tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Reticulocytosis and Hypoxemia as Prognostic Signs in Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: JOHN THOMAS, OTIS MICHAEL, CLEVE W. EWELL
Journal: Circulation (1961)

T HE APPEARANCE of immature red blood cells in the peripheral blood of patients with congestive heart failure has been well documented in the literature.1-4Frumin and colleagues1 reported that nucleated red cells found in the blood of patients in con- gestive heart failure indicated a poor progno- sis and attributed this to anoxemia resulting from the cardiac decompensation.Groen and Godfried2 suggested that normoblasts found in patients with cardiac disease signified mas- sive pulmonary infarction.These reports emphasized the presence of nucleated red blood cells, or normoblasts, in the peripheral blood as an unfavorable prognostic sign in patients with cardiac insufficiency.The pur- pose of this study is to observe this phenom- enon further, and to determine if reticulocyte counts may be used to reflect the degree of arterial oxygen unsaturation and thus serve as a prognostic sign in congestive heart failure. MethodThe study is composed of observations on 15 patients with severe congestive heart failure* who were admitted to the medical service of George W. Hubbard Hospital of Meharry Medical College.The etiology of the heart disease was distributed as follows: hypertensive and arteriosclerotic, 10; arteriosclerotic without hypertension, three; syphilitic and rheumatic, one each.Venous pressure, circulation time, and nonprotein nitrogen were recorded on each subject.Arterial blood was col- lected from the femoral or brachial artery in oiled heparinized syringes and capped immediately.
Benzodiazepines and risk of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: K. Yaffe, M. Boustani
Journal: BMJ (2014)

Prescribers and patients need a proper surveillance system for cognitive side effects 

A growing number of observational studies have shown the critical role of potentially inappropriate medications for increasing the risk of cognitive impairment. In a linked paper, Billioti de Gage and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj.g5205) extend the pharmacoepidemiological research on the adverse cognitive effects of benzodiazepines with an investigation of their link with Alzheimer’s disease.1 Their results suggest that long term exposure to benzodiazepines might be a modifiable risk factor for this condition.

The authors conducted a nested case-control study of about 2000 older members of a public drug plan in the province of Quebec, Canada. They observed a cumulative dose-effect association between exposure to benzodiazepines (at least 90 days) and risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and found that exposure lasting more than 180 days was associated with a nearly twofold increase in risk. In further analyses, they showed that longer acting benzodiazepines were associated with greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with shorter acting benzodiazepines, adding support for a causal association.

The interpretation of these findings is …
Effects of Quantitatively Controlled Left Ventricular-Atrial Regurgitation on Indicator - Dilution Curves in the Dog
Authors: DANIEL S. LUKAS, LUCIEN I. ARDITI, A. LEE WINSTON, CHARLES W. PEARCE
Journal: Circulation Research (1961)

Dye-dilution curves were recorded from the aortic arch of dogs with left ventricular-atrial regurgitation produced surgically by a shunt from the apex of the left ventricle to the left atrial appendage. Rate of regurgitation was monitored by an electroturbinometer and was varied from 0.9 to 3.3 liters per minute. In each dog, reciprocal of the downslope and variance of curves obtained after injection of dye into the left atrium varied directly with rate of backflow and inversely with net cardiac output. These effects of regurgitation were not due to change in transit volume. Estimates of regurgitation based on change in reciprocal of slope correlated closely with flowmeter values and were more accurate than estimates based on change in variance. Back flow was underestimated by curves recorded after injection of dye into the pulmonary artery.
Effects of Voglibose on Glycemic Excursions, Insulin Secretion, and Insulin Sensitivity in Non-lnsulin-ireated NIDDM Patients
Authors: Kazunari Matsumoto, Mayumi Yano, Seibei Miyake, Yukitaka Ueki, Yoshihiko Yamaguchi, Shoichi Akazawa, Yuko Tominaga
Journal: Diabetes Care (1998)

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of voglibose, an α-glucosidase inhibitor, on daily glycemic excursions, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS An open prospective study was conducted in 27 NIDDM patients receiving diet therapy alone or treatment with a sulfonylurea drug. Of the study subjects, 14 patients were treated with voglibose; the remaining 13 patients served as the control group. The metabolic parameters were evaluated before treatment and at week 4 of treatment as follows: glycemic excursions by M-value and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG), insulin secretion by area under the curve of daily serum insulin (AUCinsulin), and insulin sensitivity by the K index of the insulin tolerance test (KITT). RESULTS After the study treatment, HbA1c and plasma glucose in the patients who had received voglibose were comparable to those of patients in the control group. M-value was lower in the patients treated with voglibose than in the control subjects (5.7 ± 0.9 vs. 9.8 ± 1.2, P &amp;lt; 0.05). 1,5-AG was higher in the patients treated with voglibose than in the control subjects (12.2 ± 1.0 vs. 8.2 ± 0.7 μg/ml, P &amp;lt; 0.01). A statistically significant decrease in AUCinsuiin occurred after treatment with voglibose (2,223.5 ± 390.6 to 1,546.7 ± 303.4 pmol · l−1 · h, P &amp;lt; 0.05), but no change occurred in the control group (2,364.5 ± 315.4 to 2,464.2 ± 269.3 pmol · l−1 · h, P = 0.60). Insulin sensitivity (KITT) was improved to a statistically significant level in both the patients treated with voglibose and the patients in the control group. KITT in the patients after voglibose treatment was comparable to that of the control group (3.18 ± 0.30 vs. 3.21 ± 0.23%/min, P = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that voglibose lowers the daily glycemic excursions and inhibits overwork of the pancreatic β-cells but has little effect on insulin sensitivity in NIDDM patients.
Characterization and Functionality of Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Congenital Heart Patients
Authors: Rachana Mishra, Kalpana Vijayan, Evan J. Colletti, Daniel A. Harrington, Thomas S. Matthiesen, David Simpson, Saik Kia Goh, Brandon L. Walker, Graça Almeida-Porada, Deli Wang, Carl L. Backer, Samuel C. Dudley, Loren E. Wold, Sunjay Kaushal
Journal: Circulation (2011)

Human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs) may promote myocardial regeneration in adult ischemic myocardium. The regenerative capacity of hCPCs in young patients with nonischemic congenital heart defects for potential use in congenital heart defect repair warrants exploration.Human right atrial specimens were obtained during routine congenital cardiac surgery across 3 groups: neonates (age, <30 days), infants (age, 1 month to 2 years), and children (age, >2 to ≤13 years). C-kit(+) hCPCs were 3-fold higher in neonates than in children >2 years of age. hCPC proliferation was greatest during the neonatal period as evidenced by c-kit(+) Ki67(+) expression but decreased with age. hCPC differentiation capacity was also greatest in neonatal right atrium as evidenced by c-kit(+), NKX2-5(+), NOTCH1(+), and NUMB(+) expression. Despite the age-dependent decline in resident hCPCs, we isolated and expanded right atrium-derived CPCs from all patients (n=103) across all ages and diagnoses using the cardiosphere method. Intact cardiospheres contained a mix of heart-derived cell subpopulations that included cardiac progenitor cells expressing c-kit(+), Islet-1, and supporting cells. The number of c-kit(+)-expressing cells was highest in human cardiosphere-derived cells (hCDCs) grown from neonatal and infant right atrium. Furthermore, hCDCs could differentiate into diverse cardiovascular lineages by in vitro differentiation assays. Transplanted hCDCs promoted greater myocardial regeneration and functional improvement in infarcted myocardium than transplanted cardiac fibroblasts.Resident hCPCs are most abundant in the neonatal period and rapidly decrease over time. hCDCs can be reproducibly isolated and expanded from young human myocardial samples regardless of age or diagnosis. hCPCs are functional and have potential in congenital cardiac repair.
DNA demethylases target promoter transposable elements to positively regulate stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Tuan-Ngoc Le, Ulrike Schumann, Neil A Smith, Sameer Tiwari, Phil Chi Khang Au, Qian-Hao Zhu, Jennifer M Taylor, Kemal Kazan, Danny J Llewellyn, Ren Zhang, Elizabeth S Dennis, Ming-Bo Wang
Journal: Genome biology (2014)

DNA demethylases regulate DNA methylation levels in eukaryotes. Arabidopsis encodes four DNA demethylases, DEMETER (DME), REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2), and DML3. While DME is involved in maternal specific gene expression during seed development, the biological function of the remaining DNA demethylases remains unclear.We show that ROS1, DML2, and DML3 play a role in fungal disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A triple DNA demethylase mutant, rdd (ros1 dml2 dml3), shows increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We identify 348 genes differentially expressed in rdd relative to wild type, and a significant proportion of these genes are downregulated in rdd and have functions in stress response, suggesting that DNA demethylases maintain or positively regulate the expression of stress response genes required for F. oxysporum resistance. The rdd-downregulated stress response genes are enriched for short transposable element sequences in their promoters. Many of these transposable elements and their surrounding sequences show localized DNA methylation changes in rdd, and a general reduction in CHH methylation, suggesting that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), responsible for CHH methylation, may participate in DNA demethylase-mediated regulation of stress response genes. Many of the rdd-downregulated stress response genes are downregulated in the RdDM mutants nrpd1 and nrpe1, and the RdDM mutants nrpe1 and ago4 show enhanced susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection.Our results suggest that a primary function of DNA demethylases in plants is to regulate the expression of stress response genes by targeting promoter transposable element sequences.
Biochemical indices of response to hydroxychloroquine and sodium aurothiomalate in rheumatoid arthritis.
Authors: J S Dixon, M E Pickup, H A Bird, M R Lee, V Wright, W W Downie
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1981)

Biochemical and clinical changes have been monitored in 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with either hydroxychloroquine or sodium aurothiomalate over a period of 6 months. Acute-phase reactants improved in both treatment groups, while serum sulphydryl and serum histidine improved only in the gold-treated patients. Correlation matrices were constructed from mean clinical and biochemical data at successive clinic visits. Correlations obtained with gold were more frequent and of a higher level of significance than those obtained with hydroxychloroquine at the doses we studied. This lends support to the use of correlation matrices as a screening test for potential long-term antirheumatoid activity of drugs in man.
Management and outcome of acute chest pain: influence of age and the use of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging
Authors: Ashish Gupta, Robert C. Hendel, Robin Ruthazer, Gary V. Heller, Harry P. Selker, Joni R. Beshansky, Hector J. Pope, Robert H. Woolard, James E. Udelson
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2002)
Carriage of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the Upper Respiratory Tract of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Children: An Observational Study
Authors: Emiel B. M. Spuesens, Pieter L. A. Fraaij, Eline G. Visser, Theo Hoogenboezem, Wim C. J. Hop, Léon N. A. van Adrichem, Frank Weber, Henriette A. Moll, Berth Broekman, Marjolein Y. Berger, Tineke van Rijsoort-Vos, Alex van Belkum, Martin Schutten, Suzan D. Pas, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus, Nico G. Hartwig, Cornelis Vink, Annemarie M. C. van Rossum
Journal: PLoS Medicine (2013)

