tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption: Brief interventions have useful long term results
Authors: D. A Brown
Journal: BMJ (2003)

EDITOR—The study by Steptoe et al on dietary change reminded me of a coronary risk reduction project that I worked for during the late 1970s.1 My role was to deliver behavioural weight reduction courses to people from a population of 6000 who wished to attend. To my surprise, a single one hour counselling session from one of the doctors had the same …
An Official American Thoracic Society Statement: Diagnosis and Management of Beryllium Sensitivity and Chronic Beryllium Disease
Authors: John R. Balmes, Jerrold L. Abraham, Raed A. Dweik, Elizabeth Fireman, Andrew P. Fontenot, Lisa A. Maier, Joachim Muller-Quernheim, Gaston Ostiguy, Lewis D. Pepper, Cesare Saltini, Christine R. Schuler, Tim K. Takaro, Paul F. Wambach
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2014)

Section:ChooseTop of pageAbstract <<Executive SummaryContentsOverviewIntroductionMethodsEpidemiologyGenetic SusceptibilityImmunopathogenesisPathologyDiagnostic CriteriaEvaluationNatural History and Manag...PreventionConclusionsReferencesCITING ARTICLES
Psychological aspects of fertility preservation in men and women affected by cancer and other life-threatening diseases
Authors: S. Tschudin, J. Bitzer
Journal: Human Reproduction Update (2009)

BACKGROUNDWith advances in treatment, the number of young cancer survivors who may benefit from fertility preservation is growing. The aim of this study was to review the literature investigating psychological aspects of fertility issues and fertility preservation in patients undergoing fertility-compromising therapy for cancer or other life-threatening diseases, previous to or during their reproductive lifespan.
Laparotomy versus Peritoneal Drainage for Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Perforation
Authors: R. Lawrence Moss, Reed A. Dimmitt, Douglas C. Barnhart, Karl G. Sylvester, Rebeccah L. Brown, David M. Powell, Saleem Islam, Jacob C. Langer, Thomas T. Sato, Mary L. Brandt, Hanmin Lee, Martin L. Blakely, Eric L. Lazar, Ronald B. Hirschl, Brian D. Kenney, David J. Hackam, Daniel Zelterman, Bonnie L. Silverman
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2006)

Perforated necrotizing enterocolitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants, and the optimal treatment is uncertain. We designed this multicenter randomized trial to compare outcomes of primary peritoneal drainage with laparotomy and bowel resection in preterm infants with perforated necrotizing enterocolitis.We randomly assigned 117 preterm infants (delivered before 34 weeks of gestation) with birth weights less than 1500 g and perforated necrotizing enterocolitis at 15 pediatric centers to undergo primary peritoneal drainage or laparotomy with bowel resection. Postoperative care was standardized. The primary outcome was survival at 90 days postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included dependence on parenteral nutrition 90 days postoperatively and length of hospital stay.At 90 days postoperatively, 19 of 55 infants assigned to primary peritoneal drainage had died (34.5 percent), as compared with 22 of 62 infants assigned to laparotomy (35.5 percent, P=0.92). The percentages of infants who depended on total parenteral nutrition were 17 of 36 (47.2 percent) in the peritoneal-drainage group and 16 of 40 (40.0 percent) in the laparotomy group (P=0.53). The mean (+/-SD) length of hospitalization for the 76 infants who were alive 90 days after operation was similar in the primary peritoneal-drainage and laparotomy groups (126+/-58 days and 116+/-56 days, respectively; P=0.43). Subgroup analyses stratified according to the presence or absence of radiographic evidence of extensive necrotizing enterocolitis (pneumatosis intestinalis), gestational age of less than 25 weeks, and serum pH less than 7.30 at presentation showed no significant advantage of either treatment in any group.The type of operation performed for perforated necrotizing enterocolitis does not influence survival or other clinically important early outcomes in preterm infants. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00252681.).
Change in Albuminuria Is Predictive of Cardiovascular Outcome in Normotensive Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Microalbuminuria
Authors: Adrienne A.M. Zandbergen, Liffert Vogt, Dick de Zeeuw, Steven W.J. Lamberts, Rob J.T.H. Ouwendijk, Marinus G.A. Baggen, Aart H. Bootsma
Journal: Diabetes Care (2007)

Microalbuminuria is associated with cardiovascular complications and all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes (1–3). Inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) protect renal and cardiac function in these patients, at least partly independent of the associated blood pressure reduction (4–9). Recently, a few studies showed that reduction in albuminuria in hypertensive diabetic patients reduces the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events (10–12). The question remains whether this risk reduction is explained by the reduction of high blood pressure. No data are available for normotensive diabetic patients. Therefore, we investigated whether sustained change in albuminuria independently predicts cardiovascular outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria but without hypertension.

The present study is a prospective follow-up study of 67 normotensive patients (baseline blood pressure ≤140/90 mmHg without antihypertensive treatment) with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion 20–200 mg/l), who participated in a previously published, larger, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial investigating the short-term effects of the angiotensin-receptor antagonist losartan on microalbuminuria (7). Exclusion criteria included a history of macrovascular complications and a baseline serum creatinine level >150 μmol/l.

After the original 20-week study period, a cohort of 67 patients from that study was prospectively followed during mean ± SEM 4.7 ± 0.1 years. They were recruited on the basis of their address and received standard medical care. Data were collected on current and past health, medication use, blood pressure, renal function, and albuminuria, which was annually assessed …
Therapeutic interventions for acute hamstring injuries: a systematic review
Authors: Gustaaf Reurink, Gert Jan Goudswaard, Johannes L Tol, Jan A N Verhaar, Adam Weir, Maarten H Moen
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2011)

Despite the high rate of hamstring injuries, there is no consensus on their management, with a large number of different interventions being used. Recently several new injection therapies have been introduced.To systematically review the literature on the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for acute hamstring injuries.The databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus were searched in May 2011. Study eligibility criteria Prospective studies comparing the effect of an intervention with another intervention or a control group without intervention in subjects with acute hamstring injuries were included.Two authors independently screened the search results and assessed risk of bias. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database score. A best evidence synthesis was used to identify the level of evidence.Six studies were included in this systematic review. There is limited evidence for a positive effect of stretching, agility and trunk stability exercises, intramuscular actovegin injections or slump stretching in the management of acute hamstring injuries. Limited evidence was found that there is no effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or manipulation of the sacroiliac joint.There is a lack of high quality studies on the treatment of acute hamstring injuries. Only limited evidence was found to support the use of stretching, agility and trunk stability exercises, intramuscular actovegin injections or slump stretching. Further research is needed using an appropriate control group, randomisation and blinding.
Connexin 37 and connexin 43 genotypes in correlation to cytokines in induced sputum and blood in cystic fibrosis (CF)
Authors: Olaf Eickmeier, Michael Ludwig, Felix Schreiner, Louisa van denBoom, Michael J. Lentze, Doris NGampolo, Ralf Schubert, Stefan Zielen, Sabina Schmitt-Grohe
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: We have provided evidence in previous studies that cytokines (IL-8, TNF alpha, LBP) measured in whole blood correlate negatively with lung function in delta 508 homozygous patients. GAP junction proteins (connexins) might be of importance for the influx of blood cells into the lung. Our aim was to assess the relationship between connexin genotypes, cytokines (IL-8, TNF-alpha and LBP) in induced sputum and blood and lung disease.

Methods: 24 patients homozygous for delta F 508 (median age 20.5 y, m/f 14/10, BMI 20,35 kg/m2, Shwachman score 75, FEV1(%) 83) were examined. Sequence analysis was performed for GAP junction protein alpha 1 (GJA1/Connexin 43) and gap junction protein alpha 4 (GJA4/connexin 37). Cytokines were assessed in blood and induced sputum (IS) by chemiluminescence (DPC Biermann, Bad Homburg, Germany).

Results: Here we present the first preliminary data: For 18 patients cytokine and sequence data were available. Whereas GJA1 showed only one rare heterozygous SNP (rs138386744) in one patient, four common SNPs were detected in GJA4. Two were synonymous changes, but the third variant (rs41266431) causes an amino acid substitution (GTA valine, ATA isoleucine) as well as the fourth SNP (rs1764391: CCC proline, TCCserine). For rs41266431 patients with homozygosity for the G variant (n=11) had higher IL-8 levels (median: 12.3/6.7 pg/ml, p<0.11) in whole blood than those showing heterozygosity for the G/A mutation (n=7).

