce the number of chest X-rays, and identify more candidates for prophylaxis. We modeled the cost-effectiveness of chest radiography and tuberculin skin testing for TB prevention over a 20-yr time frame, among three simulated cohorts of 20-yr-old immigrants. Compared with no screening, radiographic screening prevented 4.3% of expected active TB cases in the highest risk cohort (50% TB-infected, 10% human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] seroprevalence), and 8.0% in the lowest risk cohort (5% TB-infected, 1% HIV seroprevalence). Tuberculin skin testing further reduced the expected incidence 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively. Compared with no screening, radiographic screening cost $3,943 Canadian per active TB case prevented in the highest risk cohort, and $236,496 per case prevented in the lowest risk group. Compared with radiographic screening, mass tuberculin skin testing cost $32,601 per additional case prevented in the highest risk group, and $68,799 per additional case prevented in the lowest risk group. Chest radiographic screening of young immigrants from countries with a high prevalence of TB is a relatively inexpensive means of TB prevention. Tuberculin skin testing is considerably less cost-effective. For immigrants from low-prevalence countries, both interventions are extremely costly with negligible impact. The cost-effectiveness of either strategy would be greatly enhanced by increased adherence to chemoprophylaxis recommendations. Radiographic screening of groups with a high prevalence of tuberculous infection will then likely save money.
Sirtuin 3 Deficiency Is Associated with Inhibited Mitochondrial Function and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rodents and Humans
Authors: Roxane Paulin, Peter Dromparis, Gopinath Sutendra, Vikram Gurtu, Sotirios Zervopoulos, Lyndsay Bowers, Alois Haromy, Linda Webster, Steeve Provencher, Sebastien Bonnet, Evangelos D. Michelakis
Journal: Cell Metabolism (2014)
Effect of thunderstorms and airborne grass pollen on the incidence of acute asthma in England, 1990-94
Authors: R. Newson, D. Strachan, E. Archibald, J. Emberlin, P. Hardaker, C. Collier
Journal: Thorax (1997)

BACKGROUND: Thunderstorms and prior grass pollen counts were investigated as predictors of daily hospital admissions for asthma in England. This study was motivated by reports in the literature of spectacular asthma epidemics associated with thunderstorms, particularly in the grass pollen season. METHODS: Asthma admissions for two age groups (0-14 years and 15 and over) were measured using the Hospital Episodes System (HES) in the 14 regional health authorities (RHAs) in England. Thunderstorms were measured daily in each RHA using densities of sferics (lightning flashes). Relative asthma excesses for moderate positive and exceptionally high sferic densities, with or without previous high grass pollen counts, were measured using log linear autoregression--allowing for weekly, seasonal, and longer term background variation--and pooled over RHAs by calculating geometric means. RESULTS: Relative risks from all RHAs were pooled to form geometric means. Exceptional sferic densities were associated with a relative excess risk of around 25% in both age groups. Moderate sferic densities were associated with a smaller excess, statistically significant in the two age groups taken together. In five RHAs in which grass pollen counts were available, high pollen counts for the previous five days were associated with an amplification of the excess associated with thunderstorms. CONCLUSION: Very large sferic densities are associated with moderate rises in hospital admissions for acute asthma. However, typical thunderstorm days are not associated with spectacular asthma epidemics of the scale previously reported in the literature. Thunderstorm-associated excesses are amplified after a run of high pollen counts.
Analogy is to priming as relations are to transformations
Authors: Vladimir M. Sloutsky
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2008)

Abstract The commentary discusses three components of the target proposal: (1) analogy as a host of phenomena, (2) relations as transformations, and (3) analogy as priming. The commentary argues that the first component is potentially productive, but it has yet to be fully developed, whereas the second and third components do not have an obvious way of accounting for multiple counterexamples.
Digestion of cardiac and skeletal muscle junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles with calpain II. Effects on the Ca2+ release channel.
Authors: D P Rardon, D C Cefali, R D Mitchell, S M Seiler, D R Hathaway, L R Jones
Journal: Circulation Research (1990)

The Ca2+ release channel and ryanodine receptor are activities copurifying with the 400,000-450,000 Da high molecular weight protein of cardiac and skeletal junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum. Calpain II, an endogenous cytosolic protease, was used to selectively degrade the high molecular weight protein in cardiac and skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles, and its effects on the activity of the Ca2+ release channel and [3H]ryanodine binding sites were analyzed. Degradation of the high molecular weight protein was associated with appearance of 315,000 and 150,000 Da proteolytic fragments and with a change in the ultrastructure of the "feet," extravesicular projections that protrude from the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. The maximal number of [3H]ryanodine binding sites and the affinities of the sites for ryanodine were not remarkably affected by calpain II. Ca2+ release channels recorded from nondegraded cardiac and skeletal membrane vesicle preparations had slope conductances of 85 and 110 pS, respectively, measured with 1 microM cis-Ca2+ and 50 mM trans-Ba2+. Proteolysis did not alter the unitary channel conductances but did increase the percentage of channel open times from 36% to more than 90%. After proteolysis, channel opening remained dependent on micromolar cis-Ca2+, and high concentrations of ryanodine (300 microM) still blocked the channel. Our results suggest that proteolysis of the Ca2+ release channel with calpain II selectively impairs its inactivation, leaving its unitary conductance and the requirement for micromolar Ca2+ intact.
Indirect bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma: mechanisms, pharmacology and implications for clinical research
Authors: J. Van Schoor, G.F. Joos, R.A Pauwels
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2000)

