tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Conscientious Objection and Emergency Contraception
Authors: Robert F Card
Journal: The American Journal of Bioethics (2007)

Abstract This article argues that practitioners have a professional ethical obligation to dispense emergency contraception, even given conscientious objection to this treatment. This recent controversy affects all medical professionals, including physicians as well as pharmacists. This article begins by analyzing the option of referring the patient to another willing provider. Objecting professionals may conscientiously refuse because they consider emergency contraception to be equivalent to abortion or because they believe contraception itself is immoral. This article critically evaluates these reasons and concludes that they do not successfully support conscientious objection in this context. Contrary to the views of other thinkers, it is not possible to easily strike a respectful balance between the interests of objecting providers and patients in this case. As medical professionals, providers have an ethical duty to inform women of this option and provide emergency contraception when this treatment is requested. Keywords:: conscientious objectionemergency contraceptionhealthcare deliveryprofessional ethicsreferralsrefusals of care Acknowledgement: A version of this paper was presented at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY. I thank Jane Greenlaw for inviting me to speak and the audience for their excellent comments and questions. Additional thanks are due to Melanie Doherty for research assistance.
HbA1c in pulmonary arterial hypertension - A marker of prognostic relevance?
Authors: Michael Belly, Henning Tiede, Olschewski Horst, Ghofrani Ardeschir, Seeger Werner, Frank Reichenberger
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background: Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit impaired glucose metabolism and increased insulin resistance. The clinical consequences of these metabolic changes are not known.  Patients and methods: We assessed HbA1c levels (indicative of perturbed glucose metabolism) in 115 patients newly diagnosed with PAH (79 female, 36 male; median age 48.8 years; idiopathic n=66, collagen vascular disease n=17, congenital heart defect n=19, pulmonary veno-occlusive disease n=8, porto-pulmonary n=5). No patients had been diagnosed with diabetes, or received antidiabetic medication or systemic steroids. After initiation of pulmonary vasoactive treatment, patients remained in long-term follow-up.  Results: At initial presentation patients were in an advanced stage of disease (mean pulmonary arterial pressure 53±18 mmHg, median pulmonary vascular resistance 767 dyn.s.cm-5, cardiac index 2.3±0.8 l.min-1.m-2) with a six-minute walking distance of 334±126 m, and were categorised as NYHA functional class 3.0±0.7. The HbA1c was 5.73±0.75%. The 5-year survival rate for the entire group was 68%. Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models based on initial HbA1c levels revealed that patients in the lowest HbA1c quartile had a significantly better 5-year survival rate compared with the highest (83.6% versus 50.6%; log-rank p=0.038). Correcting for demographic and clinical covariates HbA1c was a predictor of all-cause mortality with a hazard ratio of 2.29 (95% CI, 1.20 to 4.38; p=0.012) per 1 Unit increase.  Conclusion: In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, the HbA1c level at time of diagnosis is an independent predictor of long-term prognosis.
Judge orders Spanish doctor to pay for child support after a failed abortion
Authors: A. Garcia Rada
Journal: BMJ (2012)

A judge has ordered a private clinic and a gynaecologist from Palma de Mallorca to pay €420 000 (£340 000; $520 000) to a 24 year old woman after a failed abortion resulted in a normal pregnancy.

It is believed to be the first time that a Spanish woman has been awarded compensation for an unwanted healthy baby. 

Considering that the mother did not want to have the child and did what was legally possible to prevent it, the judge, Francisco Jose Perez Martinez of the Court of First Instance Number 2 in Palma de Mallorca, ruled that the doctor and the clinic should cover the costs of the child’s upbringing.

