tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Genetics of pulmonary hypertension: from bench to bedside
Authors: M. Humbert, R.C. Trembath
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2002)

Primary pulmonary hypertension has been described as either sporadic or clustered in families. Familial primary pulmonary hypertension segregates as an autosomal dominant trait with markedly reduced disease gene penetrance. Defects within bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II gene, coding for a receptor member of the transforming growth factor-β family, underlie familial primary pulmonary hypertension. Several lines of evidence point to the potential requirement of additional factors, either environmental or genetic, in the pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, a proportion of so-called sporadic primary pulmonary hypertension turns out to have an inherited basis, as demonstrated by germline bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II gene mutations. Analysis of cases in association with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia led to the demonstration that pulmonary arterial hypertension can involve activin-receptor-like kinase 1 mutations, a type I transforming growth factor-β receptor. These findings emphasise the critical role of the transforming growth factor-β signalling pathway in pulmonary arterial hypertension. While this achievement has generated extreme interest, the pathobiology of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension remains unclear and genomic approaches to pulmonary hypertension research may identify additional molecular determinants for this disorder. Finally, there is an urgent need to develop relevant guidelines for genetic counselling to assist patients, their relatives and pulmonary vascular specialists to utilise these recent observations.
H. Houston Merritt Memorial Volume
Authors: Donald J. Dalessio
Journal: JAMA (1983)

This book is dedicated to H. Houston Merritt, MD, the late professor of neurology at Columbia University, New York, who was widely recognized during his lifetime as one of the country's outstanding neurologists. His<i>Textbook of Neurology</i>was for years acknowledged as perhaps the best single American reference source on the subject. Adjacent to the title page, there is a fine photograph of Doctor Merritt that says much about the man. He is posed in his white coat, complete with name tag, holding a stethoscope (and not a reflex hammer), as befitting his primary role as a master clinician. His publications are listed at the end of this book. One can trace the course of his career by reviewing those publications and, with them, progress made in understanding diseases of the nervous system during the 42 years they cover. The body of this text is made up of eight essays
Long-Term Evaluation of the Risk of Recurrence After Cerebral Sinus-Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Ida Martinelli, Paolo Bucciarelli, Serena M. Passamonti, Tullia Battaglioli, Emanuele Previtali, Pier Mannuccio Mannucci
Journal: Circulation (2010)

The clinical course of cerebral sinus-venous thrombosis (CSVT) is largely unknown because prospective studies with a long follow-up and with the goal to assess thrombosis recurrence rate and predisposing factors for recurrence are lacking.One hundred forty-five patients with a first CSVT were followed up for a median of 6 years after discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment. End points were recurrent CSVT or other clinical manifestations of venous thromboembolism. CSVT recurred in 5 patients (3%) and other manifestations of venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs or pulmonary embolism) were seen in 10 additional patients (7%), for a recurrence rate of 2.03 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 3.14) for all manifestations of venous thromboembolism and 0.53 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 1.10) for CSVT. Nearly half of the recurrences occurred within the first year after discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. Risk factors for recurrent venous thrombosis were male sex (adjusted hazard ratio, 9.66; 95% confidence interval, 2.86 to 32.7) and, for thromboses other than CSVT, severe thrombophilia resulting from antithrombin, protein C, protein S deficiency, anti-phospholipid antibodies, or combined abnormalities (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 16.5).The risk of recurrent CSVT is low and is higher in the first year after discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment and among men. Mild thrombophilia abnormalities are not associated with recurrent CSVT, but severe thrombophilia entails an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs or pulmonary embolism.
Correlation Between Biochemical Indicators of Lead Exposure and Semen Quality in a Lead-Poisoned Firearms Instructor
Authors: Jocheved Fisher-Fischbein
Journal: JAMA (1987)