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), an abnormal increase in airflow limitation following the exposure to a stimulus, is an important pathophysiological characteristic of bronchial asthma. Because of heterogeneity of the airway response to different stimuli, the latter have been divided into direct and indirect stimuli. Direct stimuli cause airflow limitation by a direct action on the effector cells involved in the airflow limitation, while indirect stimuli exert their action essentially on inflammatory and neuronal cells that act as an intermediary between the stimulus and the effector cells. This manuscript reviews the clinical and experimental studies on the mechanisms involved in indirect BHR in patients with asthma. Pharmacological stimuli (adenosine, tachykinins, bradykinin, sodium metabisulphite/sulphur dioxide, and propranolol) as well as physical stimuli (exercise, nonisotonic aerosols, and isocapnic hyperventilation) are discussed. The results of the different direct and indirect bronchial challenge tests are only weakly correlated and are therefore not mutually interchangeable. Limited available data (studies on the effects of allergen avoidance and inhaled corticosteroids) suggest that indirectly acting bronchial stimuli (especially adenosine) might better reflect the degree of airway inflammation than directly acting stimuli. It remains to be established whether monitoring of indirect BHR as a surrogate marker of inflammation (in addition to symptoms and lung function) is of clinical relevance to the long-term management of asthmatic patients. This seems to be the case for the direct stimulus methacholine. More work needs to be performed to find out whether, indirect stimuli are more suitable in asthma monitoring than direct ones. Recommendations on the application of indirect challenges in clinical practice and research will shortly be available from the European Respiratory Society Task Force.
The recent saga of cardiovascular disease and safety of oral contraceptives
Authors: R G Edwards, J Cohen
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (1999)

This review presents detailed risk estimates from relevant epidemiological and other studies on the comparative safety of second and third generation oral contraceptives (OC). Written with the intention of presenting a repository of the available information, it also discourses briefly into the symptomatology and diagnosis of diseases associated with OC use and presents some of the critical comments made about various epidemiological analyses. A general critique including observations and opinions of various investigators completes the review. We stress that our own opinions on the various studies, or an attempt to adjudge the relative safety of second and third generation OC, are not given since they form the substance of our second paper which completes this symposium.
Ventricular Thrombus and Thrombocytopenia As First Presentation of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Juliane S. Stickel, Frank Mayer, Jörg-Peter Vollmer, Christine S. Zürn, Meinrad Gawaz, Lothar Kanz, Axel Bauer
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2013)
Increased risk of peanut allergy in infants of Asian-born parents compared to those of Australian-born parents
Authors: J. J. Koplin, R. L. Peters, A.-L. Ponsonby, L. C. Gurrin, D. Hill, M. L. K. Tang, S. C. Dharmage, K. J. Allen
Journal: Allergy (2014)

Asian infants appear to be over-represented among patients with clinical food allergy in Australia, but this has not been formally examined at the population level. Any difference in prevalence according to parental country of birth may be secondary to modifiable lifestyle factors. We aimed to quantify (i) differences in the prevalence of peanut allergy by parental country of birth and (ii) contribution of measured environmental exposures to these differences.The population-based HealthNuts study in Melbourne, Australia, screened 5276 infants (74% participation) with skin prick tests and sensitized infants underwent food challenge. Of these, 535 had a parent born in East Asia and 574 in UK/Europe. Associations between parents' country of birth and offspring peanut allergy were examined using multiple logistic regression.Compared to infants with two Australian-born parents, peanut allergy was more common among infants with parent/s born in East Asia (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.2-5.1) but not those with parent/s born in the UK/Europe (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.4-1.5). Paradoxically rates of allergic disease were lower among Asian parents. A higher prevalence of eczema among infants of Asian parents explained around 30% of the increase in peanut allergy, while differences in dog ownership explained around 18%.The high peanut allergy prevalence among infants of Asian-born parents appears to have occurred in a single generation and was not present among infants with parents migrating from other countries, suggesting gene-environment interactions are important. The role of eczema and microbial exposure in food allergy prevention warrants exploration.
A Critical Study of Homoplasy in Molecular Data with the Use of a Morpholoogically Based Cladogram, and Its Consequences for Character Weighting
Authors: H. Philippe, G. Lecointre, H. Le, H. Le Guyader
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (1996)

