HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987 ~BHOSVWZ#097)
Subject: Re: Electrocardiogram question
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 06:27:07 GMT

David Rind (rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu) wrote:
: In article <1993Jan4.090528.1973@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com
:  (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987 ~BHOSVWZ#097) writes:
: >scheme, and anything that isn't just right gets called "non-specific".
: >This could be caused by lots of things....muscle movement, electrode noise,
: >anything.  If the computer can't recognise it, it'll spit out whatever it
: >thinks is closest.  
: >The fact that it doesn't say anything SPECIFIC is wrong could be taken as
: 
: A good computerized EKG interpreter should be able to distinguish noise from
: NSST-T changes.
: -- 
: David Rind
: rind@binoc.bih.harvard.edu

Agreed, a GOOD computerized interpreter shouldn't get it wrong, but I've seen
some pretty scary notes on normal EKG's.  Try feeding your interpreter  
60Hz hum sometime and see how it deals with it.  Some call it tachycardia.

Am I correct in assuming that sometimes a diagnosis is actually made by these
things & relied on?  What kind of liability would we be talking here?

Dave Hinz
hinz@picard.med.ge.com
From: wsun@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Fiberman)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: drinking urine
Date: 5 Jan 93 02:38:42 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

Hello netter,

I am a skinny guy trying to gain some weight.  A friend
suggested that I drink a cup of my own urine every morning, the
idea that most of the nutrients not absorbed by my intestine is
in the urine.  Before I try this, I want to know if there are
any health hazards, especially long term ones, from drinking
urine.  I would appreciate any information.

-fm

Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dheisler@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Dave Heisler)
Subject: Re: Cell telephones and brain tumors (refs)
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 18:52:19 GMT

- military pilots have suffered from sterility, due it
  is thought from "riding the beam", the radar beam while
  homing in on approach ( see Best below )

- Bio chemicals act like liquid cystals, or large polarized
  molecules. electro and magnetic fields affect these profoundly.
  ieee and nato proceedings

references :

"biological effect of magnetic fields" - ieee transaction on
 magnetics - June 1970

"electromagnetic man" C. Smith and S. Best - st martins press
1989

"biomagnetism : An Interdisciplinary Approach -- Proceedings of
a nato advanced study institute on biomagnetism" Sept 1-12, 1982,
Plenum Press

dave
From: jlpicard@austin.ibm.com (Craig Becker)
Subject: Robaxin
Originator: jlpicard@woofer.austin.ibm.com
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:31:50 GMT
Reply-To: jlpicard@austin.ibm.com
Organization: IBM Object Technology Products


Late last night my girlfriend started having severe muscle 
spasms in her lower back. She called her doctor, who phoned
in a prescription of Robaxin to the (not-so) local 24 hour 
pharmacy.

I seem to recall seeing this drug mentioned here in sci.med
before with associated comments that it was more of a placebo
than anything else. Anyone have any comments on Robaxin and
its effectiveness?

Craig

PS: When I brought the prescription back to my girlfriend,
    I kept my mouth shut about my suspicion that it might 
    be more of a placebo than anything else.
-- 
-- "You will have the tallest,    Craig Becker, Object Technology Products --
--  darkest leading man in               Internet: jlpicard@austin.ibm.com --
--  Hollywood."                     IBM TR: jlpicard@woofer.austin.ibm.com --
--   - Merian C. Cooper to Fay Wray               VNET: JLPICARD at AUSVM1 --
From: nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu (David Nye)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: New therapy for glioblastoma
Date: 12 Jan 93 18:23:50 -0600
Organization: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

[reply to des@helix.nih.gov]
 
Has Dr. Burzynski published anything about this?

David Nye
nyeda@cnsvax.uwec.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: med50003@nusunix1.nus.sg (WANSAICHEONG KHIN-LIN)
Subject: Re: Michael Jackson's Skin
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 03:49:25 GMT

hydroxuquinone?	

gervais

Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.skeptic
From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee)
Subject: Re: Characterization of quack theories
Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept.
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:19:29 GMT

I'd like to add something else, mostly because I ran across it yet again.
Comments?