Background Mycoplasma pneumoniae is thought to be a common cause of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children. The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae RTIs currently relies on serological methods and/or the detection of bacterial DNA in the upper respiratory tract (URT). It is conceivable, however, that these diagnostic methods also yield positive results if M. pneumoniae is carried asymptomatically in the URT. Positive results from these tests may therefore not always be indicative of a symptomatic infection. The existence of asymptomatic carriage of M. pneumoniae has not been established. We hypothesized that asymptomatic carriage in children exists and investigated whether colonization and symptomatic infection could be differentiated by current diagnostic methods. Methods and Findings This study was conducted at the Erasmus MC–Sophia Children's Hospital and the after-hours General Practitioners Cooperative in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Asymptomatic children (n = 405) and children with RTI symptoms (n = 321) aged 3 mo to 16 y were enrolled in a cross-sectional study from July 1, 2008, to November 30, 2011. Clinical data, pharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens, and serum samples were collected. The primary objective was to differentiate between colonization and symptomatic infection with M. pneumoniae by current diagnostic methods, especially real-time PCR. M. pneumoniae DNA was detected in 21.2% (95% CI 17.2%–25.2%) of the asymptomatic children and in 16.2% (95% CI 12.2%–20.2%) of the symptomatic children (p = 0.11). Neither serology nor quantitative PCR nor culture differentiated asymptomatic carriage from infection. A total of 202 children were tested for the presence of other bacterial and viral pathogens. Two or more pathogens were found in 56% (63/112) of the asymptomatic children and in 55.5% (50/90) of the symptomatic children. Finally, longitudinal sampling showed persistence of M. pneumoniae in the URT for up to 4 mo. Fifteen of the 21 asymptomatic children with M. pneumoniae and 19 of the 22 symptomatic children with M. pneumoniae in this longitudinal follow-up tested negative after 1 mo. Conclusions Although our study has limitations, such as a single study site and limited sample size, our data indicate that the presence of M. pneumoniae in the URT is common in asymptomatic children. The current diagnostic tests for M. pneumoniae are unable to differentiate between asymptomatic carriage and symptomatic infection. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
P2-065: Value of Cyfra 21-1 (C21) as determinant of survival, predictor of disease course and asssistant of therapeutic decisions in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts): a large 15-year study.
Authors: Pedro Barradas, Margarida Cristóvão, Agostinho Costa, Paula Alves, Maria J. Melo
Journal: Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2007)
SERUM LEVELS OF GAMMA-GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE PREDICT CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROGRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE UNDER OPTIMAL MEDICAL THERAPY
Authors: Luigi M. Biasucci, Roberta Della Bona, Nicola Cosentino, Gianpaolo Niccoli, Silvia Minelli, Massimo Gustapane, Pio Cialdella, Flavia Bellone, Eloisa Basile, Gina Biasillo, Filippo Crea
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2011)
Report highlights "fundamental weaknesses" in Scottish NHS
Authors: B. Christie
Journal: BMJ (2010)

Staff seem to have been employed in the Scottish NHS in jobs of no productive value during years of financial growth, a report from the Scottish Parliament’s health committee says.

Between 2002 and 2009 the number of medical staff in Scottish hospitals doubled, and there was a 76% increase in nursing staff. The report says, however, that hospital workload increased by considerably less than this. 

This “raises issues about the way the NHS system has been overseen and the way NHS Boards are made accountable for the use of limited funds,” it …
Immune Deficiency Foundation: medical research, awareness
Authors: Kathryn Simmons
Journal: JAMA (1984)

Not the least of problems associated with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) are the grief and solitude felt by the patient's parents. Because SCID is such a rare disease, these parents are often alone, at least when they come  visit their child at the hospital.  But being alone on a hospital ward does not have  mean solitude, especially for the 800 or so members of a national nonprofit organization, the Immune Deficiency Foundation. Founded three years ago by Marcia Boyle  develop a support network, the foundation's membership comprises family, friends, nurses, and physicians of patients with any of the primary immunodeficiency diseases. (Boyle, who is president of the organization, says she has had very few inquiries from patients or families of patients withacquiredimmunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS], probably because there are so many support groups devoted solely  them.)  The Immune Deficiency Foundation's ultimate goals are to support
Inactivation of penicillin by purulent exudates.
Authors: J de Louvois, R Hurley
Journal: BMJ (1977)

Four of 22 specimens of human pus inactivated up to 90% of added penicillin within one hour in vitro. Ampicillin and cephaloridine were also inactivated, but streptomycin and fusidic acid were not. The effect was not related to the protein content of the pus, nor to its pH value. Microbes that may produce beta-lactamase in small quantities were isolated from three of the four specimens, but the enzyme was not detected in the pus by physical methods nor by microbiological inhibition assay. The inactivating effect was shown to be a property of the solid portion of the pus, and was absent from the filtrate. We suggest that the effect may be an intrinsic property of the host, which should be investigated further as it has important implications for clinical practice.
Overdo$ed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine
Authors: Ray Moynihan
Journal: BMJ (2004)

With so much negativity towards medicine these days, many doctors must be contemplating ear-plugs and wondering why they are bothering. Thanks to Harvard University researcher and family doctor John Abramson, that negativity is about to be turned up a notch. His book is the latest in a series of searing indictments of a medical profession apparently duped by the false promise of technology, and too often compromised by cold hard cash from the companies selling the drugs and devices. Yet this book comes with a refreshing respect for the healing potential of the doctor-patient relationship, and a clear commitment to making the healthcare system more humane. The title speaks of the United States, but the themes are global.

