tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Threat of new European legislation to health care exaggerated
Authors: Rory Watson
Journal: BMJ (2004)

The European Commission has forcefully rejected claims from the medical profession that draft legislation being negotiated in Brussels would pose a serious threat to the NHS. But it has admitted that the text now on the table must be reworked to remove existing ambiguities.

Margot Froehlinger, a senior commission official told a public hearing organised by the European Parliament last week, “The commission understands the particular sensitivity of health. It accepts that the implications are not entirely clear and that the text needs to be improved. However, it [the draft legislation] will not require member states …
Clinical course of infection with hepatitis C
Authors: Sandro Vento, Valerio Nobili, Francesca Cainelli
Journal: BMJ (2006)

ence what is found.Databases of adverse reactions and types of publications that were excluded from the review should also be considered, as the Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions now recommends.The Cochrane review of melatonin for jet lag did this. 5It found hints of a possible interaction with warfarin and a suggestion of harm in children with severe epilepsy 6 ; both these problems remain to be investigated.
Morphologic Characterization of Preoperatively Treated Prostate Cancer: Toward a Post-Therapy Histologic Classification
Authors: Eleni Efstathiou, Neil A. Abrahams, Rita F. Tibbs, Xuemei Wang, Curtis A. Pettaway, Louis L. Pisters, Paul F. Mathew, Kim-Anh Do, Christopher J. Logothetis, Patricia Troncoso
Journal: European Urology (2009)
The Perfect Must Not Overwhelm the Good: Response to Open Peer Commentaries on “Selecting the Right Tool For the Job”
Authors: Arthur L. Caplan, Carolyn Plunkett, Bruce Levin
Journal: The American Journal of Bioethics (2015)

We thank each of the peer commentators for their contributions. The key points they raise fall into five broad but interrelated categories of questions: (1) What are the appropriate goals of resear...
Treatment of Adult Celiac Disease (Nontropical Sprue)
Authors: John R. Collins, Kurt J. Isselbacher
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1964)

IT has become evident in recent years that nontropical sprue or so-called idiopathic steatorrhea is the adult form of celiac disease. A disorder of still unknown etiology, adult celiac disease is associated with the malabsorption of a broad variety of nutrients and substances by the small intestine. The defective absorption includes water-soluble as well as lipid compounds, and small as well as large molecules. In the absence of a specific test for this disease, the diagnosis in most instances rests on two criteria: the presence of a typical lesion of the intestinal mucosa; and the improvement of the patient on . . .
α1-Adrenergic effects and liver regeneration
Authors: Jennifer L. Cruise, Stuart J. Knechtle, Randal R. Bollinger, Cynthia Kuhn, George Michalopoulos
Journal: Hepatology (1987)

The effects of several treatments involving alpha-adrenergic mechanisms upon the early stages of rat liver regeneration were examined. Catecholamine concentrations in rat plasma were measured at various times after hepatectomy and were found to be elevated relative to those in plasma from sham-operated rats. Surgical hepatic denervation or injection of an alpha 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist (prazosin) reduced incorporation of [3H]thymidine into liver DNA during the first 24 hr after partial hepatectomy. Chronic guanethidine injections (3 to 6 weeks) reduced liver catecholamine levels, but did not affect its ability to regenerate. The inhibition of regenerative DNA synthesis by prazosin was preceded by an alteration in the binding of epidermal growth factor to regenerating liver, which was apparently the result of an increased number of epidermal growth factor receptors. Thus, alpha 1-adrenergic blockade, which affects both epidermal growth factor receptor binding and subsequent DNA synthesis in hepatocyte primary cultures, can also modulate these processes during liver regeneration in vivo.
Effective treatment of early Barrett’s neoplasia with stepwise circumferential and focal ablation using the HALO system
Authors: J. Gondrie, R. Pouw, C. Sondermeijer, F. Peters, W. Curvers, W. Rosmolen, F. Ten Kate, P. Fockens, J. Bergman
Journal: Endoscopy (2008)

