tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Response of Atrial Fibrillation to Pulmonary Vein Antrum Isolation Is Directly Related to Resumption and Delay of Pulmonary Vein Conduction
Authors: Atul Verma, Fethi Kilicaslan, Ennio Pisano, Nassir F. Marrouche, Raffaele Fanelli, Johannes Brachmann, Jens Geunther, Domenico Potenza, David O. Martin, Jennifer Cummings, J. David Burkhardt, Walid Saliba, Robert A. Schweikert, Andrea Natale
Journal: Circulation (2005)

Background— The role of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation in ablative treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been debated in conflicting reports. We sought to compare PV conduction in patients who had no AF recurrence (group I), patients who could maintain sinus rhythm on antiarrhythmic medication (group II), and patients who had recurrent AF despite antiarrhythmic medication (group III) after PV antrum isolation (PVAI). Methods and Results— PV conduction was examined in consecutive patients undergoing second PVAI for AF recurrence. We also recruited some patients cured of AF to undergo a repeat, limited electrophysiological study at &gt;3 months after PVAI. All patients underwent PVAI with an intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)–guided approach with complete isolation of all 4 PV antra (PVA). The number of PVs with recurrent conduction and the shortest atrial to PV (A-PV) conduction delay was measured with the use of consistent Lasso positions defined by ICE. Late AF recurrence was defined as AF &gt;2 months after PVAI with the patient off medications. Patients in groups I (n=26), II (n=37), and III (n=44) did not differ at baseline (38% permanent AF; ejection fraction 53±6%). Recurrence of PV–left atrial (LA) conduction was seen in 1.7±0.8 and 2.2±0.8 PVAs for groups II and III but only in 0.2±0.4 for group I ( P =0.02). In patients with recurrent PV-LA conduction, the A-PV delay increased from the first to second procedure by 69±47% for group III, 267±110% for group II, and 473±71% for group I ( P &lt;0.001). When pacing was at a faster rate, A-PV block developed in all 5 of the group I patients with recurrent PV-LA conduction. Conclusions— The majority of patients with drug-free cure show no PV-LA conduction recurrence. Substantial A-PV delay is seen in patients able to maintain sinus rhythm on antiarrhythmic medication or cured of AF compared with patients who fail PVAI.
Abstract 20450: Impact of Addressing Social and Behavioral Factors in Reducing Heart Failure Readmission
Authors: Richard V Milani, Carl J Lavie, Hector O Ventura
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Background: United States 30-day hospital readmission rate (RR) for heart failure (HF) is averaging 22.6% and represents a financial burden for CMS and now to hospitals via potential penalties leveraged by Medicare. Efforts to improve RR must identify and treat underlying causes, and these may include social and behavioral factors not heretofore discerned. Methods: We evaluated multiple social and behavioral factors using validated questionnaires in 74 consecutive patients admitted for HF to determine their prevalence and their possible influence over HF admissions including 30-day readmission. Measures included depression, medication adherence, quantified sodium consumption, heart failure quality of life, sleep-related concerns, and other socio-economic factors including medication affordability and family support. Specific problems were systematically addressed during hospitalization and follow-up. In addition, patients were closely monitored during the 30-days post-discharge with oral diuretics adjusted as needed based in change in daily weight. Results: The average age was 71±13 years, 61% were male, and the mean ejection fraction was 36 ±19%. Frequently admitted patients (≥ 2 HF admissions in the last 12 months) differed from standard patients: *p&lt;0.05, †p=0.10 The combination of addressing and treating these factors reduced subsequent 30-day readmission from 25% to 12% (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: Social and behavioral issues are commonly found in HF patients and are more prevalent in patients with a high frequency of HF hospitalizations. Identifying and systematically addressing these factors can lead to a reduction in hospital utilization.
Health effects of the Chernobyl disaster: illness or illness behavior? A comparative general health survey in two former Soviet regions.
Authors: J Havenaar, G Rumyantzeva, A Kasyanenko, K Kaasjager, A Westermann, W van den Brink, J van den Bout, J Savelkoul
Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives (1997)

