Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statin therapy is associated with reduced restenosis rates after coronary stent implantation in carriers of the PlA2allele of the platelet glycoprotein IIIa gene

Aims Platelets play a central role in the restenosis process by inducing neointimal proliferation after coronary interventions. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa PlA2polymorphism has been associated with the occurrence of acute coronary syndromes and increased restenosis rates. Statins have been shown to exert potent antiproliferative, antiinflammatory and antithrombotic properties, thereby potentially interfering with the major processes of in-stent restenosis. Therefore, we sought to find out whether statin therapy interferes with restenosis and clinical outcome at 6 months following successful coronary stent implantation in the presence or absence of the PlA2allele. Methods and Results Six hundred and fifty consecutive patients were followed for 6 months after coronary stent insertion. Carriers of the PlA2allele demonstrated a significantly increased restenosis rate, which was abrogated by statin therapy (50·9% vs 28·6%, P =0·01). Moreover, statin therapy was associated with a significant reduction (28·2% vs 49·3%, P <0·01) in the occurrence of major adverse coronary events (myocardial infarction, cardiac death, target vessel revascularization) in the 6 months after the intervention in patients with the PlA2allele. Conclusion Statin therapy reduces increased stent restenosis rates and improves clinical outcome following coronary stent implantation in patients bearing the PlA2allele, suggesting that statins interfere with the functional consequence of a genetically determined platelet-mediated risk factor associated with PlA2polymorphism.
Do risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer have an impact on prognosis? Focus on previous pelvic surgery and reproductive variables.

OBJECTIVES The prognostic impact of risk factors for ovarian cancer development is sparsely explored, but previous sterilisation has been shown to have a negative impact on survival. METHODS Ovarian cancer cases were from the Danish MALOVA study. Information on previous pelvic surgery as well as reproductive variables was obtained from a personal interview conducted closely after primary surgery. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for ovarian cancer specific death in relation to previous pelvic surgery and reproductive variables including lifetime number of ovulation years. RESULTS A total of 295 women with Stage III ovarian carcinomas were identified and followed to death or for a median of 7.3 years (range 5.4-9.5 years). Previously sterilised or hysterectomised women seemed to have a slightly decreased risk of ovarian cancer death (HR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.36-1.08 and HR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.55-1.21), although none of these associations reached statistical significance. The prognostic impacts of the individual reproductive variables followed the same pattern as the impact of the variables on ovarian cancer development, although significance was only reached for age at menarche (HR = 0.91 per year; 95% CI: 0.84-0.99). By accumulation of the possible minor effects of the reproductive variables in calculation of the total lifetime number of ovulation years, we found that survival decreased significantly with increasing number of ovulations (HR = 1.53 per 10 years; 95% CI: 1.09-2.14). CONCLUSION Increasing lifetime number of ovulations was a negative prognostic factor for ovarian cancer specific survival. Previous sterilisation or hysterectomy seemed to be associated with improved survival.
Magnetic properties of bcc Iron surfaces and the influence of the chemical environment: electronic structure calculations

We have investigated the magnetic properties of low-indexed iron surfaces and the influence of the chemical environment on these properties. We have considered the (1 0 0), (1 1 0), (1 1 1), (2 1 1) and (3 1 0) surfaces, both, bare and with the presence of adsorbates. These were chosen to mimic realistic chemical synthesis environments, being H, Cl, HCl, NH3, NH4Cl, or CH3COOH. We have found an increased magnetization at all bare surfaces. Upon H adsorption the magnetization is generally reduced, but still above the bulk value. All other ligands and their dissociated parts alter the magnetic properties of the surfaces only weakly. Our calculations do not indicate that ligands are responsible for experimental observations of Fe nanoparticles with average magnetizations below the bulk value.
Endoscopic sphincterotomy and biliary drainage in patients with cholangitis due to common bile duct stones.