"IT WAS ONLY TO GET YOU TO THINK"

One common tactic of crackpots is to dismiss disproofs of their claims with
the excuse that the claim was not intended seriously, but was meant only to get
their opponents to think, to argue properly, or some similar meta-reason.
Until the crackpot gives this excuse, it is not possible to distinguish between
his serious claims and his non-serious ones.  Furthermore, the crackpot's claim
may contain factual errors, or sufficiently elementary logical errors, which
are too simple to be useful for encouraging thought,

Several possiblities suggest themselves, none of which indicates worthiness of
the crackpot's ideas.

One possibility is that the crackpot is working backwards from his conclusion.
If he does not work far enough backwards, he will come up with problematic
"support" for his claim; since he does not _really_ believe the result because
of the support, but rather believes the support because of the result, he uses
this excuse to dismiss the problems.  In his own mind, the support is not
evidence, but only a means to convince others of what he already knows, so he
doesn't consider this unfair.

Another possibility is that the crackpot's true claim is somewhat broader than
apparent at first glance.  Talk of paradigms, comparisons to Galileo, etc.
may suggest a general dislike of the scientific method and of what the
crackpot considers the scientific establishment.  When the crackpot disputes
some well-known scientific result, he mainly desires not just to disprove that
result, but to take scientists in general down a peg.  He argues many
nonscientific positions not because he strongly believes particular ones, but
rather because he holds an anti-science meta-position; to him, his argument is
about scientists' ability to determine truth, not about specific truths.
--
"On the first day after Christmas my truelove served to me...  Leftover Turkey!
On the second day after Christmas my truelove served to me...  Turkey Casserole
    that she made from Leftover Turkey.
[days 3-4 deleted] ...  Flaming Turkey Wings! ...
   -- Pizza Hut commercial (and M*tlu/A*gic bait)

Ken Arromdee (arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu, arromdee@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX)
Subject: Re: Adiposity 101
Organization: Omen Technology INC, Portland Rain Forest
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 12:32:51 GMT

In article <17988@pitt.UUCP> geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks) writes:
>>
>>The papers describing surgical fat removal usually report
>>permanent weight reduction.  There have been anecdotal reports
>>of weight increase after love handle removal, but these may have
>>involved previous dieting.  I am unaware of any reports of
>>weight rebound caused by fat removal surgery itself - perhaps
>>Gordon has some documentation he can share with us????????
>>
>As far as I know, lipectomy is so rare that there are no good
>long-term studies.  There are no studies whatever that determine
>the cause of weight rebound.

That's because weight doesn't rebound after fat removal surgery.
The papers I have read indicate no rebound, and infrequent
partial regain.  Sometines additional weight is lost.  A paper
in the Jun 92 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported on the
results of large-volume suction lipectomy in 108 patients.  11
of these had more than 5 liters removed.

>                              As I have said before, your theory
>that the diet causes the weight rebound is speculative.  A

The only 30 year old diet virgin we have data on reported a
stable weight from 15 to 30 years of age.  Nobody has yet to
claim that his metabolism is freakish.  Unfortunately, no one we
know of who has diet cycled in that age period has been so
lucky.  The ball is in the diet wonks' court to show that these
experiences are the exceptions and not the rule!

>more likely cause is the same cause that caused the person to
>get fat in the first place.  Removal of the bulk of a person's
>fat cells surgically would be well-neigh impossible, in my
>opinion.  If all the abdominal fat cells were removed, you'd
>just pack fat into your legs.  That wouldn't be the case if fat
>cells had a definite size, but they seem to be able to expand
>to great size, so you can get plenty fat on only half as many
>cells as you normally have.

Not quite.  Fat cells weighing more than 1.5 ug are rare.  It
has been reported that they cannot expand to more than about
twice normal, but I don't have the source.  This is basic stuff
you'd know IF you'd read the papers referenced in Adiposity 101.

