tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Abstract 13349: An Investigation Into the Association Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cardiac Arrhythmias an Examination of the United States National Inpatient Sample Database
Authors: Mahmood Mubasher, Tausif Syed, Amir Hanafi, Zhao Yu, Ibrahim Yusuf, Abdullah S Abdullah, Mouhand F Mohamed, Richard Alweis, Mohammed Danjuma, Mohan C Rao, Ryan Hoefen
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: A growing evidence depicted the role of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of cardiac Arrhythmias (CA). However, uncertainty remains as to the exact relationship between Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and CA. So far, most of the studies had centered on the implication of inflammatory mechanisms in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in IBD. The association between IBD and other arrhythmias is not well elucidated. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that IBD might be associated with a higher burden of CA. Methods: We queried the national inpatient sample (NIS) from 2012 to 2014. Discharges associated with IBD (Chron's or ulcerative colitis), cardiac arrhythmias including AF, Atrial flutter, SVT, VT, VF were identified using ICD-9-CM codes 555.xx, 556.xx, 427.3, 427.32, 427.0, 427.1, 427.41, respectively. We divided patients into two groups, IBD Vs. Non-IBD. Outcomes are the prevalence of CA (AF, A.flutter, SVT, VT, V.fib) amongst both groups, as well as the correlation between CA and demographic of patient cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) was utilized to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics. Results: We identified 847,235 weighted hospitalizations among patients with IBD and 84,757,349 hospitalizations among the general population, ≥18 years of age. Overall, IBD patients were less likely to be admitted with cardiac arrhythmias than the non-IBD population (9.7% versus 14.2%, P, &lt;0.001). On MLR, IBD Group had lower odds of CA during hospitalization (OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.85-0.88), AF (OR, 086; 95%CI 0.85-0.88) A.flutter (OR,0.78; 95% CI 0.74-0.83), VF (OR, 0.69; 95% CI 0.59-0.79). While the prevalence of SVT and VT was not different between the two groups. Male sex, age of more than 60 years, and white Race were risk factors for Arrhythmias. Conclusions: In conclusion NIS analysis revealed lower rates of hospitalization-associated arrhythmias in the IBD population compared to the general population.
Abstract IA-03: ECM-dependent CAF functions in pancreatic cancer nutritional support &amp; immunosuppression
Authors: Edna Cukierman, Ralph Francescone, Débora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa
Journal: Cancer Research (2020)

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is rapidly becoming the second deadliest cancer in the US. PDAC is characterized by an unusually vast stromal expansion known as desmoplasia. Desmoplasia is a chronic fibrosis-like reaction enriched in cancer associated-fibroblasts (CAFs) and CAF-generated interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM). PDAC associated desmoplasia limits blood-supplied nutrition and is highly immunosuppressive. Understanding the role of CAFs and their ECM in PDAC could lead to the recognition of new therapeutic targets. This seminar will present newly uncovered roles for the desmoplastic ECM-induced expression of a particular protein, which stimulates PDAC tumorigenesis. It will illustrate how the ectopic expression of this protein in CAFs fosters the metabolic support of PDAC cells and propagates immunosuppression. Data presented will help clarify the role that CAFs and their ECM play in PDAC, by defining CAF phenotypes and functions. The discussion will illustrate a newly uncovered ECM-dependent signaling circuit with therapeutic potential. Citation Format: Edna Cukierman, Ralph Francescone, Débora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa. ECM-dependent CAF functions in pancreatic cancer nutritional support &amp; immunosuppression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2020 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA-03.
A deep learning framework for quality assessment and restoration in video endoscopy
Authors: Sharib Ali, Felix Zhou, Adam Bailey, Barbara Braden, James E. East, Xin Lu, Jens Rittscher
Journal: Medical Image Analysis (2020)

Endoscopy is a routine imaging technique used for both diagnosis and minimally invasive surgical treatment. Artifacts such as motion blur, bubbles, specular reflections, floating objects and pixel saturation impede the visual interpretation and the automated analysis of endoscopy videos. Given the widespread use of endoscopy in different clinical applications, robust and reliable identification of such artifacts and the automated restoration of corrupted video frames is a fundamental medical imaging problem. Existing state-of-the-art methods only deal with the detection and restoration of selected artifacts. However, typically endoscopy videos contain numerous artifacts which motivates to establish a comprehensive solution. In this paper, a fully automatic framework is proposed that can: 1) detect and classify six different artifacts, 2) segment artifact instances that have indefinable shapes, 3) provide a quality score for each frame, and 4) restore partially corrupted frames. To detect and classify different artifacts, the proposed framework exploits fast, multi-scale and single stage convolution neural network detector. In addition, we use an encoder-decoder model for pixel-wise segmentation of irregular shaped artifacts. A quality score is introduced to assess video frame quality and to predict image restoration success. Generative adversarial networks with carefully chosen regularization and training strategies for discriminator-generator networks are finally used to restore corrupted frames. The detector yields the highest mean average precision (mAP) of 45.7 and 34.7, respectively for 25% and 50% IoU thresholds, and the lowest computational time of 88 ms allowing for near real-time processing. The restoration models for blind deblurring, saturation correction and inpainting demonstrate significant improvements over previous methods. On a set of 10 test videos, an average of 68.7% of video frames successfully passed the quality score (≥0.9) after applying the proposed restoration framework thereby retaining 25% more frames compared to the raw videos. The importance of artifacts detection and their restoration on improved robustness of image analysis methods is also demonstrated in this work.
Purely Faith-Based vs. Rationally-Informed Theological Bioethics
Authors: Jason T. Eberl
Journal: The American Journal of Bioethics (2020)

This article is referred to by:The Social Context of Religion in the Jurisdictions of BioethicsResponse to Open Peer Commentaries for “There’s No Harm in Talking: Reestablishing the Relationship Between Theological and Secular Bioethics”
A mouse model of human TLR4 D299G/T399I SNPs reveals mechanisms of altered LPS and pathogen responses
Authors: Katharina Richard, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Kari Ann Shirey, Archana Gopalakrishnan, Shreeram Nallar, Daniel J. Prantner, Darren J. Perkins, Wendy Lai, Alexandra Vlk, Vladimir Y. Toshchakov, Chiguang Feng, Rachel Fanaroff, Andrei E. Medvedev, Jorge C.G. Blanco, Stefanie N. Vogel
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2020)

Two cosegregating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human TLR4, an A896G transition at SNP rs4986790 (D299G) and a C1196T transition at SNP rs4986791 (T399I), have been associated with LPS hyporesponsiveness and differential susceptibility to many infectious or inflammatory diseases. However, many studies failed to confirm these associations, and transfection experiments resulted in conflicting conclusions about the impact of these SNPs on TLR4 signaling. Using advanced protein modeling from crystallographic data of human and murine TLR4, we identified homologous substitutions of these SNPs in murine Tlr4, engineered a knock-in strain expressing the D298G and N397I TLR4 SNPs homozygously, and characterized in vivo and in vitro responses to TLR4 ligands and infections in which TLR4 is implicated. Our data provide new insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these SNPs decrease the TLR4 signaling efficiency and offer an experimental approach to confirm or refute human data possibly confounded by variables unrelated to the direct effects of the SNPs on TLR4 functionality.
Abstract 15499: The Increase of Proplatelets and Tpo in Circulation May be a New Pathological Mechanism of Thrombosis
Authors: Mo Yang, Liang Li, hua zhang, kuan zeng, Yanqi Yang
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: Platelets are produced from megakaryocytes, which mainly regulated by thrombopoietin (TPO) and 5-HT. We hypothesized that the secretion of inflammatory cytokines increased in patients with thrombosis under stress or inflammation, leading to increased TPO levels, which in turn increased production capacity of platelet, and increased the number of platelet intermediates proplatelets into the circulation. Therefore, the increase in the number of proplatelets in the circulation, and the increase in plasma TPO levels may be a new pathological mechanism of thrombosis. Methods: TPO was detected by ELISA. Proplatelets from patients were stained with CD41-FITC and further confirmed by a fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry. The in vitro proplatelets were tested by CD41-FITC staining under a fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry detection. Results: Our clinical data demonstrated that patients' plasma TPO levels were significantly higher with acute inflammation state compared with healthy subjects (181.1 ± 35.38 vs 96.1 ± 9.7 pg/ml, p&lt;0.001, n=65). The plasma TPO levels of cerebral infarction patients (186.2±12.5 pg/ml, n=20) were significantly higher than that of the control group (122.3±10.2 pg/ml, n=20). The number of platelets in patients with cerebral infarction (222.11±8.55 х10 9 /L, n=20) was slightly higher than that in the control group (206.55±8.83 х10 9 /L, n=20). More large platelets or proplatelets were found in the circulating blood of patients with cerebral infarction, which was significantly different from the control group (n=8, p&lt;0.05). In vitro study confirmed that in 200 megakaryocytes (MKs), more proplatelets were produced in the TPO group (100 ng/ml, 18±2.5%) and in the 5-HT group (100 nM, 15±3.2%), while the control group was only (7±3.2) % (n=5). The effects of TPO/ 5-HT were interfered with by its receptor blockers, confirming that their effects were mediated by its receptors. Both TPO and 5-HT affect the cytoskeleton by activating p-ERK1/2, reorganizing F-actin to generate proplatelets, and its role was blocked by PD98059. Conclusions: The studies showed that the increase of proplatelets in circulation and TPO levels in plasma may be a new pathological mechanism of cerebral infarction or thrombosis.
Abstract 287: Expediency and Accuracy of Identifying the “Resuscitation Line” Using a Visual-Tactile Marker in a Critical Care Setting
Authors: David A Wampler, Elizabeth Dillard, Larry Miller
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Background: Most medications have some type of compatibility conflict with other medications. Emergency medication delivery is time dependent, delays required to identify a saline-only intravenous line may negatively impact patient outcomes. In this study, a tactile/visual IV tubing marker was evaluated for time to medication delivery as compared to standard identification methods. Methods: This was a mixed methods study. Method 1: Prospective randomized crossover study compared the administration of simulated Midazolam IV to a simulated critically ill patient using either the standard tape labeled IV-line or a new visual tactile marker (‘GoTo Tag’) to identify the correct saline IV through which to give the drug. Recorded time began when the participant entered the room and ended when the medication was delivered into the IV line. Subjects then left, and repeated with the opposite identification methods after a minimum 10-minutes. The normal saline IV line was moved to a different location between the attempts. Method 2: An exit questionnaire was utilized to obtain subjective data and to obtain open-ended comments. Results: Twenty-four participants, (4 physicians, 9 nurses and 11 paramedics) were recruited. The mean time to medication delivery was 28.3 ± 15.6 seconds. The visual tactile marker was statistically faster (22 ± 14 sec vs 35 ± 15 sec; p=0.002). The paramedic subgroup was also faster using the visual tactile marker (23 ± 14 sec vs 37 ± 12 sec; p=0.019). Overall, nurses identified the saline line modestly faster (25 ± 18) than paramedics (40 ± 14) or physicians (31 ± 14) regardless of the identification method. Comments by the participants clearly favored the ‘GoTo Tag’ over traditional tape labeled markers in terms of ease of resuscitation line identification and the potential to improve patient safety. Conclusion: The GoTo tag reduced the time to medication delivery, and was a preferred method to identify the resuscitation line by critical care providers.
Abstract 14682: Impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Aortic Stenosis Patients: Insights From the United States Readmissions Database
Authors: Shashank Shekhar, Anas M Saad, Toshiaki Isogai, Mohamed M Gad, Keerat Ahuja, Manpreet Kaur, Beni R Verma, Prashansha Vaidya, Omar M Abdelfattah, Nicholas Kassis, Grant W Reed, Rishi Puri, Amar Krishnaswamy, Samir R Kapadia
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: Even though atrial fibrillation (AF) is present in &gt;30% of patients with aortic stenosis (AS), it is not typically included in the decision-making algorithm for the timing or need for aortic valve replacement (AVR), either by transcatheter (TAVR) or surgical (SAVR) approaches. Large scale data on how AF affects outcomes of AS patients remain scarce. Methods: From the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), we retrospectively identified AS patients aged ≥18years, with and without AF admitted between January and June in 2016 and 2017 (to allow for a six month follow up), using the International Classification of Diseases-10 th revision codes. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the predictors of in-hospital mortality during index hospitalization. In-hospital complications and 6 month in-hospital mortality during any readmission after being discharged alive were compared in patients with and without AF, for patients undergoing TAVR, SAVR or no-AVR. Results: We identified 403,089 AS patients, of which 41% had AF. Patients with AF were older (median age in years: 83 vs. 79) and were more frequently females (52% vs. 48%; p&lt;0.001). Table summarizes outcomes of AS patients with and without AF. TAVR in patients with AF was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and follow-up mortality as compared to patients without AF. Although AF did not influence in-hospital mortality in SAVR population, follow-up mortality was also significantly higher after SAVR in patients with AF compared to patients without AF. For patients not undergoing AVR, in-hospital and follow-up mortality were higher in AF population compared to no AF and was higher than patients undergoing AVR (Table). Conclusions: AF is associated with worse outcomes in patients with AS irrespective of treatment (TAVR, SAVR or no-AVR). More studies are needed to understand the implications of AF in AS population and whether earlier treatment of AS in patients with AF can improve outcomes.
The PI3K pathway preserves metabolic health through MARCO-dependent lipid uptake by adipose tissue macrophages
Authors: Julia S. Brunner, Andrea Vogel, Alexander Lercher, Michael Caldera, Ana Korosec, Marlene Pühringer, Melanie Hofmann, Alexander Hajto, Markus Kieler, Lucia Quemada Garrido, Martina Kerndl, Mario Kuttke, Ildiko Mesteri, Maria W. Górna, Marta Kulik, Paulina M. Dominiak, Amanda E. Brandon, Emma Estevez, Casey L. Egan, Florian Gruber, Martina Schweiger, Jörg Menche, Andreas Bergthaler, Thomas Weichhart, Kristaps Klavins, Mark A. Febbraio, Omar Sharif, Gernot Schabbauer
Journal: Nature Metabolism (2020)
Abstract 221: Exosomal MicroRNAs Drive Tromboembolism in Covid-19
Authors: Jessica Gambardella, Celestino Sardu, Marco Bruno Morelli, Vincenzo Messina, Raffaele Marfella, Paolo Maggi, Giuseppe Paolisso, Xujun Wang, Gaetano Santulli
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: Thromboembolic complications play a crucial role in the clinical outcome of COVID-19. Emerging evidence has shown that exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are functionally involved in several pathologic processes. Methods: To test the hypothesis that exosomal miRNAs are a key determinant of thrombosis in COVID-19, we enrolled 26 COVID-19 patients. The study was approved by the local Ethical Committees. Circulating exosomes were isolated as we previously described and validated by our group and levels of exosomal miRNAs, from a custom panel of miRNAs, were quantified by RT-qPCR and normalized to the expression of U18. Results: We divided our population in two groups based on serum D-dimer level on admission, using a previously published cut-off of 3 μg/ml. No significant differences in the main clinical characteristics were noted comparing patients with low (n=11) vs high (n=15) D-Dimer. Strikingly, we found that exosomal miR-424 was significantly upregulated whereas exosomal miR-103a, miR-145, and miR-885 were significantly downregulated in patients in the high D-dimer group compared to patients in the low D-Dimer group ( p&lt;0.0001 ). Regression analysis confirmed these findings. Mechanistically, Tissue Factor (TF) was identified as a direct target of miR-145, while miR-885 targets the von Willebrand Factor (vWF). Equally important, miR-424 has been associated with hyper-coagulability whereas low levels of miR-103a have been observed in deep vein thrombosis, although precise mechanisms have not been defined for these miRNAs. Using a stepwise multiple regression analysis, exosomal miR-424 was an independent predictor of thromboembolic events ( i.e. pulmonary embolism and acute myocardial infarction ) in COVID-19 patients (Wald: 4.180; P&lt;0.05 ), whereas miR-103a independently regulated D-dimer levels ( P&lt;0.001 ). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study showing a significant contribution of exosomal non-coding RNAs in COVID19. Limitations of our study include the relatively small population and the fact that we did not determine the exact source of exosomes; nevertheless, we speculate that a main source could be represented by platelets and/or endothelial cells, which express these miRNAs in normal conditions.
Abstract 15748: Failure of Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in a Patient With Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Anish K Desai, Annie Glover, Angela Krebsbach, Charles Henrikson
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: The subcutaneous ICD is an attractive option in ARVC patients as they rarely require pacing, it preserves vascular access, and it avoids the long-term morbidity related to intravascular lead placement. However, the limitations of the S ICD have not been fully demarcated by clinical trials. Case: After her father presented with a cardiac arrest, a 16-year-old female was diagnosed with ARVC on MRI after initially presenting with palpitations. This was corroborated via genetic testing, and an S ICD was placed after she passed pre-implant screening. Initially she did well, but she suffered inappropriate shocks approximately seven months after implant, in the setting of “hugging her boyfriend”. Interrogation revealed apparent noise, which was felt to be most likely due to lead fracture or possibly generator malfunction. At reoperation, first her lead was replaced, but continued noise was demonstrated intra-operatively, and thus her generator was also replaced. However, she was found again to have noise in each vector causing recurrent inappropriate shocks. Further testing ultimately determined that the noise was due to myopotentials, which were present in all vectors and unable to be programmed around. Ultimately, the S ICD was removed and replaced with a transvenous device. Discussion: While the S ICD is an attractive option in ARVC patients, the limitations of the technology must be acknowledged. The far-field nature of the sensing algorithm in the S ICD leads to a risk of myopotential oversensing. If this occurs, sometimes the system cannot be salvaged and the patient must be converted to a transvenous system. Recognizing this at the initial presentation with inappropriate shocks can avoid unsuccessful attempts at S ICD system modification and morbidity from future inappropriate shock events.
SAT0155 Prevalent vertebral fractures are associated with physical impairment
Authors: K Aoyagi, H Jimbayashi, PD Ross, H Shindo
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2001)

<h3>Background</h3> Vertebral fractures are a hallmark of postmenopausal osteoporosis and an important end point in trials of osteoporosis treatment, but the clinical significance of prevalent fractures remains uncertain. <h3>Objectives</h3> To examine the associations of prevalent vertebral fractures and other characteristics with physical functioning among 589 Japanese women ages 40 to 90 years. <h3>Methods</h3> Lateral spine radiographs were obtained and radiographic vertebral fractures were assessed by quantitative morphometry, defined as vertebral heights more than 3 SD below the normal mean. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey participants about difficulty in performing selected basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL). <h3>Results</h3> The prevalence of vertebral fractures increased significantly with age. Half of women ages 80 and over had vertebral fractures. Impaired function was defined as difficulty performing 3 or more ADLs. Each vertebral fracture increased the odds of impaired function by 1.4 times (95% CI: 1.1,&nbsp;1.8) in an age-adjusted logistic regression model. The number of vertebral &nbsp;fractures remained a significant predictor independent of age, number of painful joints, and BMI in multiple variable logistic regression models; the odds ratio of impairment for number of vertebral fractures was 1.5 (CI: 1.2, 2.0). Additional adjustment for back pain did not alter these findings. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The number of prevalent vertebral fractures contributed significantly to impaired function. The association was independent of age, back pain and the number of painful joints. The results also suggest that vertebral fractures may impair physical function even when back pain is not present.