tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Diabetes in Hong Kong Chinese: evidence for familial clustering and parental effects.
Authors: S C Lee, Y B Pu, C C Chow, V T Yeung, G T Ko, W Y So, J K Li, W B Chan, R C Ma, J A Critchley, C S Cockram, J C Chan
Journal: Diabetes Care (2000)

To investigate transmission patterns of diabetes and their relationships with clinical characteristics in Hong Kong Chinese patients with late-onset (age > or =35 years) type 2 diabetes.This study involved 2,310 patients consecutively selected from a hospital clinic-based diabetes registry. These patients all reported the diabetes status of their parents as well as siblings.Approximately 36% of the 2,310 patients reported at least 1 affected parent or sibling (25 and 21% reported at least 1 diabetic parent and sibling, respectively). These patients, irrespective of their sex, were more likely to have a diabetic mother than a diabetic father (17 vs. 13% of the male patients and 18 vs. 9% of the female patients, P<0.01). The male patients were more likely than the female patients to have a diabetic father (13 vs. 9%, P<0.01). The female patients with a diabetic mother were found to have higher levels of plasma total cholesterol compared with the female patients with a diabetic father in multiple comparisons with adjustment for significance (5.56+/-1.30 vs. 5.09+/-0.95 mmol/l, P<0.05). In 2-group comparisons, there was also evidence that the male patients with a diabetic father had higher BMI values than the male patients with a diabetic mother (25.9+/-3.5 vs. 25.0+/-3.5 kg/m2, P<0.05).We found familial clustering of diabetes in the Hong Kong Chinese population as well as a significant maternal influence and a male sex-specific paternal effect. We suggest that both maternal and paternal factors may be implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes in the Chinese population.
Poor countries should use flexibility in global trade agreement to improve access to antiretrovirals, says report
Authors: J. Zarocostas
Journal: BMJ (2011)

Low income countries can use flexibility in the global trade accord that oversees intellectual property rights to improve patients’ access to antiretrovirals by making cheaper generic drugs more available, says a new United Nations briefing paper.

“The use of these policy options and other flexibilities can . . . help to increase supply and availability of necessary medicines,” says the policy brief, which was compiled by UNAIDS (the joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS), the World Health Organization, and the UN Development Programme.

The report notes that greater availability of generic antiretrovirals has reduced the annual price of treatment per person by nearly 99% over the past decade, from more than $10 000 (£6200; €7200) in 2000 to less than $120 in …
Left ventricular function and the relationship between left atrial pressure and peak early diastolic filling velocity in dog
Authors: S. Nakatani, S. Beppu, K. Miyatake, Y. Nimura
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1992)

Objective: The aim was to clarify the roles of left atrial pressure and ventricular function in the determination of early diastolic filling. Methods: Various grades of ventricular dysfunction were made in 12 mongrel dogs by coronary microembolisation under pentobarbitone anaesthesia. Left atrial pressure was altered by volume loading. Peak early diastolic filling velocity was measured using pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Ventricular fractional shortening was measured using M mode echocardiography. Results: Peak early filling velocity increased as left atrial pressure increased. There was a direct relationship between mean left atrial pressure and the velocity before and after induction of ventricular dysfunction. The slope of the regression line between mean left atrial pressure and peak early filling velocity decreased as the grade of the dysfunction increased. There was a significant correlation between the slope of the regression line and mean left ventricular fractional shortening (r = 0.65, n=31, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Early diastolic filling was affected by both left atrial pressure and left ventricular function. These facts are useful in interpreting the various transmitral flow patterns observed clinically.
Bronchial allergen challenge in subjects with low levels of allergic sensitization to indoor allergens
Authors: AM Witteman, HM Jansen, JS Van Der Zee, M Mulder, RC Aalberse, AM Witteman
Journal: Allergy (1999)