OBJECTIVES In a prospective study, we analyzed 95 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic papillotomy (EP) for cholangitis due to common bile duct (CBD) stones; our purpose was to evaluate the risk factors influencing the complication rate due to cholangitis, with special attention to the clinical history. METHODS Patients with previous gastric surgery or EP were excluded. Complications subsequent to sphincterotomy were recorded over a 3-month period. RESULTS In patients with persistent cholangitis before EP, the risk for complications due to cholangitis increased with increasing delay between the onset of cholangitis and biliary drainage. In patients with a good response to antibiotics before EP, the delay in biliary drainage did not influence the risk of complications. After complete CBD stone removal, the morbidity (42% vs. 4%, p = 0.001) and the mortality (8% vs. 0%, NS) due to cholangitis were much higher in 12 patients with progressive cholangitis for > 3 days before biliary drainage, compared with 73 cases who had experienced a good response to antibiotics before EP and/or early drainage (< 3 days) after the onset of cholangitis. Two patients with advanced cholangitis and septic shock at the time of EP died < 12 h after completed sphincterotomy with CBD stone removal. Three patients with retained CBD stones and failed biliary drainage after EP experienced disastrous morbidity (100% vs. 9%, p < 0.01) and mortality (67% vs. 1%, p < 0.01) due to cholangitis, compared with 85 patients without retained CBD stone(s). CONCLUSIONS We recommend emergency biliary drainage in all patients presenting with calculous cholangitis who are severely ill with continuous fever for several days. Emergency nasobiliary drainage without EP or after a limited EP may be a safer treatment in patients with (impending) septic shock. We believe that a more conservative approach is justified in patients presenting with symptoms of mild cholangitis, restricting emergency biliary drainage for those who do not respond rapidly (< 24 h) to antibiotics. Further emergency surgical or percutaneous biliary drainage should be performed immediately on patients in whom CBD stones are retained, after EP and drainage fails, especially if a stone is left impacted distally.
Normal Coördinates for the Geometry of Paths.

1. The normal coordinates introduced by Riemann have been of the greatest utility in a variety of researches in Riemann geometry and, are likely to be important in the theory of relativity. An analogous coordinate system is fundamental in what Professor Eisenhart and I have called the Geometry of Paths (Vol. 8, p. 19 of these PROCzwDINGS) i.e., in the theory of the differential equations. d2xi dxa dx0 (1.1) ds2 a7d ds in which ri = rsa (1.2) the r's being functions of the variables, xl, x2. x', and the paths being the curves which satisfy (1.1). The purpose of the present note is to define the new normal coordinates, to study a set of tensors connected with them, and to obtain a set of identities. Some of the f6rmulae are believed to be new even for those manifolds in which the geometry of paths reduces to the Riemann geometry. 2. From the differential equations (1.1) we obtain by differentiation a sequence of differential equations.
A teacher's view about introductory programming teaching and learning: Difficulties, strategies and motivations

The difficulties faced by students and teachers in learning and teaching introductory programming has been a research issue over the years. Programming learning demands effort and motivation. However, demotivation is common in many novice-programming students, who are not able to cope with the natural difficulties associated to programming learning. Since many students lack intrinsic motivation it is up to the teacher to find strategies to help students and keep them motivated during the course. The objective of our research was to know more about the pedagogical and motivational strategies used by teachers in the author's institutions to promote programming student's motivation. So we interviewed teachers with diversified experiences in teaching the first programming course.
Stopping and Restarting an Unfolding Action at Various Times

The ability to inhibit an unfolding action is usually investigated using a stop signal (or go—stop) task. The data from the stop-signal task are often described using a horse-race model whose key assumption is that each process (i.e., go, stop) exhibits stochastic independence. Using three variations of a coincident-timing task (i.e., go, go—stop, and go—stop—go) we extend previous considerations of stochastic independence by analysing the go latencies for prior effects of stopping. On random trials in the go—stop—go task the signal sweep was paused for various times at various distances before the target. Significant increases in latency errors were reported on those trials on which the signal was paused (p <.005). Further analyses of the pause trials revealed significant effects for both the stopping interval (p <.001) and the pause interval (p <.05). Tukey post hoc analyses demonstrated increased latency errors as a linear function of the stopping interval, as expected, and decreased latency errors as a nonlinear function of the pause interval. These latter results indicate that the latencies of the go process, as reflected in the latency errors, may not exhibit stochastic independence under certain conditions. Various control mechanisms were considered in an attempt to explain these data.
Low voltage DC distribution system compared with 230 V AC

In this work low voltage DC distribution systems for a home are investigated by evaluating the advantages and disadvantages to 230V systems. The aim of the work is to connect the systems with local generation such as solar cell, micro turbine and energy storages at the end user level. Data obtained from measurements of power consumption for different household appliances such as refrigerator, microwave oven, rice cooker, dish washer etc. have been used to evaluate the systems. The performance of the 230V AC system and the proposed low voltage DC system is analyzed by considering factors such as losses in the wire, internal loss of the device itself, investment cost for new wiring, energy consumption cost
Double-SOI Wafer-Bonded CMUTs With Improved Electrical Safety and Minimal Roughness of Dielectric and Electrode Surfaces

