tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Comparison of reports of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in surgical journals: literature review
Authors: S. S. Panesar
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2006)

ObjectivesRandomized controlled trials and systematic reviews of such trials are the gold standard for assessing the effectiveness of interventions. There have been concerns about the anecdotal evidence underpinning many of the interventions used and introduced into surgical care. The American College of Surgeons has prioritized the need for more trials and systematic reviews of trials.To investigate the assertion that the methodological quality of studies conducted in surgery is in general poor and to assess the possible impact of new policy developments in the US, we sought to compare the number and proportion of published randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in the leading two US and UK general surgical journals. Two reviewers systematically and independently hand searched all issues of these journals over a 12-month period to identify randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews. DesignSystematic searching and independent abstraction of data from all volumes of the top two general surgical journals published in the USA and the UK in 2004. ResultsOverall, the proportion of randomized controlled trials in all four journals was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4–7.0) and 5.2% (95% CI 4.1–6.7) for systematic reviews. For journals published in the UK 29/519 (5.6%) of the publications were reports of randomized controlled trials, and for the USA journals this figure was 34/616 (5.5%); odds ratio [OR]=0.99, 95%CI 0.6–1.6; P=0.96. Systematic reviews were significantly more commonly reported in the UK journals: UK 37/519 (7.1%) versus USA 22/616 (3.6%); OR=0.48, 95%CI 0.3–0.8; P<0.01. ConclusionsThe concerns expressed almost a decade ago remain valid: there are still very few reports of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews published in leading USA and UK surgical journals, with relatively little difference between these countries in the proportion of reported studies employing these designs. The American College of Surgeons initiative has yet to make an impact.
THE EFFECT OF VISUAL STIMULATION ON HALLUCINATIONS AND OTHER MENTAL EXPERIENCES DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION
Authors: JOHN M. DAVIS, WILLIAM F. MCCOURT, PHILIP SOLOMON
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1960)

While much of the work in sensory deprivation implies that sufficient sensory input will prevent the occurrence of the disorganizing effects seen, our results suggest that the parameter of meaningfulness of input should be considered. The alerting action of random visual stimulation is not sufficient, under the conditions of our experiment, to prevent the occurrence of mental aberrations. It appears that what the brain needs for normal functioning is not quantity or change in sensation per se, but a continuous meaningful contact with the outside world.
Effectiveness and safety of baclofen for maintenance of alcohol abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis: randomised, double-blind controlled study
Authors: Giovanni Addolorato, Lorenzo Leggio, Anna Ferrulli, Silvia Cardone, Luisa Vonghia, Antonio Mirijello, Ludovico Abenavoli, Cristina D'Angelo, Fabio Caputo, Antonella Zambon, Paul S Haber, Giovanni Gasbarrini
Journal: The Lancet (2007)
Purine-rich foods: an innocent bystander of gout attacks?
Authors: Pascal Richette, Thomas Bardin
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2012)

The natural history of gout typically consists of three periods in a continuum: asymptomatic hyperuricaemia, episodes of acute attacks of gout with asymptomatic intervals, and chronic gouty arthritis. 1The last decade has seen major advances in our knowledge of acute attacks of gout with the discovery of the pivotal role of interleukin 1 (IL-1); 2 however, the mechanisms that trigger acute flares are still poorly known.For instance, despite the incidence of gout increasing exponentially with increasing urate levels, 3 why gout develops in only a few patients with asymptomatic hyperuricaemia is unclear.In addition, we do not know why acute attacks of gout are so sporadic in patients with established tophaceous gout, despite their massive total body urate load.In this context, the elegant report from Zhang et al 4 published in this issue adds a piece of the puzzle to help unravel the mystery of acute attacks of gout.Indeed, this report shows for the first time, that high purine intake, in addition to being a well-known long-term risk factor of urate deposition, also increases the risk of gout attacks almost fivefold among patients with gout.The natural question resulting from this work is: How does acute purine intake trigger acute attacks of gout? HOW MIGHT PURINE INTAKE TRIGGER ACUTE ATTACKS OF GOUT?In tissues, MSU crystal formation depends on several factors, particularly, the local concentration of urate.The solubility of urate in joint fluids also depends
Virological Synapses Allow HIV-1 Uptake and Gene Expression in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells
Authors: Ping Chen, Benjamin K. Chen, Arevik Mosoian, Thomas Hays, Michael J. Ross, Paul E. Klotman, Mary E. Klotman
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2011)

