tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Non-invasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis by Measurement of Stiffness in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Authors: Hwa Sook Kim, Ja Kyung Kim, Young Nyun Park, Sung Min Myung, Mi Sun Pang, Hyun Woong Lee, Sang Hoon Ahn, Yong Han Paik, Kwan Sik Lee, Chae Yoon Chon, Young Myoung Moon, Kwang Hyub Han
Journal: Clinical and Molecular Hepatology (2006)

Background/Aims: Transient elastography (FibroScan) is a rapid and non-invasive method to measure liver stiffness, allowing the assessment of liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to compare and validate the diagnostic accuracy of FibroScan in addition to simple biochemical markers such as the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index [APRI] and AST/ALT ratio, known for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B virus infection. Methods: A total of 435 HBsAg positive patients whose liver stiffness was measured by Fibroscan were prospectively enrolled between July 2005 and March 2006. The liver biopsy was performed in 69 patients within 6 months before measuring liver stiffness. Fibrosis was staged on a 0-4 scale by the Korean Pathologists Association using a modified grading and staging system of chronic hepatitis reported by Batts and Ludwig. Results: 1) According to clinical diagnosis, patients were divided into four groups: Inactive carrier, n=61 (14.0%); Chronic hepatitis, n=200 (46.0%); compensated cirrhosis, n=145 (33.0%); decompensated cirrhosis, n=29 (6.7%). The median values of liver stiffness were 6.4±2.7 kPa for inactive carrier, 8.5±5.5 kPa for chronic hepatitis, 16.0±10.1 kPa for compensated cirrhosis, and 29.6 ±18.3 kPa for decompensated cirrhosis. Liver stiffness was significantly different between different disease groups (p<.001). 2) According to pathologic fibrosis scoring, there were 8 cases with F1, 36 cases with F2, 5 cases with F3, and 20 cases with F4. The median values of liver stiffness were 6.9± 2.1 kPa for F1, 10.6±7.2 kPa for F2, 13.3±6.7 kPa for F3, and 18.3±22.9 kPa for F4. 3) Liver stiffness was well correlated with fibrosis stages (r=0.560, p<.001), compared with APRI (r=0.402, p<.001) and AST/ALT ratio (r=0.016, p<.910). 4) The AUROC of Fibroscan, APRI and AST/ALT ratio values were of the same order; 0.71, 0.66, and 0.50, respectively, for ≥ F2; 0.79, 0.65, and 0.60, respectively, for ≥ F3; 0.80, 0.65, and 0.61, respectively, for F=4. Fibroscan offered the best diagnostic performance to differentiate from significant fibrosis (≥ F2) and severe fibrosis-cirrhosis (F3-F4). 5) Cut-off values were 7.2 kPa for ≥ F2, 9.5 kPa for ≥ F3, and 10.5 kPa for F4. 6) In simple regression analysis, liver stiffness was correlated significantly to fibrosis, AST, ALT, lobular activity, and porto-periportal activity. In multiple regression analysis, liver stiffness were correlated significantly to fibrosis, AST, and porto-periportal activity. Conclusions: FibroScan might be a reliable, rapid non-invasive method to diagnose the severity of chronic liver disease and predict fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Weekly Four Times Rituximab Consolidation Following Reduced Cycles Of R-CHOP Induction Chemotherapy In Extremely Elderly Patients With Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Deok-Hwan Yang, Won Seog Kim, Young-Rok Do, Sung Yong Oh, Min Kyoung Kim, Yeung-Chul Mun, Ho-Jin Shin, Jae-Yong Kwak, Hye Jin Kang, Jong-Ho Won, Jung hye Kwon, Hyo Jung Kim, Cheolwon Suh, Je-Jung Lee
Journal: Blood (2013)
Phase III trial of adjuvant immunotherapy with MOAb 17–1A following resection for stage II adenocarcinoma of the colon (CALGB 9581)
Authors: T. A. Colacchio, D. Niedzwiecki, C. Compton, R. Warren, A. I. B. Benson, R. Goldberg, D. Kerr, A. Fields, D. Hollis, R. Mayer
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2004)

