tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Early Repair of Moderate Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Reverses Left Ventricular Remodeling
Authors: Ronen Beeri, Chaim Yosefy, J. Luis Guerrero, Suzan Abedat, Mark D. Handschumacher, Robert E. Stroud, Suzanne Sullivan, Miguel Chaput, Dan Gilon, Gus J. Vlahakes, Francis G. Spinale, Roger J. Hajjar, Robert A. Levine
Journal: Circulation (2007)

Mitral regurgitation (MR) doubles postmyocardial infarction (MI) mortality. We have shown that moderate MR augments remodeling in an apical MI model (no intrinsic MR) with independent left ventricle-to-left atrial MR-type flow. We hypothesized that repairing moderate MR 1 month after MI reverses this remodeling.Anteroapical MIs were created in 18 sheep, and a left ventricle-to-left atrial shunt implanted in 12 (regurgitant fraction, 30%). Six sheep had the shunt closed at 1 month (repair group). Sheep were compared at baseline, and at 1 and 3 months. Sheep in the MI+MR (unrepaired) and repaired groups remodeled during the first month (120% increased left ventricular end-systolic volume [ESV; P<0.01]), but shunt closure reversed remodeling at 3 months, with end-diastolic volume (EDV) and ESV 135% and 128% of baseline versus 220% and 280% without repair (P<0.001). At 3 months, dP/dt and preload-recruitable stroke work were relatively maintained in the repaired and MI-only groups versus nearly 50% decreases without repair. Prohypertrophic gp130 and antiapoptotic pAkt increased followed by exhaustion below baseline without repair, but remained elevated at 3 months with repair or MI only. With repair, matrix metalloproteinase-2 decreased to < or = 50% that without repair in remote and border zones at 3 months, and the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-4 increased dramatically.Early repair of moderate MR in the setting of apical MI substantially reverses the otherwise progressive remodeling process, with reduced left ventricular volumes, relatively maintained contractility, persistently activated intracellular signals promoting hypertrophy and opposing apoptosis, and reduced matrix proteolytic activity. These findings are of interest for the current controversy regarding potential benefits of repair of MR after MI.
Assessment by HPLC of the degradation behavior of acitretin under hydrolytic, oxidative, photolytic and thermal stress conditions
Authors: Pawan K. Porwal, Neeraj Upmanyu
Journal: Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B (2014)

Acitretin is a photosensitive oral retinoid with very limited data available on its degradation. The official HPLC method for acitretin determination was insufficient to resolve the degradation products generated during stability studies. Therefore, an isocratic RP-HPLC–UV method was developed for the determination of acitretin in the presence of its related impurities and degradation products. Efficient chromatographic separation was achieved on a Thermo beta-basic column C18 (100 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) with mobile phase containing 0.3% (v/v) glacial acetic acid with acetonitrile (ACN) and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in an isocratic ratio of 70:30 at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with the eluent monitored at 360 nm. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness. The calibration plot was linear over the concentration range of 50–150 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.999. The proposed method was used to investigate the degradation kinetics of acitretin under the different degradative conditions. The degradation rate constant (K), half-life (t1/2), and t90 were calculated. Degradation of acitretin followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The drug was found to be less stable under acidic and photolytic degradation conditions: the photolytic degradation constants for acitretin in sunlight and UV light were 0.002698% and 0.0008402% min−1, respectively. The LOD for acitretin and the known impurities were at a level below 0.02%. The method shows consistent recoveries for ACTR (99.8%–101.2%) and also for its known impurities (97.2–101.3%). The method was found to be accurate, precise, linear, specific, sensitive, rugged, robust, and useful for characterizing the stability of this chemical.
Convergent Antibody Signatures in Human Dengue
Authors: Poornima Parameswaran, Yi Liu, Krishna M. Roskin, Katherine K.L. Jackson, Vaishali P. Dixit, Ji-Yeun Lee, Karen L. Artiles, Simona Zompi, Maria José Vargas, Birgitte B. Simen, Bozena Hanczaruk, Kim R. McGowan, Muhammad A. Tariq, Nader Pourmand, Daphne Koller, Angel Balmaseda, Scott D. Boyd, Eva Harris, Andrew Z. Fire
Journal: Cell Host & Microbe (2013)
Rapid and Extensive Collapse from Electrically Responsive Macroporous Hydrogels
Authors: Stephen Kennedy, Sidi Bencherif, Daniel Norton, Laura Weinstock, Manav Mehta, David Mooney
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials (2013)