Low skin reactivity to common inhalant allergens is frequently found in asymptomatic individuals as well as in patients with respiratory complaints. However, most studies on bronchial allergen challenge concern patients with high levels of allergic sensitization. The present study was directed to bronchial reactions after allergen challenge in subjects with low skin reactivity to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or cat dander.Titrated intracutaneous skin tests, skin prick tests, specific IgE assays, histamine release on washed leukocytes, and bronchial histamine and allergen-challenge tests were performed in 20 subjects with an intracutaneous skin test threshold for cat dander (Felis domesticus) or D. pteronyssinus above 0.1 BU/ml (mean wheal diameter in skin prick test with 10000 BU/ml: 4.4mm). Ten of the 20 patients had specific IgE below the detection limit in at least one of the three IgE assays which were done. Fifteen patients had a specific IgE level below 2 kU/I in all three tests. As a positive control group, the same parameters were studied in seven moderately sensitized patients with an intracutaneous skin test threshold below 0.1 BU/ml (mean wheal diameter with 10000 BU/ml: 7.2mm).The 20 subjects with low levels of allergic sensitization had an early decrease in FEV1 of 8.6% (P<0.01) and a mean late decrease of 6.3% (P<0.05). There was a trend for decrease in PC20 histamine 24h after allergen challenge (-0.4 doubling doses, P=0.09).In this group of subjects with low levels of allergic sensitization, a statistically significant early and late decrease in FEV1 was found. However, the decrease in lung function was small and unnoticed by most patients. The increase in nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness after bronchial allergen challenge did not reach statistical significance in the study group. The results indicate that allergen exposure in patients with low levels of allergic sensitization may lead to airways changes in the absence of acute symptoms.
A CASE OF INFECTION BY STRONGYLOIDES INTESTINALIS.
Authors: J. N. HALL
Journal: JAMA (1907)

This parasite, associated with Cochin-China diarrhea, has been reported so rarely in the United States that the following case should be recorded. The exact relationship to tropical diarrheas seems not definitely established: <h3>Patient.</h3> —A Japanese ship's cook, aged 40, was admitted to my service in the Denver City and County Hospital, Oct. 18, 1906. <h3>History.</h3> —We learned that he had visited many ports in Asia and other parts of the world, had been in America seven years, in Colorado three years. He had been sick for ten weeks, although below par for three or four months. He had a slight cough, had probably lost 20 or 30 pounds in weight, and was moderately anemic. He had five to eight stools in the twenty-four hours, mushy in consistence, foul smelling and of clay, slate or dark green color. No blood nor mucus. He complained of constant pain in the abdomen, and
Family Psychiatry in Psychosomatics: Problems of Adolescence
Authors: David Rubinstein
Journal: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (1980)

Adolescents are frequently entangled in a web of transitions during their developmental journey from child to adult. These modulations include physiological and psychological changes; individual, familial and social readjustments, and alterations in the evolving family group. Psychosomatic manifestations are often target dysfunctions in the shift among various systems pivoted on the adolescent's life cycle. The family psychiatrist, acquainted with evolving systems, has been demonstrated to be in an advantageous position to design therapeutic programs for these clinical problems.
Regional and systemic metabolic effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition during exercise in patients with severe heart failure.
Authors: J Kugler, C Maskin, W H Frishman, E H Sonnenblick, T H LeJemtel
Journal: Circulation (1982)

The acute hemodynamic and metabolic effects of captopril therapy were studied in 12 patients with severe heart failure during maximal exercise performed on an upright bicycle ergometer. During the control period, exhaustion occurred after 4.2 +/- 2.7 minutes of exercise. Cardiac index increased from 1.54 +/- 0.36 l/min/m2 at rest to 3.39 +/- 1.54 l/min/m2 (p less than 0.001) at exhaustion; systemic arteriovenous oxygen difference increased from 8.8 +/- 2.1 to 12.8 +/0 2.4 ml/100 ml (p less than 0.001) and oxygen uptake from 3.4 +/- 0.5 to 10.8 +/- 3.0 ml/kg/min (p less than 0.001). Pulmonary arterial oxygen content decreased from 7.3 +/- 1.3 to 3.7 +/- 1.5 ml/100 ml (p less than 0.001) and femoral vein oxygen content from 5.0 +/- 1.7 to 2.5 +/- 1.2 ml/100 ml (p less than 0.001). During captopril therapy, cardiac index significantly increased both at rest (1.83 +/- 0.54 vs 1.54 +/- 0.36 l/min/m2, p less than 0.01) and during maximal exercise (3.67 +/- 1.51 vs 3.39 +/- 1.54 l/min/m2, p less than 0.01). Systemic arteriovenous oxygen difference decreased significantly at rest, from 8.8 +/- 2.1 to 7.7 +/- 2.1 ml/100 ml (p less than 0.01) and during maximal exercise from 12.8 +/- 2.4 to 12.3 +/- 2.2 ml/100 ml (p less than 0.01). Pulmonary arterial oxygen content at exhaustion was significantly higher during captopril therapy than during the control period (4.1 +/- 1.1 vs 3.7 +/- 1.5 ml/100 ml, p less than 0.05), while femoral venous blood content was unchanged. Captopril therapy did not significantly increase maximal oxygen uptake or exercise duration. Thus, the acute administration of captopril to patients with severe heart failure does not increase exercise capacity despite improved cardiac performance. Moreover, captopril therapy does not acutely result in metabolic benefits to the skeletal muscles during exercise.
Confidence in clinical skills is vital for GPs
Authors: C. Butler
Journal: BMJ (1995)

