tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Sex-Specific Determinants of Left Ventricular Mass in Pre-Diabetic and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects
Authors: Bernhard Kuch, Wolfgang von Scheidt, Wolfgang Peter, Angela Döring, Wolfgang Piehlmeier, Rüdiger Landgraf, Christa Meisinger
Journal: Diabetes Care (2007)

OBJECTIVE— Obesity and hypertension are regarded as the most important determinants of left ventricular mass in the community. Little is known about sex-specific influences of obesity, hypertension, and other risk factors on left ventricular mass in pre-diabetic or diabetic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— We examined how body composition, blood pressure, and other factors are related to left ventricular structure in elderly subjects (mean age 62 years, 88% of women postmenopausal) with pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance; n = 112) and diabetes with (n = 181) and without (n = 213) overt cardiovascular disease (CVD). RESULTS— Neither microalbuminuria nor physical activity was significantly associated with left ventricular mass. In pre-diabetic as well as diabetic subjects with CVD, mainly BMI and fat mass, particularly in women, were correlated with left ventricular mass. In the diabetic group without overt CVD, fat mass was only slightly correlated with left ventricular mass. In the latter group waist-to-hip-ratio, and, only in men, systolic blood pressure, glucose, and A1C were moderately correlated with left ventricular mass. Multiregression analysis over all groups again revealed fat mass as the main determinant of left ventricular mass in women. In women but not men obesity was associated with a significantly increased prevalence of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. CONCLUSIONS— In pre-diabetic and diabetic elderly subjects fat mass is the major determinant of left ventricular mass in women but not in men. These results may partly explain sex differences in CVD mortality in obese elderly diabetic subjects and underscore the need for activities focused on weight reduction.
Aetiology of testicular cancer: association with congenital abnormalities, age at puberty, infertility, and exercise
Authors: D Forman, M C Pike, G Davey, S Dawson, K Baker, C E D Chilvers, R T D Oliver, C A C Coupland
Journal: BMJ (1994)

<h3>Abstract</h3> <b>Objective</b> : To determine the risk of testicular cancer associated with undescended testis, inguinal hernia, age at puberty, marital status, infertility, vasectomy, and amount of exercise. <b>Design</b> : A population based case-control study with a questionnaire administered by an interviewer and with relevant supplementary data extracted from general practioners9 notes. <b>Setting</b> : Nine health regions within England and Wales. <b>Subjects</b> : 794 men, aged 15-49 years, with a testicular germ cell tumour diagnosed between 1 January 1984 and 1 January 1987; each had an age matched (within one year) control selected from the list of their general practioner. <b>Results</b> : There was a significant association of testicular cancer with undescended testis (odds ratio 3.82; 95% confidence interval 2.24 to 6.52) and inguinal hernia (1.91; 1.12 to 3.23). The excess risk associated with undescended testis was eliminated in men who had had an orchidopexy before the age of 10 years. There were positive associations with earl age at voice breaking, early age at starting to shave, and infertility. There was a significant association with a sedentary lifestyle and a moderate protective effect of exercise. There was no association with vasectomy. <b>Conclusion</b> : This study confirms previous reports that developmental urogenital abnormalities result in an increased risk of testicular cancer. The trend to perform orchidopexy at younger ages may reduce the risk associated with undescended testis. The increased risks associated with early age at puberty and low amounts of exercise may be related to effects of exposure to endogenous hormones. Changes in both of these factors may partly contribute to the increasing rates of testicular cancer observed in the past few decades.
Changes in Pest Infestation Levels, Self-Reported Pesticide Use, and Permethrin Exposure during Pregnancy after the 2000–2001 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Restriction of Organophosphates
Authors: Megan K. Williams, Andrew Rundle, Darrell Holmes, Marilyn Reyes, Lori A. Hoepner, Dana B. Barr, David E. Camann, Frederica P. Perera, Robin M. Whyatt
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (2008)

BackgroundWidespread residential pesticide use throughout the United States has resulted in ubiquitous, low-level pesticide exposure. The mix of active pesticide ingredients is changing in response to 2000–2001 regulations restricting use of the organophosphorus insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon.ObjectivesWe aimed to determine the impact of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on pest infestation levels, pesticide use, and pesticides measured in indoor air samples. METHODOLOGY: 511 pregnant women from innercity New York were enrolled between 2000 and 2006. Permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide; piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a pyrethroid synergist; chlorpyrifos; and diazinon were measured in 48-hr prenatal personal air samples. Data on pest infestation and pesticide use were collected via questionnaire.ResultsEighty-eight percent of women reported using pesticides during pregnancy; 55% reported using higher-exposure pesticide applications (spray cans, pest bombs and/or professional pesticide applicators). Self-reported pest sightings and use of higher-exposure applications increased significantly after the regulations were implemented (p < 0.001). PBO, cis-, and trans-permethrin were detected in 75, 19, and 18% of personal air samples, respectively. Detection frequencies of PBO and cis- and trans-permethrin increased significantly over time (p < 0.05 controlling for potential confounders). Levels and/or detection frequencies of these compounds were significantly higher among mothers reporting use of high exposure pesticide applications (p ≤ 0.05). Chlorpyrifos and diazinon levels decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001).ConclusionIn this cohort, pest infestations, use of pesticides, and use of permethrin appear to increase after the residential restriction of organophosphorus insecticides. This is one of the first studies to document widespread residential exposure to PBO.
The Reduction of Serum Lipids by the Restriction of Dietary Cholesterol.
Authors: W. E. Connor
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1963)

s1 April 1963The Reduction of Serum Lipids by the Restriction of Dietary Cholesterol.W. E. Connor, M.D., F.A.C.P., D. B. Stone, M.B.W. E. Connor, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this author, D. B. Stone, M.B.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-58-4-715_2 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptContrary to accepted views, recent experimental studies in man have emphasized that dietary cholesterol greatly affects serum lipid levels. Moreover, in animals dietary cholesterol is the key agent in the pathogenesis of experimental atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. The present investigation was planned to test the effects of restricting cholesterol in the diets of patients with coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemic xanthomatosis.A diet was designed which restricted cholesterol to 100 mg per day. It was nutritionally adequate and provided calories to maintain body weight. Protein was 15% of total calories, carbohydrate 65%, and fat 20%. The iodine value... This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: W. E. Connor, M.D., F.A.C.P.; D. B. Stone, M.B.Affiliations: Iowa City, Iowa (CS) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byMeasures to Reduce the Serum Lipid Levels in Coronary Heart DiseaseA Rational Approach to Diet and Diabetes 1 April 1963Volume 58, Issue 4Page: 715-716KeywordsCholesterolCoronary heart diseaseDiabetes mellitusDietFatsLipidsMyocardial infarctionNutritionPathogenesisProteins ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1963 PDF downloadLoading ...
1137 LOW SERUM LEVELS OF LDL-CHOLESTEROL INVERSELY CORRELATE WITH OXYSTEROLS PLASMA LEVELS IN HCV INFECTED PATIENTS
Authors: M. Arciello, S. Petta, B. Conti, V. Leoni, G. Iannucci, G. Labbadia, S. Sofia, C. Cammà, A. Craxi, C. Balsano
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2011)
Evolutionary Conservation of Histone Modifications in Mammals
Authors: Y. H. Woo, W.-H. Li
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2012)

Histone modification is an important mechanism of gene regulation in eukaryotes. Why many histone modifications can be stably maintained in the midst of genetic and environmental changes is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. We obtained genome-wide profiles of three histone marks, H3 lysine 4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3), H3 lysine 4 mono-methylation (H3K4me1), and H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac), for several cell types from human and mouse. We identified histone modifications that were stable among different cell types in human and histone modifications that were evolutionarily conserved between mouse and human in the same cell type. We found that histone modifications that were stable among cell types were also likely to be conserved between species. This trend was consistently observed in promoter, intronic, and intergenic regions for all of the histone marks tested. Importantly, the trend was observed regardless of the expression breadth of the nearby gene, indicating that slow evolution of housekeeping genes was not the major reason for the correlation. These regions showed distinct genetic and epigenetic properties, such as clustered transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), high GC content, and CTCF binding at flanking sides. Based on our observations, we proposed that TFBS clustering in or near a histone modification plays a significant role in stabilizing and conserving the histone modification because TFBS clustering promotes TFBS conservation, which in turn promotes histone modification conservation. In summary, the results of this study support the view that in mammalian genomes a common mechanism maintains histone modifications against both genetic and environmental (cellular) changes.
Radiation and mental retardation.
Authors: E. E. Pochin
Journal: BMJ (1988)

comparisons between screened and unscreened population groups.This group allocation will be by area of residence.Ultimately the screening programme must be evaluated by its effect on mortality from neuroblastoma, and the screened and control groups should therefore have access to the same diagnostic facilities and treatment policies.The best approach would be to identify several hundred thousand births of children to be screened and a similar number of controls; deaths from neuroblastoma occurring in at least the first six years of life among these birth cohorts, including those among children who move away from their area of birth, should be ascertained.In practice it may be necessary to define the groups as those living in rather than born in an area.Preliminary analyses may be based on an "intermediate endpoint": one effect of screening should be to reduce the number of cases of stage III and IV disease, and comparison of the numbers of such cases in screened and unscreened populations may provide some initial measure of the effect of screening-assuming that a potentially late stage case detected at an earlier stage by screening will have an improved prognosis.It is important to ensure that results from research pro- grammes using different methods can be combined.For this a standard core ofdata common to all studies must be collected.Comparisons between screened and unscreened groups carried out within each study may then be combined in a metaanalysis.Screening research programmes will also present oppor- tunities to study the biology of neuroblastoma.Such studies may be regarded as a spinoff from the main objectives, but they may also be directly relevant to the crucial question of whether tumours discovered by screening would indeed have progressed to clinical neuroblastoma.It seems possible, for instance, that the frequency of various cytogenetic character- istics may differ in patients whose tumours are detected by screening and in those whose tumours are detected clinically.78
TCT-626 Expanding Indications of Bioresorbable Scaffolds: Single Center Procedural and In-Hospital Outcomes with the first 500 Implanted Devices in a Diversified, All-Comer Patient Population
Authors: Philippe L. L'Allier, Richard Gallo, Jean-François Tanguay, Marc E. Jolicoeur, Raoul Bonan, Jean-Francois Dorval
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2014)
Differential inhibitory effects of forskolin, isoproterenol, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate on phosphoinositide hydrolysis in canine tracheal smooth muscle.
Authors: J M Madison, J K Brown
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1988)

A characteristic feature of airway smooth muscle is its relative sensitivity to relaxant effects of beta adrenergic agonists when contracted by inflammatory mediators, such as histamine, vs. resistance to these relaxant effects when contracted by muscarinic agonists. Because contractions presumably depend upon the hydrolysis of membrane phosphoinositides (PI) and the generation of inositol phosphates (IP), our goal was to test for the effects of forskolin, isoproterenol, and dibutyryl cAMP on histamine- vs. methacholine-induced IP accumulation in canine tracheal smooth muscle. Methacholine (10(-3) M) was a more effective stimulant of IP accumulation (9.6 +/- 2.1-fold increase) than equimolar histamine (3.6 +/- 0.5-fold increase) in this tissue. When responses to equieffective methacholine (4 x 10(-6) M) and histamine (10(-3) M) were compared, neither forskolin, isoproterenol, nor dibutyryl cAMP significantly decreased IP accumulation in response to methacholine. In contrast, each of these three agents significantly decreased responses to histamine (by 56 +/- 9, 52 +/- 2, and 61 +/- 2%, respectively). We concluded that, in canine tracheal smooth muscle, increased cAMP is associated with inhibition of PI hydrolysis in response to histamine but not methacholine. The findings suggest a novel mechanism for selective modulation by cAMP of receptor-mediated cellular activation.
You do agree, don’t you?
Authors: Ike Iheanacho
Journal: BMJ (2008)

It was a good idea. It still is. But somehow, something’s up with “concordance” in clinical care. This concept was introduced to help modernise how medical advice and interventions are discussed, offered, and decided on between professionals and patients. Sadly, though, it remains widely misunderstood and misused.

Concordance challenged traditional models of health care, where the professional dictated treatment that the patient was expected to accept without questioning or complaint. The patient’s failure to show such compliance was seen as a key reason why treatment might …
The D2 Dopamine Receptor and Tourette's Syndrome
Authors: Eric J. Devor
Journal: JAMA (1992)

To the Editor.  —A good deal of attention has recently been focused on the relationship between the dopamine D 2 receptor ( DRD2 ) and alcoholism. 1 Cloninger 2 has shown that DRD2 may indeed be associated with, but not linked to, alcoholism. Now, Comings et al 3 have extended the model of DRD2 as a modifier of severity not only of alcoholism but of other neuropsychiatric disorders as well, including attention-deficit disorder, autism, posttraumatic stress disorder, and Tourette's syndrome. As part of a linkage study of Tourette's syndrome, 4 I had previously genotyped a sample of 14 families (N = 115) with the same DRD2 DNA probe (λhD2G1) as used in other studies. Herein is presented a reevaluation ofthose genotyped data in the context of the Comings et al proposal.  The prevalence of the Al allele of the Taq I DRD2 restriction fragment length polymorphism, as opposed to its frequency, is taken
Evolution of Novel Small-Molecule Therapeutics Targeting Sickle Cell Vasculopathy
Authors: Gregory J. Kato, Mark T. Gladwin
Journal: JAMA (2008)

A 34-year-old African American woman with sickle cell disease and history of relatively severe hemolysis, chronic leg ulcers, and mild pulmonary hypertension presented with a new ischemic stroke. Recent research has suggested a syndrome of hemolysis-associated vasculopathy in patients with sickle cell disease, which features severe hemolytic anemia and leads to scavenging of nitric oxide and its biochemical precursor L-arginine. This diminished bioavailability of nitric oxide promotes a hemolysis-vascular dysfunction syndrome, which includes pulmonary hypertension, cutaneous leg ulceration, priapism, and ischemic stroke. Additional correlates of this vasculopathy include activation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules, platelets, and the vascular protectant hemeoxygenase-1. Some known risk factors for atherosclerosis are also associated with sickle cell vasculopathy, including low levels of apolipoprotein AI and high levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. Identification of dysregulated vascular biology pathways in sickle vasculopathy has provided a focus for new clinical trials for therapeutic intervention, including inhaled nitric oxide, sodium nitrite, L-arginine, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, niacin, inhaled carbon monoxide, and endothelin receptor antagonists. This article reviews the pathophysiology of sickle vasculopathy and the results of preliminary clinical trials of novel small-molecule therapeutics directed at abnormal vascular biology in patients with sickle cell disease.
Enhanced antigenicity leads to altered immunogenicity in sulfamethoxazole-hypersensitive patients with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Ayman Elsheikh, Luis Castrejon, Sidonie N. Lavergne, Paul Whitaker, Manal Monshi, Hayley Callan, Sabah El-Ghaiesh, John Farrell, Werner J. Pichler, Daniel Peckham, B. Kevin Park, Dean J. Naisbitt
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2011)
COLD AGGLUTININS IN PNEUMONIA
Authors: JOHN T. LAMONT
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1969)

Letters and Comments1 September 1969COLD AGGLUTININS IN PNEUMONIAJOHN T. LAMONTJOHN T. LAMONTSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-71-3-667 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the Editor: In his article entitled "Rapid Screening for Cold Agglutinins in Pneumonia" (Ann. Intern. Med. 70: 701, 1969) Dr. Griffin claims 98% sensitivity and nearly 100% specificity for his test. This is based on titers of 1:64 or greater of cold agglutinins in all the patients with a positive screening test and titers of less than 1:64 in only two of 113 patients with a negative screening test.I believe several points are worthy of comment. The incidence of 12% positive screening for cold agglutinins (and by inference forMycoplasma pneumoniaeinfection) is low compared with previously reported...References1. GEORGEZISKINDRASCHMOGABGAB RBMMJRWJ: Mycoplasma and Adenovirus Pneumonias. Ann. Intern. Med. 65: 931, 1966. LinkGoogle Scholar2. FORSYTHBLOOMJOHNSON BRHHKM: Etiology of primary atypical pneumonia in a military population. JAMA 191: 92, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. GRAYSTONALEXANDERKENNY JTERGE: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. JAMA 191: 97, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar1. TAYLOR-ROBINSONSOBESLAVSKYJENSENSENTERFITCHANOCK DOKELBRM: Serologic response to Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. I. Evaluation of immunofluorescence, complement fixation, indirect hemagglutination, and tetrazolium reduction inhibition tests for the diagnosis of infection. Amer. J. Epidem. 83: 287, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. FORSYTHCHANOCK BRRM: Mycoplasma pneumonia. Annual Rev. Med. 17: 371, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: MC Department of Medicine US Army Hospital Heidelberg APO N. Y. 09102 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByC. pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in mimicking Mycoplasma pneumoniae meningoencephalitis complicated by asthmaMycoplasma pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly: Diagnostic significance of acute thrombocytosisThe clinical diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae: the diagnostic importance of highly elevated serum cold agglutininsRegulation of inherently autoreactive VH4-34 B cells in the maintenance of human B cell tolerance 1 September 1969Volume 71, Issue 3Page: 667-668KeywordsAgglutininsMycoplasma pneumoniaePneumoniaSpecificity Issue Published: 1 September 1969 PDF DownloadLoading ...
Cross-Cultural Primary Care: A Patient-Based Approach
Authors: J. Emilio Carrillo
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

In today's multicultural society, assuring quality health care for all persons requires that physicians understand how each patient's sociocultural background affects his or her health beliefs and behaviors. Cross-cultural curricula have been developed to address these issues but are not widely used in medical education. Many curricula take a categorical and potentially stereotypic approach to "cultural competence" that weds patients of certain cultures to a set of specific, unifying characteristics. In addition, curricula frequently overlook the importance of social factors on the cross-cultural encounter. This paper discusses a patient-based cross-cultural curriculum for residents and medical students that teaches a framework for analysis of the individual patient's social context and cultural health beliefs and behaviors. The curriculum consists of five thematic units taught in four 2-hour sessions. The goal is to help physicians avoid cultural generalizations while improving their ability to understand, communicate with, and care for patients from diverse backgrounds.
Degeneracy, as opposed to specificity, in immunotherapy
Authors: David A. Hafler
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2002)

While it could be argued that Jenner, with his discovery of vaccination, ushered in the field of immunotherapy, manipulation of the human immune system to treat inflammatory diseases is only now coming of age. The mechanism behind immune specificity, the basic premise of vaccination, was largely solved with appreciation of how the MHC presents antigen, and with crystallization of the MHC/T cell receptor complex. However, as has only recently been appreciated, while a given T cell receptor may ordinarily exhibit exquisite specificity, binding to some antigenic sequences can effect a conformational change to the receptor, allowing it to recognize MHC class II/peptide complexes in a highly degenerate fashion.

This capacity may represent a fundamental mechanism of autoimmune disease, since it allows microbial antigens to trigger the T cell receptors of autoreactive T cells. Indeed, as discussed below, the activation of these T cells probably occurs both indirectly, by means of the innate immune system, and directly, through T cell receptor stimulation (1). Fortunately, the T cell receptor’s degeneracy may be key to therapies, with advantages not seen with antigen-specific approaches. A recent series of publications offers new insights into how this aspect of the cellular immune response might be used to treat human autoimmune disease. One well-established but still only incompletely understood reagent that may work through such a mechanism is glatiramer acetate (GA) (Copaxone, registered trademark of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.), discussed by Karandikar et al. in this issue of the JCI (2).