Electrically responsive hydrogels are created with interconnected macropores, which greatly enhance their ability to rapidly undergo volumetric collapse when subjected to moderate electric fields. When optimized, these electrogels are easily integrated into arrays capable of rapid configurational and chromatic optical modulations, and when loaded with drugs, are able to coordinate the delivery profile of multiple drugs. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
Shift Shown in Influenza A Adamantane Resistance
Authors: Katherine M. Shea
Journal: JAMA (2006)

To the Editor: With current concerns about a global influenza pandemic, the study by Dr Bright and colleagues and the accompanying editorial by Drs Weinstock and Zuccotti discussing accelerating adamantane resistance in community-acquired influenza A are alarming. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has done an effective job of disseminating this information and instructing clinicians to substitute neuraminidase inhibitors (NIs) as treatment and chemoprophylaxis for influenza this year. However, if overuse of adamantane derivatives has resulted in an increase of resistance in US isolates from 1.9% in 2004 to 92.3% in December 2005, I suggest that we should make every attempt to preserve the efficacy of NIs by using them judiciously and with restraint. While the CDC recommends priority use of influenza antiviral medications for “any person experiencing a potentially life-threatening influenza-related illness” and for “any person at high risk for serious complications of influenza and who is within the first 2 days of illness onset,” it also states that treatment can be considered for “infected adults and children aged 1 year or older who do not have conditions placing them at high risk for serious complications secondary to influenza infection.” This creates a permissive climate in which low-risk patients with nonspecific flulike symptoms may receive multiple courses of antiviral medications in any influenza season, a pattern of treatment likely to accelerate the development of resistance. Influenza is a self-limited illness, and most people outside of high-risk groups require no treatment other than bed rest, fluids, and fever control. Neuraminidase resistance has already been reported. Getting better 1 day faster is not an important enough reason for broad and indiscriminate use of the only remaining effective drugs that are specific against influenza.
The Spectrum of Mycobacterial Infection after Lung Transplantation
Authors: MONIQUE A. MALOUF, ALLAN R. GLANVILLE
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1999)

Despite the success of lung transplantation, infection is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Mycobacterial infections have been reported rarely, with the majority due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Our aim was to assess the incidence, etiology, and clinical outcome of mycobacterial infection after lung transplantation; to do so, we have studied retrospectively all lung and heart- lung transplants performed over a 12-yr period between November 1986 and June 1998 (n = 261). Twenty-three patients (9%) (M:F, 11:12) were diagnosed with mycobacterial infections in 25 sites, including n = 19, pulmonary (M. avium complex [n = 13], M. tuberculosis [n = 2], M. abscessus [n = 2], M. asiaticum [n = 1], and M. kansasii [n = 1]) and n = 6 extrapulmonary (M. haemophilum [n = 5] and M. abscessus [n = 1]) infections. Time to diagnosis from transplantation was 677 +/- 735 d (range, 2- 3,086 d). Three episodes of transient colonization with M. avium were not treated; the remaining (22 of 25, 88%) were treated. Initial baseline therapy for nontuberculous mycobacteria included clarithromycin, rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, and/or ethambutol. All cutaneous lesions resolved completely, while clinical and graft function improved in 11 of 16 (69%) and 8 of 16 (50%) of patients treated, respectively. Seventeen of 23 patients (72%) survived at a follow-up of 1,658 +/- 759 d (range, 522-3,285 d). Complications, predominantly due to rifampicin, included gastrointestinal intolerance and an increased tendency for rejection. There were no deaths attributable to mycobacterial disease or therapy. We conclude that mycobacterial infection, particularly due to nontuberculous mycobacteria, is relatively common after lung transplantation and may be an unrecognized cause of graft dysfunction. Early treatment of cutaneous lesions is associated with excellent control; however, graft dysfunction may be permanent. Although drug toxicity and interactions with immunosuppressive agents were not infrequent, the majority of these infections can be managed successfully.
The severity of clinical symptoms in ragweed‐allergic patients is related to the extent of ragweed‐induced complement activation in their sera
Authors: Zs. Gönczi, L. Varga, T. Hidvégi, B. Schmidt, A. Pánya, M. Kókai, G. Füst
Journal: Allergy (1997)