Much of the material about drug companies distorting science will be familiar to many readers, but there is a freshness here that carries great appeal. The author combines his personal journey towards increasing scepticism with a clear analysis of where the American health system is failing. The book's focus is …
Increased Serum Levels of Lipoprotein(a) in Diabetes Mellitus and Their Reduction With Glycemic Control
Authors: E. Bruckert, P. Davidoff, A. Grimaldi, J. Truffert, P. Giral, R. Doumith, F. Thervet, J. L. De Gennes
Journal: JAMA (1990)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> It has been said inThe Journal<sup>1</sup>that serum levels of lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) are genetically determined and are poorly influenced either by dietary measures or by hypolipidemic drugs. Substantial epidemiologic<sup>2-4</sup>data support a potential relationship between serum levels of Lp(a) and atherosclerotic disease. Atherosclerotic disease is the most common complication of diabetes, especially in case of poor glycemic control<sup>5</sup>; however, the mechanism whereby such complication arises is not well understood. We have found high serum levels of Lp(a) in 10 poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetics when compared withnondiabetic control subjects (46.1 ±6.3 and 20.6 ±4.9 mg/dL, respectively). Twenty-one days after control of blood glucose levels, Lp(a) levels were dramatically decreased (Table) and a significant correlation was found between the percentage reduction in serum Lp(a) level and the percentage decrease in the concentration of both fasting blood glucose (<i>r</i>=.877;<i>P</i>&lt;.01) and glycosylated
<i>N</i>-of-1 (Single-Patient) Trials for Statin-Related Myalgia
Authors: Tisha R. Joy, Alaa Monjed, Guang Yong Zou, Robert A. Hegele, Charlotte G. McDonald, Jeffrey L. Mahon
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Background: Statin-related myalgia is difficult to distinguish from other conditions causing myalgia and may often lead to statin discontinuation. Objective: To compare the effect of statin rechallenge with placebo in patients with prior statin-related myalgia and to determine whether patients resumed statin therapy after evaluating the results. Design: N-of-1 trial with 3 double-blind, crossover comparisons separated by 3-week washout periods. (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01259791) Setting: Tertiary care lipid clinic. Patients: Patients with prior statin-related myalgia with or without mild elevation of creatine kinase levels. Intervention: Rechallenge with the statin that was previously associated with myalgia within 3 weeks of open-label use versus matching placebo. Measurements: Weekly visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for myalgia and specific symptoms (VAS myalgia score and symptom-specific VAS score, respectively), pain interference scores, and pain severity scores were recorded during the 3-week periods when patients were receiving placebo or statin. The primary outcome was the VAS myalgia score (range, 0 to 100 mm). Results: Eight patients (mean age, 66 years [SD, 8 years]; 88% women, all with high 10-year Framingham cardiovascular risk) participated in n-of-1 trials. Seven patients completed 3 treatment pairs, and 1 completed 2 treatment pairs. For each n-of-1 trial, no statistically significant differences were seen between statin and placebo in the VAS myalgia score, symptom-specific VAS score, pain interference score, and pain severity score. Five patients resumed open-label statin treatment, with a median posttrial follow-up of 10 months. Limitation: Results are limited by the small sample size and cannot be extended to patients with longer onset of myalgia after statin initiation. Conclusion: In selected patients with a history of statin-related myalgia whose symptoms are difficult to evaluate, n-of-1 trials may be a useful method for determining statin tolerability. Primary Funding Source: Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Interaction of alkylmercuric compounds with sodium selenite. I. Metabolism of ethylmercuric chloride administered alone and in combination with sodium selenite in rats.
Authors: E A Brzeźnicka, J Chmielnicka
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1981)

The effect of sodium selenite administered intragastrically in repeated doses to rats receiving ethylmercuric chloride po in various repeated doses (0.25 or 2.5 mg Hg/kg) on the excretion, whole-body retention, and organ distribution of mercury was studied. Selenium was found to affect the distribution of ethylmercury among tissues and subcellular fractions of the kidneys and liver as well as its binding to proteins of soluble fractions in these organs. Similarities and differences between the effect of interaction of sodium selenite with ethylmercuric chloride and methylmercury as well as inorganic mercury are also discussed.