tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
One-Hour Postload Plasma Glucose Levels and Diastolic Function in Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Angela Sciacqua, Sofia Miceli, Laura Greco, Franco Arturi, Paola Naccarato, Deborah Mazzaferro, Eliezer J. Tassone, Laura Turano, Francesco Martino, Giorgio Sesti, Francesco Perticone
Journal: Diabetes Care (2011)

To address whether glucose tolerance status, and in particular 1-h postload plasma glucose levels, may affect diastolic function in 161 never-treated hypertensive white subjects. Impaired left ventricular relaxation, an early sign of diastolic dysfunction, represents the first manifestation of myocardial involvement in diabetic cardiomyopathy. A plasma glucose value ≥155 mg/dL for the 1-h postload plasma glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is able to identify subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at high risk for type 2 diabetes and with subclinical organ damage.Subjects underwent OGTT and standard echocardiography. Diastolic function was assessed by pulsed Doppler transmitral flow velocity and tissue Doppler imaging. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by Matsuda index.Among the participants, 120 had NGT, 26 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 15 had type 2 diabetes. According to the 1-h postload plasma glucose cutoff point of 155 mg/dL, we divided NGT subjects as follows: NGT <155 mg/dL (n = 90) and NGT ≥155 mg/dL (n = 30). Those with NGT ≥155 mg/dL had higher left atrium dimensions (P < 0.0001) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) (P = 0.037) than those with NGT <155 mg/dL. By contrast, early/late transmitral flow velocity and all tissue Doppler parameters were significantly lower in those with NGT ≥155 mg/dL than in those with NGT<155 mg/dL. At multiple regression analysis, 1-h glucose was the major determinant of left atrium area, IVRT, septal e', septal e'-to-a' ratio, lateral e', and lateral e'-to-a' ratio.The main finding of this study is that 1-h postload plasma glucose is associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Subjects with NGT ≥155 mg/dL had significantly worse diastolic function than those with NGT<155 mg/dL.
Functional residual capacity in healthy preschool children
Authors: JH Pauwels, HP Van Bever, KN Desager, MJ Willemen, WL Creten, KJ Van Acker, PA Vermeire
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1996)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of routine functional residual capacity (FRC) measurements in healthy preschool children aged 2.7-6.4 yrs. Furthermore, accuracy and reproducibility were investigated and normal values were collected. A mass-produced closed-circuit helium dilution device (rolling seal) was used. Selection of the 113 healthy children (from the 571 measured) was based on an extensive personal and family history questionnaire and on clinical examination before measurements were performed. With three successive attempts it was possible to achieve at least two reproducible measurements in 73% of the children (repeatability coefficient 95.3 mL). The main problems were leakage at the corner of the mouth and irregular breathing pattern. The mean time to perform a measurement was 113 s. Mean FRC was significantly higher in boys than in girls: 778 versus 739 mL for a body length of 110 cm (p<0.05). FRC correlated with height (H) (r=0.69), weight (W) (r=0.56), age (A) (r=0.62) and all three combined (r=0.70): FRC = -534.89 + 1.84 x W (kg) + 10.07 x H (cm) + 2.51 x A (months). When a power or exponential function was used to describe FRC as a function of height, the results were not superior to the linear regression (r=0.69): FRC (mL) = -766.2 + 13.8 x H (cm) (r=0.69) or FRC (L) = 0.620 x H (m)(2.03) (r=0.69) or FRC (mL)= 99.5 x e(0.018xH (cm)) (r=0.69). Among these, we recommend the power function because it will better fit broader height ranges. Reliable functional residual capacity measurements can be routinely performed in preschool children with a mass-produced device. Reference values were collected for children 95-125 cm in height.
Pituitary Hormones and Contact Sensitivity in Rats
Authors: I. BERCZI, E. NAGY, S. L. ASA, K. KOVACS
Journal: Allergy (1983)