Despite myriad potential advantages over piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs) have not yet seen widespread commercial implementation. The possible reasons for this may include key issues of the following: (1) long-term device reliability and (2) electrical safety issues associated with relatively high voltage electrodes on device surfaces which could present an electrical safety hazard to patients. A CMUT design presented here may mitigate some of these problems. Dielectric charging is one phenomenon which can lead to unpredictable performance and device failure. Using a previously published 1-D model of dielectric charging, we link minimal dielectric surface roughness with minimal dielectric charging. Previous studies of Fowler-Nordheim tunneling suggest that minimal-surface-roughness electrodes could lead to minimal transdielectric currents (and, hence, slower dielectric charging rates). These principles guided our device architecture, leading us to engineer near atomically smooth electrodes and dielectric surfaces to minimize dielectric charging. To provide maximum electrical safety to future patients, CMUT devices were engineered with the top membrane serving as a ground electrode. While multiple CMUT elements have not been individually addressable in most such designs to our knowledge, we introduce a fabrication method involving two silicon-on-insulator wafers with a step to define individually addressable electrodes. Our devices are modeled using a finite-element package. Measured deflections show excellent agreement with modeled performance. We test for charge effects by studying deflection hysteresis during snapdown and snapback cycles in the limit of long snapdown durations to simulate maximal-dielectric-charging conditions. Devices were also tested in long-term actuation tests and subjected to more than 3 × 1010 cycles without failure.
Haemostatic changes in systemic inflammatory response syndrome during continuous renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND Endothelial damage and hemostatic imbalance play an important role in the evolution of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) into the Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS). In Acute Renal Failure associated with SIRS, different types of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapies (CRRT) may give non-renal benefits by modifying the levels of some factors related to those disturbances. METHODS Forty patients with SIRS-associated ARF were randomised to receive either continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) or continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) for the first 24 h. Afterwards the CRRT method was reversed. The group treated with CVVH moved to CVVHDF and that treated with CVVHDF to CVVH for the next 24 h. Plasma levels of: von Willebrand Factor (vWF), thrombomodulin, plasminogen activity inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1: antigen and activity), tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA: antigen), prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2) and thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) were measured previously to CRRT (base-line), and after 24 and 48 hours of therapy. Multivariate ANOVA was the statistical method used. RESULTS In the MANOVA study a significant decrease in PAI-1 activity during the treatment procedure was observed (horizontality p <0.05). PAI-1 antigen showed a tendency to decrease although without statististical significance. There were no significantly different changes in the other factors analysed during either CRRT (parallelism p >0.05). At the base-line point, all the factors were higher than normal values in healthy adults. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that CRRT, in patients with SIRS, may promote a decrease in PAI-1 and consequently, a better outcome. There were no differences between the CVVH and the CVVHDF methods regarding the factors analysed. The present data confirms that there is an important endothelial and hemostatic dysfunction in SIRS from the early phases.
Aging as a factor in the renal hemodynamic changes induced by a standardized pyrogen.

The functional and anatomic changes of the kidney associated with increasing age have been demonstrated convincingly. The evaluation of renal function in aged persons has demonstrated a progressive decrease in the urea clearance (1), glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, and renal tubular transfer maxima (2, 3). These decreases in function fit well with the anatomic studies which hold that the degree of renal arteriosclerosis present in the aging population is sufficient to account for the decrease in renal parenchyma on a basis of restricted blood supply (4-7). The anatomic studies also agree that the predominant picture of arterial degeneration is that of intimal thickening (lumen attenuation and occlusion) in the larger arteries (interlobar and interlobular) with progressively less sclerosis in the vessels as the observations extend toward the glomerulus. Even in the age group beyond 80 years, Bell notes that only about 20 per cent of the renal arterioles are involved in the sclerotic process, and this involvement is not severe (7). In his study of the relationship of age to renal atrophy in non-hypertensive individuals free from renal disease, Bell states, "Areas of atrophy are wedgeshaped and are caused by intimal atherosclerosis with occlusion of fairly large branches of the renal artery. " The present study is concerned with an evaluation of the functional status of the renal arterioles in an aging population free of hypertension and demonstrable renal disease. Since it is believed that the increase in renal blood flow following the intravenous administration of a pyrogen is in large part mediated through a decrease in renal arteriolar tonus (8), we have employed a standard1 Present address: Department of Medicine, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, Mass. ized pyrogen test to assay the capacity of the renal arterioles to dilate.
In Vitro Development of Resistance to Six Quinolones in Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, andStaphylococcus aureus isolates were exposed to subinhibitory MICs of ciprofloxacin, sparfloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, clinafloxacin, and gemifloxacin during a 10-day period. Subculturing led to resistance development, regardless of the initial potencies of the quinolones. None of the quinolones was associated with a significantly slower rate of resistance development.
The Effects of Vibration on the Gait Pattern and Vibration Perception Threshold of Children With Idiopathic Toe Walking

