tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Traditional Chinese practitioner breaches Medicine Act
Authors: L. Eaton
Journal: BMJ (2010)

A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner has been given a two year conditional discharge after breaching the Medicines Act 1968 by prescribing a traditional medicine—one banned in the United Kingdom—which doctors believe caused irreversible damage to a patient’s health. The judge in the Old Bailey case decided, however, that the practitioner had not intentionally harmed the patient

The product, Longdan Xie Gan Wan, was given for five years to a woman who had a skin complaint. Patricia Booth went on to have kidney failure, develop cancer, and have a heart attack. She now undergoes dialysis three times a week. Doctors have attributed these conditions to the Chinese medicine, which was taken orally.

The legal action was brought by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. It discovered that the …
Uric in Sickle Acid Excretion Cell Anemia
Authors: Barry R. Walker
Journal: JAMA (1971)

Hyperuricemia of unknown etiology has been associated occasionally with sickle cell anemia (SS). Asymptomatic SS patients were compared to normal volunteers, with the former showing a significant increase in the ratio of total uric acid to creatinine excretion suggesting increased purine synthesis. There was no difference between the two groups in the ratio of uric acid to creatinine clearance (C<sub>Ur</sub>/C<sub>Cr</sub>), nor were there abnormalities in peripheral lactate and pyruvate levels in the SS group. When the SS patients were separated into those with hyperuricemia and those without, there was a significant decrease in C<sub>Ur</sub>and C<sub>Ur</sub>/C<sub>Cr</sub>in the hyperuricemics. These findings suggest that hyperuricemia in SS patients occurs when defective renal function is superimposed on the excessive purine synthesis. It is not known whether the hyperuricemia or uricosuria plays any role in sickle cell nephropathy.
Fatal Hepatic Necrosis Secondary to Isoniazid Therapy
Authors: Raymond Cohen
Journal: JAMA (1961)

ISONICOTINIC acid hydrazine (INH) is one of the drugs presently used in the treatment of tuberculosis. Toxic reactions of this drug, usually mild, have been estimated to occur in 5 per cent of patients. 1 The most common type of reaction is an effect upon the central nervous system and the production of peripheral neuropathies. 2 Less commonly, dermatitis, drug fever, leukopenia, purpura, and jaundice have been reported. 1 As of 1960 6 cases of jaundice suspected of being due to INH in patients receiving average therapeutic doses have been reported. 2-6 In all of the reported cases, other potentially hepatotoxic antitubercular drugs such as streptomycin and/or para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) were also given, making the final evaluation difficult. This report describes a case of fulminating submassive necrotic hepatitis associated with isoniazid administration.  Report of a Case  First Admission.—  A 50-year-old Negro male was first admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital,
Guidelines of care for actinic keratoses
Authors: None Committee on Guidelines of Care, Lynn A Drake, Roger I Ceilley, Raymond L Cornelison, William L Dobes, William Dorner, Robert W Goltz, Gloria F Graham, Charles W Lewis, Stuart J Salasche, Maria L Chanco Turner, Barbara J Lowery, None Task Force on Actinic Keratoses, David P Clark, Richard J Feinstein, Gloria Graham
Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (1995)
Sex Pattern and Size of Family
Authors: M. H. Thomas
Journal: BMJ (1951)

The influence of sex composition patterns on family size was studied in 3 generations of 196 Scottish families in Glasgow in 1947.  In the present generation 30 of 70 families with 2 children of different sex continued to have children while the remainder did not.  In those families in which the first 2 children were of the same sex 52 of 85 continued to increase their family size.  It appeared assuming that family size was deliberately limited that the number of children rather than the sex was the determining factor in the present generation family plan.  A similar tendency was observed in families in the parents generation even though more families continued to have children.  Examination of the procreative tendencies of families on the basis of the first 3 children did not reveal any significant difference suggesting that the decision to have more children is based on the number of children and not on their sex.  If the tendencies described become more pronounced the future size of the family will be smaller.
Insulin and IGF-I attenuate the coronary vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 but not of sarafotoxin 6c
Authors: D Hasdai
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1998)