In animal models of HIV-associated nephropathy, the expression of HIV regulatory genes in epithelial cells is sufficient to cause disease, but how the CD4-negative epithelial cells come to express HIV genes is unknown. Here, we co-cultured T cells infected with fluorescently tagged HIV with renal tubular epithelial cells and observed efficient virus transfer between these cells. The quantity of HIV transferred was much greater than that achieved by exposure to large amounts of cell-free virus and occurred without a requirement for CD4 or Env. The transfer required stable cell–cell adhesion, which could be blocked by sulfated polysaccharides or poly-anionic compounds. We found that the internalization of virus could lead to de novo synthesis of viral protein from incoming viral RNAs even in the presence of a reverse transcriptase inhibitor. These results illustrate an interaction between infected T cells and nonimmune cells, supporting the presence of virological synapses between HIV-harboring T cells and renal tubular epithelial cells, allowing viral uptake and gene expression in epithelial cells.
Shortening of the Bleeding Time in Rabbits by Hydrocortisone Caused by Inhibition of Prostacyclin Generation by the Vessel Wall
Authors: M. A. Blajchman, A. F. Senyi, J. Hirsh, Y. Surya, M. Buchanan, J. F. Mustard
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1979)

The effect of hydrocortisone on thrombocytopenic bleeding has been studied in rabbits using a jugular vein bleeding-time technique and a microvascular bleeding-time technique. An inverse relationship was found between the bleeding time and platelet count with both techniques in rabbits made thrombocytopenic by either X-irradiation or injection of heterologous platelet antiserum. Hydrocortisone shortened both bleeding times in thrombocytopenic animals when given in single large doses intravenously (25-100 mg/kg), in daily doses (6 mg/kg) intramuscularly, and shortened the jugular bleeding time when applied to the outside of the jugular vein or instilled intraluminally into the vein. This effect was also noted in normal animals. The effect on thrombocytopenic bleeding was dose related. When given daily, the effect was greater when hydrocortisone was given for 10 d than for 5 d. Both indomethacin and tranylcypromine also reduced the jugular vein bleeding time when instilled intraluminally into the jugular vein, whereas exogenously provided arachidonic acid reversed the effect of hydrocortisone but did not reverse the effect of indomethacin or tranylcypromine. Exogenously provided linoleic acid did not have any effect. Perfusion of the vessel segment with prostacyclin (PGI(2)) reversed the effect of intraluminally administered hydrocortisone, indomethacin, and tranylcypromine. Similarly, hydrocortisone, indomethacin, and tranylcypromine all reduced the rate of loss of fluid from a standard wound in isolated vessels emptied of blood and perfused with saline under constant pressure. PGI(2) reversed the action of these three agents, however, arachidonic acid reversed only the effect of hydrocortisone and did not reverse the effect of indomethacin and tranylcypromine. The generation of PGI(2)-like material and 6-keto-prostaglandinF(1) alpha from jugular vein strips was prevented by prior exposure of the animals or vessel wall to hydrocortisone. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the vessel wall releases smooth muscle-relaxing prostaglandins when injured and that inhibition of prostaglandin formation by hydrocortisone enhances hemostasis by allowing vasoconstriction to be maintained.
256 ONE MONTH CAFETERIA DIET INDUCES NAFLD AND LIVER SINUSOIDAL ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IN RATS
Authors: J.G. Abraldes, M. Pasarin, A. Rodriguez-Vilarrupla, V. Matei, J. Gracia-Sancho, J.C. Garcia-Pagan, J. Bosch
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2008)
Iron depletion and interferon (IFN) therapy: A multicenter, randomized trial in “naive” patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: S. Fargion, M. Ballarè, G. Belloni, F. Bissoli, M. Borzio, R. Ceriani, G. Fiorelli, A.L. Fracanzani, M. Massari, M. Mattioli, A. Rossini, O. Riggio, C. Trischitta
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2000)
Cyclosporine A Slows the Progressive Renal Disease of Alport Syndrome (X-Linked Hereditary Nephritis)
Authors: Dilys Chen, Barbara Jefferson, Scott J. Harvey, Keqin Zheng, Cathy J. Gartley, Robert M. Jacobs, Paul S. Thorner
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2003)