Perez Martinez also imposed compensation for the severe …
Targeting Focal Adhesion Kinase With Small Interfering RNA Prevents and Reverses Load-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice
Authors: Carolina F.M.Z. Clemente, Thais F. Tornatore, Thais H. Theizen, Ana C. Deckmann, Tiago C. Pereira, Iscia Lopes-Cendes, José Roberto M. Souza, Kleber G. Franchini
Journal: Circulation Research (2007)

Hypertrophy is a critical event in the onset of failure in chronically overloaded hearts. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has attracted particular attention as a mediator of hypertrophy induced by increased load. Here, we demonstrate increased expression and phosphorylation of FAK in the hypertrophic left ventricles (LVs) of aortic-banded mice. We used an RNA interference strategy to examine whether FAK signaling plays a role in the pathophysiology of load-induced LV hypertrophy and failure. Intrajugular delivery of specific small interfering RNA induced prolonged FAK silencing ( approximately 70%) in both normal and hypertrophic LVs. Myocardial FAK silencing was accompanied by prevention, as well as reversal, of load-induced left ventricular hypertrophy. The function of LVs was preserved and the survival rate was higher in banded mice treated with small interfering RNA targeted to FAK, despite the persistent pressure overload. Studies in cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts harvested from LVs confirmed the ability of the systemically administered specific small interfering RNA to silence FAK in both cell types. Further analysis indicated attenuation of cardiac myocyte hypertrophic growth and of the rise in the expression of beta-myosin heavy chain in overloaded LVs. Moreover, FAK silencing was demonstrated to attenuate the rise in the fibrosis, collagen content, and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in overloaded LVs, as well as the rise of matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein expression in fibroblasts harvested from overloaded LVs. This study provides novel evidence that FAK may be involved in multiple aspects of the pathophysiology of cardiac hypertrophy and failure induced by pressure overload.
Unproved cancer remedies. A survey of use in pediatric outpatients
Authors: C. Faw
Journal: JAMA (1977)

Sixty-nine patients or parents of patients were interviewed during a five-week period. Each interviewee was given a questionnaire listing commonly recommended unproved drugs, diets, and miscellaneous treatments, and was instructed to respond to each remedy as follows: Have you tried it? Have you considered trying it? Has it been recommended by someone else? Six patients (8.7%) had tried at least one unproved remedy, four (5.8%) considered trying some other remedy, and recommendations to seek other remedies had been made to 17 patients (24.6%). Laetrile and assistance from faith healers were the remedies named most frequently.
A new case of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase deficiency with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum, with Meniere's syndrome and without mental retardation
Authors: K. Kodama, H. Kobayashi, R. Abe, A. Ohkawara, N. Yoshii, S. Yotsumoto, T. Fukushige, Y. Nagatsuka, Y. Hirabayashi, T. Kanzaki
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2001)

alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (alpha-NAGA) deficiency is a rare hereditary lysosomal storage disease, and only three alpha-NAGA-deficient patients with angiokeratoma corporis diffusum (Kanzaki) have been described. We report a further case in a 47-year-old Japanese woman, the product of a consanguineous marriage. The remarkable findings in this patient were her normal intelligence, Ménière's syndrome, disturbance of peripheral sensory nerves, hearing loss and cardiac hypertrophy. alpha-NAGA enzyme activity in her plasma was 0.77% of the normal value. Other enzyme activities, such as alpha-galactosidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, beta-mannosidase and aspartylglucosaminidase, were within normal limits. A large quantity of amino acid O-glycans was detected in her urine. Gene analysis revealed a novel point mutation (G-->A transition) at nucleotide 11018 (986 in the cDNA) resulting in an Arg-329-Gln substitution. Kanzaki disease has the same enzyme defect as Schindler disease, but the manifestations are quite different.
The effect of salicylate on the metabolism of normal and stimulated human lymphocytes in vitro
Authors: Lauren M. Pachman, Nancy B. Esterly, Raymond D. A. Peterson
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (1971)