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) attenuate endothelin-induced contraction of porcine coronary epicardial arteries in vitro. Background: Endothelin-induced coronary vasoconstriction is mediated by two types of receptors, A (ETA) and B (ETB), resulting in calcium influx. Both insulin and IGF-I attenuate endothelin-induced calcium influx into porcine coronary artery smooth muscle. Methods: Epicardial arteries harvested from juvenile pigs were contracted with cumulative concentrations of endothelin-1 (ETA- and ETB-receptor agonist; 10−10–10−6 M) or of sarafotoxin-6c (ETB-receptor agonist; 10−11–10−7 M). In additional experiments, endothelin-1 or sarafotoxin-6c were added after incubation with 10−8 M regular insulin or IGF-I. These experiments were repeated in vessels without endothelium. Contraction for each vessel was calculated relative to the response to 60 mM KCl. Results: The maximal contractions to endothelin-1 in vessels with and without endothelium were 158±8 and 200±21%, respectively (p<0.05 at 10−8.5–10−6.5 M). Both insulin (at 10−7–10−6 M) and IGF-I (at 10−6.5–10−6 M) attenuated the contraction to endothelin-1 in vessels with intact endothelium, as well as in vessels without endothelium (at 10−7 and 10−6 M for insulin and 10−7.5–10−6 M for IGF-I). The maximal contractions to sarafotoxin-6c in vessels with and without endothelium were 54±13 and 84±7%, respectively (p<0.05 at 10−9, 10−8.5 and 10−7 M). Insulin and IGF-I did not affect the response to sarafotoxin-6c in vessels with and without endothelium. Conclusion: Insulin and IGF-I attenuated ETA-receptor-mediated coronary contraction through an endothelium-independent mechanism. The IGF axis may serve as an endogenous modulator of endothelin-mediated vasoconstriction.
HYPOCOAGULABILITY OF IRRADIATED PLASMAS
Authors: Seymour S. Cutler
Journal: JAMA (1952)

ABSTRACT To the Editor:— Our paper on Hypocoagulability of Certain Irradiated Plasmas, in The Journal, July 22, 1950, page 1057, has provoked a reinvestigation of our work by Kaplan and Friedman (Effects of Ultraviolet-Ray Irradiation on Clotting Mechanism of Plasma, J. A. M. A.147:229 [Sept. 15] 1951), in which they conclude that our ideas are erroneous and our conclusions untenable. We wish now to compare our original statements and the data of Kaplan and Friedman, which supposedly refute our findings.We examined the coagulability of various lots of human plasmas, irradiated, unirradiated, fresh, lyophilized, and plasma stored in liquid form. Irradiated liquid plasma, prepared and distributed by the Michael Reese Research Foundation, could not be coagulated by thrombin, even when applied in great concentrations. We stated that this phenomenon is due to the effect of ultraviolet irradiation. Kaplan and Friedman challenge this statement and set up two experiments to
Characterization of rabbit ileal receptors for Clostridium difficile toxin A. Evidence for a receptor-coupled G protein.
Authors: C Pothoulakis, J T LaMont, R Eglow, N Gao, J B Rubins, T C Theoharides, B F Dickey
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1991)

The purpose of this study was to characterize the surface receptor for toxin A, the enterotoxin from Clostridium difficile, on rabbit intestinal brush borders (BB) and on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells. Purified toxin A was radiolabeled using a modified Bolton-Hunter method to sp act 2 microCi/micrograms, with retention of full biologic activity. 3H-Toxin A bound specifically to a single class of receptors on rabbit BB and on RBL cells with dissociation constants of 5.4 x 10(-8) and 3.5 x 10(-8) M, respectively. RBL cells were highly sensitive to toxin A (cell rounding) and had 180,000 specific binding sites per cell, whereas IMR-90 fibroblasts were far less sensitive to toxin A and lacked detectable specific binding sites. Exposure of BB to trypsin or chymotrypsin significantly reduced 3H-toxin A specific binding. Preincubation of BB with Bandeirea simplicifolia (BS-1) lectin also reduced specific binding, and CHAPS-solubilized receptors could be immobilized with WGA-agarose. The addition of 100 nM toxin A accelerated the association of 35S-GTP gamma S with rabbit ileal BB, and preincubation of BB with the GTP analogues GTP gamma S or Gpp(NH)p, significantly reduced 3H-toxin A specific binding. Our data indicate that the membrane receptor for toxin A is a galactose and N-acetyl-glucosamine-containing glycoprotein which appears to be coupled to a G protein.
Sleep apnoea: time to consider clock genes
Authors: S. Andreas, G. Eichele
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2008)

Most, and perhaps all, cells harbour a circadian clock. These clocks regulate hundreds of physiological processes, ranging from body temperature and sleep–wake cycle to serum cortisol and melatonin concentration. All clocks operate using a very similar molecular mechanism; they communicate with each other through a complex and still poorly understood neuroendocrine network 1. In the mammalian brain, for example, a key clock gene known as Bmal is turned on and off in a 24-h rhythm, not only in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (the seat of the master clock) but also in the hippocampus and neocortex 1. It is therefore expected that many processes occurring in the neocortex are subject to clock control. The question, then, is how such control is achieved and which neuoendocrine regulators play a role. The study by Burioka et al. 2 presented in the current issue of the European Respiratory Journal ( ERJ ) contributes significantly towards addressing this question.