We have previously reported a correlation between the extent of ragweed allergen (RWA)‐induced in vitro serum complement activation and the symptom scores registered daily during the ragweed (RW)‐blooming season in RW‐allergic patients. The present study was performed in 22 15–17‐year‐old RW‐allergic adolescents. Serum samples were incubated with 100μ/ml RWA, and the generation of different complement activation products was measured by ELISA or RIA. Symptom scores were registered for 4 weeks during the RW‐blooming season. The patients were divided according to the extent (low or high) of the generation of complement activation products, and symptom scores registered in the two groups were compared by two‐way ANOVA. Significantly higher symptom scores were obtained in the high than in the low complement activation group ( P values: 0.049 for C1rC1sC1inh, 0.022 for CSbBbP, 0.015 for C5b‐9, 0.0001 for C3a, and 0.0008 for C5a). Similar results were obtained at the measurement performed in the sera obtained from the same patients half a year before the season ( P values: 0.022 for C3bBbP, and 0.005 for C5b‐9). These findings indicate that complement activation induced by the allergen may enhance the clinical symptoms of RW allergy.
A Comparison of Sclerotherapy with Staple Transection of the Esophagus for the Emergency Control of Bleeding from Esophageal Varices
Authors: Andrew K. Burroughs, George Hamilton, Andrew Phillips, Guerrino Mezzanotte, Neil McIntyre, Kenneth E.F. Hobbs
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1989)

We compared two procedures for the emergency treatment of bleeding esophageal varices in patients who did not respond to blood transfusion and vasoactive drugs. We randomly assigned 101 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and bleeding esophageal varices to undergo either emergency sclerotherapy (n = 50) or staple transection of the esophagus (n = 51). Four patients assigned to sclerotherapy and 12 assigned to staple transection did not actually undergo those procedures, but all analyses were made on an intention-to-treat basis. Total mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups; the relative risk of death for staple transection as compared with sclerotherapy was 0.88 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.51 to 1.54). Mortality at six weeks was 44 percent among those assigned to sclerotherapy and 35 percent among those assigned to staple transection. Complication rates were similar for the two groups. An interval of five days without bleeding was achieved in 88 percent of those assigned to staple transection and in 62 percent of those assigned to sclerotherapy after a single injection (P<0.01) and 82 percent after three injections. In only 2 of the 11 patients who received a third sclerotherapy injection was bleeding controlled for more than five days, and 9 died. We conclude that staple transection of the esophagus is as safe as sclerotherapy for the emergency treatment of bleeding esophageal varices and that it is more effective than a single sclerotherapy procedure. We currently recommend surgery after two injection treatments have failed. (N Engl J Med 1989; 321:857–62.)
A case of Pagetoid reticulosis bearing the T cytotoxic suppressor surface marker on the lymphoid infiltrate: further evidence that Pagetoid reticulosis is not a variant of mycosis fungoides
Authors: RONA M. MACKIE, MARLYN L. TURBITT
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (1984)