LEAD poisoning is a disease of great public health concern, particularly because of the hazards that lead can pose to children as a result of ingestion of lead-based paint and perhaps as a consequence of the effects of lead pollution of the ambient air.<sup>1</sup> However, lead poisoning is also a common occupational disease among adults.<sup>2</sup>Groups at high risk of developing this disorder include smelter workers,<sup>3</sup>workers engaged in flame cutting of lead-painted iron and steel structures,<sup>4</sup>and arts and craft workers. Persons who work as instructors at indoor firing ranges are likewise at high risk for occupational lead poisoning.<sup>5</sup>The typical biochemical features of lead poisoning include inhibition of heme synthesis manifested by elevated levels of erythrocyte protoporphyrin (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin and zinc protoporphyrin [ZPP]) and decreased activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase.<sup>6,7</sup>Common symptoms are nonspecific neurologic symptoms (eg, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and sleep
The Welshman in the temple
Authors: Colin Douglas
Journal: BMJ (2004)

The Welshman was very old and very, very upset. He crouched in his wheelchair, waving his stick and shouting. “What's all this then? What are they doing here? Who let them in?” The elderly woman pushing his wheelchair leaned over. “Not sure, dear… But it seems to be the modern way.” “Modern be buggered,” he shouted. “I'm not having it.” Passers-by ignored him or just cringed. A pale youth with one arm in a sling sprang backwards …
Illustrations of the Different Forms of Insanity
Authors: W. H. O. Sankey
Journal: BMJ (1865)

The primary, though not the only object, in the preventioni of these attacks of puerperal fever, will then be to procure a firm, complete, and persistent contraction of the uterus after the birth of the child, and thus effectually to shut off all circulation within the vessels of this organ.But it remains to be seen how far these conclu- sions accord with the results of previous observers.[ To be continued.]
Prognosis of Advanced Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: JOHN F. MAHER
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1974)

A follow-up study of 112 patients with advanced renal failure showed a median survival, after serum creatinine concentration exceeded 10 mg/100 ml, of 68 days in 36 patients, and an interval to the first dialysis of 51 days in 76 others. Survival decreased as serum creatinine levels increased and was shorter at any given concentration, if there was no transient decrease in serum level. One peritoneal dialysis increased survival significantly. The interval to the second of repeated dialyses did not differ significantly from survival after one or no dialysis, which was 19%, 9%, and 6% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Transient improvement in renal function occurred in 20.5% of patients, was achieved in a mean of 34 days, and persisted for a mean of 414 days; it was usually achieved by control of infection, relief of obstruction, or improved renal perfusion. The increment in serum creatinine levels varied from patient to patient and in the same patient. The mean interval required for the serum creatinine concentration to double was 376 days. Survival predictions showed a correlation coefficient of 0.216 and an error of 268 days.
My Career as a Radioisotope Hunter
Authors: Glenn T. Seaborg
Journal: JAMA (1995)

My career as a radioisotope hunter began when I was working as a young scientist in the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, during the trailblazing years in the late 1930s. I started this research in 1936 while a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Berkeley. The cyclotrons of Ernest O. Lawrence opened the doors to discovery, and as a chemist I was in the enviable position of being able to apply the powerful methods of my discipline to the identification of transmutation products. As a result of the broad interests of Ernest and his brother John, the scope of investigations in the Radiation Laboratory extended beyond basic research to include the practical interdisciplinary applications of these new tools of investigation. Special emphasis was placed on applications to medicine. Partly because of this and partly as a result of accidental good fortune, I became involved in
F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging in Left Thigh Intramuscular Myxoma
Authors: Linh Ho, Heidi Wassef, Robert Henderson, John Seto
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2009)

We report F-18 FDG PET-CT appearance of biopsy-proven intramuscular myxoma (IM) in a 69-year-old woman who presented with a left thigh mass. The tumor appears as a well-defined, hypodense mass with thin septation on CT images and mild uptake on PET images. IMs are rare benign myxoid tumors characterized by a paucity of cells, diminished vascularity, and minimal mitotic figures. They most often present as slow-growing, painless, deep-seated intramuscular masses. The mainstay of treatment is surgical resection.
Immunomodulatory effects of stem cells
Authors: Naohisa Wada, Stan Gronthos, P. Mark Bartold
Journal: Periodontology 2000 (2013)