Hypophysectomized (Hypo‐X) rats do not develop contact sensitivity to dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Daily treatment with prolactin or growth hormone completely restores the DNCB‐reactivity of Hypo‐X animals. Treatment of such animals with ACTH, FSH, LH, TSH or HCG has no restoring potential. Treatment with ACTH in addition to prolactin or growth hormone antagonizes restoration of Hypo‐X rats. These experiments indicate that the pituitary gland has the potential of regulating contact sensitivity.
Treatment of the terminal stages of breast cancer.
Authors: K. Holli, M. Hakama
Journal: BMJ (1989)

To assess the intensity of and changes in diagnostic investigations and treatment in the terminal stages of breast cancer 555 patients in the area of Tampere University Central Hospital in whom breast cancer had been diagnosed from 1977 to 1980 were followed up for five years. The case notes for the last visit of 519 patients were analysed. The amount of diagnostic activity was similar for those who died and for the survivors. A higher proportion of women who died than of women who survived received treatment at the last follow up visit, and 2.6 times as many of those dying within one week of the last visit were given chemotherapy as were survivors with recurrent disease. Resources devoted to diagnostic investigations and treatment of cancer in terminally ill patients could be better used for care of the patients. This would be more likely to improve the patients9 quality of life and conserve resources.
Interleukin 13 and its role in gut defence and inflammation
Authors: Peter Mannon, Walter Reinisch
Journal: Gut (2012)

Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a cytokine of increasing interest to gastroenterologists because of its developing role in ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic oesophagitis (EO) and fibrosis. Recent data show that IL-13 may play an important role in a novel innate immune response since it can be released by signals from an injured or inflamed epithelium, of particular relevance to the gut. Animal models of IL-13-driven inflammation (from asthma to colitis and EO) are being translated to human disease and providing insight into potential strategies for new therapies. In fact, multiple clinical trials using anti-IL-13 drugs are underway in asthma and are being extended to gastrointestinal diseases. This review presents the current knowledge on IL-13 production and function in the gut, including the cells and receptor signalling pathways involved in mediating IL-13 effects, the proposed mechanisms of IL-13 induced gut disease and the many drugs currently being tested that target IL-13 related pathways.
Improvements and problems in preparation of 3H-un-conjugated bilirubin (3H-UCB) by biosynthetic labeling from 3H-δ-aminolevulinic acid (3H-δ-ALA)
Authors: J.E. Bayón, J. Altonaga, M. Gonzalo-Orden, J. González-Gallego, L. Pascolo, C. Tiribelli, C.C. Webster, J.D. Ostrow
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2000)
Age-Related Variations in the Use of Axillary Staging May Explain the Increased Risk of Axillary Lymph Node Involvement in Older Women With Breast Cancer
Authors: Adri C. Voogd, Grard A.P. Nieuwenhuijzen, Jan Willem W. Coebergh
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2009)

investigated therelationbetweenlymphnodeinvolvementandageinalargedatabasefrom the University Hospital Leuven in Belgium. The risk of lymphnode involvement decreased with age up to the age of 70 years, butincreasedaftertheageof70years,andthisincreasewasmainlyseeninsmallertumors.Theage-relatedpatternoflymphnodeinvolve-mentcouldbereplicatedonanindependentpopulation-basedtumordatabasefromtheEindhovenCancerRegistryintheNetherlands.IntheirmethodsWildiersetalstatethat,forseveralreasons,ofthe3,549patientsintheLeuvendatabase,981wereexcludedfromtheanalyses,includinganunspeciﬁednumberofpatientswhoneverhadtherapy/surgery before for breast cancer. In the discussion, they state thatselection bias, if present, is probably limited, as axillary lymph nodedissection(ALND)wasnotperformedinonly48patients(1.4%),22ofthemolderthanage70years.However,tojudgepossibleselectionbias,itisalsoimportanttoknowthenumberofpatientsthatdidnotundergosurgeryatallforthedifferentagegroups.The validation data set of the Eindhoven Cancer Registry con-tained 3,234 patients, of whom 9.2% had missing values for axillarynodal status. It is not clear if these were the patients without axillarystaging or if nodal status was missing for other reasons. In apreviously published study, in which we were involved and thatwas also based on data from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, theperformance of axillary lymph node staging was found to bestronglyrelatedtoage.
Randomized Study of Maintenance Vinorelbine in Responders With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: V. Westeel, E. Quoix, D. Moro-Sibilot, M. Mercier, J.-L. Breton, D. Debieuvre, P. Richard, M.-A. Haller, B. Milleron, D. Herman, M.-C. Level, F.-X. Lebas, M. Puyraveau, A. Depierre
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2005)