-- 
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX          ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf 
Author of YMODEM, ZMODEM, Professional-YAM, ZCOMM, and DSZ
  Omen Technology Inc    "The High Reliability Software"
17505-V NW Sauvie IS RD   Portland OR 97231   503-621-3406
Newsgroups: sci.med
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: Yocon
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:12:37 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.161415.18755@bradley.bradley.edu> larry@bradley.bradley.edu (L. D. Stratton) writes:
>I've been taking Yocon for about 3 days now but the sideeffects are 
>really bad, at least I think they are the sideeffects.
>I've had insomnia, a physiological condition similar to anxiety without
>the accompanying mental state, very cold extremities.
>Will these adverse reactions dissipate as dosage continues? Right now
>I'm TID but the worst is yet to come.  I can handle everything except
>the insomnia.

Yocon is yohimbine, a centrally-acting alpha-2-adrenergic antagonist
which blocks the actions of central inhibitory synapses, and therefore
increases the general sympathetic activity coming from the brain to the
rest of your body.  This accounts for many of the side effects you
mention.  It is the pharmacological opposite of the anti-hypertensive
drugs clonidine and methyldopa, alpha-2-adrenergic agonists which cause
sedation, vasodilation and lowering of blood pressure.

It's a peculiar drug--it'd been on the market as a general "tonic" for years
well before the FDA started cracking down and requiring proof of efficacy
as well as safety.  It's only in recent years that there have been controlled
studies showing its usefulness in certain forms of impotence, and even now,
I believe, the status of such claims by the drug's manufacturers is
uncertain.  Apparently the increase in sympathetic outflow is somehow wired
to the male genitalia, that it helps in maintaining an erection.  (Other
than that, I can't imagine why it would be prescribed; perhaps it could
be useful in some forms of low blood pressure, but this is not very common.)

People _do_ get used to the sedative side effects of clonidine and
methyldopa, such that they are less pronounced, so it's likely that
some people might also come to tolerate the side effects of yohimbine
better over time.  The question is whether you're willing to wait it out.
High blood pressure is a serious condition with definite health risks,
enough that many people put up with otherwise intolerable side effects.
The "benefits" of yohimbine are less certain, so the side effects
may be more annoying.  I guess you have to evaluate how well it works
for you (not at all a foregone conclusion) and see what your reaction
is over time.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Subject: Re: AZT Resistance
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Archive-Number: 6712
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
Date: 4 Jan 93 18:24:19 GMT

In article <1993Jan1.173311.3334@cs.ucla.edu>, bigoldberg@igc (Billi Goldberg) writes:
>"Some of the patients may have gotten the virus from other patients who 
>had been taking AZT and who are now transmitting the resistant virus,"

>"This concern emphasizes the urgent need to quickly develop other anti-
>HIV drugs for clinical use," the study said.

It also spells out some widespread irresponsibility.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: bhjelle%carina.unm.edu@lynx.unm.edu ()
Subject: Re: AZT Resistance
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6735
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 93 15:19:57 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.033357.23021@cs.ucla.edu> aberno@godel.questor.wimsey.bc.ca writes:
>> 
>> More AIDS patients are showing early resistance to AZT, the drug most 
>> commonly used against the disease, and researchers say there is an 
>> urgent need to develop new drugs to combat the epidemic.
>
>Considering the rather fundamental mechanism whereby AZT is "supposed" to  
>work, how could a virus possibly develop a resistance to it? AZT is a  
>nucleoside analogue that inhibits the normal function of DNA, which is  
>pretty much the same in all living creatures. I cannot imagine a mutation  
>that would substantially change the process of reverse transcription in a  
>retrovirus.

AZT is not active at physiologic concentrations as an inhibitor
of cellular DNA polymerases, but has high and specific inhibitory
activity against a number of retroviral reverse transcriptases
(RT). RTs do not appear to be needed for normal mammalian cell
division or DNA synthesis, although there appears to be an
RT-like gene in the human genome that apparently can produce
a form of RT.

AZT resistant mutants of HIV map to the gene that produces the
RT enzyme, pol. They are not believed to have a fundamental
impact on the activity of RT but probably affect drug binding
rather specifically. This situation is not at all uncommon
with drug resistance.