3522 Background: MoAb 17–1A targets a cell surface antigen expressed on many adenocarcinomas and improved survival in early trials of adjuvant therapy in Stage III colon cancer. The primary clinical objective of this study was to determine whether adjuvant treatment with MoAb 17–1A improved overall (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) in patients who have had resection of a stage II (pT3NO or pT4bNO) colon cancer. The secondary objective was to investigate a panel of prognostic biological markers for potential association with OS and FFS after adjuvant therapy in these patients. Methods: Patients were randomized to either treatment with MoAb 17–1A or observation only with stratification according to degree of differentiation, vascular or lymphatic invasion, and preoperative serum CEA. Therapy consisted of an initial 2-hour infusion of 500 mg of MoAb 17–1A (cycle 1) followed by a lower dose (100 mg) every 28 days for four doses. The study was activated 5/31/97 and closed to accrual on 5/31/02 because of the discontinuation of the drug supply. Results: The final patient accrual was 1738 of 2100 targeted, with 865 on the treatment arm and 873 on the observation arm. Study results were released by the CALGB Data and Safety Monitoring Board after futility boundaries for OS and FFS were met at the fifth planned interim analysis in July 2003. As of December 2003 there were 93 (11%) Grade 3 toxicities, 18 (2%) Grade 4 toxicities, and no deaths due to treatment. Median follow-up was 32 months on MoAB17–1A and 34 months on Observation. Two hundred eleven (211) failures and 116 deaths have been observed. These comprised 104 failures and 55 deaths on the MoAB 17–1A arm and 107 failures and 61 deaths on the observation arm. Median OS and FFS have not been reached. There were no significant differences between treatment arms (OS p=0.36; FFS p=0.49). Preliminary data on marker prevalence will be available by May 2004. Conclusion: MoAb 17–1A does not appear to prolong OS or FFS in patients with Stage II colon cancer following resection. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Clinical effect of molecular methods in sarcoma diagnosis (GENSARC): a prospective, multicentre, observational study
Authors: Antoine Italiano, Ilaria Di Mauro, Jocelyn Rapp, Gaëlle Pierron, Nathalie Auger, Laurent Alberti, Frédéric Chibon, Fabienne Escande, Anne-Claire Voegeli, Jean-Pierre Ghnassia, Frédérique Keslair, Marick Laé, Dominique Ranchère-Vince, Philippe Terrier, Sandrine Baffert, Jean-Michel Coindre, Florence Pedeutour
Journal: The Lancet Oncology (2016)
Abstract P304: Food Stores, Food Markets and Healthy Food Availability in Comparable Urban Neighborhoods in Madrid and Baltimore
Authors: Usama Bilal, Julia Diez, Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Manuel Franco
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Introduction: Neighborhood environments pose an adequate policy target for the development of interventions aimed at improving the cardiovascular health of their residents. Our objective was to assess the Food Stores, Food Markets and Healthy Food Availability in two comparable neighborhoods in a European (Madrid) and an American city (Baltimore), to shed light into possible food system interventions that would improve resident’s nutritional profile. Methods: We selected one neighborhood (~15000 pop) in each city based on the Median Neighborhood Index, a method that selects contiguous areas within a city that are less extreme in terms of education, aging, segregation and urban form. This method looks for clusters of non-extreme neighborhoods using the SaTSCAN statistic. For each neighborhood we directly collected information on the types of food stores present and the availability of healthy foods carried in side the stores. We classified stores into Public Markets, Supermarkets, Grocery Stores, Specialty Stores and Corner/Convenience/Gas Stations. We measured healthy food availability using a brief and modified version of the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) developed by the Center for a Livable Future (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health). This score ranges from 0 to 27. We performed a descriptive analysis of stores and public markets, mapping the amount of stores by categories and their healthy food availability. Results: The number of stores located in the neighborhood selected in Madrid was 41, with around 25 stores per 10000 residents. The number of stores in Baltimore was 19, with around 17 stores per 10000 residents. The main difference in terms of types of stores was between Madrid’s 12 Specialty Stores (mostly devoted to fruit/vegetable retailing) vs. 0 in the Baltimore area; and Baltimore’s 8 Convenience Stores, vs. Madrid’s 1. In terms of healthy food availability, this was similar across types of stores except for the Corner/Convenience/Gas Station category where Madrid had a mean healthy food availability of 13.2 vs. 9.3 in Baltimore. In terms of public markets, both areas had one market present, with very different characteristics. The Madrid’s market of “Las Ventas” is a three storied indoors market with 112 stands, mostly devoted to fruit/vegetable (n= (n=34), meat/dairy (n=38), and fish retailing (n=19), open all year-round 6 days a week. Only three stands served prepared food. Baltimore’s 32nd Street Farmers Market is a smaller market (50 stands total), open all year-wide once a week (Saturday mornings), mostly devoted to fruit/vegetable retailing (n=20), meat/dairy (n=9) and prepared food (n=10). Conclusions: This study compared two neighborhoods in Madrid and Baltimore portraying two different food systems highlighting major differences in the distribution of food stores and food availability.
Abstract P050: Reproducibility of Blood Pressure Responses to Dietary Sodium and Potassium Interventions: the GenSalt Study
Authors: Jiang He, Dongfeng Gu, Jichun Chen, Qi Zhao, Lydia A Bazzano, Jianfeng Huang, Jianxin Li, Fanghong Lu, Jianjun Mu, Treva Rice, DC Rao, Chung-Shiuan Chen, L. L Hamm, Jing Chen
Journal: Circulation (2012)

Blood pressure (BP) responses to dietary sodium and potassium interventions vary among individuals (salt- and potassium-sensitivity). However, it is unknown whether salt- and/or potassium-sensitivity is a reproducible trait. We repeated the dietary sodium and potassium intervention among 488 Han Chinese who participated in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Salt Sensitivity (GenSalt) four years after the original dietary intervention. The same dietary intervention protocol, which included a 7-day low sodium-feeding (51.3 mmol/day), a 7-day high sodium-feeding (307.8 mmol/day), and a 7-day high sodium-feeding with an oral potassium supplementation (60 mmol/day), was applied in both the original and repeated studies. Three BP measurements were obtained during each of the 3 days of baseline observation and on days 5, 6, and 7 of each intervention period. Three timed urinary samples were collected to measure sodium and potassium excretion at baseline and during each intervention phase. On average, study participants were 39.7 years old and 49.4% of them were male. Study participants had a mean body mass index of 23.7 kg/m 2 , systolic BP of 118.1 mmHg, diastolic BP of 74.4 mmHg, urinary excretion of sodium of 258.8 mmol/24-hrs, and urinary excretion of potassium of 38.8 mmol/24-hrs. The results from the 24-h urinary excretions of sodium and potassium showed excellent compliance with the study diet. BP responses to dietary intervention in the original and repeated studies were highly correlated. For example, the correlation coefficients for systolic BP between original and repeated studies were 0.7681 at baseline, 0.7902 during low-sodium, 0.8045 during high-sodium, and 0.8232 during high-sodium and potassium supplementation intervention (all p&lt;0.0001). The correlation coefficients for systolic BP changes between original and repeated studies were 0.3659 from baseline to low-sodium, 0.3655 from low to high-sodium, and 0.2850 from high-sodium to potassium supplementation (all p&lt;0.0001). These data indicate that BP responses to dietary sodium and potassium intervention are reproducible traits. Furthermore, our study suggests that identification of individuals who are more sensitive to dietary sodium and potassium intake may improve the efficiency of targeted dietary intervention for hypertension prevention among high-risk individuals.
Abstract P311: Effect of Non-Invasive Imaging on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Downstream Testing: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Seamus P Whelton, Khurram Nasir, Michael J Blaha, Daniel S Berman, Roger S Blumenthal
Journal: Circulation (2012)

Introduction: Non-invasive cardiovascular imaging has been proposed as a method to improve risk stratification and motivate improved patient and physician risk factor modification. Despite increasing use of these technologies there remains limited evidence documenting its effect on downstream testing and improvement in risk factor control. Hypothesis: Addition of the EISNER study to a prior meta-analysis will improve statistical power to demonstrate the downstream consequences of non-invasive cardiovascular imaging. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE database (1966 through July 2011) was conducted. Major inclusion criteria required: 1) randomized controlled trial design, 2) participants with no known history of coronary heart disease or stroke, and 3) comparison of a group provided with results of a non-invasive imaging scan versus those without results. A total of eight trials with 4,084 participants met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. We analyzed the data using a random effects model to allow for heterogeneity. Results: Among imaging groups there was a significant increase in prescribing for statins (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01–1.32) and a non-significant trend for increased prescription of aspirin (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.97–1.35), ACE/ARB (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.96–1.31), and insulin (RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.75–3.18). There was a non-significant trend towards increased smoking cessation (RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.88–2.08). For downstream outcomes there was a non-significant increase in coronary angiography (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.92–1.57), but not for revascularization (RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.55–1.53). There was no significant effect of imaging on the change in traditional risk factors. Limitations: There remains a limited number of trials in this important area. Therefore, trials included in this analysis use a variety of different imaging modalities and we were not able to pool the results based on appropriate clinical action (intensification at high risk and reduction at low risk). Conclusions: Non-invasive cardiovascular imaging leads to increased statin use, but associations with other downstream treatments and change in risk factors are not statistically significant. Our results highlight the limited amount of data for describing the downstream consequences after CAC testing.
In knee OA, adding TKR to nonsurgical treatment improved pain and function at 12 mo
Authors: Rudolf W. Poolman
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2016)

ACP Journal Club19 January 2016In knee OA, adding TKR to nonsurgical treatment improved pain and function at 12 moRudolf W. Poolman, MD, PhDRudolf W. Poolman, MD, PhDOnze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (OLVG), Joint Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (R.W.P.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/ACPJC-2016-164-2-008 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Source CitationSkou ST, Roos EM, Laursen MB, et al. A randomized, controlled trial of total knee replacement. N Engl J Med. 2015 Oct 22;373:1597-1606. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26488691Clinical Impact RatingsGIM/FP/GP: Rheumatology: References1 Tilbury C, Holtslag MJ, Tordoir RL, et al. Outcome of total hip arthroplasty, but not of total knee arthroplasty, is related to the preoperative radiographic severity of osteoarthritis. Acta Orthop. 2015:1-5. [PMID: 26484651] Google Scholar2 Keurentjes JC, Fiocco M, So-Osman C, et al. Patients with severe radiographic osteoarthritis have a better prognosis in physical functioning after hip and knee replacement: a cohort-study. PLoS One. 2013;8:e59500. [PMID: 23573200] Google Scholar3 Kerkhoffs GM, Servien E, Dunn W, et al. The influence of obesity on the complication rate and outcome of total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis and systematic literature review. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012;94:1839-44. [PMID: 23079875] Google Scholar4 Groen VA, van de Graaf VA, Scholtes VA, et al. Effects of bariatric surgery for knee complaints in (morbidly) obese adult patients: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2015;16:161-70. [PMID: 25487972] Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (OLVG), Joint Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (R.W.P.)This article was published at Annals.org on 5 January 2016. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byChondrogenic differentiation of human ASCs by stiffness control in 3D fibrin hydrogel 19 January 2016Volume 164, Issue 2Page: JC8KeywordsActivities of daily livingAdverse eventsBody mass indexKneesOsteoarthritisQuality of lifeResearch fundingSurgeryTotal knee replacementVisual analog scale ePublished: 19 January 2016 Issue Published: 19 January 2016 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2016 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...
The glycolytic enzyme PKM2 bridges metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction in coronary artery disease
Authors: Tsuyoshi Shirai, Rafal R. Nazarewicz, Barbara B. Wallis, Rolando E. Yanes, Ryu Watanabe, Marc Hilhorst, Lu Tian, David G. Harrison, John C. Giacomini, Themistocles L. Assimes, Jörg J. Goronzy, Cornelia M. Weyand
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2016)

Abnormal glucose metabolism and enhanced oxidative stress accelerate cardiovascular disease, a chronic inflammatory condition causing high morbidity and mortality. Here, we report that in monocytes and macrophages of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD), overutilization of glucose promotes excessive and prolonged production of the cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β, driving systemic and tissue inflammation. In patient-derived monocytes and macrophages, increased glucose uptake and glycolytic flux fuel the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which in turn promote dimerization of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and enable its nuclear translocation. Nuclear PKM2 functions as a protein kinase that phosphorylates the transcription factor STAT3, thus boosting IL-6 and IL-1β production. Reducing glycolysis, scavenging superoxide and enforcing PKM2 tetramerization correct the proinflammatory phenotype of CAD macrophages. In essence, PKM2 serves a previously unidentified role as a molecular integrator of metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress and tissue inflammation and represents a novel therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease.
Author’s reply to Blake
Authors: Ian C K Wong
Journal: BMJ (2016)

We attempted to use three study designs to investigate the association between clarithromycin and cardiovascular outcomes in two cohorts of patients.1 2 The first was a propensity score adjusted cohort design comparing exposure to clarithromycin with exposure to amoxicillin or amoxicillin plus clavulanate potassium. The second was a self controlled case series design comparing the rate of cardiovascular events after exposure to Helicobacter pylori therapy containing clarithromycin with baseline of follow-up. The third study design was a case crossover study design comparing odds of exposure to H pylori therapy containing clarithromycin in 14 days before a cardiovascular event with the odds of exposure during control periods. The last two designs are both case-only designs using the same cohort, but the designs are very different.3 4 …
Unmetabolized Folic Acid in Prediagnostic Plasma and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Eunyoung Cho, Xuehong Zhang, Mary K. Townsend, Jacob Selhub, Ligi Paul, Bernard Rosner, Charles S. Fuchs, Walter C. Willett, Edward L. Giovannucci
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2015)

Higher folate has been associated with a reduced colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but excessive folate may promote tumor progression. The role of unmetabolized folic acid (UFA) from high folic acid consumption in carcinogenesis is largely unexplored. We evaluated prediagnostic plasma levels of UFA in relation to CRC risk in nested case-control studies (618 CRC case patients and 1207 matched control) with blood samples collected prior to folic acid fortification. UFA was detected in 21.4% of control UFA levels were not associated with CRC risk. Compared with undetectable levels, the multivariable relative risks (RRs) of CRC were 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.73 to 1.46) for less than 0.5 nmol/L and 1.12 (95% CI = 0.81 to 1.55) for 0.5 nmol/L or more (Ptrend = .32). A positive association between UFA levels and CRC risk was observed among men (RR = 1.57, 95% CI = 0.99 to 2.49 for ≥0.5 nmol/L vs undetectable, Pinteraction = .04), and a positive association was also observed among those with the methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) CT/TT genotype (RR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.22 to 3.94 for ≥0.5 nmol/L vs undetectable, Pinteraction=0.02). In conclusion, prediagnostic plasma levels of UFA from the prefortification period were not associated with risk of CRC.
THE FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING.
Journal: JAMA (1894)

THE 45th annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical Associa tion was held on 21, 22, and 23 October 1976, at Allentow , Pennsylvania, sponsored jointly by Cedar Crest College; Educational Ventures, Inc.; Lehigh County Historical Society; and Muhlenberg College.  opening sessions began at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday in the College Center of Cedar Crest College. Richard Varbero, of State University of New York, New Paltz, chaired Session I on Elites. Roger Simon of Lehigh read a paper, The Steel Elites of Bethlehem.  dissociation of ownership and management in the modern cor poration has essentially meant that upper management is a self perpetuating group of elites with upper-class pretensions and achieved status. One of the firms in which these developments occurred early was the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. In the second and third decades of the twentieth century a new corps of elite managers of Bethlehem Steel displaced that town's older upper-class families at the pinnacle of the local social structure. They established and supported a local country club in an effort to confer upper-class standing upon them selves and to perpetuate their status. Bethlehem Steel provided the club with extensive support including materials, free labor, and technical expertise. While the steel company's employees did not dominate the club's membership, they did hold half of the board seats and most of the offices and could observe the behavior of rising younger executives and confer or withhold status in the form of club membership. This reinforced the social impact of the managerial revolution.  paper used oral history interviews as well as a quanti tative analysis of the club's membership from 1920-1937. A paper, Art and Industry: Upper-Class Support for the Pennsyl vania Museum and School of Industrial Art, 1876-1900 was deli vered by Barbara Howe of Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio. This 173