The effect of salicylate on the metabolism of peripheral blood lymphocytes in tissue culture was investigated. Lymphocytes incubated with sodium salicylate at a concentration of 30 mg/100 ml showed increased glucose consumption, lactic acid production, and oxygen consumption, evidence for uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. No decrease in cell number or viability (trypan blue dye exclusion) was noted in salicylate-treated cultures. Normal DNA, RNA, and total protein synthesis measured by radioisotope incorporation was depressed in the salicylate-treated cultures. Increased DNA synthesis after the addition of a mitogen (PHA) or antigen (PPD) to the culture was strikingly suppressed by salicylate. The degree of suppression was proportional to the concentration of salicylate used. The effect on RNA and protein synthesis in stimulated lymphocytes was much less pronounced. Acetylsalicylic acid was found to be as active as sodium salicylate in suppressing DNA synthesis, but the p-OH congener (p-OH benzoic acid) did not alter cell respiration, glycolysis, viability, or DNA synthesis. The salicylate effect was reversible as evidenced by return of cellular reactivity upon removal of the drug from the media.
Effect of Age and Previous Autologous Transplantation on Nonrelapse Mortality and Survival in Patients Treated With Reduced-Intensity Conditioning and Allografting for Advanced Hematologic Malignancies
Authors: P. Corradini, F. Zallio, J. Mariotti, L. Farina, M. Bregni, P. Valagussa, F. Ciceri, A. Bacigalupo, A. Dodero, M. Lucesole, F. Patriarca, A. Rambaldi, R. Scimè, A. Locasciulli, G. Bandini, A.M. Gianni, C. Tarella, A. Olivieri
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2005)

Older age and a previously failed autologous stem-cell transplantation (SCT) are poor prognostic factors for patients receiving myeloablative conditioning and allogeneic SCT. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens achieved a significant reduction of treatment-related mortality, but the influence of previously described risk factors on the outcome of this novel transplantation strategy have not been fully analyzed yet.One hundred fifty patients with advanced hematologic malignancies received a RIC regimen containing thiotepa (10 mg/kg), fludarabine (60 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg), followed by an allogeneic transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor. Patients were divided into two cohorts according to age; 90 patients were younger than 55 years, and 60 patients were 55 years old or older. The other pretransplantation characteristics were fairly balanced.Actuarial 5-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) rate was not statistically different between the groups (13% in the younger group and 19% in the older group). By univariate and multivariate analysis, NRM was significantly higher in older patients who previously experienced failure with an autograft. The occurrence of grade 3 to 4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or extensive chronic GVHD was associated with a higher NRM in both age cohorts. Overall survival (OS) was not statistically different between the younger (66%) and older groups (61%). By multivariate analysis, refractory disease was associated with a worse OS irrespective of age group.RIC transplantations show a rather low NRM, and age > or = 55 years per se cannot be considered a risk factor anymore. The timing of transplantation and novel strategies for the prevention of severe GVHD could further improve patient outcome.
Cushing's Syndrome: Problems in Management*
Authors: DAVID C. ARON, JAMES W. FINDLING, PAUL A. FITZGERALD, PETER H. FORSHAM, CHARLES B. WILSON, J. BLAKE TYRRELL
Journal: Endocrine Reviews (1982)

SINCE the time of Harvey Cushing, great advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of Cushing's syndrome (CS). Delineation of the different forms of spontaneous hypercortisolism—pituitary-dependent disease, adrenal tumor, and the ectopic ACTH syndrome—has permitted the development of specific therapies. As Orth and Liddle (1) have defined the ideal treatment, it would lower cortisol secretion to normal, eradicate any tumor threatening the health of the patient, avert permanent endocrine deficiency, and avoid permanent dependence on medication. A variety of therapies—surgical, radiotherapeutic, and medical—has been used. However, the frequent difficulty in establishing the specific cause of hypercortisolism (2) and the inadequacies of current methods of treatment continue to complicate the management of patients with CS. We present seven cases that illustrate our approach to therapeutic dilemmas. This 22-yr-old woman developed amenorrhea, a plethoric moon facies, truncal obesity, purple striae, easy bruisability, hirsutism, and emotional lability. In addition to having this classic cushingoid appearance, she was hypertensive (blood pressure, 150/100 mm Hg) and hyperglycemic (fasting blood glucose, 206 mg/dl) and had a normal serum potassium value.
How Is the Olfactory Map Formed and Interpreted in the Mammalian Brain?
Authors: Kensaku Mori, Hitoshi Sakano
Journal: Annual Review of Neuroscience (2011)

Odor signals received by odorant receptors (ORs) expressed by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) are represented as an odor map in the olfactory bulb (OB). In the mouse, there are ~1,000 different OR species, and each OSN expresses only one functional OR gene in a monoallelic manner. Furthermore, OSN axons expressing the same type of OR converge on a specific target site in the OB, forming a glomerular structure. Because each glomerulus represents a single OR species, and a single odorant can interact with multiple OR species, odor signals received in the OE are converted into a topographic map of multiple glomeruli activated with varying magnitudes. Here we review recent progress in the study of the mammalian olfactory system, focusing on the formation of the olfactory map and the transmission of topographical information in the OB to the olfactory cortex to elicit various behaviors.
Analysis methods for studying the 3D architecture of the genome
Authors: Ferhat Ay, William S. Noble
Journal: Genome biology (2015)