Results are described of a general health survey (n = 3044) that was conducted 6.5 years after the Chernobyl accident in 1986 in a seriously contaminated region in Belarus and a socioeconomically comparable, but unaffected, region in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there are differences in the general health status of the inhabitants of the two regions that may be attributed to the Chernobyl disaster. A broad-based population sample from each of these regions was studied using a variety of self-report questionnaires. A subsample (n = 449) was further examined with a standardized physical and psychiatric examination. The results show significantly higher scores on the self-report questionnaires and higher medical service utilization in the exposed region. No significant differences were observed in global clinical indices of health. Although there were trends for some disorders to be more prevalent in the exposed region, none of these could be directly attributed to exposure to ionizing radiation. The results of this study suggest that the Chernobyl disaster had a significant long-term impact on psychological well-being, health-related quality of life, and illness behavior in the exposed population.
Properties and distribution of a lectin-like hemagglutinin differentially expressed by murine stromal tissue macrophages.
Authors: P R Crocker, S Gordon
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1986)

We describe a novel hemagglutinin which is differentially expressed on murine stromal tissue macrophages. Resident bone marrow macrophages (RBMM), which are physically associated with immature, proliferating hematopoietic cells in vivo, formed striking rosettes with unopsonized sheep erythrocytes (E) in vitro, unlike resident peritoneal macrophages (RPM). Binding of E was macrophage (M phi) specific, not accompanied by ingestion and independent of temperature (0-37 degrees C), divalent cations, and the metabolic inhibitors azide and iodoacetate. Pretreatment of RBMM with trypsin prevented rosette formation, but neuraminidase enhanced it. Conversely, binding was virtually abrogated if E were pretreated with neuraminidase, whereas trypsin pretreatment of the ligand resulted in a slight enhancement. The lectin-like nature of the E receptor (SER), with specificity for sialylated glycoconjugates, was consistent with the inhibition of binding we saw with neuraminyllactose or the ganglioside GD1a (50% inhibition at 5-10 mM and 11 microM, respectively). Expression of SER on freshly isolated RBMM was heterogeneous and exhibited a striking inverse correlation with expression of Ia antigens. During cultivation in 10% FCS, levels of SER on RBMM declined with a half-life of approximately 24 h. Other cell surface changes induced by cultivation included a transient increase in expression of Ia antigen and acquisition of Mac-1. To determine whether SER was expressed on other stromal M phi populations, adherent cells were isolated from various tissues by collagenase digestion or lavage. Binding of E was highest on RBMM and lymph node stromal M phi, at intermediate levels on Kupffer cells and splenic stromal M phi, but was low or undetectable on blood monocytes and thymic, peritoneal, pleural, and bronchoalveolar M phi. SER therefore appeared to be expressed on certain M phi populations embedded in solid tissues but was largely absent from M phi recoverable by lavage. Its absence from monocytes implies that SER is acquired by M phi after entering tissues where it may perform adhesive functions. In bone marrow, SER on RBMM could interact with an appropriate sialylated ligand on murine hematopoietic cells, and could influence their rate of growth and differentiation.
Expression of Mammary Tumor Virus Antigen on the Membranes of Lymphoid Cells2
Authors: Ronald W. Gillette, Stephen Robertson, Ruth Brown, Kenneth E. Blackman
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1974)

Immunoassays quantified murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-specified cell-surface antigens on mouse lymphoid cells. As measured by immunofluorescence and 51Cr release assays, MMTV expression in lymphoid cells was greatest in spleen, lymph node, and peritoneal cells. Quantitative levels of surface antigen expression in such cells correlated strongly with levels of virus excretion in milk and mammary tumor formation in high-virus expressor strains such as C3H/HeN, RIII, and DD/He. The percentage of MMTV-positive lymphoid cells increased with the age of the animals; it rose markedly shortly after birth in all strains, but reached higher levels earlier in strains with greatest natural mammary tumor incidence. All strains examined, including low-expressor strains such as BALB/c, NIH Swiss, and C57BL/Cum, expressed MMTV cell-surface antigen but at markedly lower levels. The relative absence of MMTV in the thymus, the pattern of distribution in other lymphoid organs, and the sensitivity of positive cells to anti-lgM and anti-MMTV but not anti-ø serum suggested that MMTV structural components were expressed on lymphoid cells and that this was associated primarily with the bone marrow-derived lymphocytes.
Fcγ Receptors and Ligands and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Keiji Tanigaki, Nathan Sundgren, Amit Khera, Wanpen Vongpatanasin, Chieko Mineo, Philip W. Shaul
Journal: Circulation Research (2015)

Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) classically modulate intracellular signaling on binding of the Fc region of IgG in immune response cells. How FcγR and their ligands affect cardiovascular health and disease has been interrogated recently in both preclinical and clinical studies. The stimulation of activating FcγR in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and monocytes/macrophages causes a variety of cellular responses that may contribute to vascular disease pathogenesis. Stimulation of the lone inhibitory FγcR, FcγRIIB, also has adverse consequences in endothelial cells, antagonizing NO production and reparative mechanisms. In preclinical disease models, activating FcγRs promote atherosclerosis, whereas FcγRIIB is protective, and activating FcγRs also enhance thrombotic and nonthrombotic vascular occlusion. The FcγR ligand C-reactive protein (CRP) has undergone intense study. Although in rodents CRP does not affect atherosclerosis, it causes hypertension and insulin resistance and worsens myocardial infarction. Massive data have accumulated indicating an association between increases in circulating CRP and coronary heart disease in humans. However, Mendelian randomization studies reveal that CRP is not likely a disease mediator. CRP genetics and hypertension warrant further investigation. To date, studies of genetic variants of activating FcγRs are insufficient to implicate the receptors in coronary heart disease pathogenesis in humans. However, a link between FcγRIIB and human hypertension may be emerging. Further knowledge of the vascular biology of FcγR and their ligands will potentially enhance our understanding of cardiovascular disorders, particularly in patients whose greater predisposition for disease is not explained by traditional risk factors, such as individuals with autoimmune disorders.
Plasma concentrations of lignocaine during fibreoptic bronchoscopy.
Authors: J Efthimiou, T Higenbottam, D Holt, G M Cochrane
Journal: Thorax (1982)

Peak plasma concentrations of lignocaine were recorded in 41 patients receiving topically applied lignocaine for fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Adequate anaesthesia was achieved in all patients with an average dose per unit weight of 9.3 +/- 0.5 mg/kg (SEM) giving a mean peak plasma concentration of 2.9 +/- 0.5 mg/l-1 (SEM) (+/- SEM 0.5). The plasma concentration exceeded toxic levels of 5.0 mg/l-1 in only two patients, and no complications were observed. Peak concentrations were influenced only by dose per unit weight administered and not by factors considered likely to influence mucosal absorption from the bronchial tree, such as sputum production, airflow obstruction, or cigarette smoking. A major proportion of the total dose of lignocaine was required to anaesthetise the nose, pharynx, and larynx, only a small proportion being needed for the bronchial tree. Lignocaine gel (2% w/v) was preferred by patients, and in a study of 10 volunteers, produced lower plasma concentrations when used as a topical anaesthetic than did lignocaine aerosol (10% w/v) or lignocaine solution (4% w/v).
Daclizumab to Prevent Rejection after Cardiac Transplantation
Authors: Ray E. Hershberger, Randall C. Starling, Howard J. Eisen, Claes-Håkan Bergh, Robert L. Kormos, Robert B. Love, Adrian Van Bakel, Robert D. Gordon, Rina Popat, Louise Cockey, Richard D. Mamelok
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2005)

Daclizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-2 receptor, reduced the risk of rejection without increasing the risk of infection among renal-transplant recipients and, in a single-center trial, among cardiac-transplant recipients. We conducted a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to confirm these results in cardiac-transplant patients.We randomly assigned 434 recipients of a first cardiac transplant treated with standard immunosuppression (cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids) to receive five doses of daclizumab or placebo. The primary end point was a composite of moderate or severe cellular rejection, hemodynamically significant graft dysfunction, a second transplantation, or death or loss to follow-up within six months.By six months, 104 of 218 patients in the placebo group had reached the primary end point, as compared with 77 of the 216 patients in the daclizumab group (47.7 percent vs. 35.6 percent, P=0.007), a 12.1 percent absolute risk reduction and a 25 percent relative reduction. The rate of rejection was lower in the daclizumab group than in the placebo group (41.3 percent vs. 25.5 percent). Among patients reaching the primary end point, the median time to the end point was almost three times as long in the daclizumab group as in the placebo group during the first 6 months (61 vs. 21 days) and at 1 year (96 vs. 26 days). More patients in the daclizumab group than in the placebo group died of infection (6 vs. 0) when they received concomitant cytolytic therapy.Daclizumab was efficacious as prophylaxis against acute cellular rejection after cardiac transplantation. Because of the excess risk of death, concurrent or anticipated use of cytolytic therapy with daclizumab should be avoided.
Oral sildenafil as long-term adjunct therapy to inhaled iloprost in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Hossein A Ghofrani, Frank Rose, Ralph T Schermuly, Horst Olschewski, Ralph Wiedemann, André Kreckel, Norbert Weissmann, Stefanie Ghofrani, Beate Enke, Werner Seeger, Friedrich Grimminger
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2003)
Addressing the Growing International Challenge of Cancer: A Multinational Perspective
Authors: Harold Varmus, Harpal S. Kumar
Journal: Science Translational Medicine (2013)

Leaders in cancer research and policy from 15 economically diverse countries met at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in November 2012 to discuss opportunities to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, improve cancer care, and increase our understanding of disease pathophysiology. Here, we present recommendations that the participants believe will enable faster progress in addressing the growing international challenge of cancer.
FLORENCE: a randomized, double-blind, phase III pivotal study of febuxostat versus allopurinol for the prevention of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in patients with hematologic malignancies at intermediate to high TLS risk
Authors: M. Spina, Z. Nagy, J.M. Ribera, M. Federico, I. Aurer, K. Jordan, G. Borsaru, A.S. Pristupa, A. Bosi, S. Grosicki, N.L. Glushko, D. Ristic, J. Jakucs, P. Montesinos, J. Mayer, E.M. Rego, S. Baldini, S. Scartoni, A. Capriati, C.A. Maggi, C. Simonelli
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2015)
Reconstitution of the Epstein-Barr virus–specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response following T-cell–depleted myeloablative and nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Suparno Chakrabarti, Donald W. Milligan, Deenan Pillay, Stephen Mackinnon, Kathleen Holder, Narinder Kaur, Dorothy McDonald, Christopher D. Fegan, Herman Waldmann, Geoff Hale, Alan Rickinson, Neil Steven
Journal: Blood (2003)
Osteoporosis in primary biliary cirrhosis revisited
Authors: J Newton, R Francis, M Prince, O James, M Bassendine, D Rawlings, D Jones
Journal: Gut (2001)

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is increasingly being diagnosed in the earlier non-cholestatic stages of disease. Accepted wisdom has been that PBC is frequently complicated by osteoporosis. Whether this association holds true for the broader spectrum of PBC patients now recognised has not as yet been studied.To examine the extent to which osteoporosis occurs more commonly in PBC patients than in normal individuals of the same age and sex.Retrospective review of a large cohort of well characterised PBC patients.A total of 272 PBC patients with definite or probable PBC followed up for a mean of 10.1 years (total follow up 2726 patient years) who had at least one bone mineral density measurement (BMD).In this unselected group of PBC patients, mean Z scores (number of SDs from age and sex matched normal mean values) at the neck of femur (NOF) and lumbar spine (LS) at first BMD measurement (7 (6) years after PBC diagnosis) were -0.1 (1.4) and 0.1 (1.4), respectively. At first BMD measurement, 18 PBC patients had Z scores less than -2.0 and 85 had T scores less than -2.5. No factors predictive of osteoporosis were found in affected patients. A total of 957 BMD measurements were performed (0.35 per patient year of follow up); 220 patients had two or more measurements. No patient went on to develop de novo osteoporosis during follow up. In the 51 patients (who were clinically representative of the whole group) who received no PBC or bone related treatment during follow up, %BMD changes per year at the NOF and LS were -1.6 (3.2) and 0.1 (2.2), respectively. No variance in this "natural" rate of BMD measurement was seen in patients receiving PBC modulating agents (including prednisolone and UDCA) or osteoporosis prophylaxis/therapy. Significant improvement at the LS was seen in patients undergoing liver transplantation.Osteoporosis is not a specific complication of PBC.
NT-proBNP predicts mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from 10-year follow-up of the EURIDISS study
Authors: Sella Provan, Kristin Angel, Anne Grete Semb, Dan Atar, Tore K Kvien
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2010)