>I wonder if it's limited effect is not due to some completely different  
>mechanism than the one proposed, one which would more easily lead to viral  
>resistance. Perhaps the very function of AZT is completely misunderstood.
>
The data so far are completely consistent with AZT as an inhibitor
of HIV RT, and with resistance mutants affecting the protein
target of AZT binding, ie, RT.

Brian
From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer)
Subject: Re: AZT Resistance
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6727
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 05:27:42 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.033357.23021@cs.ucla.edu> aberno@godel.questor.wimsey.bc.ca writes:
>> It makes very interesting reading. I am very curious how the AZT "spin 
>> doctors" will handle the reality that AZT is not working. Considering 
>> the number of deaths of people who have used AZT, I have doubts that it 
>> ever did anything more than suppress the immune system. 
>
>There is no doubt that AZT works well in *some* people, although they may  
>be a minority. However, it was never touted as a "cure", so of course,  
>lots of people are dying on it. Why is this surprising?

I agree; it's a dumb comment, but then, people who are in danger of
dying aren't always inclined to appreciate the subtleties of why there
isn't a cure yet.

>Considering the rather fundamental mechanism whereby AZT is "supposed" to  
>work, how could a virus possibly develop a resistance to it? AZT is a  
>nucleoside analogue that inhibits the normal function of DNA, which is  
>pretty much the same in all living creatures. I cannot imagine a mutation  
>that would substantially change the process of reverse transcription in a  
>retrovirus.

First, mammalian cells don't use reverse transcriptase to reproduce
their genetic code.  Exactly why AZT has the spectrum of toxicity it has in
people isn't well understood yet, but it doesn't involve reverse transcriptase
(or if it does, it would be news)  In fact, it's safe to say that if we
did know how AZT is toxic, we'd be a lot further along in designing drugs
which are safer and more effective.

There are lots of ways resistance might be manifested.  Viruses-in-cells
become resistent to antivirals all the time.  One way might be in expressing
genes which produce enzymes which destroy the drug or hasten its
metabolism.  Another way would be through expressing genes which
limit the drug's access to infected cells.  And so on.

>I wonder if it's limited effect is not due to some completely different  
>mechanism than the one proposed, one which would more easily lead to viral  
>resistance. Perhaps the very function of AZT is completely misunderstood.

That may be too.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: thelke@cpp.uucp (Thomas Helke)
Subject: Re: Survival at any Cost (Sentinel Article)
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6745
Organization: Critical Path Project, Philadelphia
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 08:22:48 GMT

That was an inspiring article by Charles. I had the rich
opportunity of meeting Tom O'Connor a few years ago at
Healing Alternatives Foundation in San Francisco. He has
of an AIDS diagnosis. Tom, like Charles, pioneered many
alternative therapies; at that meeting, he had just returned
from NY where he had received H2O2 treatments. Along
with everything else he did for treatment, I don't see how
he could keep track of it all. But he was very much an
inspiration to not be afraid to try a promising, perhaps
radical therapy in the face of medical pedantry.

The tone of medical treatment seems to be toning down

Anyway, have you heard of "rifabutin?" I read an article

Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: cory@wam.umd.edu (Cory Michael Lebson)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Any info on Johns Hopkins University Aids Vaccine?
Summary: Experimental AIDS Vaccine at Hopkins
Keywords: Vaccine, Hopkins
Date: 8 Jan 93 21:45:32 GMT
Followup-To: cory@wam.umd.edu
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6738

I saw an advertisement from Johns Hopkins University Center for Immunization 
Research.  It says volunteers 18-60 are needed for an experimental AIDS
vaccine.  Does anyone know anything about this, what it is, it's safety, etc?

Thanks,
Cory Lebson
cory@wam.umd.edu
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: thelke@cpp.uucp (Thomas Helke)
Subject: Re: Info. on Hyperoxygenation?
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6741
Organization: Critical Path Project, Philadelphia
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1993 10:38:49 GMT

There is quite a discussion going re: oxygen therapies
for treating AIDS on AIDS Info BBS in San Francisco.
The number there is (415) 626-1246; it's free. 