ABSTRACT. Alport syndrome refers to a hereditary disorder characterized by progressive renal disease and a multilaminar appearance to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). In a small group of patients with Alport syndrome, cyclosporine A was reported to decrease proteinuria and maintain stable renal function over 7 to 10 yr of follow-up. The present study examined the effect of cyclosporine A on GBM structure and the progression to renal failure in a canine model of X-linked Alport syndrome. Affected male dogs and normal male dogs treated with cyclosporine A underwent serial renal biopsies. Body weight, serum concentrations of creatinine and albumin, and GFR were sequentially determined. Controls consisted of untreated dogs that developed end-stage renal failure by 8 mo of age. Renal biopsies were assessed for glomerulosclerosis and the percent of multilaminar GBM as measured by image analysis. Significant differences were found between treated and untreated affected dogs for weight, serum creatinine, and GFR. There was a significant delay in the progression of multilaminar change to the GBM, although treated affected dogs at termination had attained approximately 100% split GBM as did untreated affected dogs. A significant difference in the number of sclerotic glomeruli was also noted; treated dogs rarely developed obsolete glomeruli during the period studied. Interstitial fibrosis was not significantly affected by cyclosporine A treatment. These findings indicate that cyclosporine A is beneficial in slowing, but not stopping, the clinical and pathologic progression of Alport syndrome. At least part of this beneficial effect comes from a delayed deterioration of GBM structure, which in turn may be related to glomerular hemodynamics altered by cyclosporine A. E-mail: [email protected]
Endogenous Endothelins Mediate Increased Acidification in Remnant Kidneys
Authors: DONALD E. WESSON
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2001)

Abstract. Because endothelins (ET) mediate increased renal acidification induced by dietary acid and animals with reduced renal mass exhibit increased urinary ET-1 excretion, the hypothesis that ET mediate increased renal acidification in remnant kidneys was tested. Four weeks before the study, rats underwent a 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx) and a microdialysis apparatus was inserted into the remnant left kidney and the left kidney of sham-treated control animals, for measurements of renal ET-1 contents. Nx animals exhibited greater ET-1 addition to the renal dialysate than did control animals (681 ± 91 versus 290 ± 39 fmol/g kidney wt per min, P < 0.002) and greater urinary ET-1 excretion (346 ± 79 versus 125 ± 24 fmol/d, P < 0.02). Urinary net acid excretion rates were similar for Nx and control animals (732 ± 106 versus 1005 ± 293 μEq/d, P = 0.4), but Nx animals exhibited greater in situ HCO3- reabsorption in proximal (972.3 ± 77 versus 482.6 ± 42.4 pmol/min, P < 0.001) and distal (62.7 ± 6.7 versus 24.3 ± 2.5 pmol/min, P < 0.001) tubules. Orally administered bosentan, an ETA/B receptor antagonist, decreased urinary net acid excretion in Nx animals (to 394 ± 99 μEq/d, P < 0.04 versus without bosentan); the decrease was mediated by decreased HCO3- reabsorption in both the proximal and distal tubules. Furthermore, bosentan decreased blood base excess in Nx animals (0.1 ± 0.3 to -0.12 ± 0.03 μM/ml blood, P < 0.002), consistent with acid retention. The data demonstrate that endogenous ET mediate increased urinary acid excretion in the remnant kidneys of Nx animals.
Proposed roles for growth factors in mediating smooth muscle proliferation in vascular pathologies
Authors: A. C Newby, S. J George
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1993)

Journal Article Proposed roles for growth factors in mediating smooth muscle proliferation in vascular pathologies Get access Andrew C Newby, Andrew C Newby Department of Cardiology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN: A C Newby, S J George. Correspondence to Dr Newby. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Sarah J George Sarah J George Department of Cardiology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN: A C Newby, S J George. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Cardiovascular Research, Volume 27, Issue 7, July 1993, Pages 1173–1183, https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/27.7.1173 Published: 01 July 1993 Article history Received: 21 September 1992 Accepted: 07 January 1993 Published: 01 July 1993
The Elastic Symmetry of Arterial Segments in Dogs
Authors: DALI J. PATEL, DONALD L. FRY, Joseph S. Janicki
Journal: Circulation Research (1969)