An improvement in molecular phylogenetic inference is usually expected with the elimination of highly variable positions from nucleotide sequences. In this paper, this point of view is addressed through the evaluation of 28s rRNA sequences of vertebrates by the use of the maximum-parsimony method. A tree based on morphological data, which is considered as true, has been used to determine these positions, which are homoplastic. The congruence of the tree constructed after the removal of such positions with the true tree was not better than that of the tree constructed with complete sequences; however, it displayed more multifurcations. The elimination of homoplastic sites appeared to decrease the signal rather than the noise. This is due to the fact that noise is created by multiple changes at a given site only if they occurred within a small time interval; when they occur over a broad time interval they, in fact, provide information. Thus, the global variability of a site is not a reliable indicator of noise. We have shown that, for a given position, changes were often concentrated in a limited area of the tree whatever the total number of substitutions was. This observation was generalized by comparing the number of steps in two sister groups for various molecules and taxonomic groups. The evolutionary rate of a given position was thus shown to vary throughout time. Two major conclusions emerged from this study: (1) substitution models should incorporate variation in evolutionary rate at a given site; and (2) the character weighting approach could be significantly improved if the weight given to a position depends on the area of the tree.
Arterial and venous coronary pressure-flow relations in anesthetized dogs. Evidence for a vascular waterfall in epicardial coronary veins.
Authors: P N Uhlig, R W Baer, G J Vlahakes, F L Hanley, L M Messina, J I Hoffman
Journal: Circulation Research (1984)

The coronary circulation of anesthetized dogs was tested for the presence of vascular waterfalls by manipulating coronary arterial and coronary venous pressures. The left main coronary artery and the coronary sinus were cannulated, and relationships between coronary artery pressure, coronary sinus pressure, and coronary flow were studied. Experiments were conducted during diastolic arrests, under steady state conditions, in the absence of autoregulation. Relations of coronary flow to coronary sinus pressure at constant coronary artery pressure were consistent with the presence of a vascular waterfall in the coronary sinus. When the great cardiac vein was cannulated, relations of great vein flow to great vein pressure at constant coronary artery pressure were consistent with the presence of a vascular waterfall in the great vein, indicating that waterfall behavior can occur in epicardial veins other than the coronary sinus. In dogs on right heart bypass, with the coronary sinus and great vein uncannulated, the relationship between right atrial pressure and coronary sinus pressure showed a waterfall pattern, indicating that the waterfall is not an artifact of venous cannulation. In the right heart bypass experiments, venous waterfall behavior was seen in beating hearts as well as during diastolic arrests. We conclude that a vascular waterfall is present in epicardial coronary veins which can significantly influence coronary blood flow.
IgM-type epidermolysis bullosa acquisita
Authors: S.H. Omland, R. Gniadecki
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2015)

Journal Article IgM‐type epidermolysis bullosa acquisita Get access S.H. Omland, S.H. Omland Department of Dermato‐Venerology Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg Hospital Bispebjerg Bakke 23 DK 2400 Copenhagen NV Denmark Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar R. Gniadecki R. Gniadecki Department of Dermato‐Venerology Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg Hospital Bispebjerg Bakke 23 DK 2400 Copenhagen NV Denmark Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 173, Issue 6, 1 December 2015, Pages 1566–1568, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14087 Published: 01 December 2015
Decision analysis model of prolonged oral anticoagulant treatment in factor V Leiden carriers with first episode of deep vein thrombosis
Authors: F. P Sarasin, H. Bounameaux
Journal: BMJ (1998)

<h3>Abstract</h3> A wide variety of diseases are commonly diagnosed via the visual examination of cell morphology within a peripheral blood smear. For certain diseases, such as COVID-19, morphological impact across the multitude of blood cell types is still poorly understood. In this paper, we present a multiple instance learning-based approach to aggregate high-resolution morphological information across many blood cells and cell types to automatically diagnose disease at a per-patient level. We integrated image and diagnostic information from across 236 patients to demonstrate not only that there is a significant link between blood and a patient’s COVID-19 infection status, but also that novel machine learning approaches offer a powerful and scalable means to analyze peripheral blood smears. Our results both backup and enhance hematological findings relating blood cell morphology to COVID-19, and offer a high diagnostic efficacy; with a 79% accuracy and a ROC-AUC of 0.90.
DR-nm23 gene expression in neuroblastoma cells: relationship to integrin expression, adhesion characteristics, and differentiation
Authors: R. Amendola, R. Martinez, A. Negroni, D. Venturelli, B. Tanno, B. Calabretta, G. Raschella
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1997)

Background: Neuroblastoma, a childhood tumor originating from cells of the embryonic neural crest, retains the ability to differentiate, yielding cells with epithelial-Schwann-like, neuronal, or melanocytic characteristics. Since nm23 gene family members have been proposed to play a role in cellular differentiation, as well as in metastasis suppression, we investigated whether and how DR-nm23, a recently identified third member of the human nm23 gene family, might be involved in neuroblastoma differentiation. Methods: Three neuroblastoma cell lines (human LAN-5, human SK-N-SH, and murine N1E-115) were used in these experiments; cells from two of the lines (SK-N-SH and N1E-115) were also studied after being stably transfected with a plasmid containing a full-length DR-nm23 complementary DNA. Cellular expression of specific messenger RNAs and proteins was assessed by use of standard techniques. Cellular adhesion to a variety of protein substrates was also evaluated. Results: DR-nm23 messenger RNA levels in nontransfected LAN-5 and SK-N-SH cells generally increased with time after exposure to differentiation-inducing conditions; levels of the other two human nm23 messenger RNAs (nm23-H1 and nm23-H2) remained essentially constant. Transfected SK-NSH cells overexpressing DR-nm23 exhibited some characteristics of differentiated cells (increased vimentin and collagen type IV expression) even in the absence of differentiationinducing conditions. Compared with control cells, DR-nm23- transfected cells exposed to differentiation-inducing conditions showed a greater degree of growth arrest (SK-N-SH cells) and greater increases in integrin protein expression, especially of integrin β 1 (N1E-115 cells). DR-nm23- transfected N1E-115 cells also showed a marked increase in adhesion to collagen type I-coated tissue culture plates that was inhibited by preincubation with an anti-integrin β 1 antibody. Conclusions: DR-nm23 gene expression appears to be associated with differentiation in neuroblastoma cells and may affect cellular adhesion through regulation of integrin protein expression.
Spectrum of Autonomic Cardiovascular Neuropathy in Diabetes
Authors: Giris Jacob, Fernando Costa, Italo Biaggioni
Journal: Diabetes Care (2003)

OBJECTIVE—Diabetic patients with incapacitating orthostatic hypotension can have either a “hyperadrenergic” or “hypoadrenergic” presentation. Although the latter is related to overt autonomic neuropathy, the former is proposed to be explained by appropriate autonomic responses. We hypothesize, however, that both conditions are part of a spectrum of autonomic dysfunction. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We studied 16 consecutive diabetic patients with preserved renal function referred for incapacitating orthostatic hypotension and characterized their autonomic and neurohumoral cardiovascular regulation. RESULTS—Six patients had a hyperadrenergic orthostatic response: systolic blood pressure fell 42 ± 15 mmHg, heart rate increased 20 ± 3 bpm, and plasma norepinephrine increased from 340 ± 80 to 910 ± 100 pg/ml. Ten patients had a hypoadrenergic response: systolic blood pressure fell 78 ± 5 mmHg, heart rate increased only 7 ± 3 bpm, and norepinephrine increased only from 130 ± 28 to 230 ± 40 pg/ml. Vagal (sinus arrhythmia, Valsalva ratio) and sympathetic (response to hyperventilation, postprandial hypotension) responses were impaired in both groups, but to a greater extent in the hypoadrenergic group. Notwithstanding severe orthostatic hypotension, the postural increase in plasma renin was blunted in both groups, more so in the hypoadrenergic group. Despite preserved renal function, patients had mild anemia due to impaired erythropoietin release, as seen in primary cases of autonomic failure. CONCLUSIONS—Our results suggest that diabetic patients presenting with hyperadrenergic orthostatic hypotension have an initial stage of autonomic neuropathy, with overtly abnormal vagal function and early signs of sympathetic impairment. Furthermore, altered renin response can contribute to the patients’ orthostatic hypotension.
Saliva of the Lyme disease vector, Ixodes dammini, blocks cell activation by a nonprostaglandin E2-dependent mechanism.
Authors: S Urioste, L R Hall, S R Telford, R G Titus
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1994)

Tick-borne pathogens would appear to be vulnerable to vertebrate host immune responses during the protracted duration of feeding required by their vectors. However, tick salivary components deposited during feeding may inhibit hemostasis and induce immunosuppression. The mode of action and the nature of immunosuppressive salivary components remains poorly described. We determined that saliva from the main vector of the agent of Lyme disease, Ixodes dammini, profoundly inhibited splenic T cell proliferation in response to stimulation with concanavalin A or phytohemagglutin, in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, interleukin 2 secretion by the T cells was markedly diminished by saliva. Tick saliva also profoundly suppressed nitric oxide production by macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Finally, we analyzed the molecular basis for the immunosuppressive effects of saliva and discovered that the molecule in saliva responsible for our observations was not PGE2, as hypothesized by others, but rather, was a protein of 5,000 mol wt or higher.