Conclusion: More patients have to be analyzed to substantiate these findings. For GJA4 the SNP at rs 41266431 seems a promising candidate gene.
Chronic Production of Angiotensin IV in the Brain Leads to Hypertension That Is Reversible With an Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor Antagonist
Authors: Nadheige Lochard, Gaétan Thibault, David W. Silversides, Rhian M. Touyz, Timothy L. Reudelhuber
Journal: Circulation Research (2004)

Angiotensin IV (Ang IV) is a metabolite of the potent vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (Ang II). Because specific binding sites for this peptide have been reported in numerous tissues including the brain, it has been suggested that a specific Ang IV receptor (AT4) might exist. Bolus injection of Ang IV in brain ventricles has been implicated in learning, memory, and localized vasodilatation. However, the functions of Ang IV in a physiological context are still unknown. In this study, we generated a transgenic (TG) mouse model that chronically releases Ang IV peptide specifically in the brain. TG mice were found to be hypertensive by the tail-cuff method as compared with control littermates. Treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril had no effect on blood pressure, but surprisingly treatment with the Ang II AT1 receptor antagonist candesartan normalized the blood pressure despite the fact that the levels of Ang IV in the brains of TG mice were only 4-fold elevated over the normal endogenous level of Ang peptides. Calcium mobilization assays performed on cultured CHO cells chronically transfected with the AT1 receptor confirm that low-dose Ang IV can mobilize calcium via the AT1 receptor only in the presence of Ang II, consistent with an allosteric mechanism. These results suggest that chronic elevation of Ang IV in the brain can induce hypertension that can be treated with angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonists.
S49. Clinical activity and development of biomarkers for an engineered anti PDL1 antibody MPDL3280A
Authors: E Cha
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2014)

Meeting abstracts Human cancer cells may suppress the adaptive immune response by expressing PD-L1 and down-regulating T cell activity through PD-L1/PD-1 and PD-L1/B7.1 interactions. Disruption of PD-L1 signaling restores anti-tumor immunity, resulting in durable responses across multiple human
Coal Mine Dust Lung Disease. New Lessons from an Old Exposure
Authors: Edward L. Petsonk, Cecile Rose, Robert Cohen
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2013)

Coal mining remains a sizable industry, with millions of working and retired coal miners worldwide. This article provides an update on recent advances in the understanding of respiratory health issues in coal miners and focuses on the spectrum of disease caused by inhalation of coal mine dust, termed coal mine dust lung disease. In addition to the historical interstitial lung diseases (coal worker's pneumoconiosis, silicosis, and mixed dust pneumoconiosis), coal miners are at risk for dust-related diffuse fibrosis and chronic airway diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Recent recognition of rapidly progressive pneumoconiosis in younger miners, mainly in the eastern United States, has increased the sense of urgency and the need for vigilance in medical research, clinical diagnosis, and exposure prevention. Given the risk for disease progression even after exposure removal, along with few medical treatment options, there is an important role for chest physicians in the recognition and management of lung disease associated with work in coal mining.
Melatonin. A Mammalian Pineal Hormone*
Authors: DANIEL P. CARDINALI
Journal: Endocrine Reviews (1981)

PROBABLY no other organ in the body has suffered so long from a lack of its true functional recognition as the pineal gland. For more than two centuries the pineal was thought to be the seat of the soul or a vestigial remnant of the parietal eye. However, pineal research over the last 20 years has contributed significantly to unraveling the functional significance of this enigmatic endocrine gland. In this respect the isolation and characterization of melatonin by Lerner et al. (1) in 1958 constituted a landmark inasmuch as it was the first substance to be characterized in the pineal gland that reproduced many of the effects of pineal extracts or reversed the endocrine sequelae of pinealectomy. Today the pineal gland is recognized as an active functioning neuroendocrine organ that responds primarily to photic stimuli (and secondarily to hormonal signals originating in target tissues), exhibits circadian rhythms, and influences the metabolic activity of a host of endocrine glands.
Goserelin Versus Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate, and Fluorouracil as Adjuvant Therapy in Premenopausal Patients With Node-Positive Breast Cancer: The Zoladex Early Breast Cancer Research Association Study
Authors: W. Jonat, M. Kaufmann, W. Sauerbrei, R. Blamey, J. Cuzick, M. Namer, I. Fogelman, J. C. de Haes, A. de Matteis, A. Stewart, W. Eiermann, I. Szakolczai, M. Palmer, M. Schumacher, M. Geberth, B. Lisboa
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2002)

