tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Development of Mucoid &lt;EMPH&gt;Pseudomonas aeruginosa&lt;/EMPH&gt; Infection and Lung Disease Progression in Children With Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Zhanhai Li
Journal: JAMA (2005)

Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common virulent respiratory pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF), the longitudinal development of P aeruginosa infection and its effect on antibody responses and lung disease progression in children with CF remain unclear.To prospectively examine the epidemiology of P aeruginosa infection and its impact on CF pulmonary morbidity.We prospectively evaluated 56 CF patients at 2 CF centers in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis, from birth up to age 16 years between April 15, 1985, and April 15, 2004, with diagnoses made through the Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project.Timing of nonmucoid P aeruginosa and mucoid P aeruginosa acquisition was assessed by first positive result. Longitudinal development from no P aeruginosa to nonmucoid P aeruginosa and from nonmucoid P aeruginosa to mucoid P aeruginosa was examined. Outcome measurements included antibody titers, respiratory symptoms, quantitative chest radiography, and pulmonary function tests.Sixteen patients (29%) acquired nonmucoid P aeruginosa in the first 6 months of life. The age-specific prevalence of mucoid P aeruginosa increased markedly from age 4 to 16 years. Nonmucoid and mucoid P aeruginosa were acquired at median ages of 1.0 and 13.0 years, respectively. In contrast with the short transition time from no P aeruginosa to nonmucoid P aeruginosa, the transition time from nonmucoid to mucoid P aeruginosa was relatively long (median, 10.9 years) and could be slightly extended by brief/low anti-P aeruginosa antibiotic treatment. Antibody titers increased with both transitions, but the deterioration in cough scores, chest radiograph scores, and pulmonary function correlated best with transition from nonmucoid to mucoid P aeruginosa.Early prevention and detection of nonmucoid and mucoid P aeruginosa are critical because of early acquisition and prevalence. There is a window of opportunity for suppression and possible eradication (by aggressive anti-P aeruginosa treatment) of initial nonmucoid P aeruginosa. Mucoid P aeruginosa plays a much greater role in CF lung disease progression than nonmucoid P aeruginosa. Antibody titers, cough scores, and chest radiographs are early signs of nonmucoid P aeruginosa and especially mucoid P aeruginosa stages.
Morphometry of pulmonary arteries from angiograms in chronic obstructive lung disease.
Authors: K Horsfield, M Thomas
Journal: Thorax (1981)

The application of morphometric techniques based on Strahler orders to the study of pulmonary angiograms is described. When the pulmonary arterial tree is ordered by Strahler9s method, peripheral branches have the lowest orders and the main pulmonary artery the highest order. The mean diameter of vessels in each order can then be determined. Pulmonary angiograms were obtained from 16 patients, 10 of whom had chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), the other six having normal angiograms. Six orders of branching were found in vessels of 1 mm diameter or greater, and a plot of log mean diameter versus order from the normal angiograms was linear. The mean diameters of orders 2, 3, and 4 (diameter 2 to 7 mm) from COLD patients were significantly reduced ((p less than 0.01) and the log mean diameter versus order plot was concave upwards. These changes were more marked when TLC was raised than when it was normal. Plots of diameters of vessels from zones of the lung in which the pathology was well advanced (as judged by radiological changes) showed even greater reduction in the middle orders. These changes are probably the result of stretching of vessels in emphysematous lesions and diminution of blood flow from loss of capillary bed.
Probiotics: a role in the treatment of intestinal infection and inflammation?
Authors: E Isolauri, P V Kirjavainen, S Salminen
Journal: Gut (2002)

Probiotic therapy is based on the concept of normal healthy microflora. The development of novel means of characterising the gut microflora, in particular those based on the different levels of conservation in the ribosomal RNA sequences of different genera, have opened up new angles on the role of the gut microflora in health and disease. Components of the human intestinal microflora or organisms entering the intestine may have harmful or beneficial effects on human health. Abundant evidence implies that specific strains selected from the healthy gut microflora exhibit powerful antipathogenic and anti-inflammatory capabilities, and are consequently involved with enhanced colonisation resistance in the intestine. Realisation of this has led to the introduction of novel modes of therapeutic and prophylactic intervention based on the consumption of mono and mixed cultures of beneficial live microorganisms as probiotics.
Soluble Decoy Receptor 3 Induces Angiogenesis by Neutralization of TL1A, a Cytokine Belonging to Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily and Exhibiting Angiostatic Action
Authors: Chia-Ron Yang, Shie-Liang Hsieh, Che-Ming Teng, Feng-Ming Ho, Wen-Ling Su, Wan-Wan Lin
Journal: Cancer Research (2004)

Abstract TL1A is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily and plays an important role in regulating endothelial cell apoptosis. A previous study shows TL1A is able to interact with death receptor 3 and decoy receptor 3 (DcR3). Here, we demonstrate that DcR3 is able to induce angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). DcR3 promotes HUVEC proliferation and migration and up-regulates matrix metalloproteinase-2 mRNA expression and enzyme activity. Furthermore, DcR3 enhances EC differentiation into cord vascular-like structures in vitro, as well as neovascularization in vivo. The effects of DcR3 on HUVECs are also mimicked by anti-TL1A and antideath receptor 3 antibodies. In contrast, human aortic endothelial cells, which do not express TL1A, are not responsive to DcR3 treatment, including cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenic differentiation. These data demonstrate DcR3 might not only help tumor cells to escape immune surveillance but also induce angiogenesis by blocking TL1A action in endothelial cells. The pathological role of DcR3 in promoting cancer progress raises the possibility to target DcR3 for antiangiogenic therapy in the future.
New partnerships between the<i>BJSM</i>and Sports Medicine Australia (SMA)
Authors: Michael Kenihan, Gregory S Kolt
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (2013)

Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) is delighted to have become one of the member society partners of the BJSM recently and this means each member of SMA receive online access to the BJSM as part of their SMA membership. This inaugural SMA-themed issue of BJSM coincides with a number of significant milestones in the life of SMA. In 2013, SMA celebrates its 50th anniversary. Over the 50 years, SMA has evolved from being an organisation established to provide medical support for athletes in competitions, to become one of the world's truly multidisciplinary sports medicine membership organisations with the charter of making sport and physical activity safer for all participants from elite to community level.

The timing of the partnership with BJSM could not be more symbolic as it represents a concerted effort by SMA to expand its relationships, both in Australia and beyond, to ensure that SMA members continue to have access to the best available information, and to extend the reach of …
Incidence and Prognostic Importance of Acute Renal Failure After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Charanjit S. Rihal, Stephen C. Textor, Diane E. Grill, Peter B. Berger, Henry H. Ting, Patricia J. Best, Mandeep Singh, Malcolm R. Bell, Gregory W. Barsness, Verghese Mathew, Kirk N. Garratt, David R. Holmes
Journal: Circulation (2002)

In patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the modern era, the incidence and prognostic implications of acute renal failure (ARF) are unknown.With a retrospective analysis of the Mayo Clinic PCI registry, we determined the incidence of, risk factors for, and prognostic implications of ARF (defined as an increase in serum creatinine [Cr] >0.5 mg/dL from baseline) after PCI. Of 7586 patients, 254 (3.3%) experienced ARF. Among patients with baseline Cr <2.0, the risk of ARF was higher among diabetic than nondiabetic patients, whereas among those with a baseline Cr >2.0, all had a significant risk of ARF. In multivariate analysis, ARF was associated with baseline serum Cr, acute myocardial infarction, shock, and volume of contrast medium administered. Twenty-two percent of patients with ARF died during the index hospitalization compared with only 1.4% of patients without ARF (P<0.0001). After adjustment, ARF remained strongly associated with death. Among hospital survivors with ARF, 1- and 5-year estimated mortality rates were 12.1% and 44.6%, respectively, much greater than the 3.7% and 14.5% mortality rates in patients without ARF (P<0.0001).The overall incidence of ARF after PCI is low. Diabetic patients with baseline Cr values <2.0 mg/dL are at higher risk than nondiabetic patients, whereas all patients with a serum Cr >2.0 are at high risk for ARF. ARF was highly correlated with death during the index hospitalization and after dismissal.
Measuring quality of life in patients with sleep apnoea: whose life is it anyway?
Authors: W W Flemons
Journal: Thorax (2004)

A new self-administered disease specific questionnaire for sleep apnoea

Patients suspected of suffering from sleep apnoea present to primary care physicians with several typical symptoms including habitual snoring (often disruptive to bed partners), waking feeling unrefreshed, daytime sleepiness, or fatigue. The disorder is increasingly being recognised in patients who are hypertensive, obese, or who have unexplained respiratory failure. Randomised placebo controlled trials have proved that sleep apnoea has an adverse impact on mood, quality of life, functional status, and vigilance, and that treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) results in statistically significant improvements. Although sleep apnoea is strongly suspected to be a risk factor for developing systemic hypertension, and some preliminary evidence suggests that it is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, there is no convincing evidence yet that CPAP reduces these risks.1 In most patients treatment is therefore primarily aimed at improving their quality of life. Although symptoms and quality of life are often used interchangeably, the former is a subset of the latter and does not capture the complete impact of the disorder.

When patients are treated for sleep apnoea it is important to document whether the treatment is effective. All too often this evaluation is limited to determining whether the apnoea-hypopnoea index has been satisfactorily reduced. A Medline search of the English language literature for randomised controlled trials of adult sleep apnoea syndromes over the past 10 years produced 95 studies, 40% of which did not report any symptom or quality of life outcomes. It is well recognised that …
Lipid Research Clinics Program Reference Values for Hyperlipidemia and Hypolipidemia
Authors: Basil M. Rifkind
Journal: JAMA (1983)

Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride distributions have been established for 60,502 participants in a survey of ten separate, well-defined North American populations. Lipoprotein cholesterol levels were measured in a 7,055-person random sample of the white participants. From these data, new age- and sex-specific reference values have been selected for the diagnosis of hyperlipidemia and hypolipidemia. The use of these new reference values for population screening would result in the conditions of more young subjects being diagnosed as hypercholesterolemic and a very significant decrease in the proportion of the adult population being diagnosed as having hypertriglyceridemia.
Chemistry of mutagens and carcinogens in broiled food.
Authors: S Nishimura
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1986)

From a chemical point of view, the following subjects are important areas in studies on mutagens and carcinogens in broiled foods. In addition to heterocyclic amines which need microsomal activation, the structural elucidation of more labile direct-acting mutagens is necessary. It is known that there are still various unknown minor mutagens in broiled foods. Although the structural characterization of such compounds is more difficult, it is important since they might be hazardous in spite of their low mutagenicity. A more feasible and easier method for quantitative analysis of mutagens, in addition to HPLC and GC/MS methods presently employed, must be developed. The mechanism of formation of mutagens by broiling of food should be studied. An effective chemical method to prevent formation of mutagens or to destroy them, once formed, should be developed.
CD73-Dependent Generation of Adenosine and Endothelial Adora2b Signaling Attenuate Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Eunyoung Tak, Douglas Ridyard, Jae-Hwan Kim, Michael Zimmerman, Tilmann Werner, Xiaoxin X. Wang, Uladzimir Shabeka, Seong-Wook Seo, Uwe Christians, Jost Klawitter, Radu Moldovan, Gabriela Garcia, Moshe Levi, Volker Haase, Katya Ravid, Holger K. Eltzschig, Almut Grenz
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2013)

Nucleotide phosphohydrolysis by the ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) is the main source for extracellular generation of adenosine. Extracellular adenosine subsequently signals through four distinct adenosine A receptors (Adora1, Adora2a, Adora2b, or Adora3). Here, we hypothesized a functional role for CD73-dependent generation and concomitant signaling of extracellular adenosine during diabetic nephropathy. CD73 transcript and protein levels were elevated in the kidneys of diabetic mice. Genetic deletion of CD73 was associated with more severe diabetic nephropathy, whereas treatment with soluble nucleotidase was therapeutic. Transcript levels of renal adenosine receptors showed a selective induction of Adora2b during diabetic nephropathy. In a transgenic reporter mouse, Adora2b expression localized to the vasculature and increased after treatment with streptozotocin. Adora2b−/− mice experienced more severe diabetic nephropathy, and studies in mice with tissue-specific deletion of Adora2b in tubular epithelia or vascular endothelia implicated endothelial Adora2b signaling in protection from diabetic nephropathy. Finally, treatment with a selective Adora2b agonist (BAY 60–6583) conveyed potent protection from diabetes-associated kidney disease. Taken together, these findings implicate CD73-dependent production of extracellular adenosine and endothelial Adora2b signaling in kidney protection during diabetic nephropathy.
The Fallout of the Future
Authors: B. Albert Ring
Journal: JAMA (1970)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> The Editorial, "April Fool! or More Pollution" (<b>212</b>:1205, 1970) deserved a more prominent position inThe Journal. From humor as from the mouths of babes comes wisdom. The writer mentions packaging our excreta and sending it to the moon. What a waste of nitrates and minerals that are such delectable goodies to the plant kingdom! May I suggest, that, after proper bacteriolysis and dessication, this matter be dispersed in the atmosphere as a substitute for the halide crystals used by rain makers. This would not only dispose of the waste but insure adequate rainfall, with green-growing power in every drop. Rain showers of this nature may be distasteful to a few unable to see the advantages of such an action. However, those of us in the middle age group, who came through the great depression and World War II to find that we are now suspected
Pomalidomide is effective for prevention and treatment of experimental skin fibrosis
Authors: Simon Weingärtner, Pawel Zerr, Michal Tomcik, Katrin Palumbo-Zerr, Alfiya Distler, Clara Dees, Christian Beyer, Sai L Shankar, Dorota Cedzik, Peter H Schafer, Oliver Distler, Georg Schett, Jörg H W Distler
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2012)

Objectives Tissue fibrosis is a major hallmark and a leading cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Here, we investigated the antifibrotic effects of pomalidomide, an analogue of thalidomide with potent immunomodulatory effects, in preclinical models of skin fibrosis. Methods We evaluated the antifibrotic effects of pomalidomide in preventive as well as therapeutic treatment regimes using bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis as a model of early, inflammatory stages of fibrosis and the tight-skin mouse model as a model of later stages of fibrosis with endogenous activation of fibroblasts. Results Treatment with pomalidomide in doses from 0.3 to 30 mg/kd/day prevented skin fibrosis in Tsk-1 mice and in bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner and reduced the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF) β-target genes such as PAI-1, CTGF and col 1a1. Pomalidomide was also effective in the setting of pre-established fibrosis and reduced dermal thickness, myofibroblast counts and hydroxyproline content below pretreatment levels. Conclusions We demonstrate for the first time that pomalidomide exerts potent antifibrotic effects in different preclinical models of skin fibrosis. These findings lend preclinical support for the clinical studies of pomalidomide in SSc.
Hemoglobin AIc and Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: R J Koenig
Journal: Annual Review of Medicine (1980)