Basically, oxygen therapies are good for treating
the blood by killing HIV which is anaerobic; however,
there is concern that the oxygen cannot reach the
deep tissues where HIV apparently thrives.

I personally believe that oxygen therapy has merit,
but also believe it is not a cure, in itself, for
 
AIDS. 

Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: stgprao@st.unocal.COM (Richard Ottolini)
Subject: Re: fleas as vector for AIDS?
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Keywords: n
Archive-Number: 6716
Organization: Unocal Corporation
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 20:06:24 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.150210.17185@cs.ucla.edu> markn@comm.mot.com (Mark Nowak) writes:
>I talked with my cat's veterinarian about different diseases, and she told
>me that cats have their own AIDS inducing virus -- FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency
>Virus).  She said that HIV can't survive in cats and FIV can't survive in
>humans.  It makes you wonder if whatever cats have that makes them immune to HIV
>could somehow be induced in humans to wipe out HIV.  I get the impression AIDS
>researchers don't really know a whole lot about how life really works.  I mean
>it was only in this century that researchers stumbled onto antibiotics.  Scary
>that luck has so much to do with it.

It may have been fairly lucky that AIDs came after scientists had started
studying retroviruses in the 1970s.  (Some conspiracy-minded poeple claim
it is more than a coincidence).  Retroviruses shorten the lifespan of
commercial livestock and cause cancer in some animals.  There was research
competition in the late 1970s to discover the first human retrovirus
cancer.  In fact, a leukemia retrovirus was considered an HIV variant at
one time in the early 1980s (I don't know if it still is).

About 10-20 years earlier, AIDS could have been one of those diseases where
it was unknown whether it was caused by a virus or toxin.  There are still
several diseases in that category like multiple scelerosis, alhzhiemers,
chronic fatique (although the betting is on a genetic defect for some of
these).  If the virus wasn't discovered as soon as it was, then it might
have taken a few years longer to determine all the routes of infection and
more people could have been infected.  Then too, recent events in France
and the US showed that egos and politics probably delayed the
identification somewhat.

Knowing the likely cause has help prevent some infections and extended
lifespans, but has not yet resulted a definitive vaccine or cure.

Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
From: aberno@godel.questor.wimsey.bc.ca (Anthony Berno)
Subject: Re: Shark's Cartilage
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Reply-To: aberno@godel.questor.wimsey.bc.ca
Archive-Number: 6725
Organization: unspecified
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 00:50:13 GMT

In article <1992Dec31.173756.23582@cs.ucla.edu> Billi Goldberg  
<bigoldberg@igc.apc.org> writes:

> Since I believe that cancer and AIDS have much in common...

Could you go into more detail about what you think these two diseases have  
in common? I fail to see any substantiative connection.

-Anthony
From: marco@sdf.lonestar.org (Steve Giammarco)
Subject: tat inhibitor stuff in recent ATN
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6743
Organization: sdf full-shell Public Access Unix - Dallas, TX - 214/436-3281
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:17:22 GMT

John James wrote about how research is going very slowly on what promises
to be a potentially useful treatment - tat inhibitors.  He surmised that
nucleoside drug research was more challenging to scientists, hence, no
incentive to do research. He also alluded to the relative simplicity of
tat inhibitor research, and the lack of financial incentive.

My thought: I think the pharmaceutical companies are _clearly_ thinking
in their own best interests... After all, it behooves anyone in marketing
to have a large enough universe of people who _need_ your drug to live.
I'm speculating that the world-wide HIV-infected population is not large
enough yet to make the tat-inhibitor manufacturer _really_ rich. It is in
their best interest to allow HIV to spread a few million more folx before
they leap out with a "hero" drug to save the day.

What's a few more deaths relative to the number of lives that will be
spared, and bux to be made?

My $0.02, of course. Pure speculation. Your mileage may vary.

-- 
Steve Giammarco/5330 Peterson Lane/Dallas TX 75240
marco@sdf.lonestar.org
loveyameanit.
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids