tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Polyposis Detection Rate (Pdr) In Greece. a Retrospective Study
Authors: T Voulgaris, P Karatzas, E Laoudi, M Tambaki, E Koureta, G Kaltsa, G Karamanolis, K Papaxoinis, D Kamberoglou, J Vlachogiannakos, G Papatheodoridis
Journal: Endoscopy (2021)

Aims Polyp detection rate (PDR) is strongly correlated to the adenoma detection rate, which is the most important metric of the success of colorectal screening programs. We estimated the PDR in an academic Greek gastroenterology department and factors that affect it during a ten-year period.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
Authors: Louis J. Ptáček, Ying-Hui Fu
Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2021)

Over the last 30 years, biomedical research has become increasingly interdisciplinary, and collaboration has become ever more important.Most investigators in biomedical research engage in collaboration.In this Viewpoint, we address a closer, long-term, and more committed collaboration in which two investigators coauthor a majority of their publications.Despite being independent investigators, each with an individual laboratory, the model that has evolved for us was to build an operation wherein the two labs function much like a single lab with two principal investigators.There are many examples of successful partnerships with overlapping research interests and complementary skills.
Play: The Hypochondriac
Authors: Aula Abbara
Journal: BMJ (2005)

Lindsay Posner's production of this Moliere translation provides an evening of farce and silliness with semitragic undertones. The antihero Argan (played by Henry Goodman) is the self pitying hypochondriac of the title whose obsession with his bowels and bodily emissions allows to him fall prey to the cream of French medical quacks. Goodman plays him with insecure energy as he sits in his overlarge armchair/commode, his feet not quite reaching the ground and red clogs perched on his toes, making him appear more like the overgrown child that his gold digging wife treats him as than head of a household.

Argan is a pitiful character who, when asked, “What do you do?” will, instead of saying upholsterer or brewer, exclaim that he, in fact, “aches all over.” He embraces his supposed infirmities with glee and, paradoxically, the more serious his quack doctor declares his condition to be, the more pleased he becomes. Argan's eyes twinkle when he speaks of the time (two years ago) when he had six months to live.​live.




Figure 1



Toilet humour: The Hypochondriac

Credit: HUGO GLENDINNING




Argan relishes inhabiting the sick role; being “ill” provides him with his daily ritual, from the various tonics he takes, to the balms he rubs on his chest, to the enemas that he appears to enjoy a little too much. He is too squeamish to inspect his own bowel motions, instead expecting his nurse to do so and to ladle them into glass jars that are displayed on shelves about his study.

What is appealing about this production is the intelligent wit of the script that is matched comfortably by (literally) toilet humour that would not be out of place on the television comedy Little Britain. Comic force also comes from Thomas (John Marquez), who is betrothed to Argan's daughter, Angelique. Thomas is to qualify as a doctor; Argan has promised Angelique to him as it is always useful for a raging hypochondriac to have a doctor in the family. Thomas's father describes his son proudly as someone “who has natural lack of imagination, and a slowness to understand new ideas [that would] stand him in good stead in the [medical] profession,” surely characteristics that the General Medical Council desires in the selection of medical students.

When Argan gives up on Angelique marrying Thomas, the inspired solution is for Argan to join the medical profession. His induction ceremony suggests that all you need to become a doctor is not medical knowledge but a tailored white coat and the ability to recite the Latin declension of anus and enema.

This excellent production may present an entertainingly cruel caricature of hypochondriasis, but it is one in which, I am sure, many doctors would recognise elements of their own patients.
Lipids and lipoproteins predicting coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Authors: MLaakso, SLehto, IPenttilä, KPyörälä
Journal: Circulation (1993)

BACKGROUNDThe aim of this study was to investigate the association of lipoprotein fractions with the future risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM).METHODS AND RESULTSAt baseline, lipoprotein fractions were determined in 313 diabetic patients with NIDDM (153 men and 160 women), and these patients were followed up for 7 years with respect to CHD events (CHD death or all CHD events including CHD death or nonfatal myocardial infarction). Altogether, 56 NIDDM patients (28 men and 28 women) died from CHD and 25 had a nonfatal myocardial infarction (17 men and 8 women) during the follow-up. NIDDM patients having these CHD events during the follow-up had higher levels of total and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and HDL2 cholesterol than those without CHD events. The risk for CHD death was fourfold and for all CHD events, twofold higher among diabetics with low HDL choles...
Cloning of the rat alpha 1C-adrenergic receptor from cardiac myocytes. alpha 1C, alpha 1B, and alpha 1D mRNAs are present in cardiac myocytes but not in cardiac fibroblasts.
Authors: A FStewart, D GRokosh, B ABailey, L RKarns, K CChang, C SLong, KKariya, P CSimpson
Journal: Circulation Research (1994)

alpha 1-Adrenergic receptor (AR) activation in cardiac muscle has several different physiological effects that might be mediated through different alpha 1-AR subtypes. Two alpha 1-AR subtypes have been cloned from the rat, the alpha 1B and the alpha 1D; both are present in adult rat heart. A third subtype, the alpha 1C, cloned from the cow and human, was reported to be absent in the rat. However, we recently found alpha 1C mRNA in adult rat heart by using a partial alpha 1C cDNA. Thus, all three cloned alpha 1-AR subtypes are present in the heart, but it is unknown whether each is expressed in cardiac myocytes or in cardiac fibroblasts. In the present study, the full-length rat alpha 1C-AR was cloned from cultured neonatal cardiac myocytes. alpha 1C mRNA transcripts of 3, 9.5, and 11 kb were present in adult rat heart by Northern blot analysis. alpha 1B-, alpha 1C-, and alpha 1D-subtype mRNAs were each present in isolated adult and neonatal cardiac myocytes by RNase protection assay. In addition, cultured...
In vitro and in vivo effects within the coronary sinus of nonarcing and arcing shocks using a new system of low-energy DC ablation.
Authors: RLemery, T KLeung, ELavallée, AGirard, MTalajic, DRoy, MMontpetit
Journal: Circulation (1991)

DC shocks within the coronary sinus have been abandoned because of the risk of cardiac rupture and tamponade. Catheter ablation using DC energy to electrodes straddling the ostium of the coronary sinus, when used clinically, has been reported to result in cardiac tamponade in as many as 16% of patients. A new system of energy delivery maximizes voltage while decreasing the undesirable effects caused by barotrauma. This system includes 1) a low-energy ablation power supply with a brief time-constant capacitive discharge that delivers up to 40 J and 3,000 V and 2) a low-energy ablation catheter with a contoured distal electrode. We performed in vitro and in vivo studies of this new system and compared arcing shocks with nonarcing shocks. Ablations were performed using unipolar distal shocks (D) and unipolar shocks to both electrodes made electrically common (P-D). In vitro studies were done in a large tank filled with physiological saline while recording voltage, current, and pressure. High-speed cinematogr...
Plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and carotid wall thickening.
Authors: CBonithon-Kopp, PDucimetière, P JTouboul, J MFève, EBillaud, DCourbon, VHéraud
Journal: Circulation (1994)

BACKGROUNDMechanisms underlying the previously reported association between a deletion polymorphism in the gene encoding for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and the risk of myocardial infarction in low-risk subjects are unclear. The purpose of this case-control study was to examine the relation of plasma ACE activity to intimal-medial thickness of the carotid wall measured ultrasonographically in an apparently healthy population.METHODS AND RESULTSWe determined plasma ACE activity in 80 pairs of subjects without any history of ischemic heart disease or any treatment of hypertension and diabetes. Cases and control subjects were defined on the basis of intimal-medial thickness measured in the common carotid arteries by B-mode ultrasound and were matched for sex, sonographer, and the presence of atheromatous plaques. Subjects were selected from a sample of 434 men and 602 women between 60 and 69 years old participating in an ongoing study on vascular aging (EVA). Subjects with intimal-medial thickening (...
Re: Cost-Effectiveness of Computed Tomographic Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer in the Medicare Population
Authors: P. J. Pickhardt, D. H. Kim, C. Hassan
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2010)

Although we could argue at length over various key input assumptions in the cost-effectiveness analysis of computed tomographic colonography (CTC) screening in the Medicare population ( 1 ) that may spuriously affect the results (eg, the [un] natural history assumption for diminutive lesions) and may explain differences with our own modeling ( 2 , 3 ), this brief correspondence is not an ideal forum for such an exercise. Instead, we would like to focus on the two main conclusions of this modeling analysis because we believe that both conditions may be easily met, thus rendering any further arguments moot. The authors concluded that CTC would be a cost-effective screening option in their models if either 1) the cost was substantially less than colonoscopy or 2) a large proportion of otherwise unscreened individuals were to undergo CTC.
Thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction using intracoronary streptokinase: assessment by thallium-201 scintigraphy.
Authors: GSchuler, FSchwarz, MHofmann, HMehmel, JManthey, WMäurer, BRauch, H JHerrmann, WKübler
Journal: Circulation (1982)

Twenty-one patients with acute myocardial infarction, admitted to the hospital within 4 hours after the onset of symptoms, were studied by seven-pinhole thallium-201 scintigraphy before and 1 hour and 24 hours after intracoronary fibrinolysis using streptokinase. The size of the thallium-201 perfusion defect was assessed from myocardial cross sections reconstructed from the original seven-pinhole data and expressed as a fraction of left ventricular circumference. Recanalization was achieved in 16 patients within 3.9 +/- 1.6 hours after onset of symptoms (group A). In these patients, the size of the perfusion defect had decreased from 36 +/- 17% to 19% +/- 15% (p less than 0.001) at 24 hours. No significant change was detected by redistribution at 1 hour after the intervention. In five patients, intracoronary fibrinolysis was unsuccessful, and the vessel remained occluded (group B). The thallium-201 perfusion defect affected 40 +/- 15% of the left ventricular circumference before the intervention; it remai...
Novel cation-selective mechanosensitive ion channel in the atrial cell membrane.
Authors: DKim
Journal: Circulation Research (1993)

Stretch of atrial muscle causes the release of atrial natriuretic peptide, but no stretch-sensitive membrane sensors have been clearly identified so far. The existence of an ion channel that could mediate stretch-induced Ca2+ influx and subsequent release of the peptide was examined in rat atrial cells. In this report, the discovery of a novel atrial ion channel whose opening probability is extremely sensitive to either positive or negative pressure (half-maximal activation pressure, approximately 1.5 mm Hg) is described. Activation of the current by pressure applied to the pipette was observed both at the whole-cell and single-channel levels. The channel was permeable to cations including Ca2+. The channels were clustered with six to nine channels in each cluster, and several channels tended to open simultaneously in response to a graded increase in pressure for the inwardly passing current. Hypotonic swelling also activated these channels. These results show that mechanosensitive nonselective cation cha...
Analysis of State-Level Immigrant Policies and Preterm Births by Race/Ethnicity Among Women Born in the US and Women Born Outside the US
Authors: May Sudhinaraset, Rebecca Woofter, Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, Amanda Landrian, Dovile Vilda, Steven P. Wallace
Journal: JAMA Network Open (2021)

<h3>Importance</h3> Criminalizing immigrant policies, a form of structural racism, are associated with preterm birth; however, to date, few population studies have examined this association by race and nativity status or examined the association of inclusive immigrant policies with preterm birth. <h3>Objective</h3> To assess the extent to which variation in preterm birth by race/ethnicity and nativity status is associated with state-level criminalizing vs inclusive immigrant policies. <h3>Design, Setting, and Participants</h3> This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed birth record data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2018, as well as state-level indicators of inclusive and criminalizing immigrant policies. White, Black, Asian, and Latina women who had singleton births were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed from June 1, 2020, to February 5, 2021. Two continuous variables were created to capture the number of criminalizing vs inclusive immigrant policies in effect as of 2017 in each state. <h3>Main Outcomes and Measures</h3> The main outcome measure was preterm birth (&lt;37 weeks' gestation). <h3>Results</h3> Among the 3 455 514 live births that occurred in 2018, 10.0% were preterm, and 23.2% were to mothers born outside the US. Overall, for women born outside the US, each additional state-level inclusive policy was associated with a 2% decrease in preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.98 [95% CI, 0.96-1.00]); there were no significant associations between inclusive policies and preterm birth among women born in the US. In models examining the combined associations of criminalizing and inclusive immigrant policies with preterm birth, each additional criminalizing policy was associated with a 5% increase in preterm birth among Black women born outside the US (aOR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.00-1.10]). Each additional inclusive immigrant policy was associated with a lower likelihood of preterm birth for Asian women born in the US (aOR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.93-0.98]) and White women born outside the US (aOR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95-0.99]). No significant associations were found among other groups. <h3>Conclusions and Relevance</h3> This study suggests that criminalizing immigrant policies are associated with an increase in preterm birth specifically for Black women born outside the US. Inclusive immigrant policies are associated with a decrease in preterm birth for immigrants overall, Asian women born in the US, and White women born outside the US. No associations were found between criminalizing or inclusive immigrant policies and preterm birth among Latina women.
Long-Term Use of Ticagrelor in Patients with Prior Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Marcus Flather, Ameet Bakhai, Diego Perez de Arenaza
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2015)

occurred at 137 centers throughout the world in the phase 3 trial, which suggests that the skills necessary to safely administer the combination therapy are widely available.Furthermore, and to Valsecchi's point, among the 120 patients who discontinued combination therapy because of toxic effects, the response rate was 67.5%.To us, this supports the current guidelines for management of toxic effects and discontinuation of treatment, since it shows that high response rates can be observed in the context of no treatment-related deaths.Longer followup will be needed to assess the effect of treatment discontinuation on overall survival.
A central mechanism of analgesia in mice and humans lacking the sodium channel NaV1.7
Authors: Donald Iain MacDonald, Shafaq Sikandar, Jan Weiss, Martina Pyrski, Ana P. Luiz, Queensta Millet, Edward C. Emery, Flavia Mancini, Gian D. Iannetti, Sascha R.A. Alles, Manuel Arcangeletti, Jing Zhao, James J. Cox, Robert M. Brownstone, Frank Zufall, John N. Wood
Journal: Neuron (2021)

Deletion of SCN9A encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7 in humans leads to profound pain insensitivity and anosmia. Conditional deletion of NaV1.7 in sensory neurons of mice also abolishes pain, suggesting that the locus of analgesia is the nociceptor. Here we demonstrate, using in vivo calcium imaging and extracellular recording, that NaV1.7 knockout mice have essentially normal nociceptor activity. However, synaptic transmission from nociceptor central terminals in the spinal cord is greatly reduced by an opioid-dependent mechanism. Analgesia is also reversed substantially by central but not peripheral application of opioid antagonists. In contrast, the lack of neurotransmitter release from olfactory sensory neurons is opioid independent. Male and female humans with NaV1.7-null mutations show naloxone-reversible analgesia. Thus, inhibition of neurotransmitter release is the principal mechanism of anosmia and analgesia in mouse and human Nav1.7-null mutants.
Abstract 12952: Global Longitudinal Strain is Simple, Effective &amp; Sensitive Assessment of Cardiac Chamber Function in Patients With Acute-phase Myocarditis
Authors: Shaun Khanna, Aditya Bhat, Henry H Chen, Kennith Gu, Gary Gan, Timothy C Tan
Journal: Circulation (2020)

Introduction: Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease process with growing clinical relevance in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Acute-phase myocarditis is known to result in subclinical changes in left ventricular (LV) function despite normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF), as assessed by myocardial deformation indices. The presence of right ventricular (RV) and left atrial (LA) subclinical dysfunction however has not been well described in current literature. Hypothesis: Myocarditis patients have subclinical impairment of LV, RV and LA function as assessed by global longitudinal strain (GLS) on speckle tracking echocardiography. Methods: Consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of myocarditis admitted to our institution during 2013-2018 were assessed (n=76). Patients who did not meet appropriate diagnostic criteria (n=14), had impaired LVEF or prior cardiac disease (n=8) or poor transthoracic echocardiogram images (n=14) were excluded from analysis. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters were compared to age- , gender- and risk factor- matched controls. GLS was performed by two independent observers using vendor independent software (TomTec Arena, Germany v4.6). Results: The final cohort consisted 40 patients with myocarditis (age 44.3±16.7, 60% male) and 40 matched controls (44.5±16.6, 60% male). No significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics were observed between groups. No differences in LVEF, indexed LV mass, RV fractional area change, indexed LA volume or TR pressure gradient (p&gt;0.05 for all) were demonstrated between the two groups. Patients with myocarditis had a lower mean LV strain (GLS%: -16.4±2.9 vs -19.7±2.7, p=0.0001), a lower mean RV Free Wall Strain (FWS) (GLS%: -22.1±4.1 vs -26.2±6.9, p=0.03) and a lower mean LA reservoir strain (GLS%: 27.5±4.6 vs. 33.7±6.3, p&lt;0.0001) when compared to controls. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the presence of significant subclinical global myocardial dysfunction despite normal traditional echocardiographic indices, in patients with acute-phase myocarditis. Routine assessment of GLS may identify such patients for early targeted cardiac therapy.
Role of sarcoplasmic reticulum in arterial contraction: comparison of ryanodines's effect in a conduit and a muscular artery.
Authors: TAshida, JSchaeffer, W FGoldman, J BWade, M PBlaustein
Journal: Circulation Research (1988)

Ryanodine interferes with sarcoplasmic reticulum function in various types of muscle; in vascular smooth muscle, it can inhibit contractions that depend on sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release, probably by depleting the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium store. We tested ryanodine and calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem, and nitrendipine) on small rings of rat thoracic aorta (RA) and bovine tail artery (BTA) to determine the relative contributions of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release and gated calcium entry to contractions induced by norepinephrine, caffeine, and 100 mM K depolarization. Ryanodine blocked caffeine contractions in both tissues and attenuated norepinephrine responses (by 52% in RA, 14% in BTA) but minimally altered potassium contractions. Calcium channel blockers almost completely abolished potassium contractions and reduced norepinephrine contractions (by 45% in RA, 82% in BTA) but hardly affected caffeine responses. The blocking effects of ryanodine and calcium channel antag...
Covid-19: Hospital admissions and deaths could rise this summer, modellers warn
Authors: Ingrid Torjesen
Journal: BMJ (2021)

The later stages of the UK government’s roadmap out of lockdown are “highly likely” to cause a surge of covid-19 infections, hospital admissions, and deaths this summer, suggests modelling from three groups of scientists considered by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

SPI-M-O, Sage’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Operational) subgroup, reviewed modelling from Imperial College London, the University of Warwick, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It concluded that any resurgence in hospital admissions and deaths after reopening non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms, and outdoor hospitality from 12 April was “highly unlikely to put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.”1234

But the return of indoor socialising, the reopening of indoor hospitality including cinemas, theatres, and concert halls (stage 3) …
Decreased cardiac concentration of cGMP kinase in hypertensive animals. An index for cardiac vascularization
Authors: TEcker, CGöbel, RHullin, RRettig, GSeitz, FHofmann
Journal: Circulation Research (1989)

Cyclic GMP (cGMP) kinase is intimately involved in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle tone. Its tissue concentration was determined in normotensive and hypertensive rats by use of monospecific anti-cGMP kinase antibodies. Hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats and renovascular (Goldblatt II) hypertensive rats contained half the concentration of cGMP kinase than those of the respective normotensive animals. The increase in blood pressure and the resulting left ventricular hypertrophy were correlated inversely with the left ventricular cGMP kinase concentration. This decrease was specific for the left ventricle and was not observed in other tissues. In addition, the cardiac concentration of cGMP kinase was unchanged in hyperthyroid animals that had comparable left ventricular hypertrophy and mild hypertension. This suggested that in severe renovascular hypertension the decrease in cardiac cGMP kinase concentration is caused by a relative lack of cardiac vessel growth during the development of hyper...
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNET): are the Results Still Good when Based On Pet-Ct Ga68 Follow Up?
Authors: J Schifter, A Dancour, G Sheykman, M Benhaim, V Doviner, ML Dan, E Goldin
Journal: Endoscopy (2021)

Aims Preliminary results of EUS guided RFA ablation for pNET are promising. Since surgical specimens are not available, and CT, MRI or contrast EUS may lack sensitivity to detect remnant tumor tissue, success overestimation might have occurred. We aimed to evaluate the use of PET-CTga68 in such indication, in pretreatment positive cases.