tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
The effect of vagotomy and drainage on the small bowel flora
Authors: G. G. Browning, K. A. Buchan, C. Mackay
Journal: Gut (1974)

The incidence of small intestinal colonization in unoperated duodenal ulcer patients was low and similar to that in the normal population. The majority of patients seven to 10 days following truncal vagotomy and drainage were colonized whereas none of a control group of patients following simple closure of a perforated duodenal ulcer was colonized. In patients with pyloroplasty, this high incidence fell to control levels on average 18 months postoperatively, but in patients with a gastro-jejunostomy, the incidence remained raised probably due to the presence of the afferent loop. Only two patients developed episodic diarrhoea and there was no obvious association with small bowel colonization.
Assessment of active spinal inflammatory changes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: validation of whole body MRI against conventional MRI
Authors: U. Weber, J. Hodler, A. G. Jurik, C. W. A. Pfirrmann, K. Rufibach, R. O. Kissling, M. A. Khan, R. G. W. Lambert, W. P. Maksymowych
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2009)

<h3>Objective</h3> To evaluate the performance of whole body (WB) MRI versus conventional (CON) MRI in assessing active inflammatory lesions of the entire spine in patients with established and clinically active axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) using the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) MRI index. <h3>Methods</h3> 32 consecutive patients with SpA fulfilling the modified New York criteria and with clinically active disease (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score ≥4) were scanned by sagittal WB and CON MRI of the spine. The MR images were scored independently in random order by three readers blinded to patient identifiers. Active inflammatory lesions of the spine were recorded on a web-based scoring form. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to compare scores for WB MRI and CON MRI for each rater and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess interobserver reliability. <h3>Results</h3> The median percentage of inflammatory lesions recorded concordantly for both WB MRI and CON MRI ranged from 83% to 91% for the three readers; 4–9% were only recorded by WB MRI and 4–9% were recorded by CON MRI only. The Pearson correlation coefficients between WB and CON MRI per rater were 0.79, 0.89 and 0.81, respectively. The ICC(2, 1) were 0.75, 0.80 and 0.68 for CON MRI and 0.82, 0.83 and 0.93 for WB MRI for the three possible reader pairs. <h3>Conclusion</h3> WB MRI and CON MRI scores showed a high correlation and comparable high reliability for the detection of active inflammatory lesions in the spine of patients with clinically active SpA.
Resistance Exercise in Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Roanne J. Segal, Robert D. Reid, Kerry S. Courneya, Shawn C. Malone, Matthew B. Parliament, Chris G. Scott, Peter M. Venner, H. Arthur Quinney, Lee W. Jones, Monika E. Slovinec D’Angelo, George A. Wells
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2003)