EDITOR,--I support J Goodwin's defence of clinical skills from the perspective of general practice1: it is in the patient's home in the middle of the night in a darkened room, where minimal bedside tests and no special investigations are available, and in the presence of anxious relatives, that some of the most difficult clinical decisions are made. Unless primary care physicians are able to elicit physical signs confidently and use them effectively to inform diagnoses they will end up simply …
A novel application of myocardial contrast echocardiography to evaluate angiogenesis by autologous bone marrow cell transplantation in chronic ischemic pig model
Authors: Hiroko Fujii, Shinji Tomita, Takeshi Nakatani, Shinya Fukuhara, Akihisa Hanatani, Yoshinori Ohtsu, Michiko Ishida, Chikao Yutani, Kunio Miyatake, Soichiro Kitamura
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2004)
Of worms, mice and man: An overview of experimental and clinical helminth-based therapy for inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Marthe Heylen, Nathalie E. Ruyssers, Els M. Gielis, Els Vanhomwegen, Paul A. Pelckmans, Tom G. Moreels, Joris G. De Man, Benedicte Y. De Winter
Journal: Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2014)
Abstract 2205: Inactivation of the <i>Gastrokine 1</i> gene in gastric adenomas and carcinomas
Authors: Jung Hwan Yoon, Jae Hwi Song, Yoo Jin Choi, Won Sang Park
Journal: Cancer Research (2011)

Abstract Gastrokine 1 (GKN1) plays an important role in the gastric mucosal defense mechanism and also acts as a functional gastric tumor suppressor. The aim of this study is to determine whether inactivation of the GKN1 gene is involved in the development and/or progression of the gastric cancers. GKN1 expression was examined in gastric adenomas and cancer by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. We also analyzed mutation and epigenetic alteration, DNA copy number change and mRNA transcript of GKN1 in gastric adenomas and carcinomas. The effect of GKN1 on cell proliferation and death was further examined in wild-type GKN1 transfected AGS gastric cancer cells. In immunohistochemistry, reduced or loss of GKN1 expression was detected in 36 (90%) and 170 (89.5%) of 40 adenomas and 190 gastric cancers, respectively. Statistically, there was no significant relationship between altered expression of GKN1 protein and clinicopathologic parameters, including depth of invasion, location, and lymph node metastasis (Chi-Square test, P&amp;gt;0.05). In Western blot analysis, absence or reduced expression was found in 21 (84.0%) of 25 gastric carcinomas. No mutation was detected in gastric tumors, and hypermethylation of GKN1 gene was found in 2 gastric cancers. Interestingly, DNA copy number and mRNA transcript of GKN1 were significantly decreased in gastric cancers. In functional analysis, AGS gastric cancer cells transfected with GKN1 wild-type showed marked inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of cell death. These data suggest that inactivation of the GKN1 gene may play an important role in the development of sporadic gastric cancers, as an early event. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2205. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2205
Health of people in rural parts of Britain is being neglected
Authors: Zosia Kmietowicz
Journal: BMJ (2005)

The healthcare needs of people living in rural parts of the United Kingdom are being neglected, as health policies continue to focus on centralising services in large cities while ignoring those of more distant communities, says a BMA report.