See also: Commentaire de "Traitement de l'œsophage de Barrett par radiofréquence" (4 articles), pp. 359Endoscopy 2008; 40(05): 453-454DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1306830
Meta-analysis: New Tests for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection: Areas of Uncertainty and Recommendations for Research
Authors: Dick Menzies, Madhukar Pai, George Comstock
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2007)

Background: Until recently, the tuberculin skin test was the only test for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, but 2 ex vivo interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are now commercially licensed. Purpose: To estimate sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of IGRAs (commercial or research versions of QuantiFERON [QFT] and Elispot) for diagnosing latent TB infection in healthy and immune-suppressed persons. Data Sources: The authors searched MEDLINE and reviewed citations of all original articles and reviews for studies published in English. Study Selection: Studies had evaluated IGRAs using Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific antigens (RD1 antigens) and overnight (16- to 24-h) incubation times. Reference standards had to be clearly defined without knowledge of test results. Data Extraction and Quality Assessment: Specific criteria for quality assessment were developed for sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. Data Synthesis: When newly diagnosed active TB was used as a surrogate for latent TB infection, sensitivity of all tests was suboptimal, although it was higher with Elispot. No test distinguishes active TB from latent TB. Sensitivity of the tuberculin skin test and IGRAs was similar in persons who were categorized into clinical gradients of exposure. Pooled specificity was 97.7% (95% CI, 96% to 99%) and 92.5% (CI, 86% to 99%) for QFT and for Elispot, respectively. Both assays were more specific than the tuberculin skin test in samples vaccinated with bacille Calmette–Guérin. Elispot was more sensitive than the tuberculin skin test in 3 studies of immune-compromised samples. Discordant tuberculin skin test and IGRA reactions were frequent and largely unexplained, although some may be related to varied definitions of positive test results. Reversion of IGRA results from positive to negative was common in 2 studies in which it was assessed. Limitations: Most studies used cross-sectional designs with the inherent limitation of no gold standard for latent TB infection, and most involved small samples with a widely varying likelihood of true-positive and false-positive test results. There is insufficient evidence on IGRA performance in children, immune-compromised persons, and the elderly. Conclusions: New IGRAs show considerable promise and have excellent specificity. Additional studies are needed to better define their performance in high-risk populations and in serial testing. Longitudinal studies are needed to define the predictive value of IGRAs.
Hemoglobin S/hemoglobin Osler: A case with 3 β globin chains. DNA sequence (AAT) proves that Hb Osler is β 145 Tyr→Asn
Authors: P. Jesse Hutt, Milton H. Donaldson, Jamil Khatri, Virgil F. Fairbanks, James D. Hoyer, Stephen N. Thibodeau, Michael S. Moxness, Lydia E. McMorrow, Michael M. Green, Richard T. Jones
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (1996)

A 13-year-old African-American female with erythrocytosis and three different β globins on electrophoresis βA, βS, and βOsler, raised the possibility that one chromosome 11 might contain a duplicated β globin gene, since there are normally only 2 β globin genes. DNA sequence analysis showed GTG at codon 6 in exon 1, corresponding to Hb S and AAT at codon 145 in exon 3, indicating a substitution of Asn for Tyr. Thus, Hb Osler undergoes spontaneous post-translational deamidation, β 145 Asn→β 145 Asp. Unmodified Hb Osler (Asn) co-migrates with Hb A on electrophoresis and co-elutes with Hb A on HPLC; therefore it has not been identified previously. All previous studies have incorrectly identified the mutation as being β 145 (HC 2) Tyr→Asp. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electronic Thermometers and Nosocomial Infections
Authors: Lawrence L. Livornese
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1993)

Letters15 January 1993Electronic Thermometers and Nosocomial InfectionsLawrence L. Livornese Jr., MD, Matthew E. Levison, MD, and Caroline L. Johnson, MDLawrence L. Livornese Jr., MDSearch for more papers by this author, Matthew E. Levison, MDSearch for more papers by this author, and Caroline L. Johnson, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-118-2-199301150-00022 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Mr. Bock and Dr. Abter and colleagues are correct in pointing out that electronic thermometers have previously been implicated as a vector for infectious disease. Brooks and colleagues [1] identified Clostridium difficile on 21% of electronic thermometers during a nosocomial outbreak of diarrhea as well as a decreased incidence of C. difficile-associated diarrhea after their replacement with single-use disposable thermometers. In our study, we identified vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium on electronic rectal thermometers and a decreased incidence of infection and colonization after their removal [2]. The distinguishing feature of our study was the statistically significant association shown between exposure ...References1. Brooks S, Veal R, Kramer M, Dore L, Schupf N, Adachi M. Reduction in the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in the acute care hospital and a skilled nursing facility following replacement of electronic thermometers with single-use disposables. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1992; 13:98-103. Google Scholar2. Livornese L, Dias S, Samel C, Romanowski B, Taylor S, May P, et al. Hospital-acquired infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium transmitted by electronic thermometers. Ann Intern Med. 1992; 117:112-6. Google Scholar3. Whitman M, Pitsakis P, Livornese L, Osborne A, Johnson C, Levison M. Antibiotic therapy of experimental endocarditis due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (Abstract) In Proceedings and Abstracts of the 32nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Anaheim, California: The American Society for Microbiology; 1992. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byBuilding conditions and the risk of nosocomial infection from microbial contamination of hospital appliances in a health care facility 15 January 1993Volume 118, Issue 2Page: 156-157KeywordsClostridium difficileDiarrheaEmergency departmentEnterococcus infectionsInfectious diseasesNosocomial infectionsPediatric infectionsRat modelsThermometersVancomycin resistant enterococcus Issue Published: 15 January 1993 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1993 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...
Physiological, psychological and performance measures during an endurance record for five-a-side soccer
Authors: T. Reilly, T. J. Walsh
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine (1981)

Observations were made every 4 h on 2 teams during 91 h 45 min of 5-a-side soccer to investigate stresses on players. Variables monitored were subjective fatigue, state anxiety, grip strength, heart rate, activity, urine protein concentration and liquid intake. Circadian functions were identified in all variables except protein urine as well as significant intercorrelations. Periodicities were consistent with arousal theory with troughs at about 0500-0600 h and crests at 1800 h to 2100 h. Group mean anxiety values increased between days as play was prolonged whilst significant decrements were found in activity, exercise heart rate and urine protein. Mean heart rate for the duration of play was 98 (± S.D. = 10) beats min -1 and the work severity was considered light. Behavioural abnormalities as found by other investigators in chronically sleep deprived subjects were common during the final two nights.
Model studies of the contribution of ventricular interdependence to the transient changes in ventricular function with respiratory efforts
Authors: J. N AMOORE, W. P SANTAMORE
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1989)

The effects of variations in intrathoracic pressure on left ventricular function were studied using a mathematical model of the circulation. The variations in intrathoracic pressure directly affect the left ventricular afterload, and indirectly alter left ventricular filling by changing the right ventricular volume. The decrease in intrathoracic pressure with sustained inspiratory efforts increased the left ventricular afterload and thus reduced the left ventricular stroke volume. Secondary to the reduction in stroke volume, the left ventricular end systolic and end diastolic volumes increased. Decreasing intrathoracic pressure also increased the systemic venous return, thereby increasing right ventricular volume. The model predicted that an enlarged right ventricular volume would, through diastolic ventricular interdependence, immediately reduce the left ventricular end diastolic volume (which in turn reduced the left ventricular stroke volume), while through systolic ventricular interdependence it would increase left ventricular stroke volume and reduce left ventricular end systolic volume. An increased right ventricular volume would also increase right ventricular stroke volume and after a delay of a few heart beats raise left ventricular end diastolic and stroke volumes. The net effect of respiratory variations in intrathoracic pressure on left ventricular function would be a combination of these effects. Thus on sustained inspiration the left ventricular stroke volume initially decreased (left ventricular afterload and diastolic interdependence secondary to the increase in right ventricular volume partly counteracted by the effects of systolic interdependence), followed by an increase as the increased venous return reached the left ventricle. The model indicated that the response to a forced expiratory effort was not simply the opposite of the inspiratory response, since the increase in intrathoracic pressure during a forced expiration is accompanied by increases in abdominal pressure. On sustained expiration the left ventricular stroke volume initially increased, with no significant initial change in end diastolic volume. The cardiovascular response to respiration is complex, and model studies can help to isolate and identify the various components involved.
Morphometric study of the total and perfused arteriolar and capillary network of the rabbit left ventricle
Authors: H. R WEISS, R. S CONWAY
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1985)

A method has been developed to simultaneously and regionally determine several morphometric indices of both the total and perfused arteriolar and capillary beds of the rabbit heart on a quantitative basis. A high molecular weight fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) dextran, was injected into the femoral vein of an anaesthetised open chest rabbit. The hearts were removed and frozen in liquid N2 within 14 s after this injection. Sections, 2 micrometers thick, were obtained from the left ventricular wall and the fluorescence photographed to detect perfused arterioles and capillaries. The sections were then stained to visualise the total arteriolar and capillary network. Standard morphometric techniques were employed to study the total and perfused microvasculature. The method was validated to show that it did not alter the microvasculature of the heart, that both the total and perfused microvasculature could be visualised, and that there was little tissue shrinkage. The study found no significant subepicardial vs subendocardial differences in either the total or perfused capillary of arteriolar networks. The total capillary bed had very much larger morphometric indices than the total arteriolar bed. The percentage of the microvasculature perfused ranged from 55 to 64% of the capillary and 51 to 56% of the arteriolar beds for the various indices. Thus at least a part of the control of capillary perfusions is at the level of the arteriole. There was an almost twofold functional reserve in the microvasculature of the heart which could be mobilised by asphyxia.
O111 SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF TREATMENT WITH THE INTERFERON-FREE, RIBAVIRIN-FREE COMBINATION OF SOFOSBUVIR + GS-5816 FOR 12 WEEKS IN TREATMENT NAIVE PATIENTS WITH GENOTYPE 1–6 HCV INFECTION
Authors: G.T. Everson, T.T. Tran, W.J. Towner, M.N. Davis, D. Wyles, R. Nahass, J. McNally, D.M. Brainard, L. Han, B. Doehle, E. Mogalian, W.T. Symonds, J.G. McHutchison, T. Morgan, R.T. Chung
Journal: Journal of Hepatology (2014)
Does the loss of transverse tubules contribute to dyssynchronous Ca2+ release during heart failure?
Authors: S Hatem
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (2004)

See article by Louch et al. [1] (pages 63–73) in this issue .

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of death in developed countries. This syndrome is due to the incapacity of the heart to pump blood at a rate commensurate with the requirements of the metabolizing tissues. Very often CHF is caused by a defect in myocardial contraction. Thereby, a better understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of the altered contractility of failing heart is a major research topic of many laboratories in the hopes of identifying new targets for the treatment of CHF. The manuscript of Louch et al. [1] in the current issue of Cardiovascular Research examines the possibility that alteration of the microarchitecture of cardiac myocytes, specifically of the transverse (T) tubule system, plays a role in the defective excitation–contraction coupling (EC coupling) process of ventricular myocytes from human failing hearts.

In mammalian cardiac myocytes, contraction is controlled by a sequence of events that includes the activation of the L-type Ca2+ current, which in turn triggers the opening of the Ca2+ release channels [ryanodine receptors of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), RyRs] and the release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in keeping with the Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release phenomenon (CICR). The close proximity of the RyRs and the L-type Ca2+ channels in dyadic junctions of the T-tubules provides for privileged Ca2+ cross-signaling between the … 

*Tel.: +33-1-40-25-86-00; fax: +33-1-40-25-86-02. Email address: hatem{at}bichat.inserm.fr
TV: Reputations: Florence Nightingale Iron Maiden
Authors: J. Salvage
Journal: BMJ (2001)

BBC 2, 17 July at 9 pm

As a student nurse, few things enraged me more than the thought of Florence Nightingale. Upheld as the queen of all role models by the nursing establishment, she epitomised everything that I thought was wrong with my chosen profession. What nursing needed was assertiveness and intellect, not sticky-sweet submissiveness and self sacrifice.

Nearly 25 years on, Flo is still revered. Her birthday on 12 May is celebrated by millions worldwide as International Nurses Day: a nice, neatly uniformed nurse is chosen to carry a commemorative lamp down the aisle of Westminster Abbey, while Nightingale medals are awarded in remote countries like Uzbekistan (I know because I got one).

As I learned later, Miss Nightingale herself hated all the “lady with the lamp” guff and was much happier ploughing through …
The Thyrotoxicosis of Hydatidiform Mole
Authors: H. PATRICK HIGGINS
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1975)

In 14 women with hydatidiform mole, 9 were hyperthyroid. Serum thyroxine (T4) levels varied between 18 and 34 µg/100 ml, and serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels between 300 and 800 ng/100 ml in the hyperthyroid patients. Bioassayable thyroid-stimulating hormone (molar TSH) was found in high concentrations in the serum of 13 patients in whom preoperative serum was available. There was a close correlation between the serum levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin, molar TSH, and T3. Intravenous sodium iodide caused a fall in serum T3 and, to a lesser extent, in T4 in hyperthyroid patients but not in a euthyroid patient. Removal of molar tissue caused a dramatic fall in the serum levels of T3, T4, molar TSH, and human chorionic gonadotrophin. The close correlation between the serum concentrations of molar TSH and human chorionic gonadotrophin lend support to the suggestion that the human chorionic gonadotrophin molecule itself, when present in large amounts, stimulates thyroid function significantly.
Uncompensated hospital care. Will it be there if we need it?
Authors: J. Weissman
Journal: JAMA (1996)

The debates over health care system reform continue, but they rarely mention the enduring need for free or reduced-cost hospital care as a safety net for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Policy changes on numerous fronts threaten the ability or willingness of hospitals to provide uncompensated care. These changes include the decline of Hill-Burton funds, the closings or mergers of not-for-profit and public hospitals, the dominance of competitive forces, and the redirection of funds intended for disproportionate share hospitals or uncompensated pools. Federal and state governments lack coordinated approaches toward uncompensated care, and health system reforms may not have the expected effects on reducing hospitals' burden of paying for services to indigents. Furthermore, measurement of uncompensated care is inconsistent. In light of the persistent growth in the number of persons with inadequate health insurance coverage and the central role that uncompensated care will continue to play in ensuring access to care for the poor and uninsured, these policies need to be reexamined. Guidelines for policy based on past experience are presented herein.
Southern Baptist Excursion.
Authors: N. W. Leighton
Journal: JAMA (1896)

Brooklyn, N. Y., April 29, 1896. <h3>To the Editor:</h3> —I cut the enclosed slip from the<i>Watchman</i>: The Southern Baptist Excursion: The Seaboard Air Line will run a personally conducted excursion to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the Southern Baptist Convention to be held in that city May 8 to 14 inclusive. Solid vestibuled train. One fare for the round trip. For particulars address J. Strang, New England Passenger Agent, Seaboard Air Line, 306 Washington Street, Boston. One would think that the railroad corporations could be, and would wish to be, as liberal to those who care for the physical as for the spiritual welfare of their patrons. I know theJournalis laboring in that direction. This requires no personal reply. Yours truly,