Purpose: Androgen deprivation therapy is a common treatment in men with prostate cancer that may cause fatigue, functional decline, increased body fatness, and loss of lean body tissue. These physical changes can negatively affect health-related quality of life. Resistance exercise may help to counter some of these side effects by reducing fatigue, elevating mood, building muscle mass, and reducing body fat. Methods: In a two-site study, 155 men with prostate cancer who were scheduled to receive androgen deprivation therapy for at least 3 months after recruitment were randomly assigned to an intervention group that participated in a resistance exercise program three times per week for 12 weeks (82 men) or to a waiting list control group (73 men). The primary outcomes were fatigue and disease-specific quality of life as assessed by self-reported questionnaires after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes were muscular fitness and body composition. Results: Men assigned to resistance exercise had less interference from fatigue on activities of daily living (P = .002) and higher quality of life (P = .001) than men in the control group. Men in the intervention group demonstrated higher levels of upper body (P = .009) and lower body (P &lt; .001) muscular fitness than men in the control group. The 12-week resistance exercise intervention did not improve body composition as measured by changes in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, or subcutaneous skinfolds. Conclusion: Resistance exercise reduces fatigue and improves quality of life and muscular fitness in men with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy. This form of exercise can be an important component of supportive care for these patients.
Mechanisms Underlying the Impairment of Ischemia-Induced Neovascularization in Matrix Metalloproteinase 2–Deficient Mice
Authors: Xian Wu Cheng, Masafumi Kuzuya, Kae Nakamura, Keiko Maeda, Michitaka Tsuzuki, Weon Kim, Takeshi Sasaki, Zexuan Liu, Natsuo Inoue, Takahisa Kondo, Hai Jin, Yasushi Numaguchi, Kenji Okumura, Mitsuhiro Yokota, Akihisa Iguchi, Toyoaki Murohara
Journal: Circulation Research (2007)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the process of neovascularization. However, the exact roles of individual MMPs in vessel formation are poorly understood. To study the putative role of MMP-2 in ischemia-induced neovascularization, a hindlimb ischemia model was applied to MMP-2(+/+) and MMP-2(-/-) mice. Serial laser Doppler blood-flow analysis revealed that the recovery of the ischemic/normal blood-flow ratio in MMP-2(-/-) young and old mice remained impaired throughout the follow-up period. At day 35, microangiography and anti-l-lectin immunohistochemical staining revealed lesser developed collateral vessels and capillary formation in both old and young MMP-2(-/-) mice compared with the age-matched MMP-2(+/+) mice. An aortic-ring culture assay showed a markedly impaired angiogenic response in MMP-2(-/-) mice, which was partially recovered by supplementation of the culture medium with recombinant MMP-2. Aorta-derived endothelial cells or bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-like c-Kit(+) cells from MMP-2(-/-) showed marked impairment of invasive or/and proliferative abilities. At day 7, plasma and ischemic tissues of vascular endothelial growth factor protein were reduced in MMP-2(-/-). Flow cytometry showed that the numbers of EPC-like CD31(+)c-Kit(+) cells in peripheral blood markedly decreased in MMP-2-deficient mice. Transplantation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells from MMP-2(+/+) mice restored neovascularization in MMP-2(-/-) young mice. These data suggest that MMP-2 deficiency impairs ischemia-induced neovascularization through a reduction of endothelial cell and EPC invasive and/or proliferative activities and EPC mobilization.
Comparison of rheumatoid articular adipose and synovial tissue reactivity to proinflammatory stimuli: contribution to adipocytokine network
Authors: Ewa Kontny, Magdalena Plebanczyk, Barbara Lisowska, Malgorzata Olszewska, Pawel Maldyk, Włodzimierz Maslinski
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2011)

<h3>Abstract</h3> Sonication of removed devices improved the microbiological diagnosis of infection. Recently, chemical agents have been investigated for dislodgement of biofilms, including the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT). We compared the efficacy of chemical methods (EDTA and DTT) to sonication for biofilm dislodgement. <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> (ATCC 35984) and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (ATCC 53278) biofilms were grown on porous glass beads for 3 days. After biofilm formation, beads were exposed to 0.9% saline, sonication and/or chemical agents. Quantitative and qualitative biofilm analyses were performed by colony counting (CFU/ml), isothermal microcalorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The colony counts after treatment with EDTA and DTT were similar to those after exposure to 0.9% saline (6.3, 6.1 and 6.0 log CFU/ml, respectively) for <i>S. epidermidis</i> biofilms, and (5.1, 5.2 and 5.0 log CFU/ml, respectively) for <i>P. aeruginosa</i> biofilm. Sonication detected higher CFU counts (7.5 log CFU/ml) for <i>S. epidermidis</i>; (p&lt;0.05) and 6.5 log for <i>P. aeruginosa</i> biofilm (p &lt;0.05). Concordant results were detected with isothermal microcalorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. In conclusion, the CFU count after treatment of <i>S. epidermidis</i> or <i>P. aeruginosa</i> biofilms with EDTA and DTT was similar to those observed after 0.9% saline used as control. In contrast, sonication was superior to chemical methods for biofilm dislodgment and detection of microorganisms in sonication fluid. In conclusion, our study showed that sonication is superior to chemical method to dislodge bacterial biofilm from artificial surface and should be considered as standard diagnostic method for biofilm detection in implant-associated infections.
Airway inflammation in patients with symptoms suggesting asthma but with normal lung function
Authors: P. Rytilä, T. Metso, K. Heikkinen, P. Saarelainen, I.J. Helenius, T. Haahtela
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2000)