Abstract Adult‐derived mesenchymal stem cells have received considerable attention over the past two decades for their potential use in tissue engineering, principally because of their potential to differentiate into multiple stromal‐cell lineages. Recently, the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells have attracted interest as a unique property of these cells that may be harnessed for novel therapeutic approaches in immune‐mediated diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of activated T ‐cells both in vitro and in vivo but to stimulate T ‐regulatory cell proliferation. Mesenchymal stem cells are also known to be weakly immunogenic and to exert immunosuppressive effects on B ‐cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells and neutrophils through various mechanisms. Furthermore, intravenous administration of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells has shown a marked suppression of host immune reactions in preclinical animal models of large‐organ transplant rejection and in various autoimmune‐ and inflammatory‐based diseases. Some clinical trials utilizing human mesenchymal stem cells have also produced promising outcomes in patients with graft‐vs.‐host disease and autoimmune diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells identified from various dental tissues, including periodontal ligament stem cells, also possess multipotent and immunomodulatory properties. Hence, dental mesenchymal stem cells may represent an alternate cell source, not only for tissue regeneration but also as therapies for autoimmune‐ and inflammatory‐mediated diseases. These findings have elicited interest in dental tissue mesenchymal stem cells as alternative cell sources for modulating alloreactivity during tissue regeneration following transplantation into human leukocyte antigen‐mismatched donors. To examine this potential in periodontal regeneration, future work will need to assess the capacity of allogeneic periodontal ligament stem cells to regenerate periodontal ligament in animal models of periodontal disease. The present review describes the immunosuppressive effects of mesenchymal stem cells on various types of immune cells, the potential mechanisms through which they exert their mode of action and the preclinical animal studies and human clinical trials that have utilized mesenchymal stem cells, including those populations originating from dental structures.
Letter: Consultants' fees for dental anaesthetics.
Authors: M P Coplans
Journal: BMJ (1975)

Studies using dry powder devices have suggested that fluticasone propionate (FP) has a greater systemic effect than budesonide (BUD). The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the relative systemic potency of FP and BUD from their respective pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs). A placebo-controlled, open, randomized, cross-over study was conducted in 21 healthy male volunteers. Placebo, BUD (200, 400 and 1,000 micrograms b.i.d.) and FP (200, 375 and 1,000 micrograms b.i.d.) were inhaled for 4 days, with a wash-out period of at least 3 days between treatments. Blood samples for cortisol analysis were drawn during the last 24 h of each treatment period. Cortisol levels, measured as 24 h pooled plasma cortisol, were statistically significantly lower (p = 0.0001) for all dose levels during FP pMDI treatment (21, 39 and 84% suppression from placebo) than during BUD pMDI treatment (1, 3 and 27% suppression from placebo). The relative systemic potency FP:BUD was 3.7:1 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.9-4.8)). The relative systemic potency based on the single 08:00 h samples was 5.2:1 (95% CI 3.0-9.3). In conclusion, in healthy male volunteers using pressurized metered-dose inhalers, fluticasone propionate was shown to have a stronger systemic effect than budesonide.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN NATIONAL DEFENSE
Authors: E. A. MEYERDING
Journal: JAMA (1933)

Tuberculosis cost the United States government more than $46,000,000 in 1932 for service connected compensation alone. This is only part of the bill paid annually for tuberculosis. The cost for hospitalization for tuberculosis multiplies this bill by many thousands of dollars. From 1924 to 1932 there were 61,330 veterans hospitalized for tuberculosis, occupying a sufficient number of beds to quarter two and one-fourth army divisions. In this age of pensions and the tendency to government health services, every known scientific medical procedure should be utilized to reduce the burden to the taxpayer. Knowledge of the early diagnosis of tuberculosis has changed greatly during the past few years through the increasing efficiency of x-ray apparatus and the morepractical application of the tuberculin test. The veterinarian prevents the spread of tuberculosis in herds of cattle by using the tuberculin test. It is possible to obtain approximately the same result in the human
The Adolescent Patient
Authors: Stanford B. Friedman
Journal: JAMA (1971)