Collaborative Group (GCOT
660 MTOR ACTIVITY THAT INDUCED BY INSULIN HAS ANTI-HEPATITIS C VIRUS ACTIVITY
Authors: T. Muraoka, T. Ichikawa, N. Taura, H. Miyaaki, S. Takeshita, M. Akiyama, S. Miuma, E. Ozawa, T. Matsuzaki, M. Otani, F. Takeshima, K. Nakao
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2010)
Decreased Salivary Flow Rate as a Dipsogenic Factor in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Junne-Ming Sung, Shih-Chen Kuo, How-Ran Guo, Shu-Fen Chuang, Szu-Yuan Lee, Jeng-Jong Huang
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2005)

Decreased salivary flow rate causes xerostomia (symptoms of oral dryness) in patients who undergo hemodialysis (HD); however, whether it thus contributes to thirst and excess interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) remains undetermined. In the observational study, 3 mo of data of 90 stable HD patients were collected, and sensations of thirst and xerostomia were assessed by 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS). Multivariate analyses revealed that the VAS oral dryness score was an independent determinant for thirst, daily IDWG, and IDWG%. Unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UWS) was measured in 45 participants and was negatively correlated with VAS oral dryness score (r = -0.690, P <or= 0.001), daily IDWG (r = -0.361, P = 0.016), and daily IDWG% (r = -0.302, P = 0.045). In the interventional trial, the test drug was 5 mg of oral pilocarpine solution or placebo. Sixty hyperdipsic HD patients (IDWG% > 2%/d) were randomly assigned to either the sequence pilocarpine (2 wk)-washout (3 wk)-placebo (2 wk)-washout (2 mo)-placebo (3 mo) or placebo (2 wk)-washout (3 wk)-pilocarpine (2 wk)-washout (2 mo)-pilocarpine (3 mo) with 35 participants completing the trial. During the 2-wk crossover period (the first to seventh weeks), pilocarpine increased UWS and decreased xerostomia and thirst. The IDWG(2d) decreased (by approximately 0.2 kg; P = 0.013) but not IDWG(3d). During the 3-mo interventional period, pilocarpine increased UWS but decreased both IDWG(2d) (by 0.76 kg; P = 0.021) and IDWG(3d) (by 1.07 kg; P = 0.007). It also modestly increased serum albumin and decreased mean BP. Pilocarpine-related adverse effects were generally mild. In conclusion, decreased salivary flow is a dipsogenic factor in HD patients, and pilocarpine can alleviate it.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Hepatic Lipid Metabolism, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: E. Scorletti, C.D. Byrne
Journal: Annual Review of Nutrition (2013)

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids belong to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are known to have important beneficial effects on metabolism and inflammation. Such effects may confer a benefit in specific chronic noncommunicable diseases that are becoming very prevalent in Westernized societies [e.g., nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)]. Typically, with a Westernized diet, long-chain omega-6 fatty acid consumption is markedly greater than omega-3 fatty acid consumption. The potential consequences of an alteration in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid consumption are increased production of proinflammatory arachidonic acid–derived eicosanoids and impaired regulation of hepatic and adipose function, predisposing to NAFLD. NAFLD represents a spectrum of liver fat–related conditions that originates with ectopic fat accumulation in liver (hepatic steatosis) and progresses, with the development of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). If the adipose tissue is inflamed with widespread macrophage infiltration, the production of adipokines may act to exacerbate liver inflammation and NASH. Omega-3 fatty acid treatment may have beneficial effects in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, adipose tissue function, and inflammation. Recent studies testing the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in NAFLD are showing promise and suggesting that these fatty acids may be useful in the treatment of NAFLD. To date, further research is needed in NAFLD to (a) establish the dose of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as a treatment, (b) determine the duration of therapy, and (c) test whether there is benefit on the different component features of NAFLD (hepatic fat, inflammation, and fibrosis).
Awareness of Disorder and Suicide Risk in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Results of the International Suicide Prevention Trial
Authors: Marc Bourgeois, Joel Swendsen, Frederick Young, Xavier Amador, Stefano Pini, Giovanni B. Cassano, Jean-Pierre Lindenmayer, Chuanchieh Hsu, Larry Alphs, Herbert Y. Meltzer, None The InterSePT Study Group
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2004)

