tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
P185 Sleep disordered breathing in children with spina bifida. time to screen?
Authors: J Saunders, N Gibson, P Davies
Journal: Thorax (2016)

<h3>Background</h3> Spina bifida is associated with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) particularly when associated with Arnold-Chiari malformations. Studies suggest that moderate/severe sleep apnoea is present in up to a third of spina bifida patients (Patel 2015) and yet there are no national guidelines that recommend screening for SBD in children with spina bifida. There is evidence to suggest that many children present late and this can be associated with unnecessary morbidity and even mortality (Kirk 1999). <h3>Aim</h3> To assess the prevalence of SDB in children with spina bifida, presenting through clinical presentation alone in the West of Scotland and to explore whether there is a case for screening all children with spina bifida for SDB. <h3>Method</h3> The database of the Spina Bifida Association Scotland and clinical records from the regional centre in the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow were used to identify all children with spina bifida in the West of Scotland. The level of the spinal lesion, presence of an Arnold-Chiari malformation or ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was established, as was the number who had had sleep studies performed and who had required ventilator support. <h3>Results</h3> 108 children were identified; 44/108 (40%) had an Arnold-Chiari malformation (1 type I, 43 type II); 64/108 had lumbar abnormalities, 14/108 lumbosacral, 14/108 thoracolumbar, 9/108 sacral and 4/108 thoracic. 52/108 had a VP shunt at some point. Only 14 children had presented with clinical symptoms that lead to a sleep study being undertaken (snoring 7, apnoeas 7, cough/wheeze 2, restlessness at night 2, morning headache 2). 5 children had mixed central and obstructive apnoeas, 1 obstructive sleep apnoea, 2 hypoventilation. 8 children went on to require non-invasive mask ventilation of these 7/8 had an Arnold-Chiari malformation (p = 0.005), 7/8 had a previous VP shunt (p = 0.02), 5/8 had lumbar abnormalities and 3/8 thoraco-lumbar. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Clinical presentation alone only identifies a small proportion of cases of SDB in children with spina bifida, with a high proportion of these requiring intervention. We remain concerned that there are many children with spina bifida with undiagnosed SDB who may benefit from treatment, particularly those with Arnold-Chiari malformations and therefore that screening is indicated.
S126 How does knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards shisha pipe smoking vary amongst university students?
Authors: J Matharoo, A Arshad, S Sadhra, R Norton-Wangford, M Jawad
Journal: Thorax (2016)

<h3>Background and introduction</h3> Despite clear evidence for the harms of shisha pipe smoking (SPS) its use is increasing amongst university students worldwide. This review explores the evidence for the reasons behind this trend by considering students’ perceptions, attitudes towards and knowledge of SPS. <h3>Review question</h3> ‘How does knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards SPS vary amongst university students?’ This question will examine the rationale for students’ shisha use and address their perceptions regarding its addictive properties. <h3>Literature searches</h3> Three electronic databases were accessed: MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Examples of search terms included “shisha” (and its alternatives), “university”, “perceptions”. <h3>Inclusion criteria</h3> January 1990–April 2016 English language Human studies 57 articles were initially identified, with 21 articles included in the final review after abstract and full-text screening. <h3>Throughout this process, three common themes emerged</h3> Reasons for and attitude towards SPS. Perceptions regarding health hazards of SPS. Perceptions regarding addictive properties and ability to quit SPS. Each theme was explored in detail, in order to answer the review question. <h3>Review findings</h3> Socio-cultural and peer influences are major contributors in students initiating SPS. SPS ‘addiction’ has two components: physiological and social. This is compounded by the general perception that SPS is a safer, i.e., less harmful and addictive, and sociable alternative to cigarette smoking. Students believe quitting SPS is ‘easy’, yet few are able to do so successfully. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Policy change is fundamental in tackling the SPS pandemic amongst university students. Interventions, within institutions directly or via social media campaigns, must de-glamorise shisha and highlight its harmful effects. Prior to this, additional longitudinal studies are necessitated to build on existing cross-sectional data and understand temporal changes in students’ beliefs to allow better, targeted health promotion.
Association between the Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 4G/5G Gene Polymorphism and Ischemic Stroke; a Meta-Analysis.
Authors: Georgios K. Nikolopoulos, Argirios E. Tsantes, Pantelis G. Bagos, Chrissa G. Tsiara, Georgios P. Mantzios, Violetta Kapsimali, Vassiliki Pappa, Anthi S. Travlou
Journal: Blood (2006)
P1.07-031 Clinical Evaluation of Folate Receptor-Positive Circulating Tumor Cells Detection in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Chunxia Su, Jing Zhao, Xuefei Li, Tao Jiang, Chao Zhao, Wenchen Zhao, Shengxiang Ren, Caicun Zhou
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2017)
S65 Developing a multi-disciplinary thoracic surgery research team improves the recruitment into and quality of clinical trials
Authors: A Kerr, N Oswald, S Kadiri, H Bancroft, E Virgilio, J Webb, M Bellamy, J Taylor, E Bishay, M Kalkat, R Steyn, P Rajesh, B Naidu
Journal: Thorax (2016)

Overall recurrence rates at two years were 12.3% lobectomy, 11.8% sub-lobar resection, 17.2% SABR and 29.6% radical radiotherapydifferences not significant on uni-variable regression, which may relate to small patient numbers.Figure 1 demonstrates the sites of recurrence.Considering only those with pathological confirmation of cancer, recurrence rates at two years were 17.9% for SABR and 32.4% for radical radiotherapy.Conclusions The lowest recurrence rate was observed following surgical resection.In comparison, recurrence following SABR was non-significantly higher due to more loco-regional recurrence.Radical radiotherapy is associated with higher rates of overall, loco-regional and distant recurrence.Nodal recurrence was comparable between lobectomy, SABR and radical radiotherapy.This data is limited by low numbers as well as the confounding effects of early non-cancer deaths and incomplete pathological confirmation in the non-surgical treatment cohorts.
High Avidity Leukemia-Associated Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Preferentially Localize to the Bone Marrow in Patients with Myeloid Malignancies.
Authors: J. Jopseph Melenhorst, Phillip Scheinberg, Pratip K. Chattopadhyay, Emma Gostick, Mario Roederer, Nancy F. Hensel, Daniel C. Douek, A. John Barrett, David A. Price
Journal: Blood (2007)
An evaluation of blood mRNA expression array signatures derived from unsupervised analyses in the identification of prostate cancers with poor outcome.
Authors: D. Olmos, J. Clark, D. Brewer, L. Barwell, G. Attard, A. H. Reid, S. K. Sandhu, A. Zivi, D. Bianchini, N. Babu Oomen, E. Thompson, L. R. Molife, S. B. Kaye, C. Parker, C. Cooper, R. J. Jones, J. S. De Bono
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011)

4577 Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest male cancer in the Western world. Its biology and prognosis are heterogeneous and improved tools are needed to predict outcome more reliably. Here we studied the feasibility and clinical utility of whole blood mRNA expression array studies for this purpose. Methods: Whole blood samples were collected into PaxGene tubes between 08/2007 and 04/2008 from 100 PCa patients (pts): 31 good prognosis pts selected for active surveillance (AS) and 69 advanced castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) pts. RNA was extracted, amplified and biotinylated; unsupervised genome-wide expression profiles were analysed with HGU133plus2 (Affymetrix) microarrays and using Bayesian Latent Process Decomposition (LPD) analyses (Carrivick et al, 2006) in 94 patients; associations with outcome were studied. Results: LPD analysis of the whole blood mRNA expression data divided the pts into 4 separate groups (LPD1 to 4, with 10 unclassifiable pts). LPD1 (n=14) and LPD2 (n=18) consisted almost entirely of CRPC pts (14/14; 17/18); the single active surveillance patient in LPD2 had a rapidly rising PSA and required a prostatectomy. All the 4 groups included CRPC pts (LPD3:15/31; LDP4: 12/21); LPD1 CRPC pts had poorer overall survival (median 10.7 months, CI-95% 4.2-17.2) than CRPC pts in LPD2 to 4 (median 26.5 months, CI-95% 18.1-34.9, p=0.00007). Other baseline characteristics associated with LPD1 were increased number of treatment lines, worse performance status, and a higher proportion of detectable TMPRSS2/ERG transcripts. Group 1 membership remained the strongest prognostic factor in a multivariate analysis (HR 5.0, CI-95% 2.1-11.9, p = 0.0002). Gene signatures in the poor prognosis LPD group 1 were associated with increased CD71+ early erythroid cells and a decreased B-cell and T-cell immune response. A 9-gene signature (TERF2IP, TMCC2, GABARAPL2, SNCA, RIOK3, TFDP1, SLC4A1, HMBS, STOM) classified samples as group LPD 1 with a very low misclassification rate (0.012). Conclusions: PCa patient outcome can be predicted using gene expression signatures from peripheral blood.
OA10.02 Association of Variations in HLA-Class II and Other Loci with Susceptibility to EGFR-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kouya Shiraishi, Yukinori Okada, Atsushi Takahashi, Yoichiro Kamatani, Kyota Ashikawa, Yukihide Momozawa, Hideo Kunitoh, Shingo Matsumoto, Atsushi Takano, Kimihiro Shimizu, Akiteru Goto, Koji Tsuta, Shun-Ichi Watanabe, Yuichiro Ohe, Yukio Watanabe, Yasishi Goto, Hiroshi Nokihara, Koh Furuta, Akihiko Yoshida, Koichi Goto, Tomoyuki Hishida, Masahiro Tsuboi, Katsuya Tsuchihara, Yohei Miyagi, Haruhiko Nakamura, Tomoyuki Yokose, Katsuya Tanaka, Toshiteru Nagashima, Yoichi Ohtaki, Daichi Maeda, Kazuhiro Imai, Yoshihiro Minamiya, Yoko Shimada, Kuniko Sunami, Motonobu Saito, Jun Yokota, Fumihiko Matsuda, Keitaro Matsuo, Yataro Daigo, Michiaki Kubo, Takashi Kohno
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2017)
P2.05-057 Baseline Inflammatory and Immunological Profile Predict the Survival of NSCLC Patients Undergone Palliative Radiotherapy
Authors: Pierpaolo Pastina, Valerio Nardone, Paolo Tini, Giuseppe Battaglia, Stefania Croci, Cirino Botta, Cristiana Bellan, Marcella Barbarino, Veronica Ricci, Michele Caraglia, Antonio Giordano, Pierosandro Tagliaferri, Tassone Pierfrancesco, Luigi Pirtoli, Pierpaolo Correale
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2017)
PAD Induction Therapy Followed by Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant (APBSCT) as Upfront Treatment for Myeloma (MM) in Chinese Patients.
Authors: Albert Kwok Wai Lie, DePei Wu, Chun Wang, Chor Sang Chim, Raymond Liang, Zhengzheng Fu, Liping Wan
Journal: Blood (2009)
MA15.03 The Predictive Value of Mutation/Neoantigen Burden from ctDNA on the Efficacy of PD-1 Blockade in Advanced NSCLC
Authors: Weijing Cai, Caicun Zhou, Chunxia Su, Feng Ying Wu, Shengxiang Ren, Xiaoxia Chen, Fred R. Hirsch
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2017)
Safety and efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant after PD-1 blockade in relapsed/refractory lymphoma
Authors: Reid W. Merryman, Haesook T. Kim, Pier Luigi Zinzani, Carmelo Carlo-Stella, Stephen M. Ansell, Miguel-Angel Perales, Abraham Avigdor, Ahmad S. Halwani, Roch Houot, Tony Marchand, Nathalie Dhedin, Willy Lescaut, Anne Thiebaut-Bertrand, Sylvie François, Aspasia Stamatoullas-Bastard, Pierre-Simon Rohrlich, Hélène Labussière Wallet, Luca Castagna, Armando Santoro, Veronika Bachanova, Scott C. Bresler, Amitabh Srivastava, Harim Kim, Emily Pesek, Marie Chammas, Carol Reynolds, Vincent T. Ho, Joseph H. Antin, Jerome Ritz, Robert J. Soiffer, Philippe Armand
Journal: Blood (2017)
S10 Investigation of vessel structure in the vicinity of lung tumours
Authors: N Sadri, D Wertheim
Journal: Thorax (2016)

<h3></h3> Lung cancer is considered a major cause of cancer death.<sup>1</sup> We are currently developing methods for detection of vessels in lung CT images. The aim of this study was to investigate the number of vessels in areas of unilateral lung tumours and compare with the equivalent contralateral lung with no tumour. Lung CT images were downloaded from the Cancer Imaging Archive wiki.cancerimagingarchive.net/display/Public/LungCT-Diagnosis.<sup>2</sup> Software was written in MATLAB (The MathWorks Inc., USA) in order to display and analyse the DICOM images. Windowing was performed manually in order to clearly display the tumours as well as surrounding vessel like structures. Using the software eight sets of images were analysed; the number of clearly defined vessel like structures directly attached to the tumour were counted and compared with the corresponding region in the contralateral lung with no evidence of tumour; small vessel like structure and branches were not included. The area of the tumour was manually delineated and calculated in terms of pixels. For each set of CT images, one image was used where the tumour size was greatest. In all eight cases the number of clear vessel like structures in the immediate vicinity of the tumour was greater than that in the corresponding area on the contralateral side, mean (standard deviation) of the difference 5 (1.6), there was a significant difference p &lt; 0.001 (one sample t test). In addition vessel like structures often appeared brighter on the side of the tumour. The results of this pilot study suggest that the number of clear bright vessel like structures in the immediate vicinity of a lung tumour may be higher than in the corresponding area on the contralateral side. We feel this research merits further study in order to investigate if this approach may help enable early detection of lung tumours. <h3>References</h3> Siegel R, <i>et al</i>. Cancer statistics, 2013. <i>CA Cancer J Clin</i><b>2013</b>;63:11–30. Grove O, <i>et al</i>. Data from: Quantitative computed tomographic descriptors associate tumour shape complexity and intratumor heterogeneity with prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. <i>The Cancer Imaging Archive</i> (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.7937/K9/TCIA.2015.A6V7JIWX.
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Haploidentical Transplantation Using a Reduced Intensity Conditioning (RIC), T Cell Replete Approach Proves Both Efficacious and Well Tolerated In a Range of Haematological Malignancies.
Authors: John Laurie, Andrew Hodson, Tamara Elston, Carol Black, Ophelia Manwaring, Claire John, Majid A. Kazmi, Matthew Streetly, Kavita Raj
Journal: Blood (2010)
PL03.05: BRAIN: A Phase III Trial Comparing WBI and Chemotherapy with Icotinib in NSCLC with Brain Metastases Harboring EGFR Mutations (CTONG 1201)
Authors: Yi Long Wu, Jin -Ji Yang, Caicun Zhou, Jifeng Feng, Shun Lu, Yong Song, Cheng Huang, Gang Wu, Ying Cheng, Li Zhang, Chengping Hu, Gongyan Chen, Li Zhang, Xiaoqing Liu, Hong-Hong Yan, Fenlai Tan, Yi-Sheng Huang
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2017)
CC102528: A Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor in the Hydroxamate Family Demonstrates Potent Anti-Myeloma Activity.
Authors: Zhi-Wei Li, Crystal Leung, Mengyin Hu, Jinbao Xiang, Chao Jiang, Jeffrey A Steinberg, Jing Shen, Mingjie Li, Cathy S Wang, Eric Sanchez, Benjamin Bonavida, Haiming Chen, Xu Bai, James R. Berenson
Journal: Blood (2009)
P131 Outdoor fungal spore levels, lung function and symptoms in patients with asthma and aspergillus sensitisation
Authors: K Shah, C Manton, J Agbetile, M Bourne, B Hargadon, M Richardson, C Pashley, AJ Wardlaw, S Gonem
Journal: Thorax (2016)

<h3>Background</h3> IgE sensitisation to <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> is seen in a significant proportion of patients with refractory asthma. The EVITA3 study recently showed that three months’ treatment with voriconazole did not improve asthma-related outcomes in this patient group. It is not known whether daily variations in outdoor fungal spore levels are associated with concomitant fluctuations in symptoms and lung function in patients with <i>Aspergillus</i>-associated asthma. <h3>Methods</h3> Participants in the EVITA3 study kept daily diaries of peak expiratory flow (PEF) and asthma symptoms during their follow-up period. These diary records were retrospectively analysed together with contemporaneous fungal spore levels measured locally, in those patients (n = 36) who consented to the secondary use of their clinical and research data. Participants also underwent skin-prick tests for <i>Aspergillus</i>, <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Penicillium</i> and <i>Botrytis</i>. For each participant, cross-correlation was used to investigate the relationship between PEF and local spore counts of <i>Aspergillus/Penicillium</i>, <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Botrytis</i>, <i>Sporobolomyces</i>, <i>Tilletiopsis</i>, and <i>Didymella</i>. Group-level relationships were investigated using linear mixed models for PEF and generalised estimating equations for daily symptom scores, with participants stratified by skin prick test status. The analyses were performed with the exposure and outcome measured on the same day (lag 0), and with the exposure lagged by 1 day with respect to the outcome (lag 1). <h3>Results</h3> The analysis cohort comprised 20 men and 16 women with a mean (standard deviation) age of 60 (8) years. No significant or consistent relationships were observed between fungal spore counts and either PEF or self-reported symptom scores, regardless of skin prick test status and lag time between exposure and outcome. In a linear mixed model, the effect size of total fungal spore count on morning PEF was negligible (−0.000011, p = 0.343 for lag 0; −0.000002, p = 0.847 for lag 1). <h3>Conclusion</h3> In this retrospective analysis we found no evidence of a significant link between fungal spore counts and either PEF or symptoms in patients with <i>Aspergillus</i>-associated asthma. Further research is required to confirm this result in a prospective study and to identify whether aeroallergen levels relate to other important asthma outcomes such as exacerbations.
Reply: Glucagon-like peptide-1 mediates cardioprotection by remote ischaemic conditioning
Authors: Marina Basalay, Svetlana Mastitskaya, Aleksander Mrochek, Gareth L. Ackland, Ana Gutierrez del Arroyo, Jenifer Sanchez, Per-Ove Sjoquist, John Pernow, Alexander V. Gourine, Andrey Gourine
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2016)

We read with interest the Letter by Drs Giblett and Hoole in response to our research article ‘Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Mediates Cardioprotection by Remote Ischaemic Conditioning’.1 We thank Drs Giblett and Hoole for their interest in our work and provide our responses to the critical comments raised.

First, we believe that it is not entirely appropriate to compare the effects of exogenous application of native GLP-1 or GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists with the effects induced by remote ischaemic conditioning (RIc). The efficacy of RIc in protecting against left ventricular dysfunction and myocardial stunning may be compromised by the study design and/or inability of a significant proportion of patients to recruit vagal activity, which appears to be critically important for RIc cardioprotection.2,3 We reported that in rats vagotomy blocks RIc cardioprotection, …
João Lobo Antunes
Authors: Caroline White
Journal: BMJ (2017)

Internationally acclaimed neurosurgeon who performed the first prosthetic eye implant



“What worries me is that medicine—enraptured by science, seduced by technology, and stunned by bureaucracy—will erase its humanity and ignore individual suffering,” confesses Joao Lobo Antunes in Listening with Other Eyes , a collection of his essays published in 2015. “We can invent more and more ways of treating it, but we haven’t yet discovered how to relieve suffering without empathy or compassion,” he writes.

The outpouring of public grief in the wake of his death has shown that Lobo Antunes wasn’t short of either quality. “He took the time to hear people’s stories, and treated everyone the same, regardless of their status. He made everyone feel special,” explains paediatrician and eldest daughter, Margarida. “He was generous and kind, fair and tolerant,” she adds, recalling that when her sister Paula renounced medicine for acting, he supported her decision wholeheartedly.

> What worries me is that medicine—enraptured by science, seduced by technology, and stunned by bureaucracy—will erase its humanity and ignore individual suffering

When he qualified with the highest …
Evaluation of HER2 gene status by qPCR in breast cancer samples with nonconclusive FISH.
Authors: V. Koudelakova, J. Berkovcova, R. Trojanec, L. Radova, J. Ehrmann, Z. Kolar, B. Melichar, M. Hajduch
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011)

612 Background: Trastuzumab therapy is indicated to breast cancer patients with Her-2 gene amplification/overexpression. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay is commonly used for Her-2 gene copy number detection. However, in our consecutive cohort, 136/2608 (5.2%) patient samples could not be tested by FISH due to poor quality of tissue. The aim of this study was to develop alternative DNA based method which can detect Her-2 gene amplification in poor quality samples. Methods: Three duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) reactions were designed for assessment of Her-2 gene in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) breast cancer tissues. Three genes rarely amplified in breast cancer, glucosidase 1 (GCS1), deoxycytidine kinase (DCK) and epsin 2 (EPN2), were used as a reference. Her-2 gene true amplification was defined by ratio of Her-2/reference gene >2.2 at least in 2 of 3 reference genes, grey zone amplification was characterized by ratio 1.8 to 2.2. Sensitivity of the method was determined using concentration range of Her-2 amplified CALU3 (20 copies/nucleus) and MDA-MB-231 cells with physiologic Her-2 gene copy number. Specificity of the method was assessed in prospective consecutive cohort of 192 FFPE samples examined by FISH and qPCR in parallel. Furthermore, the qPCR method was used to evaluate Her-2 gene status in 136/2,608 samples not testable by FISH. Results: The qPCR method was highly reproducible and detected Her-2 gene amplification in samples containing at least 10% of positive cells. Concordance (positivity vs. negativity) was observed in 91% of cases. Further, we have evaluated by qPCR 136 tissues, in which FISH method failed, and found 72/136 (52.9%) breast cancers with normal status of Her-2 gene, grey zone and true amplifications were detected in 9/136 (6.6%) and 18/136 (13.2%) of patient samples respectively. qPCR was not conclusive in 27.2% (37/136) of cases. Conclusions: Our study describes a new alternative qPCR based method for Her-2 evaluation in poor quality samples, where FISH assay failed. On the basis of this examination, additional 27/2,608 (1.03%) women from total breast cancer population, were indicated for trastuzumab therapy.