We describe a patient with pagetoid reticulosis in whom the lymphocytic infiltrate bore the surface membrane marker of the cytotoxic/suppressor subset. This is further evidence that Pagetoid reticulosis is not a variant of mycosis fungoides.
Babinski's Sign—Abduction Also Counts
Authors: Michael S. Smith
Journal: JAMA (1979)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Babinski's sign, first described in 1896 by Joseph Babinski, is one of the most valuable signs indicating damage to the corticospinal tract. While its classic nature—extension of the great toe with spreading of the other toes—is familiar to most physicians, the significance of abduction of the great toe alone is not generally appreciated. <h3>Report of a Case.—</h3> A 30-year-old woman with metastatic choriocarcinoma resistant to numerous protocols was admitted to the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center with a long history of generalized back pain and a two-day history of her legs "not working right." The day before admission, she noted numbness in both legs. When she became unable to void, neurological consultation was obtained. On examination the patient was depressed, with a normal cranial nerve examination. There was minimal upper thoracic spine tenderness to percussion. Her motor examination showed profound weakness in both lower extremities, which
Laboratory Medicine: Test Selection and Interpretation
Authors: Betsy D. Bennett
Journal: JAMA (1992)

Laboratory medicine textbooks are usually described as having been written for laboratory professionals, consumers of laboratory services, and students of both. While most such books prove useful for one of these groups, virtually none is useful for all. The editors of<i>Laboratory Medicine</i>state that it "was written to make the process of test selection and interpretation more accessible to all categories of laboratory workers, nonlaboratory based clinicians, residents, and medical technology students." By focusing their goal on aspects of test selection and interpretation rather than trying to include extensive technical information, Drs Howanitz and Howanitz have succeeded better than most in producing a universally useful book. The book and its chapters are divided into sections along traditional laboratory lines: chemistry, hematology, microbiology-immunology, and transfusion medicine. Within each chapter the information is organized around the laboratory test as ordered by the clinician. In the majority of chapters, organization is based
Chordoma Detected on F-18 FDG PET
Authors: Chun-Yi Lin, Chia-Hung Kao, Ji-An Liang, Te-Chun Hsieh, Kuo-Yang Yen, Shung-Shung Sun
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2006)

A 63-year-old man had low back pain and a huge protruding mass, larger than 10 cm in size, over the sacral region for 2 months. He also had progressive problems with leg strength, leg sensation, and urinary/fecal incontinence. Pelvic MRI was performed and demonstrated a large space-occupying lesion in the sacral region. F-18 FDG PET showed a large area of heterogeneously increased FDG uptake in the sacral region. Wide excision biopsy was performed and the cytology showed chordoma.
Perceptual uncertainty is a property of the cognitive system
Authors: Manuel Perea, Manuel Carreiras
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2012)

We qualify Frost's proposals regarding letter-position coding in visual word recognition and the universal model of reading. First, we show that perceptual uncertainty regarding letter position is not tied to European languages-instead it is a general property of the cognitive system. Second, we argue that a universal model of reading should incorporate a developmental view of the reading process.
Pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin in patients with genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C: Some issues
Authors: Ming-Lung Yu, Chia-Yen Dai, Jee-Fu Huang, Ming-Yen Hsieh, Wan-Long Chuang
Journal: Hepatology (2008)

In a recent issue of HEPATOLOGY, Kamal et al.1 reported the results of a randomized, controlled trial for 368 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 infection treated with peginterferon alpha-2b (1.5 μg/kg/week) plus ribavirin (10.6 mg/kg/day) for a fixed duration of 48 weeks (control group, n = 50) or for a variable duration according to on-treatment virological response (n = 318). In the variable-duration group, patients with rapid virological response (undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 of therapy) were treated for 24 weeks (group A, n = 69), patients with complete early virological response (undetectable HCV RNA at week 12) were treated for 36 weeks (group B, n = 79), and patients with partial early virological response (HCV RNA–seropositive with a minimum 2-log10 decrease from the baseline in HCV RNA at week 12) were treated for 48 weeks (group C, n = 160). The remaining 10 patients who did not achieve undetectable HCV RNA or a 2-log10decline from the baseline of HCV RNA at week 12 were classified as nonresponders and discontinued treatment. "Similar to previous studies on HCV-12, 3 and HCV-2/3,4-6 the present study1 strongly suggested that RVR at week 4 could be a signpost of decision-making for shorter treatment duration of peginterferon/ribavirin without compromising the treatment efficacy. Although the conclusions appear to be justified by the presented data, some issues should be clarified. First, the variable-duration group excluded 10 nonresponders from the final analysis, but the fixed-duration controls included 16 nonresponders for the final analysis. It would be inappropriate to make a noninferiority comparison of the two groups in such a situation because only 3 of 14 (21.4%) nonresponders in the fixed 48-week group achieved a sustained virological response. After the exclusion of 16 nonresponders, the sustained virological response rate in the fixed-duration group would be 79.4% (27/34) instead of 58%. Second, the variable-duration group had a significantly higher proportion of patients achieving partial early virological response (50.3%, 160/318 versus 22%, 11/50, P < 0.0001) and a significantly lower proportion of nonresponders (3.1%, 10/318 versus 32%, 16/50, P < 0.0001) than the fixed-duration group. It would be better for the authors to provide more data in detail to clarify the difference and discuss the results before addressing the conclusions. Ming-Lung Yu* , Chia-Yen Dai* , Jee-Fu Huang* , Ming-Yen Hsieh*, Wan-Long Chuang* , * Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Effect of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis, antiretroviral therapy, and insecticide-treated bednets on the frequency of malaria in HIV-1-infected adults in Uganda: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Jonathan Mermin, John Paul Ekwaru, Cheryl A Liechty, Willy Were, Robert Downing, Ray Ransom, Paul Weidle, John Lule, Alex Coutinho, Peter Solberg
Journal: The Lancet (2006)
Coronary Spasm and Acute Myocardial Infarction — New Possibility for Treatment and Prevention
Authors: Eugene Braunwald
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1978)

When, as a medical student, I first learned about acute myocardial infarction from the first edition of Harrison's textbook, Principles of Internal Medicine, the cause seemed straightforward enough. Acute thrombosis on an atherosclerotic plaque in a coronary vessel was deemed to be responsible for infarction in almost all cases.1 Therefore, the terms "acute myocardial infarction" and "acute coronary thrombosis" were often used interchangeably. The situation became more complex, however, when pathologists raised the possibility that infarction, by further reducing blood flow through a narrowed coronary artery, could be the cause, rather than the result, of coronary thrombosis.2 This question . . .
Sexual Qualities in Case Reports
Authors: CHERILL M. PARMENTIER-PERERA
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1975)

Comments and Correction1 May 1975Sexual Qualities in Case ReportsCHERILL M. PARMENTIER-PERERA, B.A.CHERILL M. PARMENTIER-PERERA, B.A.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-82-5-724_2 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: A recent Letter to the Editor (1) raised an interesting editorial point. Should a female be reported as "attractive" on physical examination? Because the article was not concerned with reconstructive plastic surgery, I found the adjective immaterial to diagnosis.I perused several back issues and found no case reports in which adjectives describing sexual attractiveness of men were used. Perhaps the letter on page 858 of the same issue (2) should be appended to read "a 52-year-old handsome, white, male school bus driver."...References1. ARONSONKAMINSKYPHILLIPS MDC: Parainfluenza virus type 3 isolated in a case of bloody diarrhea. Ann Intern Med 81:856-857, 1974 LinkGoogle Scholar2. PRCHKOVMOOKHERJEESCHIESS VSW: Variant anginal syndrome, coronary artery spasm, and ventricular fibrillation in the absence of chest pain. Ann Intern Med 81:858-859, 1974 LinkGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: School of Public Health and Community Medicine University of Washington Seattle, Washington, 98195 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 1 May 1975Volume 82, Issue 5Page: 724-724KeywordsPlastic surgery Issue Published: 1 May 1975 PDF downloadLoading ...