To make the physician more at ease and more effective with adolescents, the author has divided his book into several parts. He takes up the essence of adolescence, problems of the adolescent, communication and rehabilitation, and then in a short conclusion, he deals with the parents of the adolescent. While there are 19 other contributors, Dr. Daniel himself participated in the writing of all or part of 21 of the 31 chapters. This involvement by the principal author is a definite strength, for the reader gets to understand and appreciate the balanced and thoughtful approach to the adolescent patient and his family. With broad clinical experience with adolescents, Daniel pays special attention to the interplay of medical, psychological, and social factors as they pertain to patient care. His chapters on physical and emotional development, gynecological problems, venereal disease, pregnancy, and mental retardation are particularly excellent. The other chapters vary greatly
No more free lunches: How to dance with porcupines
Authors: S. Rudolphy
Journal: BMJ (2003)

EDITOR—I am nice to drug representatives.

I accept shareholders of large multinational companies would not spend money on doctors if this was not profitable—make them prescribe more of their drugs. We as doctors should be aware of this.

Should I stop accepting gifts?1

Should I stop watching the US tennis open championship, with …
THE HOMOSEXUAL IN COURT
Authors: MANFRED S. GUTTMACHER
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1956)

I believe that we are justified in making certain deductions as to the attitudes of the judges of the criminal courts of Baltimore in the cases of homosexual and heterosexual offenders. For the most part, the same general trends can be seen in regard to both types of offense. 1. During the past 25 years, the courts have come to consider sex offenders as individuals who should be referred to the medical office for a psychiatric report. 2. There appears to be little variation in the attitudes of the 7 judges, who have been in the Baltimore Criminal Courts during the past 3 years, toward the various sex offenses. 3. Sexual offenses entered into willingly by 2 adults are viewed benignly, unless public affront is involved or unless one of the individuals is an aggressive prostitute. 4. Sexual offenses by adults with children are viewed rather benignly if the adults are beyond 55, they are treated much more harshly if the offender is in the younger age group. 5. Sexual crimes of violence, whether they involve children or adults, are treated as very serious offenses. 6. Incest is considered one of the more grievous sex offenses. 7. Exhibitionism is considered an offense of very minor importance. 8. The disposition of sexual offenders is in agreement with the recommendations in the medical office's psychiatric reports in well over 90% of the cases. 9. There appears to be no real difference in the attitudes of the Judges of the Criminal Courts of Baltimore toward homosexual and heterosexual offenders.
Experiment in Peacemaking
Authors: C. Allen
Journal: BMJ (1952)

Natural wine fermentation is carried out by the complex consortia of microorganisms native to grapes and winery equipment, rather than by inoculation with industrial yeast strains. While this diversity of yeasts can result in an increased repertoire of wine flavors and aromas, it can also result in the inhibition of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, which is uniquely able to withstand the high ethanol and low resource conditions in the end stages of fermentation. Understanding how yeast species interact with each other within the wine-fermenting community, and disentangling the importance of these ecological interactions from the environmental impacts on growth rates, is key to developing synthetic communities that can provide the sensory benefits of natural fermentation while lowering the risk of stuck ferments. While numerous studies have characterized the dynamics of experimental fermentations, carried out by both synthetic and natural communities, it is difficult to infer ecological interactions from transient population dynamics. Here, we co-culture all pairwise combinations of five commonly isolated wine-fermenting yeasts at various ethanol concentrations. We show that these pairwise outcomes are a strong function of ethanol concentration, with frequency-dependent bistable interactions common at low alcohol and an increasingly transitive competitive hierarchy developing as alcohol increases. We also show that these pairwise outcomes are predictive of five-species community outcomes, and that frequency dependence in pairwise interactions can propagate to alternative states in the full community, highlighting the importance of species abundance as well as composition. We also observe that monoculture growth rates as a function of ethanol are only weakly predictive of competitive success, highlighting the need to incorporate ecological interactions when designing synthetic communities for optimal fermentation performance.
Cellular Immunity and Herpesvirus Infections in Cardiac-Transplant Patients
Authors: Kenneth H. Rand, Lucille E. Rasmussen, Richard B. Pollard, Ann Arvin, Thomas C. Merigan
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (1977)