PURPOSE: Current adjuvant therapies have improved survival for premenopausal patients with breast cancer but may have short-term toxic effects and long-term effects associated with premature menopause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Zoladex Early Breast Cancer Research Association study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of goserelin (3.6 mg every 28 days for 2 years; n = 817) versus cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy (six 28-day cycles; n = 823) for adjuvant treatment in premenopausal patients with node-positive breast cancer. RESULTS: Analysis was performed when 684 events had been achieved, and the median follow-up was 6 years. A significant interaction between treatment and estrogen receptor (ER) status was found (P = .0016). In ER-positive patients (approximately 74%), goserelin was equivalent to CMF for disease-free survival (DFS) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 1.20). In ER-negative patients, goserelin was inferior to CMF for DFS (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.44). Amenorrhea occurred in more than 95% of goserelin patients by 6 months versus 58.6% of CMF patients. Menses returned in most goserelin patients after therapy stopped, whereas amenorrhea was generally permanent in CMF patients (22.6% v 76.9% amenorrheic at 3 years). Chemotherapy-related side effects such as nausea/vomiting, alopecia, and infection were higher with CMF than with goserelin during CMF treatment. Side effects related to estrogen suppression were initially higher with goserelin, but when goserelin treatment stopped, reduced to a level below that observed in the CMF group. CONCLUSION: Goserelin offers an effective, well-tolerated alternative to CMF in premenopausal patients with ER-positive and node-positive early breast cancer.
Long-term sequelae after Ebola virus disease in Bundibugyo, Uganda: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Danielle V Clark, Hannah Kibuuka, Monica Millard, Salim Wakabi, Luswa Lukwago, Alison Taylor, Michael A Eller, Leigh Anne Eller, Nelson L Michael, Anna N Honko, Gene G Olinger, Randal J Schoepp, Matthew J Hepburn, Lisa E Hensley, Merlin L Robb
Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2015)
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β: A Prognostic Marker and a Potential Therapeutic Target in Human Bladder Cancer
Authors: Sei Naito, Vladimir Bilim, Kaori Yuuki, Andrey Ugolkov, Teiichi Motoyama, Akira Nagaoka, Tomoyuki Kato, Yoshihiko Tomita
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2010)

Although recent studies have shown glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a serine/threonine kinase, as a positive regulator of pancreatic, colon, and kidney cancer cell survival and proliferation, the role of GSK-3 in bladder cancer remains unknown. Our objectives were to determine the subcellular localization of GSK-3β and to evaluate the effect of GSK-3 inhibition in bladder cancer.We used immunohistochemical staining and nuclear/cytosolic fractionation to determine the expression pattern of GSK-3β in human urothelial carcinomas. To study the effect of GSK-3 inhibition on bladder cancer cell proliferation and survival, we used pharmacologic inhibitors of GSK-3, RNA interference, MTS assay, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay, quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR, and Western blotting.We found aberrant nuclear accumulation of GSK-3β in 62% (43 of 69) and 91% (21 of 23) of noninvasive and invasive human urothelial carcinomas, respectively. GSK-3β nuclear staining was significantly associated with high-grade tumors (P < 0.001), advanced stage of bladder cancer (P < 0.05), metastasis (P < 0.05), and worse cause-specific survival (P < 0.05) in bladder cancer patients. Moreover, we found that pharmacologic inhibition or genetic depletion of GSK-3β resulted in decreased viability of bladder cancer cells.Our results suggest nuclear accumulation of GSK-3β as a novel prognostic marker in bladder cancer, show that GSK-3 contributes to urothelial cancer cell proliferation and survival, and identify GSK-3 as a potential therapeutic target in human bladder cancer.
Impairment of the intestinal barrier is evident in untreated but absent in suppressively treated HIV-infected patients
Authors: H-J Epple, T Schneider, H Troeger, D Kunkel, K Allers, V Moos, M Amasheh, C Loddenkemper, M Fromm, M Zeitz, J-D Schulzke
Journal: Gut (2008)