The circadian rhythm of vigilance, blood pressure, sympathetic activity, corticoid biogenesis and metabolism is severely altered in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Given the previously sketched importance of clock genes in the genesis of circadian rhythm, investigation of circadian gene activation in OSA patients seems to hold promise. Burioka et al. 2 have quantified the expression of the clock gene Per1 mRNA in peripheral blood cells using real-time PCR analysis at different points over 24 h. In contrast to the matched …
Medical Resources on the Internet
Authors: Jerry V. Glowniak
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1995)

Advances in telecommunications technology in the last decade have fostered the development of computer networks that allow access to vast amounts of information and services. Of the many computer networks that have been developed, the most prominent is the Internet. Originally intended to be a way to share computing resources among academic and research institutions in the United States, the Internet has gradually evolved into a worldwide network of computers that provides various services reflecting the eclectic nature of its component networks. The recent upsurge in interest in the Internet is due to several mutually reinforcing factors: increased ease and availability of access to the Internet, lower access charges, faster communications, and more organizations offering commercial and noncommercial services over the Internet. Of particular interest to the medical community is the large and increasing number of technical, scientific, and biomedical resources that can be accessed through the Internet. Most large medical centers have publicly accessible information, and some large organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, have extensive databases and services that can be used by medical researchers, clinicians, and educators. In addition, many medical organizations and some medical journals are advertising their services over the Internet and can be contacted through electronic mail. As the cost of telecommunications decreases and the speed of telecommunications increases, new forms of computer communication, such as long-distance, real-time audio, and video services will become available. Computer networks in general and the Internet in particular are likely to play more important roles in many aspects of medicine in the future.
Apolipoprotein B metabolism in subjects with deficiency of apolipoproteins CIII and AI. Evidence that apolipoprotein CIII inhibits catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by lipoprotein lipase in vivo.
Authors: H N Ginsberg, N A Le, I J Goldberg, J C Gibson, A Rubinstein, P Wang-Iverson, R Norum, W V Brown
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1986)

Previous data suggest that apolipoprotein (apo) CIII may inhibit both triglyceride hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and apo E-mediated uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by the liver. We studied apo B metabolism in very low density (VLDL), intermediate density (IDL), and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in two sisters with apo CIII-apo AI deficiency. The subjects had reduced levels of VLDL triglyceride, normal LDL cholesterol, and near absence of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Compartmental analysis of the kinetics of apo B metabolism after injection of 125I-VLDL and 131I-LDL revealed fractional catabolic rates (FCR) for VLDL apo B that were six to seven times faster than normal. Simultaneous injection of [3H]glycerol demonstrated rapid catabolism of VLDL triglyceride. VLDL apo B was rapidly and efficiently converted to IDL and LDL. The FCR for LDL apo B was normal. In vitro experiments indicated that, although sera from the apo CIII-apo-AI deficient patients were able to normally activate purified LPL, increasing volumes of these sera did not result in the progressive inhibition of LPL activity demonstrable with normal sera. Addition of purified apo CIII to the deficient sera resulted in 20-50% reductions in maximal LPL activity compared with levels of activity attained with the same volumes of the native, deficient sera. These in vitro studies, together with the in vivo results, indicate that in normal subjects apo CIII can inhibit the catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by lipoprotein lipase.
Reply to Apul Goel and Sagorika Paul's Letter to the Editor re: Tim O’Brien, Eleanor Ray, Rajinder Singh, Bola Coker, Ralph Beard, British Association of Urological Surgeons Section of Oncology. Prevention of Bladder Tumours after Nephroureterectomy for Primary Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Prospective, Multicentre, Randomised Clinical Trial of a Single Postoperative Intravesical Dose of Mitomycin C (the ODMIT-C Trial). Eur Urol 2011;60:703–10
Authors: Tim O'Brien
Journal: European Urology (2011)
The preservation of academic freedom: Tenure is not enough
Authors: Elizabeth A. Franz, Harlene Hayne
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2006)

The original purpose of tenure has become clouded by the process by which it is granted. In New Zealand, tenure and academic freedom are separate, with academic freedom protected by legislation. Clearly, tenure is neither necessary nor sufficient to protect academic freedom. Individuals and universities must do more to guard academic freedom in order to encourage, nurture, and protect it.
The Clinical Use of Diuretics
Authors: Howard S. Frazier, Henry Yager
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1973)