The hypothesis that eosinophilic airway inflammation is present in many patients presenting with respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma but with normal lung function was tested. Thirty-six consecutive patients presenting with these features were studied. Twenty-five asthmatics and 43 healthy volunteers served as control groups. Signs of eosinophilic inflammation in blood and induced sputum were studied. Patients with respiratory symptoms were single-blindly treated with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP), 800 μg daily, or placebo for 3 months, and re-examined at 3 months and 1 yr. Patients with respiratory symptoms had higher numbers of blood and sputum eosinophils than healthy persons (p&lt;0.0001), but the degree of eosinophilic inflammation was less pronounced than in asthmatics (p&lt;0.01). Three-month's treatment with BDP significantly reduced total symptom score (p&lt;0.001), cough score (p&lt;0.0001), and the number of blood eosinophils (p&lt;0.01). For cough alone, the improvement was significant compared with placebo (p&lt;0.05). The patients were followed-up for 1 yr, and 17 (55%) still had symptoms but retained normal lung function. Four (13%) patients had developed asthma and another 10 (32%) had become free of symptoms. Using lung function measurements and induced sputum analyses, a group of patients with symptoms suggestive of asthma and signs of eosinophilic airway inflammation but without enough airflow variability to be diagnosed as asthmatics were detected. They seemed to respond favourably to inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate treatment.
Reduced Interferon γ Production and Soluble CD14 Levels in Early Life Predict Recurrent Wheezing by 1 Year of Age
Authors: Stefano Guerra, I. Carla Lohman, Marilyn Halonen, Fernando D. Martinez, Anne L. Wright
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2003)

It is unknown whether reduced production of IFNγ in early life, before any lower respiratory tract illness, is a risk factor for recurrent wheezing in infancy. We followed 238 infants prospectively from birth to 1 year of age. At birth and at 3 months of age, IFNγ production from polyclonally stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels in plasma were measured. The odds of developing recurrent wheezing (assessed by questionnaire) in the first year of life were up to 4.5 times higher for children in the lowest quartile of IFNγ production at 3 months (p = 0.0005) and 3.2 times higher for children in the lowest quartile of sCD14 levels at birth (p = 0.004) as compared with children in the other 3 combined quartiles of IFNγ and sCD14, respectively. Findings were confirmed in the multivariate analysis. IFNγ production at 3 months and sCD14 levels at birth were correlated (r = 0.188, p = 0.031). Our findings from a longitudinal cohort suggest that impaired IFNγ production at 3 months and reduced plasma-sCD14 levels at birth significantly increase the risk of developing recurrent wheezing in the first year of life.
Aspirin: still learning about the wonder drug
Authors: E T Hawk
Journal: Gut (2003)

Aspirin, taken daily over at least one year, may exert chemopreventive effects against the early stages of colorectal carcinogenesis

Preclinical, observational, and clinical data consistently show that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—particularly aspirin—reduce colorectal carcinogenesis.1 Scores of animal studies show that NSAIDs inhibit the development of colorectal neoplasia across the spectrum of disease, ranging from aberrant crypt foci (ACF) to cancer.2 Human data confirm these findings with dozens of observational studies reporting 40–50% reductions in colorectal adenoma incidence, cancer incidence, and cancer associated mortality among aspirin users. The most compelling data were published earlier this year. Two randomised placebo controlled trials conducted in patients at moderate risk for colorectal cancer reported that aspirin administered at doses as low as 81–325 mg/day reduced the development of adenomas by up to 35% after a few years of use.3,4 In one trial, greater effects were seen against more advanced lesions.3