<h3>Background and aims:</h3> Impairment of the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier contributes to progression of HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the HIV-induced intestinal barrier defect and to identify underlying mechanisms. <h3>Methods:</h3> Epithelial barrier function was characterised by impedance spectroscopy and [<sup>3</sup>H]mannitol fluxes in duodenal biopsies from 11 untreated and 8 suppressively treated HIV-infected patients, and 9 HIV-seronegative controls. The villus/crypt ratio was determined microscopically. Epithelial apoptoses were analysed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and caspase-3 staining. Tight junction protein expression was quantified by densitometric analysis of immunoblots. Mucosal cytokine production was determined by cytometric bead array. <h3>Results:</h3> Only in untreated but not in treated HIV-infected patients, epithelial resistance was reduced (13 (1) vs 23 (2) Ω cm<sup>2</sup>, p&lt;0.01) and mannitol permeability was increased compared with HIV-negative controls (19 (3) vs 9 (1) nm/s, p&lt;0.05). As structural correlates, epithelial apoptoses and expression of the pore-forming claudin-2 were increased while expression of the sealing claudin-1 was reduced in untreated compared with treated patients and HIV-negative controls. Furthermore, villous atrophy was evident and mucosal production of interleukin 2 (IL2), IL4 and tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) was increased in untreated but not in treated HIV-infected patients. Incubation with IL2, IL4, TNFα and IL13 reduced the transepithelial resistance of rat jejunal mucosa. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Suppressive HAART abrogates HIV-induced intestinal barrier defect and villous atrophy. The HIV-induced barrier defect is due to altered tight junction protein composition and elevated epithelial apoptoses. Mucosal cytokines are mediators of the HIV-induced mucosal barrier defect and villous atrophy.
The European Respiratory Society plans its future: the 2013-2018 strategic plan
Authors: Giovanni Battista Migliori, Klaus F. Rabe, Elisabeth Bel, Mark Elliott, Mina Gaga, Stephen T. Holgate, Guy Joos, Fernando Martin Burrieza, Betty Sax, Jean-Paul Sculier, Anita K. Simonds, Francesco Blasi, Peter J. Barnes
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

The European Respiratory Society (ERS), in order to serve better its members and achieve its mission objectives (table 1) [1], organised a Strategy Meeting to plan its core strategic priorities for the period 2013–2018, taking into account changes occurring both within the society and within the respiratory field in Europe and beyond. This meeting was held on July 3 and 4, 2013 in Lausanne, Switzerland to formulate future directions. We took into account the Executive Summary of the 2006–2007 Strategy Meeting [2] summarising the ERS pillars (fig. 1) and the recently published ERS Presidential plans as an operational guide [3–5].

View this table:

Table 1– Objectives and means of action of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 



Figure 1– 
The three pillars of the European Respiratory Society.



The Strategy Meeting involved the ERS Leadership represented by the members of the Steering Committee (fig. 2). It was prepared by an ad hoc meeting preceding the event, involving the Past President and the Secretary General Elect (the officers designated to act as chair and moderator), as well as the Executive Director and the Head of the Executive Office. This was used as the starting point to develop the strategic meeting agenda. Participants were encouraged to express their opinions freely and to think “outside the box” in order to bring fresh ideas to the table. Whilst the focus of the exercise was definitely the future, the importance of the past as the basis of all change was emphasised by the presence of the former Executive Director who attended in an observer role to recall the history of the ERS and previous decisions.



Figure 2– 
The European Respiratory Society Strategy Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.



Operational minutes discussions were first drafted to allow an accurate summary of the decisions taken, which were then approved by the Steering and Executive Committees following ERS regulations. As it was felt that …