We observed severe infection with herpes simplex virus in cardiac-transplant patients despite their high serum antibody levels to this virus. Therefore, we sought to correlate clinical susceptibility to two herpesvirus (simplex and zoster) infections with specific cellular immunity, assessed by the transformation and interferon responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to heat-inactivated antigens. Transformation and interferon response to herps simplex virus was maximally depressed immediately after transplantation, the time when severe and prolonged infection with herps simplex virus occurred. Six months to six years after transplantation, both clinical susceptibility and cellular immunity to herpes simplex virus were normal. Herpes zoster infections were more frequent than normal at all times after cardiac transplantation; depressed or absent cellular responses to the varicella zoster virus paralleled that susceptibility. In these patients the risk of severe herpesvirus infections correlated with depressed cellular immune responses to the specific viral agent involved.
Increased Neutrophil-Platelet Adhesion in Patients With Unstable Angina
Authors: I. Ott, F.-J. Neumann, M. Gawaz, M. Schmitt, A. Scho¨mig
Journal: Circulation (1996)

Background Neutrophil-platelet adhesion may occur as a consequence of platelet activation. The role of this heterotypic adhesion in ischemic disorders is poorly understood thus far. Methods and Results Systemic venous blood samples were taken from 25 patients with stable angina pectoris and 25 patients with unstable angina pectoris. Neutrophil activation and neutrophil-platelet adhesion were evaluated by two-color flow cytometry. Patients with unstable angina showed a significant increase in neutrophil-platelet adhesion compared with patients with stable angina (mean±SEM, 132.1±20.5 versus 29.8±4.7 anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa mean fluorescence intensity, P =.0001). Systemic neutrophil activation was found in patients with unstable angina compared with those with stable angina assessed by cell surface CD11b expression and shedding of L-selectin (115.6±10.3 versus 74.0±6.3 anti-CD11b mean fluorescence intensity, P =.002; 49.8±6.0 versus 72.1±4.0 anti–L-selectin mean fluorescence intensity, P =.006). Markers of neutrophil activation were related to the extent of neutrophil-platelet adhesion (CD11b: r =.5, P =.0005; L-selectin: r =.42, P =.012). In vitro studies revealed that binding of purified platelet membranes to control neutrophils caused a dose-dependent increase in CD11b surface expression, a decrease in surface L-selectin, and the release of superoxide anions. Conclusions Thus, this study demonstrates that increased neutrophil-platelet adhesion may contribute to neutrophil activation in unstable angina.
Visual word recognition models should also be constrained by knowledge about the visual system
Authors: Pablo Gomez, Sarah Silins
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2012)

Abstract Frost's article advocates for universal models of reading and critiques recent models that concentrate in what has been described as “cracking the orthographic code.” Although the challenge to develop models that can account for word recognition beyond Indo-European languages is welcomed, we argue that reading models should also be constrained by general principles of visual processing and object recognition.
Evidence for association of the Glu298Asp and T786C polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene to the presence and severity of coronary artery disease
Authors: Maria Giovanna Colombo, Maria Grazia Andreassi, Nicoletta Botto, Samantha Manfredi, Serena Masetti, Umberto Paradossi, Aldo Clerico, Andrea Biagini
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2003)