Up to a quarter of people in the United Kingdom live in rural settings, and research shows that for some illnesses they have worse health than people in urban areas, says the report. For example, people from more remote parts of the United Kingdom are less likely than those in …
Family accuses hospital of putting a "do not resuscitate" notice in patient's notes without her knowledge
Authors: C. Dyer
Journal: BMJ (2012)

<h3>Abstract</h3> The way in which the brain prioritises processing of information relevant for our current goals is widely contested. Many studies implicate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and propose that it drives brain-wide focus by biasing processing in favour of relevant information. An alternative, however, is that dlPFC is involved in the inhibition of irrelevant information. Here, we address this longstanding debate using the inferentially powerful approach of applying transcranial magnetic stimulation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (concurrent TMS-fMRI) and testing for changes in information coding using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). We ask whether dlPFC plays a causal role in prioritising information processing, and whether this is through <i>selection</i> of relevant information or <i>inhibition</i> of irrelevant information. Participants attended to one object feature whilst ignoring another feature of the same object. We reasoned that, if dlPFC is necessary for <i>selection</i>, active (disruptive) TMS should <i>decrease</i> coding of attended information compared to the low intensity (control) condition. Conversely, if right dlPFC is crucial for <i>inhibition</i>, active TMS should <i>increase</i> coding of irrelevant information relative to the control condition. The results showed that active TMS decreased coding of <i>relevant</i> information throughout the frontoparietal multiple demand regions, and that this impact was significantly stronger than the effect of TMS on <i>irrelevant</i> information coding, which was not statistically detectable. These data provide causal evidence for a specific role of dlPFC in supporting the representation of task-relevant information and demonstrate the crucial insights into high level cognitive-neural mechanisms possible with the combination of TMS-fMRI and MVPA.
Cardioprotection by liposome-conjugated sialyl Lewisx-oligosaccharide in myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion injury
Authors: T. Murohara, J. Margiotta, L. M. Phillips, J. C. Paulson, S. DeFrees, S. Zalipsky, L. S.S. Guo, A. M. Lefer
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1995)

Objectives. Selectins are important adhesion molecules which utilize a carbohydrate ligand such as sialyl Lewisx (SLex). Our objective was to study the effects of a liposome-conjugated SLex (Lipo-SLex) in myocardial ischaemia (MI) and reperfusion (R) injury in order to further clarify the actions of this carbohydrate. Methods. We studied the efficacy of Lipo-SLex in a feline model of MI (90 min) and R (270 min) injury in vivo. Lipo-SLex (400 μg SLex/kg, iv) was administered intravenously 10 min prior to R. We also utilized an in vitro system of neutrophil adherence to thrombin-stimulated coronary endothelium to validate the efficacy of Lipo-SLex. Results. Lipo-SLex significantly attenuated myocardial necrosis (8.6 ± 1.2 vs 29.5 ± 3.1% of area-at-risk, P < 0.01) and plasma creatine kinase activities (P < 0.01) compared to vehicle (liposome alone). Moreover, endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine and A23187 in ischaemic-reperfused coronary rings obtained from cats treated with Lipo-SLex was significantly preserved compared to cats given liposomes without SLex (P < 0.01). After reperfusion, ex vivo PMN adherence to ischaemic-reperfused coronary endothelium was significantly increased in vehicle-treated cats, however, this was significantly attenuated in Lipo-SLex-treated cats (82 ± 7 vs. 28 ± 3 PMNs/mm2, P < 0.01). Myeloperoxidase activity in the ischaemic myocardium, a marker of PMN accumulation, was also significantly attenuated in Lipo-SLex-treated cats compared to liposomes without SLex (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Liposome-conjugated SLex-oligosaccharide attenuates myocardial necrosis and preserves coronary endothelial function following MI/R in vivo. The mechanism appears to be mediated by inhibition of the initial PMN-endothelial interaction and eventual accumulation into the ischaemic cardiac tissue. The liposome-SLex complex may be an efficient drug formulation for acute inflammatory diseases.
Deictic codes for the embodiment of cognition
Authors: Dana H. Ballard, Mary M. Hayhoe, Polly K. Pook, Rajesh P. N. Rao
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (1997)

To describe phenomena that occur at different time scales, computational models of the brain must incorporate different levels of abstraction. At time scales of approximately 1/3 of a second, orienting movements of the body play a crucial role in cognition and form a useful computational level – more abstract than that used to capture natural phenomena but less abstract than what is traditionally used to study high-level cognitive processes such as reasoning. At this “embodiment level,” the constraints of the physical system determine the nature of cognitive operations. The key synergy is that at time scales of about 1/3 of a second, the natural sequentiality of body movements can be matched to the natural computational economies of sequential decision systems through a system of implicit reference called deictic in which pointing movements are used to bind objects in the world to cognitive programs. This target article focuses on how deictic bindings make it possible to perform natural tasks. Deictic computation provides a mechanism for representing the essential features that link external sensory data with internal cognitive programs and motor actions. One of the central features of cognition, working memory, can be related to moment-by-moment dispositions of body features such as eye movements and hand movements.
A Think Tank of TINK/TANKs: Tumor-Infiltrating/Tumor-Associated Natural Killer Cells in Tumor Progression and Angiogenesis
Authors: Antonino Bruno, Guido Ferlazzo, Adriana Albini, Douglas M. Noonan
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2014)

Tumor-infiltrating leukocytes are often induced by the cancer microenvironment to display a protumor, proangiogenic phenotype. This "polarization" has been described for several myeloid cells, in particular macrophages. Natural killer (NK) cells represent another population of innate immune cells able to infiltrate tumors. The role of NK in tumor progression and angiogenesis has not yet been fully investigated. Several studies have shown that tumor-infiltrating NK (here referred to as "TINKs") and tumor-associated NK (altered peripheral NK cells, which here we call "TANKs") are compromised in their ability to lysew tumor cells. Recent data have suggested that they are potentially protumorigenic and can also acquire a proangiogenic phenotype. Here we review the properties of TINKs and TANKs and compare their activities to that of NK cells endowed with a physiological proangiogenic phenotype, in particular decidual NK cells. We speculate on the potential origins of TINKs and TANKs and on the immune signals involved in their differentiation and polarization. The TINK and TANK phenotype has broad implications in the immune response to tumors, ranging from a deficient control of cancer and cancer stem cells to an altered crosstalk with other relevant players of the immune response, such as dendritic cells, to induction of cancer angiogenesis. With this recently acquired knowledge that has not yet been put into perspective, we point out new potential avenues for therapeutic intervention involving NK cells as a target or an ally in oncology.
Hazards of Restrictive Diets
Authors: T. J. Bassler
Journal: JAMA (1984)

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Recent comments by Pritikin<sup>1</sup>and others debate the safety of his diet for the general public. As a former member of Pritikin's advisory board, I can confirm several examples of clinical "improvement" of symptomatic cardiac patients in his program. However, it does not necessarily follow that his 10% fat, 10% protein diet is suitable for all. Four years ago we reported fatal "nutritional arrhythmia" among elite marathon runners.<sup>2</sup>These deaths were associated with the triad of "lowbody fat, high training mileage, and diet restriction." Several of the cases involved diets similar to the Pritikin diet. Of course, marathon runners who use tobacco have increased risk of ischemic heart disease (Table 1), but these are easy to recognize clinically. However, the autopsy did not explain some of the deaths among 14 elite marathon runners who did not smoke (Table 2). These men had become lean, almost
Head of Medicare and Medicaid steps down after just 18 months
Authors: B. Roehr
Journal: BMJ (2011)

Donald Berwick will step down from his post as administrator of the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on 2 December. His departure was expected, and the announcement was made on the afternoon of 23 November as Washington, DC, was emptying for the Thanksgiving holiday, a traditional timing gambit used to minimise news coverage.

The embattled head of the federal government’s medical insurance programmes for people aged 65 years or older and people on low incomes was nominated for the position in April 2010. He immediately ran into opposition from Republicans, who called Dr Berwick a socialist for his endorsement of the NHS in Britain. …
The severity of trauma determines the immune response to PF4/heparin and the frequency of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Norbert Lubenow, Peter Hinz, Simone Thomaschewski, Theresia Lietz, Michael Vogler, Andrea Ladwig, Michael Jünger, Matthias Nauck, Sebastian Schellong, Kathrin Wander, Georg Engel, Axel Ekkernkamp, Andreas Greinacher
Journal: Blood (2009)