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher mortality than the general population, and this increased mortality is related to demographic and disease variables. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a predictor of mortality both in general and patient populations, but has not been shown to predict mortality in patients with RA. This study examines whether NT-proBNP can further improve the prediction of mortality in RA.182 patients with RA of 5-9 years disease duration were comprehensively examined in 1997. Serum samples were frozen and later batch analysed for NT-proBNP levels and other biomarkers. Adjusted univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed with death within the 10-year follow-up period as the dependent variable. Significant predictors were also examined as dichotomised variables.Mortality was predicted in univariate analyses by the following variables: age, sex, homozygosity for HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles, Health Assessment Questionnaire, 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and NT-proBNP. A multivariate model with age, sex, DAS28 and NT-proBNP as independent variables showed the greatest discrimination.NT-proBNP provided incremental information in the prediction of mortality in this cohort of patients with RA.
APPLICATION OF THE “HYBRID APPROACH” TO CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSIONS IN A CONTEMPORARY MULTICENTER US REGISTRY
Authors: Georgios Christopoulos, Rohan V. Menon, Dimitri Karmpaliotis, Khaldoon Alaswad, R. Michael Wyman, Robert Yeh, Farouc Jaffer, William Lombardi, James A. Grantham, Nicholas Lembo, David Kandzari, Santiago Garcia, Craig Thompson, Subhash Banerjee, Emmanouil Brilakis
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2015)
Beta-adrenergic receptor and cyclic AMP alterations in the canine ventricular septum during long-term norepinephrine infusion: implications for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Authors: W J Raum, M M Laks, D Garner, R S Swerdloff
Journal: Circulation (1983)

Norepinephrine infusion in dogs has been shown to cause ventricular septal hypertrophy that mimics the syndrome of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in humans. To characterize the mechanisms involved in septal hypertrophy, the adrenergic system of the right and left ventricles and the septum were analyzed before and after norepinephrine infusion. In the normal unperturbed state, the septum was found to be more sensitive to beta-adrenergic stimulation than either the right or left ventricles. That is, more cyclic AMP could be generated with a smaller dose of beta-agonist (isoproterenol) in septal tissue homogenate than in homogenates of the right or left ventricles. With infusions of norepinephrine (1.4 micrograms/min) to subhypertensive levels over 3 months, beta-receptor number increased twofold to threefold in the ventricles and septum. Adenylate cyclase activity also increased in the ventricles, but not in the septum. The sensitivity of adenylate cyclase to beta-agonist stimulation increased in the septum but remained unchanged in the right and left ventricles. We conclude that the alterations in the myocardial adrenergic system occur in response to the norepinephrine infusion and are not a consequence of hypertrophy. We formulated a hypothesis suggesting that depleted tissue stores of cyclic AMP and/or adenosine triphosphate may be one of the mechanisms involved in the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase Function Is Essential for Chemosensation in C. elegans
Authors: Hana S Fukuto, Denise M Ferkey, Alfonso J Apicella, Hannes Lans, Tahira Sharmeen, Wei Chen, Robert J Lefkowitz, Gert Jansen, William R Schafer, Anne C Hart
Journal: Neuron (2004)
Youth Repeatedly Hospitalized for DKA: Proof of Concept for Novel Interventions in Children’s Healthcare (NICH)
Authors: Michael A. Harris, David V. Wagner, Matthew Heywood, Dana Hoehn, Harpreet Bahia, Kim Spiro
Journal: Diabetes Care (2014)

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most common reason for hospitalization of youth with type 1 diabetes. The annual cost of care for youth with type 1 diabetes with and without DKA was estimated to be $14,236 and $8,398, respectively (1). There appears to be a subgroup of youth with type 1 diabetes that encounters many psychosocial challenges that put them at risk for repeated hospitalizations for DKA. With intervention, these DKA-related hospitalizations may be avoidable. Thus, consistent with the triple aim of health care reform (i.e., reducing costs, improving health, and improving care) (2), Novel Interventions in Children’s Healthcare (NICH) was developed to address the triple aim in youth with type 1 diabetes (3).

NICH is theoretically grounded in Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (4) social ecological …