tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Temperature measured at the axilla compared with rectum in children and young people: systematic review
Authors: J. V Craig
Journal: BMJ (2000)

<h3>Abstract</h3> <b>Objective:</b> To evaluate the agreement between temperature measured at the axilla and rectum in children and young people <b>Design:</b> A systematic review of studies comparing temperature measured at the axilla (test site) with temperature measured at the rectum (reference site) using the same type of measuring device at both sites in each patient. Devices were mercury or electronic thermometers or indwelling thermocouple probes. <b>Studies reviewed:</b> 40 studies including 5528 children and young people from birth to 18 years. <b>Data extraction:</b> Difference in temperature readings at the axilla and rectum. <b>Results:</b> 20 studies (n=3201 (58%) participants) had sufficient data to be included in a meta-analysis. There was significant residual heterogeneity in both mean differences and sample standard deviations within the groups using different devices and within age groups. The pooled (random effects) mean temperature difference (rectal minus axillary temperature) for mercury thermometers was 0.25°C (95% limits of agreement −0.15°C to 0.65°C) and for electronic thermometers was 0.85°C (−0.19°C to 1.90°C). The pooled (random effects) mean temperature difference (rectal minus axillary temperature) for neonates was 0.17°C (−0.15°C to 0.50°C) and for older children and young people was 0.92°C (−0.15°C to 1.98°C). <b>Conclusions:</b> The difference between temperature readings at the axilla and rectum using either mercury or electronic thermometers showed wide variation across studies. This has implications for clinical situations where temperature needs to be measured with precision.
Qualitative aspects of breathlessness in health and disease
Authors: J Smith, P Albert, E Bertella, J Lester, S Jack, P Calverley
Journal: Thorax (2009)

Patients with respiratory disease use many different expressions to describe the sensation they experience as breathlessness. Although previous analyses have identified multiple dimensions of breathlessness, there is little agreement about their number and nature. This study has applied a novel approach, principal component analysis (PCA), to understanding descriptions of breathlessness in health and disease and extracting representative components.202 patients (asthma n = 60, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease n = 65, interstitial lung disease n = 41, idiopathic hyperventilation n = 36) and 30 healthy volunteers were studied. All subjects performed spirometry and gave binary responses to 45 descriptions recalling their experience of breathlessness at the end of exercise; patients repeated this for resting breathlessness. PCA identified response patterns in the questionnaire data and extracted discriminatory components. Component scores were calculated for each individual using the regression method.PCA identified six distinct components of breathlessness on exercise, explaining 62.8% of the variance: (1) air hunger, (2) affective, (3) nociceptive, (4) regulation, (5) attention and (6) miscellaneous qualities. Rest components explaining 63.1% of variance were (1) affective, (2) air hunger, (3) nociceptive, (4) wheeze, (5) regulation and (6) miscellaneous. Components identified on exercise differed significantly between disease groups and controls and were related to percentage predicted forced vital capacity.This analysis suggests that air hunger is the dominant sensation during exercise, while affective distress characterises resting breathlessness in patients with a range of respiratory disorders including idiopathic hyperventilation where lung mechanics are normal. This suggests that common mechanisms operate in qualitative aspects of breathlessness.
Influence of Biologic Markers on the Outcome of Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Study by the Spanish Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Study Group
Authors: Carlos Montalbán, Juan F. García, Víctor Abraira, Leocricia González-Camacho, Manuel M. Morente, Jose L. Bello, Eulogio Conde, Miguel A. Cruz, Ramón García-Sanz, José García-Laraña, Carlos Grande, Marta Llanos, Rafael Martínez, Eduardo Flores, Miguel Méndez, Concepción Ponderós, Concepción Rayón, Pedro Sánchez-Godoy, Javier Zamora, Miguel A. Piris
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2004)

Purpose Current therapies fail to cure a significant proportion of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Predictive systems for stratification of the disease and selection of treatment based on sets of clinical variables, such as the international prognostic score (IPS), are of relatively small practical value. The predictive use of biologic parameters has so far provided limited and inconsistent results. Here we explore the influence of a set of molecular markers on the outcome of HL. Patients and Methods Forty molecular markers involved in B-cell differentiation and activation, signal transduction, cell cycle, and apoptosis control were analyzed in 259 classic HL patient cases by using tissue microarrays. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of markers on favorable outcome (complete remission of &gt; 12 months). Significant variables were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the probability of favorable outcome was estimated. Results Univariate analysis revealed four molecular markers that predicted outcome, and the multivariate analysis showed p53, Bcl-X L , and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) to have independent significance. The combination of these factors determined two groups of patients (group I, zero to one factor; group II, two to three factors) with a probability of a favorable outcome of .948 and .687, respectively. A multivariate Cox's model shows that these biologic risk groups have special predictive power in low-IPS patients. Conclusion The data from this exploratory study suggest that the accumulation of molecular events seems to influence the outcome of HL, particularly in the low-IPS group.
Response to: ‘Drugs and cardiovascular risk in inflammatory arthritis: another case of glucocorticoid-bashing?’ by Dr Boers
Authors: Camille Roubille, Vincent Richer, Tara Starnino, Collette McCourt, Alexandra McFarlane, Patrick Fleming, Stephanie Siu, John Kraft, Charles Lynde, Janet Pope, Wayne Gulliver, Stephanie Keeling, Jan Dutz, Louis Bessette, Robert Bissonnette, Boulos Haraoui
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2015)

We thank Dr Boers for the interesting comments1 on our paper2. First, the decision to exclude studies reporting less than 400 patients was made after noticing that most of these studies had less than 1 year of follow-up or had large drop-outs with few remaining patients at or beyond 1 year. We also reviewed the abstract by Tarp et al .3 Among a total of 4831 subjects, 1944 were specifically analysed for …
CD4+CD25<sup>high</sup>FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Peripheral Blood Are Primarily of Effector Memory Phenotype
Authors: Marc Beyer, Joachim L. Schultze
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2007)

failed to find differences because of these same reasons: inferior inclusion of Ph'ϩALL and a reasonable outcome of slow responders in the chemotherapy arm (5-year DFS, 47%) partially explained by the use of our less stringent criteria of failure or slow response to initial treatment.Ph'ϩ ALL is unlikely to be merged with other ALLs in current and future trials 3,4 and this is probably true for t(4;11)/MLL-AF4 ALL. 5 Adequate monitorization and interpretation of minimal residual disease will undoubtedly influence the way we approach patients with ALL, 6,7 particularly those experiencing failure to achieve an optimal response to initial therapy, and may further define the exact time point in which an alloSCT is mandatory.International collaboration is essential to redefine the indications of SCT as the definition of VHR-ALL tends to include a further limited number of children.
Essentials of Prescription Writing.
Journal: JAMA (1918)

One of the severest critics of any publication is time. That "Essentials of Prescription Writing" is in its seventh edition is an excellent indication of the usefulness of this little book. It began as an accumulation of a series of notes which were published in book form in 1913. As the author points out, the nature of the book precludes radical changes in this edition; nevertheless, revisions are evident. For those not familiar with the book, its purpose is best described by the author's brief statement "This small volume is intended to provide the student of medicine with a succinct yet sufficient treatment of the subject of 'prescription writing.' " It does just that. There are eleven chapters: introduction, Latin grammar, grammatical construction of prescriptions, weights and measures, the practical writing of prescriptions, doses of drugs, vehicles, incompatibility, modes of administration of medical agents, suggestions for prescribing official preparations and practice
Domiciliary NIPPV in COPD
Authors: B G COOPER;, S E JONES, S M PACKHAM, M H HEBDEN, A P SMITH
Journal: Thorax (1999)

I was surprised to find that the paper by Jones et al 1 did not come up to the normally high standard of the journal. Firstly, the study design itself lacks a control group and yet attempts to make a contribution to the debate about using non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) to improve survival in COPD. Clearly, comparing before and after treatment as a measure of survival can be misleading as it may introduce a “placebo effect” bias that may easily swamp out any physiological improvement. In these days of systematic reviews this evidence is flimsy and may well dilute the effect of good prospective controlled randomised studies.

There were a few minor errors in table 1 which, firstly, presents …
Transcription Deregulation at the <i>15q25</i> Locus in Association with Lung Adenocarcinoma Risk
Authors: Felicia S. Falvella, Antonella Galvan, Elisa Frullanti, Monica Spinola, Elisa Calabrò, Antonino Carbone, Matteo Incarbone, Luigi Santambrogio, Ugo Pastorino, Tommaso A. Dragani
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2009)

Abstract Purpose: We characterized the candidacy of the six candidate genes mapping in the chromosome 15q25 locus, which was previously reported as associated with lung cancer risk, and confirmed the locus association with lung cancer risk in an Italian population of lung adenocarcinoma patients and controls. Experimental Design: We did a quantitative analysis of mRNA levels of IREB2 (iron-responsive element-binding protein 2), LOC123688, PMSA4 [proteasome (prosome, macropain) subunit α type 4], CHRNB4 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic β 4), CHRNA3 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic α 3), and CHRNA5 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic α 5) genes in paired normal lung and lung adenocarcinoma tissue, and an immunohistochemical localization of CHRNA3- and CHRNA5-encoded proteins. We also examined the association of CHRNA5 D398N polymorphism with lung cancer risk and with CHRNA5 mRNA levels in the normal lung. Results: Expression analysis of the six candidate genes mapping in the lung cancer risk–associated chromosome 15q25 locus revealed a 30-fold up-regulation of the gene encoding the CHRNA5 subunit and a 2-fold down-regulation of the CHRNA3 subunit in lung adenocarcinoma as compared with the normal lung. The expression of the four other candidate genes resulted either unchanged or absent. The carrier status of the 398N allele at the D398N polymorphism of the CHRNA5 gene was associated with lung adenocarcinoma risk (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0) in a population-based series of lung adenocarcinoma patients (n = 467) and healthy controls (n = 739). Analysis of a family-based series of nonsmoker lung cancer cases (n = 80) and healthy sib controls (n = 80) indicated a similar trend. In addition, the same D398N variation correlated with CHRNA5 mRNA levels in normal lung of adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusions: Our results point to the candidacy of the CHRNA5 gene for the 15q25 locus.
A new intracavitary probe for detecting the site of origin of ectopic ventricular beats during one cardiac cycle.
Authors: B Taccardi, G Arisi, E Macchi, S Baruffi, S Spaggiari
Journal: Circulation (1987)

An olive-shaped probe (25 X 12 mm) with 41 evenly distributed recording electrodes on its surface was introduced into the left ventricles of seven open-chest dogs via the left atrium. In two other dogs a cylindrical probe (40 X 3 mm) was used. Electrical stimuli were delivered at 66 endocardial, midwall, or epicardial sites in the left and right ventricular walls and the septum. Mechanical stimuli were also applied at various epicardial sites. On-line mapping of equipotential contour lines on the surface of the probe invariably revealed a clear-cut potential minimum on the electrode that faced the pacing site. Time of appearance of potential minimum was 3 to 5 msec after endocardial stimuli, 10 to 25 msec for midwall and epicardial pacing, and 30 msec or more for right ventricular stimulation. Simultaneous stimulation at two sites 1.2 cm apart gave rise to two separate minima on the maps. "Pseudoisochrones" derived from electrograms recorded by the new probe were slightly less accurate in indicating the site of origin of extrasystoles. We conclude that equipotential and "isochrone" contour maps recorded from an array of semidirect electrodes, regularly distributed on the surface of an intraventricular probe, provide information on the site of origin (location and intramural depth) of ectopic paced beats in a normal dog heart.
γ-Interferon Produced by CD8+ T Cells Infiltrating Kaposi's Sarcoma Induces Spindle Cells With Angiogenic Phenotype and Synergy With Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Tat Protein: An Immune Response to Human Herpesvirus-8 Infection?
Authors: Valeria Fiorelli, Rita Gendelman, Maria Caterina Sirianni, Hsiao-Kuey Chang, Sandra Colombini, Phillip D. Markham, Paolo Monini, Joseph Sonnabend, Aldo Pintus, Robert C. Gallo, Barbara Ensoli
Journal: Blood (1998)
ETA receptor blockade prevents hypertension associated with exogenous endothelin-1 but not renal mass reduction in the rat.
Authors: D M Pollock, J S Polakowski
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1997)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chronic ETA receptor blockade, using the orally active antagonist A-127722 in rats with reduced renal mass. The initial series of experiments was designed to characterize the effects of the ETA-selective antagonist A-127722 on arterial pressure and renal function when administered via drinking water over a 4-wk period. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were acclimated to metabolism cages, and baseline 24-h urine collections were obtained. A-127722 was placed in the drinking water at concentrations that delivered doses of 1 to 10 mg/kg per d. The compound had no effect on any of the variables measured, including arterial pressure, food and water intake, urine volume, and sodium and potassium excretion. In a separate group of rats, ETA receptor blockade was verified after 3 d of drinking water containing A-127722. Rats were anesthetized, a jugular vein catheter was inserted for infusions, and a femoral artery catheter was used for monitoring arterial pressure. The pressor response to intravenous injection of Big endothelin-1 (1 nmol/kg, intravenously) was inhibited by > 50% in rats given A-127722 at 10 mg/kg per d, which confirms the efficacy of A-127722 in blocking ETA-mediated responses when placed in drinking water. In an additional series of experiments, rats were anesthetized, the right kidney was removed, and two of three major branches of the left renal artery were ligated. After recovery, rats were returned to their cages and given A-127722 in the drinking water to deliver 1 or 10 mg/kg per d. Control rats underwent the same surgical procedures but were given tap water to drink. After 4 wk, rats that were treated with A-127722 developed similar increases in arterial pressure and urinary protein excretion as rats that received tap water. Therefore, although the ETA receptor antagonist A-127722 can inhibit ETA-mediated hypertension, it has no effect on hypertension produced by a reduction in renal mass. It is concluded that ETA receptor activation does not play a significant role in the functional derangements associated with renal mass reduction in the rat.
Standards for Pediatric Immunization Practices
Authors: Roger H. Bernier
Journal: JAMA (1993)

THE RESURGENCE of measles in the United States between 1989 and 1991 was associated with 55622 reported cases,<sup>1,2</sup>11251 hospitalizations, and over 42 000 hospital days (unpublished data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1992) and 166 suspected deaths from measles.<sup>3</sup>The main cause of the epidemic was failure to vaccinate children at the recommended ages, 12 to 15 months.<sup>4</sup> For editorial comment, see p 1844. While 97% to 98% of children are vaccinated by or shortly after school entry with four doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, three doses of oral poliovirus vaccine, and one dose of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, series-complete immunization levels among preschool children are considerably lower. Recent surveys of school entrants in nine cities that measured immunization status as of the second birthday documented that only 52% to 71% had been vaccinated against measles.<sup>5</sup>Series-complete immunization levels ranged
Pretreatment PSA Velocity and Risk of Death From Prostate Cancer Following External Beam Radiation Therapy
Authors: Anthony V. D’Amico, Andrew A. Renshaw, Brenda Sussman, Ming-Hui Chen
Journal: JAMA (2005)

Men with localized prostate cancer and a preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity greater than 2.0 ng/mL per year experience a 10-fold increase in prostate cancer-specific mortality despite surgery.To assess whether a greater than 2.0-ng/mL increase in PSA level during the year prior to diagnosis was significantly associated with prostate cancer-specific mortality following radiation therapy (RT).Between January 1, 1989, and December 1, 2002, 358 men treated with RT for localized prostate cancer formed the study cohort (median age at treatment, 71.2 [range, 43.2-83.5] years). A Cox regression multivariable analysis was used to evaluate whether a PSA velocity greater than 2.0 ng/mL per year was significantly associated with prostate cancer-specific mortality and all-cause mortality after controlling for prognostic factors available at diagnosis.Time to prostate cancer-specific mortality for the 125 men with low-risk prostate cancer (clinical tumor category T1c or T2a and PSA level <10.0 ng/mL and Gleason score < or =6) and the 233 men with higher-risk disease, stratified by the PSA velocity.A PSA velocity greater than 2.0 ng/mL per year was significantly associated with a shorter time to prostate cancer-specific mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 12.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0-54.0; P = .001) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.6; P = .005) when compared with men whose PSA velocity was 2.0 ng/mL per year or less. Men presenting with low-risk disease and a PSA velocity greater than 2.0 ng/mL per year had a 7-year estimate of prostate cancer-specific mortality of 19% (95% CI, 2%-39%) compared with 0% for men whose PSA velocity was 2.0 ng/mL per year or less. The corresponding values for men with higher-risk disease were 24% (95% CI, 12%-37%) and 4% (95% CI, 0%-11%), respectively.A greater than 2.0-ng/mL increase in PSA level during the year prior to diagnosis is associated with a significantly higher risk of death due to prostate cancer following RT despite having low-risk disease. Such men who are planning to undergo RT and are in good health could be considered for RT combined with androgen suppression therapy because this approach improves survival in men with higher-risk disease.
STUDIES OF ANTIGENIC DIFFERENCES AMONG STRAINS OF INFLUENZA A BY MEANS OF RED CELL AGGLUTINATION
Authors: George K. Hirst
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1943)

A study of cross inhibition tests among strains of influenza A virus and their antisera showed that the results obtained were subject to a certain amount of variation due to the red cells, the virus suspensions, and the ferret antisera employed. Methods have been demonstrated for handling the data obtained from such tests, so that these variables were corrected or avoided, making it possible to use the agglutination technique for antigenic comparisons. The antigenic pattern of eighteen strains of influenza A virus, obtained from the 1940-41 epidemic in the United States, has been compared by means of agglutination inhibition tests with ferret antisera. No significant antigenic differences were found among sixteen of these strains (all isolated from throat washings by the inoculation of chick embryos) although they were obtained from individuals in widely separated regions of the country. Two strains, from cases occurring early in the epidemic and isolated from throat washings by ferret and mouse passage, showed a slight but significant strain difference from the other strains and from each other. One of the 1940-41 strains on cross test resembled the PR8 strain more closely than any other stock strain tested.
Phase II study of metronomic chemotherapy for recurrent malignant gliomas in adults
Authors: Santosh Kesari, David Schiff, Lisa Doherty, Debra C. Gigas, Tracy T. Batchelor, Alona Muzikansky, Alison O'Neill, Jan Drappatz, Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, Naren Ramakrishna, Stephanie E. Weiss, Brenda Levy, Joanna Bradshaw, Jean Kracher, Andrea Laforme, Peter McL. Black, Judah Folkman, Mark Kieran, Patrick Y. Wen
Journal: Neuro-Oncology (2007)

Preclinical evidence suggests that continuous low-dose daily (metronomic) chemotherapy may inhibit tumor endothelial cell proliferation (angiogenesis) and prevent tumor growth. This phase II study evaluated the feasibility of this antiangiogenic chemotherapy regimen in adults with recurrent malignant gliomas. The regimen consisted of low-dose etoposide (35 mg/m2 [maximum, 100 mg/day] daily for 21 days), alternating every 21 days with cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg [maximum, 100 mg/day] daily for 21 days), in combination with daily thalidomide and celecoxib, in adult patients with recurrent malignant gliomas. Serum and urine samples were collected for measurement of angiogenic peptides. Forty-eight patients were enrolled (15 female, 33 male). Twenty-eight patients had glioblastoma multiforme (GBMs), and 20 had anaplastic gliomas (AGs). Median age was 53 years (range, 33-74 years), and median KPS was 70 (range, 60-100). Therapy was reasonably well tolerated in this heavily pretreated population. Two percent of patients had partial response, 9% had a minor response, 59% had stable disease, and 30% had progressive disease. For GBM patients, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11 weeks, six-month PFS (6M-PFS) was 9%, and median overall survival (OS) was 21 weeks. For AG patients, median PFS was 14 weeks, 6M-PFS was 26%, and median OS was 41.5 weeks. In a limited subset of patients, serum and urine angiogenic peptides did not correlate with response or survival (p > 0.05). Although there were some responders, this four-drug, oral metronomic regimen did not significantly improve OS in this heavily pretreated group of patients who were generally not eligible for conventional protocols. While metronomic chemotherapy may not be useful in patients with advanced disease, further studies using metronomic chemotherapy combined with more potent antiangiogenic agents in patients with less advanced disease may be warranted.