Colorectal adenomas are established as common non-obligate precursors of colorectal cancer.5 Within the last decade, ACF have been identified in rodent models of carcinogenesis, and have been proposed as precursors of colorectal adenomas and cancers.6 With the use of recently developed high resolution/magnifying endoscopes, researchers are now making quantitative (for example, number, size, crypt multiplicity) and qualitative (for example, morphology) real time in vivo assessments of ACF in humans.7 ACF—or at least a subset of them—may represent important risk markers for adenoma-carcinoma development in humans. They …
Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Testing in 2010: Does Chromosome 17 Centromere Copy Number Make Any Difference?
Authors: Jeffrey S. Ross
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010)

In December 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration simultaneously approved the therapeutic antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpressing invasive breast cancer and the immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based diagnostic test (HercepTest; Dako, Glosstrup, Denmark) designed to select patients for this novel targeted treatment. Today, more than 11 years later, anti-HER2–targeted therapy for breast cancer has become a cornerstone for treatment of HER2-positive disease; success has been achieved with use of both trastuzumab and the more recently approved tyrosine kinase small molecule inhibitor, lapatinib (Tykerb; GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, PA), in adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and metastatic disease settings. Given this proven impact on survival for anti-HER2–targeted therapy, the importance of accurately identifying HER2-positive breast cancer has never been greater. The article in this issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology by Perez et al explores various interactions between HER2 status determined by IHC and by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH; PathVysion; Abbott Molecular, Abbott Park, IL), the estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status determined by IHC, and the local laboratory versus central or reference laboratory HER2 testing results in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group N9831 trastuzumab adjuvant trial of early-stage breast cancer. The mining of the N9831 database is of keen interest tospecialists inbreastcancer,giventhelargepatientcohortandcontinued follow-up of the clinical outcome database. In the article, Perez et al present their data on the impact of independently assessing the HER2 gene copy number and the chromosome 17 centromere (CEP17) copy number for their impact on trastuzumab benefit and interactions with other clinical outcome variables. The study by Perez et al raises several important questions about the current state of HER2 testing in breast cancer, which, despite several major attempts at revision and standardization, continues to remain a serious concern for oncologists as they meet with their patients to select therapy for the disease.
Control of the Activity of Highly Purified Cardiac Actomyosin by Ca <sup>2+</sup> , Na <sup>+</sup> and K <sup>+</sup>
Authors: ARNOLD M. KATZ, DORIS I. REPKE, BARBARA R. COHEN
Journal: Circulation Research (1966)

The responses of cardiac actomyosin to changes in the concentrations of Ca 2+ , Na + and K + were examined to evaluate the role that direct actions of these cations could play in the regulation of myocardial contractility. The sensitivity of the Mg 2+ -activated adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity of reconstituted cardiac actomyosin to changing Ca 2+ concentration was similar to that for skeletal actomyosin although both cardiac myosin and actomyosin were less active than the corresponding skeletal proteins at all Ca 2+ concentrations. Activation of both myosins by either the cardiac or skeletal actintropomyosin complex was virtually absent when free Ca 2+ concentration was below 10 -7 M. Full activation was seen at Ca 2+ concentrations greater than 10 -5 M. These findings support the view that variations in intracellular Ca 2+ concentration play a role in regulating myocardial contractility. Replacement of KCl by NaCl stimulated both the ATPase activity and superprecipitation of cardiac actomyosin. The positive inotropic effects associated with replacement of intracellular K + by Na + , e.g. the positive staircase accompanying increased heart rate, may therefore be due, in part at least, to a direct action of Na + upon the contractile proteins.
Successful treatment of empyema thoracis with human recombinant deoxyribonuclease
Authors: G Simpson
Journal: Thorax (2003)

Fibrinolytic enzymes, particularly streptokinase, are now widely used to treat empyema thoracis. Recent in vitro evidence suggests that streptokinase has no effect on pus viscosity but that deoxyribonuclease (DNase) reduces the viscosity of pus. We report the first use of human recombinant DNase given intrapleurally to treat an empyema which had not resolved after standard treatment with streptokinase.
Obstructive sleep apnea in elderly patients: Neuroimage and cognitive function before and after treatment
Authors: Mireia Dalmases, Cristina Sole-Padulles, David Bartres-Faz, M. Dolores Nuñez, Cristina Embid, Marta Torres, Nuria Bargalló, Ramon Farre, Josep Maria Montserrat
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in middle-aged patients leads to cognitive impairment and changes in brain morphology that could be improved by CPAP treatment. However, studies addressing the cognitive impairment in elderly OSA patients have given conflicting results and there is no data about brain alterations or the effect of CPAP treatment in these patients. Aim: To investigate whether elderly OSA patients present cognitive deficits and brain morphology/functional changes and to assess the efficacy of CPAP treatment.  Methods: 27 elderly patients newly diagnosed of severe OSA and 15 age-matched healthy volunteers were included in the study. All participants underwent a neuropsychologic evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with structural and resting-state acquisitions at baseline. OSA patients were randomly assigned to CPAP or conservative treatment and both examinations were again assessed after 3 months of treatment.  Results: At baseline, OSA patients showed lower volume of cerebellum and cerebellar tonsil when compared to healthy volunteers. Both OSA groups were similar on demographic measures, in terms of neurocognitive performance, grey matter volume and connectivity of the default mode network (DMN). After CPAP treatment, most cognitive domains showed significant improvements in parallel with increases in grey matter intensity within the cerebellum and higher connectivity in the right middle frontal gyrus in comparison with the conservative treatment group.  Conclusions: Our study suggests that in elderly OSA patients both cognitive difficulties and structural and functional cerebral deficits could be improved by CPAP treatment.
Survival effect of PDGF-CC rescues neurons from apoptosis in both brain and retina by regulating GSK3β phosphorylation
Authors: Zhongshu Tang, Pachiappan Arjunan, Chunsik Lee, Yang Li, Anil Kumar, Xu Hou, Bin Wang, Piotr Wardega, Fan Zhang, Lijin Dong, Yongqing Zhang, Shi-Zhuang Zhang, Hao Ding, Robert N. Fariss, Kevin G. Becker, Johan Lennartsson, Nobuo Nagai, Yihai Cao, Xuri Li
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2010)

Platelet-derived growth factor CC (PDGF-CC) is the third member of the PDGF family discovered after more than two decades of studies on the original members of the family, PDGF-AA and PDGF-BB. The biological function of PDGF-CC remains largely to be explored. We report a novel finding that PDGF-CC is a potent neuroprotective factor that acts by modulating glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) activity. In several different animal models of neuronal injury, such as axotomy-induced neuronal death, neurotoxin-induced neuronal injury, 6-hydroxydopamine–induced Parkinson’s dopaminergic neuronal death, and ischemia-induced stroke, PDGF-CC protein or gene delivery protected different types of neurons from apoptosis in both the retina and brain. On the other hand, loss-of-function assays using PDGF-C null mice, neutralizing antibody, or short hairpin RNA showed that PDGF-CC deficiency/inhibition exacerbated neuronal death in different neuronal tissues in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that the neuroprotective effect of PDGF-CC was achieved by regulating GSK3β phosphorylation and expression. Our data demonstrate that PDGF-CC is critically required for neuronal survival and may potentially be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of the PDGF-CC–PDGF receptor pathway for different clinical purposes should be conducted with caution to preserve normal neuronal functions.
MOON PHASES, SUICIDE, AND HOMICIDE
Authors: ALEX D. POKORNY
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1964)

The 2497 suicides and 2017 homicides occurring in Texas during the years 1959, 1960, and 1961 were related to the 4 phases of the moon and to the apogeeperigee cycles of the moon during this period. No significant relationships were found.
Correspondence re: Cecchin et al., Carboxylesterase Isoform 2 mRNA Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Is a Predictive Marker of the Irinotecan to SN38 Activation Step in Colorectal Cancer Patients. Clin Cancer Res 2005;11:6901–7
Authors: Balram Chowbay, Srinivas Rao Jada, Darren Lim Wan Teck
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2006)

To the Editor: Cecchin and colleagues reported their interesting findings on the use of carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as a predictive marker of irinotecan to SN38 activation in a cohort of Italian colorectal cancer patients receiving a twice-