The rapidly increasing quantity of genome-wide chromosome conformation capture data presents great opportunities and challenges in the computational modeling and interpretation of the three-dimensional genome. In particular, with recent trends towards higher-resolution high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, the diversity and complexity of biological hypotheses that can be tested necessitates rigorous computational and statistical methods as well as scalable pipelines to interpret these datasets. Here we review computational tools to interpret Hi-C data, including pipelines for mapping, filtering, and normalization, and methods for confidence estimation, domain calling, visualization, and three-dimensional modeling.
Abortion: Law, Choice and Morality.
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1971)

Dr. Byrd's latest book is, in essence, a small library of condensed articles covering a wide spectrum of published papers relating to the abuse and use of dangerous drugs.This indexed work consists of some 180 contributions to current medical literature.It covers subjects ranging from the affects of the drugs per se to reviews of official stands of various medical groups on specific drugs and/or the drug problem in general.This is not a permissive book; in fact those seeking ma- terial to justify improper use of drugs whether tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or barbiturates, opiates or stimulants will be disappointed.Those seeking conservative material pertinent to the current drug abuse scene, however, will find this paperback a welcome addition to their library.
Inhibition of cell mediated cytotoxicity by sulphasalazine: effect of in vivo treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid and sulphasalazine on in vitro natural killer cell activity.
Authors: M N Aparicio-Pages, H W Verspaget, J C Hafkenscheid, G E Crama-Bohbouth, A S Pena, I T Weterman, H W Lamers
Journal: Gut (1990)

Decreased cell mediated cytotoxicity occurs frequently in inflammatory bowel disease, particularly in patients with active disease. It is not clear, however, whether this decrease is caused by the disease or is a consequence of the medical treatment. In this study we evaluated the effect of in vivo treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid and sulphasalazine on the in vitro natural killer cell activity in five patients with inflammatory bowel disease in remission and in four healthy control subjects in a double blind randomised crossover trial preceded and separated by four weeks of treatment with placebo. The natural killer cell activity was significantly impaired in 67% (six of nine subjects) after four weeks' sulphasalazine treatment and tended to be related to subjects with a slow acetylator phenotype. In contrast, 5-aminosalicylic acid treatment caused only a marginal reaction in the natural killer cell activity in 22% (two of nine subjects). The inhibitory effects were found to be reversible since the decreased natural killer cell activity was completely restored after placebo treatment in all subjects. In conclusion, in vivo treatment with sulphasalazine inhibits the in vitro natural killer cell activity and this seems to be mediated by the sulphapyridine moiety. This phenomenon may contribute to the low natural killer cell activity found in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease.
Bacterial tissue tropism: an in vitro model for infective endocarditis
Authors: R. C BECKER, P. M DiBELLO, F. V LUCAS
Journal: Cardiovascular Research (1987)

Since infective endocarditis may affect individuals without pre-existing valvar heart disease, and Staphylococcus aureus is the organism most commonly involved, the binding characteristics of S aureus to several components of normal vascular endothelium and subendothelium were studied. S aureus adhered specifically to endothelial monolayers (6.08(1.10)%; p less than 0.005), fibronectin (5.43(0.81)%; p less than 0.001), fibrinogen (7.13(1.43)%; p less than 0.001), and acid soluble calf skin collagen (2.38(0.90)%; p less than 0.001). S aureus also adhered specifically to Von Willebrand factor (1.62(0.28)%, p less than 0.001). Protein A containing (Cowan I) and deficient (Wood) strains of S aureus adhered similarly to all surfaces and substrates (NS). Escherichia coli adhered poorly. Immunofluorescence microscopy of preconfluent endothelial cells identified an extensive pericellular fibronectin network at regions of cell to cell contact. Light microscopy showed S aureus binding solely within these regions. Therefore, the ability of S aureus to infect valvar endothelium may be dependent on the presence of a fibronectin receptor. The existence of specific receptor for S aureus on the endothelial cell surface itself remains undetermined.
Split Photosystem Protein, Linear-Mapping Topology, and Growth of Structural Complexity in the Plastid Genome of Chromera velia
Authors: Jan Janouškovec, Roman Sobotka, De-Hua Lai, Pavel Flegontov, Peter Koník, Josef Komenda, Shahjahan Ali, Ondřej Prášil, Arnab Pain, Miroslav Oborník, Julius Lukeš, Patrick J. Keeling
Journal: Molecular Biology and Evolution (2013)