Elastic symmetry was studied in the middle descending thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, and left common carotid artery under physiologic ranges of loading in ten dogs. A segment of the blood vessel was isolated and hung vertically. As the segment was pressurized, the radius, length, and the rotation of the lower end of the vessel were measured with respect to the fixed upper end. In addition, the angular displacement of a glass whisker initially placed perpendicularly through the wall was measured. From these data it was possible to calculate the values of shearing strains and elongating strains associated with pressurization and various imposed longitudinal stresses. The values of shearing strain varied from 0.003 to 0.115 over pressure ranges of 3 to 270 cm H 2 O. In all instances the values of shearing strain were much smaller than the corresponding elongating strains. It was concluded that the vessel has elastic properties that are nearly symmetrical about the planes perpendicular to principal stresses under physiologic loading, i.e., the vessel may be treated as a cylindrically orthotropic tube.
Discoid lupus erythematosus-like lesions and stomatitis in female carriers of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease
Authors: FLEMMING BRANDRUP, CHRISTIAN KOCH, MICHAEL PETRI, MORTEN SCHIODT, KIRSTEN STAEHR JOHANSEN
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1981)

The skin and oral mucosa were studied in an unselected series of carriers of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease, a hereditary condition in which phagocytic cells display a pronounced functional defect. Three carriers had discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)-like skin lesions which histopathologically were consistent with DLE of the hypertrophic and profundus type. Four patients had experienced photosensitivity in childhood. Seven patients had recurrent aphthous-like stomatitis which should be distinguished from the recurrent aphthous stomatitis seen in otherwise healthy individuals. The remarkably high incidence of DLE-like symptoms in heterozygous carriers might be related to the presence of mixed populations of defective and normal phagocytes. The variable expression of skin symptoms may be related to uneven distribution of abnormal to normal phagocytes. Female patients with these clinical symptoms, especially the combination of DLE-like skin lesions and aphthous-like stomatitis, should be suspected of being carriers of chronic granulomatous disease and studies of phagocyte function in vitro should be performed, since the diagnosis of the carrier state is of utmost importance for genetic counselling before pregnancy. In order to describe in greater detail the clinicopathological findings and their frequency of expression in the skin and oral mucosa, we have undertaken a prospective study of nine unselected known carriers of X-linked CGD.
Detecting Recombination in 4-Taxa DNA Sequence Alignments with Bayesian Hidden Markov Models and Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Authors: D. Husmeier
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2003)

This article presents a statistical method for detecting recombination in DNA sequence alignments, which is based on combining two probabilistic graphical models: (1) a taxon graph (phylogenetic tree) representing the relationship between the taxa, and (2) a site graph (hidden Markov model) representing interactions between different sites in the DNA sequence alignments. We adopt a Bayesian approach and sample the parameters of the model from the posterior distribution with Markov chain Monte Carlo, using a Metropolis-Hastings and Gibbs-within-Gibbs scheme. The proposed method is tested on various synthetic and real-world DNA sequence alignments, and we compare its performance with the established detection methods RECPARS, PLATO, and TOPAL, as well as with two alternative parameter estimation schemes.
Large rise in consultants' pay has not improved productivity, say MPs
Authors: A. O'Dowd
Journal: BMJ (2013)

Large pay rises of between 24% and 28% for consultants 10 years ago had failed to lead to more productivity for the NHS and had not been value for money, MPs said.

The parliamentary public accounts committee published a report on 2 July on the management of consultants, in which it said that pay rises had not achieved what they should have and that management of consultants’ performance was poor.

Doctors’ leaders, however, have rejected many of the report’s claims, saying that the statistics used were inappropriate, did not reflect the quality of care, and unfairly criticised doctors for spending too much time with patients.

In October 2003 the Department of Health for England introduced a new consultant contract, which was designed to improve the management of NHS consultants. Most consultants are now on the contract, which increased their pay in 2003-04, with the bottom of the consultant pay band rising by 24% and the top by 28%.

MPs on the committee said the contract represented a “missed opportunity” to …
Pseudomyxoma Peritonei: More Questions Than Answers
Authors: Eric K. Nakakura
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2012)

Chances are, if you ask most physicians and surgeons about pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), they will respond with more questions than answers.The confusion that surrounds PMP is not surprising because the origin, pathology, treatment, prognosis, and very definition of PMP are still under debate.PMP is a clinical syndrome that is characterized by mucinous ascites that result from rupture of a mucin-producing neoplasm, typically of appendiceal origin.Whereas surgical resection alone of an intact, mucin-producing neoplasm of the appendix (mucocele) is curative, rupture of an appendiceal mucocele may lead to diffuse peritoneal spread of mucin that may contain epithelium of a low-grade or high-grade nature (ie, PMP), which causes fatal bowel obstruction without treatment.The appendix is the primary cause of PMP; the ovaries are typically only secondarily involved.The two types of mucin-producing appendiceal neoplasms that give rise to PMP exhibit a different biology and prognosis.The outcome is consistently more favorable for patients with PMP that results from the rupture of a mucin-producing adenoma of the appendix (low-grade process) than from the rupture of a mucin-producing appendiceal adenocarcinoma (high-grade process).A detailed pathologic classification of PMP is therefore critical to define patient prognosis, to determine the appropriate treatment, and to permit comparison of results among studies.Unfortunately, the pathologic classification of PMP is controversial and confusing.In 1995, Ronnett et al 1 described three distinct categories of PMP on the basis of pathologic specimens (n ϭ 109): diffuse peritoneal adenomucinosis (DPAM), peritoneal mucinous carcinoma (PMCA), and an intermediate/discordant subtype (PMCA-I/D).DPAM originates from an appendiceal mucinous adenoma and produces abundant mucin but minimal mucinous epithelium that lacks significant cytologic atypia and mitoses.The prognosis for DPAM is good.An appendiceal adenocarcinoma causes PMCA, which features more mucinous epithelium and pathology that is typical of adenocarcinoma.The prognosis for PMCA is poor.The third category, PMCA-I/D, has characteristics of both DPAM and PMCA, and the prognosis is intermediate between the two.When the same surgeon treated patients with PMP tumors uniformly, the 5-year overall survival was 75% for DPAM, 50% for PMCA-I/D, and 14% for PMCA. 2 This range suggests inherent differences in biology among DPAM, PMCA, and PMCA-I/D tumors that greatly affect patient prognosis.Two different two-group classifications have been proposed.One, by Bradley et al, 3 is based on an analysis of patients with PMP of
Cancer Incidence Among Pesticide Applicators Exposed to Chlorpyrifos in the Agricultural Health Study
Authors: W. J. Lee, A. Blair, J. A. Hoppin, J. H. Lubin, J. A. Rusiecki, D. P. Sandler, M. Dosemeci, M. C. R. Alavanja
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2004)

Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used insecticides in the United States. We evaluated the incidence of cancer among pesticide applicators exposed to chlorpyrifos in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study of licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina.A total of 54,383 pesticide applicators were included in this analysis. Detailed information on pesticide exposure and lifestyle factors was obtained from self-administered questionnaires completed at the time of enrollment (December 1993-December 1997). Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between chlorpyrifos exposure and cancer incidence after adjustment for potential confounders. All statistical tests were two-sided.A total of 2070 incident malignant neoplasms were diagnosed through 2001. The rate ratio for all cancers combined among chlorpyrifos-exposed applicators compared with nonexposed applicators was 0.97 (95% confidence interval = 0.87 to 1.08). For most cancers analyzed, there was no evidence of an exposure-response relationship. However, the incidence of lung cancer was statistically significantly associated with both chlorpyrifos lifetime exposure-days (P(trend) = .002) and chlorpyrifos intensity-weighted exposure-days (P(trend) = .036). After adjustment for other pesticide exposures and demographic factors, individuals in the highest quartile of chlorpyrifos lifetime exposure-days (>56 days) had a relative risk of lung cancer 2.18 (95% confidence interval = 1.31 to 3.64) times that of those with no chlorpyrifos exposure.Our findings suggest an association between chlorpyrifos use and incidence of lung cancer that deserves further evaluation.