Hemoglobin A Ic is produced when glucose reacts nonenzymatically with the NH2-termini of Hb A beta chains and then undergoes an Amadori rearrangement. The concentration of Hb A Ic measured at any given time reflects a patient's mean blood glucose level for the preceding weeks to months. Infrequent measurements of Hb A Ic can therefore be used to assess long-term carbohydrate control in outpatient diabetics. In addition, the synthesis of Hb A Ic may represent a model reaction to explain the pathogenesis of many of the sequelae of chronic diabetes. Nonenzymatic glycosylation reactions may also underlie some of the changes ascribed to normal aging.
Understanding Disability in Mental and General Medical Conditions
Authors: B G Druss, S C Marcus, R A Rosenheck, M Olfson, T Tanielian, H A Pincus
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (2000)

This study characterized the prevalence, characteristics, and impact of mental and general medical disabilities in the United States.The 1994-1995 National Health Interview Survey of Disability was the largest disability survey ever conducted in the United States. A national sample was screened for disability, defined as limitation or inability to participate in a major life activity. Analyses compared cohorts who attributed their disability to physical, mental, or combined conditions.Of 106,573 adults, 1.1% reported functional disability from mental conditions, 4.8% from general medical conditions, and 1.2% from combined mental and general medical conditions. Disabilities attributed to a mental condition were predominantly associated with social and cognitive difficulties, those attributed to general medical conditions with physical limitations, and combined disabilities with deficits spanning multiple domains. In multivariate models, comorbid medical and mental conditions were associated with a twofold increase in odds of unemployment and a two-thirds increase in odds of support on disability payments compared to respondents with a single form of disability. More than half the nonworking disabled reported that economic, social, and job-based barriers contributed to their inability to work. One-fourth of working disabled people reported discrimination on the basis of their disability during the past 5 years.An estimated three million Americans (one-third of disabled people) reported that a mental condition contributes to their disability. Mental, general medical, and combined conditions are associated with unique patterns of functional impairment. Social and economic factors and job discrimination may exacerbate the functional impairments resulting from clinical syndromes.
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among National Football League Players
Authors: Andrew M Tucker, Robert A Vogel, Andrew E Lincoln, Reginald E Dunn, Debra C Ahrensfield, Thomas W Allen, Lon W Castle, Robert A Heyer, Elliot J Pellman, Patrick J Strollo, Peter W F Wilson, Anthony P Yates
Journal: JAMA (2009)

Concern exists about the cardiovascular health implications of large size among professional football players and those players who aspire to professional status.To assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in active National Football League (NFL) players and to compare these findings with data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.A cross-sectional study of 504 active, veteran football players from a convenience sample of 12 NFL teams at professional athletic training facilities between April and July 2007. Data were compared with men of the same age in the general US population (CARDIA study, a population-based observational study of 1959 participants aged 23 to 35 years recruited in 1985-1986).Prevalence of CVD risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and smoking).The NFL players were less likely to smoke when compared with the CARDIA group (0.1% [n = 1]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-1.4%; vs 30.5% [n = 597]; 95% CI, 28.5%-32.5%; P < .001). Despite being taller and heavier, NFL players had significantly lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (6.7% [n = 24]; 95% CI, 4.6%-8.7%; vs 15.5% [n = 267]; 95% CI, 13.8%-17.3%; P < .001). The groups did not differ in prevalence of high total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or high triglycerides. Hypertension (13.8% [n = 67]; 95% CI, 11.0%-16.7%; vs 5.5% [n = 108]; 95% CI, 4.6%-6.6%) and prehypertension (64.5% [n = 310]; 95% CI, 58.3%-70.7%; vs 24.2% [n = 473]; 95% CI, 22.3%-26.1%) were significantly more common in NFL players than in the CARDIA group (both P < .001). Large size measured by body mass index (BMI) was associated with increased blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting glucose, and decreased HDL-C.Compared with a sample of healthy young-adult men, a sample of substantially larger NFL players had a lower prevalence of impaired fasting glucose, less reported smoking, a similar prevalence of dyslipidemia, and a higher prevalence of hypertension. Increased size measured by BMI was associated with increased CVD risk factors in this combined population.