Renal Regulation of Salt and Water BalancesRENAL mechanisms normally maintain the salt content of the extracellular compartment within narrow limits. Although abnormal retention of sodium may result from a reduction in glomerular filtration rate, such as occurs in acute glomerulonephritis, the accumulation of sodium and formation of edema are more commonly due to the same mechanisms that are responsible for the adaptive conservation of salt in states of extracellular-volume depletion. These mechanisms are activated by the reduction in actual or "effective" plasma volume associated with hypoalbuminemia or cardiac failure and, somewhat ideologically, can be viewed as an effort on . . .
Illness behaviour in patients with arthritis.
Authors: M J Ahern, A C McFarlane, A Leslie, J Eden, P J Roberts-Thomson
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (1995)

To determine if there are specific patterns of illness behaviour in patients with arthritis, and if abnormal patterns of illness behaviour are associated with withdrawal from trials of anti-inflammatory drugs, and to examine which aspects of illness behaviour are perceived by rheumatologist to be related to the disease process.The illness behaviour questionnaire (IBQ) was administered to 211 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 107 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) participating in five drug trials of NSAIDs at the beginning of the studies, and was commented upon by 17 clinical rheumatologists.Factor analysis of 211 patients with RA produced a unique factor solution. RA patients were more preoccupied with their illness and its effects and worried more about their health than patients with OA. Patients who withdrew from drug trials showed behaviour patterns similar to those of chronic pain patients, and different from those of patients who completed the studies. When asked to account for a rheumatoid patient's response to the IBQ, rheumatologists focused on physical symptoms and did not recognise some of the psychological issues which patients saw as being relevant.We have demonstrated differences in illness behaviour between patients with OA and with RA. Patients withdrawing from drug trials of NSAIDs showed differences in illness behaviour compared with those successfully completing the trials. Rheumatologists underestimated the impact of the disease on their RA patients' psychological well being.
Human Cytomegalovirus Inhibits Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Expression By Disruption of the Jak/Stat Pathway
Authors: Daniel M. Miller, Brian M. Rahill, Jeremy M. Boss, Michael D. Lairmore, Joan E. Durbin, James W. Waldman, Daniel D. Sedmak
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1998)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that is able to persist for decades in its host. HCMV has evolved protean countermeasures for anti-HCMV cellular immunity that facilitate establishment of persistence. Recently it has been shown that HCMV inhibits interferon γ (IFN-γ)–stimulated MHC class II expression, but the mechanism for this effect is unknown. IFN-γ signal transduction (Jak/Stat pathway) and class II transactivator (CIITA) are required components for IFN-γ–stimulated MHC class II expression. In this study, we demonstrate that both a clinical isolate and a laboratory strain of HCMV inhibit inducible MHC class II expression at the cell surface and at RNA level in human endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Moreover, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analyses demonstrate that neither CIITA nor interferon regulatory factor 1 are upregulated in infected cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays reveal a defect in IFN-γ signal transduction, which was shown by immunoprecipitation to be associated with a striking decrease in Janus kinase 1 (Jak1) levels. Proteasome inhibitor studies with carboxybenzyl-leucyl-leucyl-leucine vinyl sulfone suggest an HCMV-associated enhancement of Jak1 protein degradation. This is the first report of a mechanism for the HCMV-mediated disruption of inducible MHC class II expression and a direct virus-associated alteration in Janus kinase levels. These findings are yet another example of the diverse mechanisms by which HCMV avoids immunosurveillance and establishes persistence.
Evaluation of Patients with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy
Authors: C. Harcup, H.J. Baier, A.E. Pitchenik
Journal: Endoscopy (1985)

Hospital records were reviewed on 78 consecutive patients (33 homosexuals, 37 Haitians and 8 IV drug abusers) who had AIDS and who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy over a two year period. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was the most common bronchoscopic finding (53.8% of patients) followed by tuberculosis (14.1%), cytomegalovirus infection (12.8%) and atypical mycobacteriosis (3.8%). In 15.4% of patients multiple organisms were found. Twenty-seven percent of patients had non-diagnostic bronchoscopies. In 8 patients with non-diagnostic bronchoscopies, open-lung biopsy or autopsy revealed PCP (2 patients), Kaposi's sarcoma (3 patients) and non-specific lymphocytic-plasmacytic infiltrates (3 patients). Histologic studies of transbronchial biopsy specimens were more sensitive for the diagnosis of PCP than touch imprints. PCP was diagnosed in 15 patients who had received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for up to 4 days. Mean duration of respiratory symptoms prior to bronchoscopy was 4.2 weeks in patients with PCP and was not significantly different in patients with other bronchoscopic diagnoses. Historical, laboratory and chest radiographic parameters were not helpful in establishing a diagnosis or assessing prognosis in these AIDS patients with pulmonary infiltrates. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy is safe (only one of the patients had a self limited hemorrhagic episode) and sensitive for the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in patients with AIDS.