OBJECTIVE: Schizophrenia is characterized by high suicide risk and low awareness of disorder. Although awareness has benefits for medication compliance and clinical outcome, it is unclear how it may relate to suicide risk in this population. METHOD: This multicenter investigation assessed awareness and suicide-related behavior in 980 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Patients were followed over 2 years and assessed by blinded raters for suicide-related events. RESULTS: Awareness of psychiatric condition at baseline was associated with increased risk of suicide events over the follow-up. This effect was mediated by depression and hopelessness levels. By contrast, changes in awareness associated with treatment decreased the risk of suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Although some patients may become depressed after acknowledging the clinical handicaps of their disorder, treatment-related changes in awareness are generally associated with a positive outcome relative to suicide risk. The complex interactions and mediation effects of these clinical variables require careful monitoring.
A reliability assessment examining the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the current england and wales cricket board musculoskeletal profiling protocol
Authors: Peter Dacombe, Craig Ranson, Steve McCaig, Mark Young
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2011)

Background The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) musculoskeletal profiling was first introduced in 2005 and has been developed over the past four seasons with the aim of identifying risk factors for injury in elite level cricketers aiding both injury prevention and rehabilitation. The ECB Physiotherapy Team carries it out at six monthly intervals. The ability of such a tool to accurately predict injury risk, and to provide useful information for rehabilitation is entirely dependent on the ability to produce valid and reliable results. Study aim To examine the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the current system in the hands of two experienced sports physiotherapists examining elite level cricketers. Methods Using the prescribed testing protocol eight members of the England under 19 cricket squad were examined on two occasions by two sports physiotherapists who have worked in elite level cricket. Statistical analysis was carried out to determine the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the tests. Results Of seven range of motion tests included in the study four showed ‘almost perfect’ reliability, an intraclass correlation coefficient of greater than 0.8, this level is reported to be an acceptable for screening in an elite sport setting. Only two of the tests examined demonstrated inter-rater reliability of greater than 0.8. Conclusion The ECB musculoskeletal profiling system is crucial to early identification and modification of injury risk factors. It is well-designed and based on current sports injury literature, but can not be efficacious in the absence of reliable testing. Only two of the current tests have sufficient inter-observer reliability for use in screening elite sportsman, four demonstrating acceptable intraobserver reliability. One of the tests (modified Thomas test) demonstrated such poor reliability to question it's inclusion, this study highlights the need to investigate ways to improve the reliability of other tests in the profiling system.
Systematic review of optical coherence tomography usage in the diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma
Authors: H.M. Cheng, P. Guitera
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2015)

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging tool used in vivo in real time for diagnosis, treatment delineation and monitoring of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Features of BCC on OCT have been widely described and reviewed. However, the diagnostic accuracy of OCT in these various applications is unclear. We systematically reviewed the literature to assess the accuracy of OCT in diagnosis and management of BCC using the Embase and Medline databases. In total 179 unique references were identified in the initial search, of which 22 studies with 556 histologically proven BCCs were eligible. Assessment of the quality of eligible studies was undertaken using the STROBE criteria. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by the two authors. This systematic review provides an overview of the clinical applications of OCT in the diagnosis and management of BCC. OCT has been suggested to be useful in the diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment monitoring of BCC. As the technology improves and its utility increases, further studies with good methodological quality will be needed to implement OCT into daily practice.
Placental Characteristics and Reduced Risk of Maternal Breast Cancer
Authors: B A Cohn, P M Cirillo, R E Christianson, B J van den Berg, P K Siiteri
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2001)

Women who have preeclampsia during pregnancy are at reduced risk of subsequent breast cancer. We examined whether other markers of reduced placental size or function, including increased blood pressure during pregnancy, predict a reduction in maternal breast cancer.The Child Health and Development Studies is a 40-year follow-up of pregnant women enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente health plan between 1959 and 1967. We identified 3804 white women for whom data were available on placental examinations and other study variables. As of 1997, 146 women had developed invasive breast cancer. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations of breast cancer with markers of placental function. All statistical tests were two-sided.A blood pressure increase between the second and third trimesters exhibited a linear relationship with breast cancer rate, with the highest quartile showing a 51% reduction (95% confidence interval [CI] = 20% to 70%) that was not explained by preeclampsia. Smaller placental diameter was independently associated with a reduced breast cancer rate; the association increased with age at first pregnancy (P =.008). Maternal floor infarction of the placenta was associated with a 60% reduction in breast cancer rate (95% CI = 12% to 82%). In combination, placental risk factors were associated with a reduction in the breast cancer rate of as high as 94% (95% CI = 80% to 98%).Smaller placentas, maternal floor infarction of the placenta, and increasing blood pressure during pregnancy were associated with reduced maternal breast cancer. In the case of smaller placental diameter, the larger reduction observed with older age at first pregnancy suggests a process in which promotion of an existing lesion is blocked. Elucidating the mechanisms for these associations could provide clues to breast cancer prevention and treatment.
Intraoperative High-Dose Dexamethasone for Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Jan M. Dieleman
Journal: JAMA (2012)

Prophylactic corticosteroids are often administered during cardiac surgery to attenuate the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass and surgical trauma; however, evidence that routine corticosteroid use can prevent major adverse events is lacking.To quantify the effect of intraoperative high-dose dexamethasone on the incidence of major adverse events in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 4494 patients aged 18 years or older undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at 8 cardiac surgical centers in The Netherlands enrolled between April 13, 2006, and November 23, 2011.Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single intraoperative dose of 1 mg/kg dexamethasone (n = 2239) or placebo (n = 2255).A composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, or respiratory failure, within 30 days of randomization.Of the 4494 patients who underwent randomization, 4482 (99.7%) could be evaluated for the primary outcome. A total of 157 patients (7.0%) in the dexamethasone group and 191 patients (8.5%) in the placebo group reached the primary study end point (relative risk, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.01; absolute risk reduction, -1.5%; 95% CI, -3.0% to 0.1%; P = .07). Dexamethasone was associated with reductions in postoperative infection, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, and lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays. In contrast, dexamethasone was associated with higher postoperative glucose levels.In our trial of adults undergoing cardiac surgery, the use of intraoperative dexamethasone did not reduce the 30-day incidence of major adverse events compared with placebo.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00293592.
Verapamil preserves myocardial contractility in the hereditary cardiomyopathy of the Syrian hamster.
Authors: J L Rouleau, L H Chuck, G Hollosi, P Kidd, R E Sievers, J Wikman-Coffelt, W W Parmley
Journal: Circulation Research (1982)

We attempted to alter the inherited myocardial damage and loss of contractility of the cardiomyopathic Syrian hamster (strain U-MX7-1) by giving cardiac drugs that altered intracellular calcium and myocardial workload. Thirty-seven 21-day-old cardiomyopathic and thirty-seven 21-day-old normal hamsters were divided into five groups each: verapamil-, propranolol-, digoxin-, hydralazine-, and saline-injected. On their 90th day of life, the hamsters were killed. Of the five cardiomyopathic groups, only verapamil reduced myocardial damage. When both "control" and cardiomyopathic hamsters were treated with saline, digoxin, or propranolol, the cardiomyopathic hamsters had significantly less contractile force, maximal rate of force development, and maximum velocity of unloaded shortening. When both groups were treated with verapamil or hydralazine, there were no significant group differences in the indices of contractility. However, when saline-treated cardiomyopathic hamsters were compared with drug-treated cardiomyopathic hamsters, only verapamil preserved myocardial contractility. There was also a weak correlation between the Vmax and the actin-activated ATPase activity of the cardiomyopathic hamsters (r = 0.63, P less than 0.001). We conclude that verapamil helped protect the myocardium of genetically cardiomyopathic hamsters against structural damage, and helped preserve myocardial contractility.