The canonical photosynthetic plastid genomes consist of a single circular-mapping chromosome that encodes a highly conserved protein core, involved in photosynthesis and ATP generation. Here, we demonstrate that the plastid genome of the photosynthetic relative of apicomplexans, Chromera velia, departs from this view in several unique ways. Core photosynthesis proteins PsaA and AtpB have been broken into two fragments, which we show are independently transcribed, oligoU-tailed, translated, and assembled into functional photosystem I and ATP synthase complexes. Genome-wide transcription profiles support expression of many other highly modified proteins, including several that contain extensions amounting to hundreds of amino acids in length. Canonical gene clusters and operons have been fragmented and reshuffled into novel putative transcriptional units. Massive genomic coverage by paired-end reads, coupled with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction, consistently indicate that the C. velia plastid genome is linear-mapping, a unique state among all plastids. Abundant intragenomic duplication probably mediated by recombination can explain protein splits, extensions, and genome linearization and is perhaps the key driving force behind the many features that defy the conventional ways of plastid genome architecture and function.
Development of Heart Failure and Congenital Septal Defects in Mice Lacking Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase
Authors: Qingping Feng, Wei Song, Xiangru Lu, Joel A. Hamilton, Ming Lei, Tianqing Peng, Siu-Pok Yee
Journal: Circulation (2002)

Background— Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth, apoptosis, and tissue perfusion. Recent studies showed that mice deficient in eNOS developed abnormal aortic bicuspid valves. The aim of the present study was to additionally investigate the role of eNOS in heart development. Methods and Results— We examined postnatal mortality, cardiac function, and septum defects in eNOS −/− , eNOS +/− , and wild-type mice. Postnatal mortality was significantly increased in eNOS −/− (85.1%) and eNOS +/− (38.3%) compared with wild-type mice (13.3%, P &lt;0.001). Postmortem examination found severe pulmonary congestion with focal alveolar edema in mice deficient in eNOS. Heart shortening determined by ultrasound crystals was significantly decreased in eNOS −/− compared with wild-type mice ( P &lt;0.05). Congenital atrial and ventricular septal defects were found in neonatal hearts. The incidence of atrial or ventricular septal defects was significantly increased in eNOS −/− (75%) and eNOS +/− (32.4%) neonates compared with those of the wild-type mice (4.9%). At embryonic days 12.5 and 15.5, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and myocardial caspase-3 activity were increased in the myocardium of eNOS −/− compared with wild-type embryos ( P &lt;0.01), and increases in apoptosis persisted to neonatal stage in eNOS −/− mice. Conclusions— Deficiency in eNOS results in heart failure and congenital septal defects during cardiac development, which is associated with increases in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our data demonstrate that eNOS plays an important role in normal heart development.
Effects of posture on the distribution of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion in children and adults.
Authors: U Bhuyan, A M Peters, I Gordon, H Davies, P Helms
Journal: Thorax (1989)

<h3>Introduction</h3> The aim of this study is to provide an insight into the literature at the intersection of artificial intelligence and ophthalmology. <h3>Methods and analysis</h3> The project will be performed in four key stages: formulation of search terms, literature collection, literature screening and literature analysis. A comprehensive search of databases including Scopus, Web of Science, Dimensions and Cochrane will be conducted. The Distiller SR software will be used for manual screening all relevant articles. The selected articles will be analysed via R Bibliometrix, a program for mathematical analysis of large sets of literature, and VOSviewer, which creates visual representations of connections between articles. <h3>Ethics and dissemination</h3> This study did not require research ethics approval given the use of publicly available data and lack of human subjects. The results will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals.