tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Tele-Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy With the Retinal Thickness Analyzer
Authors: Aljoscha S. Neubauer, Ulrich C. Welge-Lüßen, Martin J. Thiel, Claudia Alge, Siegfried G. Priglinger, Christoph Hirneiß, Michael W. Ulbig, Anselm Kampik
Journal: Diabetes Care (2003)

To compare the effectiveness of tele-screening using a novel enhanced retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) with onsite routine ophthalmologic examination for diabetic retinopathy.A consecutive series of 31 eyes from diabetic patients were included. All underwent ophthalmologic examination, including stereoscopic dilated funduscopy and scanning with the RTA. The RTA reports consisted of a wide-angle, red-free fundus photograph and a macular-region retinal thickness map. Reports were graded by three independent graders in a masked manner. The diagnoses of proliferative retinopathy, macular edema, and treatment decisions made by the RTA graders and the clinical examiner were compared.On clinical examination 5 of 31 eyes were diagnosed with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). All five were referred for treatment by two graders and four eyes by one grader. All eyes with PDR and 12 of the 26 eyes with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy showed severe macular edema. Seven of the 12 eyes with macular edema were clinically eligible for focal laser treatment, and all of them were detected by all RTA graders. Macular thickening was detected in eight eyes by RTA where no treatment was necessary, as judged by clinical examination. Thus, sensitivity was 93% (mean) for detecting PDR and 100% for detecting macular edema, with a specificity of 58-96% depending on the grader. The RTA did not allow valid assessment due to poor image quality in only one case.Screening for diabetic retinopathy with a combination of wide-angle fundus photography and macular thickness mapping by an objective method, such as optical coherence tomography or the RTA, offers the prerequisites for establishing a successful tele-screening program.
Low-Dose Chemotherapy for Epstein-Barr Virus–Positive Post-Transplantation Lymphoproliferative Disease in Children After Solid Organ Transplantation
Authors: Thomas G. Gross, John C. Bucuvalas, Julie R. Park, Timothy C. Greiner, Steven H. Hinrich, Stuart S. Kaufman, Alan N. Langnas, Ruth A. McDonald, Frederick C. Ryckman, Byers W. Shaw, Debra L. Sudan, James C. Lynch
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2005)

To evaluate the efficacy of a low-dose chemotherapy regimen in children with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) -positive, post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after organ transplantation who have experienced failure with front-line therapy for PTLD.Eligible patients received cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2 intravenous for 1 day) and prednisone (2 mg/kg orally for 5 days) every 3 weeks for six cycles.Thirty-six patients treated on study were assessable for analyses. Front-line therapies for PTLD before study entry included immune suppression reduction or withdrawal (n = 36), antiviral therapy (n = 33), surgical resection (n = 8), rituximab (n = 2), and interferon alfa (n = 1). Reasons for failure of front-line therapy included progressive disease (PD; n = 33) and persistent disease with concurrent allograft rejection (n = 3). Thirty patients (83%) had stage III to IV disease, 92% had extranodal disease, and 75% had > or = three sites of disease. The overall response rate was 83% (75% complete response + 8% partial response). The relapse rate was 19%, with only one of five relapsed patients alive and disease-free. Four patients presented with fulminant, disseminated PTLD; only one of these four patients achieved a response, and all four died of PD. Two patients died of treatment-related toxicity. Three patients (8%) experienced allograft loss, but two of the three patients are alive and disease-free after a second transplantation. The 2-year overall, relapse-free, and failure-free (without PTLD and with functioning original allograft) survival rates were 73%, 69%, and 67%, respectively.This low-dose chemotherapy regimen is effective for children with EBV-positive, nonfulminant PTLD who have experienced treatment failure with front-line therapy, and this study represents the largest series of PTLD patients treated prospectively with a uniform chemotherapy regimen.
Promoting Regular Mammography Screening II. Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial in US Women Veterans
Authors: Sally W. Vernon, Deborah J. del Junco, Jasmin A. Tiro, Sharon P. Coan, Catherine A. Perz, Lori A. Bastian, William Rakowski, Wen Chan, David R. Lairson, Amy McQueen, Maria E. Fernandez, Cynthia Warrick, Arada Halder, Carlo DiClemente
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2008)

BackgroundFew health promotion trials have evaluated strategies to increase regular mammography screening. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of two theory-based interventions in a population-based, nationally representative sample of women veterans.
Borrelia burgdorferi in the central nervous system
Authors: D. J. Cameron
Journal: JAMA (1992)

To the Editor.  —Luft et al 1 reported polymerase chain reaction (PCR) evidence in spinal fluid to suggest continued infection in a patient with relapsing arthritis. The article raises the possibility that the CNS may act as a sanctuary for B burgdorferi , protecting it from the action of systemic antibiotics and immunity and thereby allowing it to reseed the periphery intermittently.  Active CNS infection, if demonstrated, would indicate the need for further antibiotic therapy. Luft et al 1 used the case to question the use of using oral antibiotics alone for chronic arthritis.  The PCR cannot be used to support continued CNS infection. The presence of spirochetal DNA does not indicate that viable B burgdorferi are present in the CNS, as the technique measures both viable and nonviable organisms. 1   The PCR test appears limited to establish CNS exposure. We still need a test to determine if the CNS remains
Randomized Comparison of a Titanium-Nitride-Oxide–Coated Stent With a Stainless Steel Stent for Coronary Revascularization
Authors: Stephan Windecker, Rüdiger Simon, Markus Lins, Volker Klauss, Franz R. Eberli, Marco Roffi, Giovanni Pedrazzini, Tiziano Moccetti, Peter Wenaweser, Mario Togni, David Tüller, Rainer Zbinden, Christian Seiler, Julinda Mehilli, Adnan Kastrati, Bernhard Meier, Otto M. Hess
Journal: Circulation (2005)

Stent coating with titanium-nitride-oxide has been shown to reduce neointimal hyperplasia in the porcine restenosis model. We designed a prospective, randomized, clinical study to investigate the safety and efficacy of titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents compared with stainless steel stents.Ninety-two patients with de novo lesions were randomly assigned to treatment with titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents (n=45) or stainless steel stents of otherwise identical design (n=47; control). Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. At 30 days, no stent thromboses or other adverse events had occurred in either group. Quantitative coronary angiography at 6 months revealed lower late loss (0.55+/-0.63 versus 0.90+/-0.76 mm, P=0.03) and percent diameter stenosis (26+/-17% versus 36+/-24%, P=0.04) in lesions treated with titanium-nitride oxide-coated than in control stents. Binary restenosis was reduced from 33% in the control group to 15% in the titanium-nitride oxide-coated stent group (P=0.07). Intravascular ultrasound studies at 6 months showed smaller neointimal volume in titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents than in control stents (18+/-21 versus 48+/-28 mm3, P<0.0001). Major adverse cardiac events at 6 months were less frequent in titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents than in control stent-treated patients (7% versus 27%, P=0.02), largely driven by a reduced need for target-lesion revascularization (7% versus 23%, P=0.07).Revascularization with titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents is safe and effective in patients with de novo native coronary artery lesions. Titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents reduce restenosis and major adverse cardiac events compared with stainless steel stents of otherwise identical design.
Methylprednisolone in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (SIRS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Richard P Whitlock, P J Devereaux, Kevin H Teoh, Andre Lamy, Jessica Vincent, Janice Pogue, Domenico Paparella, Daniel I Sessler, Ganesan Karthikeyan, Juan Carlos Villar, Yunxia Zuo, Álvaro Avezum, Mackenzie Quantz, Georgios I Tagarakis, Pallav J Shah, Seyed Hesameddin Abbasi, Hong Zheng, Shirley Pettit, Susan Chrolavicius, Salim Yusuf
Journal: The Lancet (2015)
Predictors and risks for death in a population-based study of persons with IBD in Manitoba
Authors: Charles N Bernstein, Zoann Nugent, Laura E Targownik, Harminder Singh, Lisa M Lix
Journal: Gut (2014)

We aimed to determine the predictors and risk for death among persons with either Crohn's disease (CD) or UC compared with the general population.We used the population-based University of Manitoba IBD Epidemiology Database to calculate HRs and their 95% CIs for cases relative to controls using stratified multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, controlling for socioeconomic status and comorbidities.There were 10 788 prevalent cases of CD and UC and 101 860 matched controls. The HR for all-cause mortality in prevalent CD cases was 1.26 (95% CI 1.16 to 1.38) and in prevalent UC cases was 1.04 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.12). Compared with matched controls, CD cases were more likely to die of colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, digestive diseases, pulmonary embolism and sepsis and UC cases were more likely to die from colorectal cancer, digestive diseases and respiratory diseases. For incident cases, there were significant effects on mortality by socioeconomic status, comorbidity score and surgery. The greatest risk for death in both CD and UC was within the first 30 days following GI surgery. The first year from diagnosis was associated with increased risk of death in both CD and UC, but persisted after the 1st year only in CD.There is a significantly increased risk of mortality in CD compared with controls while in UC an increased risk for death was only evident in the first year from diagnosis. Surgery poses an increased risk for death in both CD and UC lasting up to 1 year.
BreakTrans: uncovering the genomic architecture of gene fusions
Authors: Ken Chen, Nicholas E Navin, Yong Wang, Heather K Schmidt, John W Wallis, Beifang Niu, Xian Fan, Hao Zhao, Michael D McLellan, Katherine A Hoadley, Elaine R Mardis, Timothy J Ley, Charles M Perou, Richard K Wilson, Li Ding
Journal: Genome biology (2013)

Abstract Producing gene fusions through genomic structural rearrangements is a major mechanism for tumor evolution. Therefore, accurately detecting gene fusions and the originating rearrangements is of great importance for personalized cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy. We present a tool, BreakTrans, that systematically maps predicted gene fusions to structural rearrangements. Thus, BreakTrans not only validates both types of predictions, but also provides mechanistic interpretations. BreakTrans effectively validates known fusions and discovers novel events in a breast cancer cell line. Applying BreakTrans to 43 breast cancer samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas identifies 90 genomically validated gene fusions. BreakTrans is available at http://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/main/BreakTrans
Nutritional assessment in overweight and obese patients with metastatic cancer: does it make sense?
Authors: I. Gioulbasanis, L. Martin, V.E. Baracos, S. Thézénas, F. Koinis, P. Senesse
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2014)

Obesity is causally related with tumor development, and thus, many cancer patients are overweight or obese at diagnosis. Whether these patients need regular nutritional assessment is not known. In the present study, we evaluated the utility of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a nutritional screening/assessment questionnaire, in overweight or obese patients with metastatic tumors.
Training in dermatology in the United Kingdom
Authors: Pauline M. Dowd, C.R. Lovell
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1983)

Journal Article Training in dermatology in the United Kingdom Get access Pauline M. Dowd, Pauline M. Dowd St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin, London WC2H 7BJ Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar C.R. Lovell C.R. Lovell St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin, London WC2H 7BJ Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 109, Issue 2, 1 August 1983, Pages 235–237, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1983.tb07088.x Published: 01 August 1983
TGF-β antagonists: Why suppress a tumor suppressor?
Authors: Rosemary J. Akhurst
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2002)

Tumor metastasis is the major determinant of cancer patient survival.This ultimate phase in tumorigenesis depends on the ability of a tumor cell to invade the stroma, migrate in and out of blood or lymphatic vessels, and survive and re-establish itself at a secondary site.A large number of papers have provided strong evidence for a role of TGF-β in tumor invasion and/or metastasis (1-6).Now, two papers in this issue of the JCI highlight this clinically significant action of TGF-β in tumorigenesis and provide very encouraging results regarding both the efficacy and the low toxicity of a soluble TGF-β receptor antagonist that effectively reduces tumor spread (7, 8).
Use of Multiple Biomarkers to Improve the Prediction of Death from Cardiovascular Causes
Authors: Björn Zethelius, Lars Berglund, Johan Sundström, Erik Ingelsson, Samar Basu, Anders Larsson, Per Venge, Johan Arnlöv
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2008)

The incremental usefulness of adding multiple biomarkers from different disease pathways for predicting the risk of death from cardiovascular causes has not, to our knowledge, been evaluated among the elderly.We used data from the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM), a community-based cohort of elderly men, to investigate whether a combination of biomarkers that reflect myocardial cell damage, left ventricular dysfunction, renal failure, and inflammation (troponin I, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, cystatin C, and C-reactive protein, respectively) improved the risk stratification of a person beyond an assessment that was based on the established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (age, systolic blood pressure, use or nonuse of antihypertensive treatment, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, use or nonuse of lipid-lowering treatment, presence or absence of diabetes, smoking status, and body-mass index).During follow-up (median, 10.0 years), 315 of the 1135 participants in our study (mean age, 71 years at baseline) died; 136 deaths were the result of cardiovascular disease. In Cox proportional-hazards models adjusted for established risk factors, all of the biomarkers significantly predicted the risk of death from cardiovascular causes. The C statistic increased significantly when the four biomarkers were incorporated into a model with established risk factors, both in the whole cohort (C statistic with biomarkers vs. without biomarkers, 0.766 vs. 0.664; P<0.001) and in the group of 661 participants who did not have cardiovascular disease at baseline (0.748 vs. 0.688, P=0.03). The improvement in risk assessment remained strong when it was estimated by other statistical measures of model discrimination, calibration, and global fit.Our data suggest that in elderly men with or without prevalent cardiovascular disease, the simultaneous addition of several biomarkers of cardiovascular and renal abnormalities substantially improves the risk stratification for death from cardiovascular causes beyond that of a model that is based only on established risk factors.
New oral anticoagulants: dosing and monitoring
Authors: J. P. Patel, L. Couchman, P. B. Chitongo, R. J. Flanagan, R. Arya
Journal: BMJ (2015)

The two reports on the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with new oral anticoagulants come as no surprise given the dosing regimens that have been adopted.1 2

The one size fits all strategy risks over-anticoagulation in some and under-anticoagulation in others, given the variability between patients in the pharmacokinetics of these agents reported by the manufacturers.

We were surprised that an individualised dosing strategy …
Do We Really Need Another Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in First-Line Treatment for Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer and <i>EGFR</i> Mutations?
Authors: Eva R. Haspinger, Marina Chiara Garassino, Valter Torri, Michela Cinquini, Filippo De Braud, Francesco Gelsomino
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2014)

Clinical Oncology the results of a phase III study comparing afatinib to standard first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations.Since 2004, when EGFR became a target, 2-4 three similar molecules have been studied and developed for the same indication.So far, three drugs (gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib) have been approved as first-line treatment in a population representing approximately 10% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Furthermore, to our knowledge, at least one other drug 5 is under investigation for the same population.The regulatory agencies accepted the commercialization of a third drug without any direct comparison with the other two already-marketed drugs in such a small subset of patients.Nevertheless, we need to understand how afatinib could possibly be implemented in clinical practice.At the date the LUX-Lung 3 trial was started, data on IPASS were already known, and gefitinib was already considered standard first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated patients, as was erlotinib later on.
Activation of Na <sup>+</sup> /H <sup>+</sup> Exchanger 1 Is Sufficient to Generate Ca <sup>2+</sup> Signals That Induce Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Failure
Authors: Tomoe Y. Nakamura, Yuko Iwata, Yuji Arai, Kazuo Komamura, Shigeo Wakabayashi
Journal: Circulation Research (2008)

Activation of the sarcolemmal Na + /H + exchanger (NHE)1 is increasingly documented as a process involved in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, whether NHE1 activation alone is sufficient to induce such remodeling remains unknown. We generated transgenic mice that overexpress a human NHE1 with high activity in hearts. The hearts of these mice developed cardiac hypertrophy, contractile dysfunction, and heart failure. In isolated transgenic myocytes, intracellular pH was elevated in Hepes buffer but not in physiological bicarbonate buffer, yet intracellular Na + concentrations were higher under both conditions. In addition, both diastolic and systolic Ca 2+ levels were increased as a consequence of Na + -induced Ca 2+ overload; this was accompanied by enhanced sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ loading via Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)II-dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban. Negative force–frequency dependence was observed with preservation of high Ca 2+ , suggesting a decrease in myofibril Ca 2+ sensitivity. Furthermore, the Ca 2+ -dependent prohypertrophic molecules calcineurin and CaMKII were highly activated in transgenic hearts. These effects observed in vivo and in vitro were largely prevented by the NHE1 inhibitor cariporide. Interestingly, overexpression of NHE1 in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes induced cariporide-sensitive nuclear translocation of NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) and nuclear export of histone deacetylase 4, suggesting that increased Na + /H + exchange activity can alter hypertrophy-associated gene expression. However, in transgenic myocytes, contrary to exclusive translocation of histone deacetylase 4, NFAT only partially translocated to nucleus, possibly because of marked activation of p38, a negative regulator of NFAT signaling. We conclude that activation of NHE1 is sufficient to initiate cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure mainly through activation of CaMKII–histone deacetylase pathway.
Nonsynchronous accumulation of alpha-skeletal actin and beta-myosin heavy chain mRNAs during early stages of pressure-overload--induced cardiac hypertrophy demonstrated by in situ hybridization.
Authors: S Schiaffino, J L Samuel, D Sassoon, A M Lompré, I Garner, F Marotte, M Buckingham, L Rappaport, K Schwartz
Journal: Circulation Research (1989)

The development of cardiac hypertrophy secondary to pressure overload is accompanied by isoformic changes of contractile proteins such as myosin and actin. 35S-Labeled complementary RNA (cRNA) probes and in situ hybridization procedures were used for analysis of the regional distribution of newly formed transcripts from alpha-skeletal actin (alpha-sk-actin) and beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) genes during the early stages of pressure overload. The study was performed in 25-day-old rats submitted to a thoracic aortic stenosis and killed after surgery at times ranging from 4 hours to 3 days. Neither alpha-sk-actin nor beta-MHC messenger RNA (mRNA) was detected in the hearts of normal and sham-operated animals. However, alpha-sk-actin mRNA accumulated throughout the entire left ventricle as early as 4 hours after aortic stenosis, and by 12 hours was also detected in the left atrium. In contrast, beta-MHC mRNA was hardly detectable before day 1, and by days 2-3 was mainly restricted to the inner part of the left ventricle and around the coronary arteries. The absence of spatial and temporal coordination in the accumulation of alpha-sk-actin and beta-MHC mRNAs indicates that different signals and/or regulatory mechanisms are implicated in the induction of the two genes in response to hemodynamic overload.
Validation of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire in Bronchiectasis
Authors: CAROLYN B. WILSON, PAUL W. JONES, CATHERINE J. O'LEARY, PETER J. COLE, ROBERT WILSON
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1997)

There is no disease-specific instrument available for health status assessment in bronchiectasis. We examined the stability, validity and responsiveness of a measure designed for asthma and COPD, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), in this condition. One hundred and eleven patients were studied on 2 separate d 6 mo apart. On both days each patient completed the SGRQ and measures of general and disease-specific health, mood, and fatigue. They also performed a shuttle walking test and comprehensive lung function tests. Repeatability was tested over 2 wk in 23 patients. The intraclass correlation (rI) for the SGRQ Total score was 0.97. The SGRQ component scores correlated well with relevant markers of disease activity. Examples include: SGRQ Symptoms score versus MRC Wheeze score, r = 0.634, p < 0.0001; Activity score versus shuttle walking test, r = − 0.659, p < 0.0001; and Impacts score versus physical fatigue, r = 0.610, p < 0.0001. Changes in the SGRQ Total score from entry to follow-up also correlated with changes in other measures of the patients' health. There were significant differences in the SGRQ total score between patients who improved and those who deteriorated over the 6 mo in respect to wheeze (F = 5.6, p < 0.01) and breathlessness (F = 6.05, p < 0.01). We conclude that the SGRQ reflects impaired health in bronchiectasis patients.