The effectiveness of idiopathic toe walking treatments is not conclusive. The study investigated the use of vibration as a therapeutic/treatment method for children with idiopathic toe walking. Fifteen children with idiopathic toe walking and 15 typically developing children, aged 4 to 10 years, completed the study. The study included a barefoot gait examination and a vibration perception threshold test before and after standing on a whole body vibration machine for 60 seconds. Temporal-spatial parameters were recorded along with HR32, a calculation designed to distinguish on aspects of the toe-walking pattern. No significant gait pattern differences were found between children with idiopathic toe walking and typically developing children after one bout of vibration intervention. HR32 was found to be a means to identify the toe-walking pattern (P < .001). Hypersensitivity to vibration of children with idiopathic toe walking was not found in the current study (P = .921).
Inhibition of osteoclasts does not prevent joint ankylosis in a mouse model of spondyloarthritis.

OBJECTIVES The relationship between inflammation, destruction and new tissue formation leading to ankylosis, determines the severity and prognosis of patients with SpA. Recent data in mice and men suggest that new cartilage and bone formation and subsequent ankylosis are uncoupled from chronic inflammation. These data challenge the hypothesis that inflammation and tissue damage trigger an excessive repair response in SpA. We tested whether inhibition of bone erosion by targeting osteoclasts, would prevent or influence joint ankylosis in a mouse model. METHODS Male DBA/1 mice from different litters were caged together at the age of 8 weeks. Treatment with zoledronic acid (ZA) (100 ng/g) or placebo was started at the age of 10 weeks and administered every 2 weeks. Clinical incidence and severity of arthritis were evaluated twice a week until the age of 26 weeks. At this point, bone density measurements were performed, mice were sacrificed and severity of arthritis was evaluated by histology. RESULTS Treatment with ZA did not affect incidence or clinical severity of arthritis in male DBA/1 mice. ZA treatment significantly increased bone mineral density and content as demonstrated by dual X-ray densitometry and peripheral quantitative CT. However, the treatment did not affect histomorphological appearance of arthritis or ankylosis. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that bone erosion at the enthesis does not necessarily precede entheseal ankylosis. Therefore, these observations further support the concept that inflammation and new tissue formation in SpA are at least partially uncoupled events and may be different therapeutic targets.
Opportunistic infection of chronic skin ulcers with Pseudomonas putrefaciens

Heavy growth of Pseudomonas putrefaciens was isolated repeatedly in mixed culture with other Gram‐negative rods from chronic ulcers on the extremities of an elderly patient with burnt‐out leprosy. Treatment was with systemic cotrimoxazole, topical framycetin and general supportive therapy, and the ulcers gradually healed over a period of 4 weeks.
Predictors and Long-Term Clinical Outcome of Longitudinal Stent Deformation: Insights From Pooled Analysis of Korean Multicenter Drug-Eluting Stent Cohort

Background— There are limited data on the frequency of and factors associated with quantitative coronary angiography (QCA)–defined longitudinal stent deformation (LSD) in various contemporary drug-eluting stents platforms. This study sought to evaluate the predictors of LSD and its long-term clinical implication. Methods and Results— A patient-level pooled analysis was performed with 7350 lesions in 5871 patients treated with platinum-chromium–based everolimus-eluting stent (Promus Element), cobalt-chromium–based everolimus-eluting stent (Promus/Xience V), or cobalt-chromium–based zotarolimus-eluting stent (Endeavor Resolute). QCA was performed to analyze differences of stent length between immediate post-deployment and final post-procedure. Independent factors associated with LSD were identified. Clinical outcomes at 3 years were compared between those with and without QCA-based LSD. The frequency of QCA-based LSD was 1.12% (82 cases). Nine of these cases were angiographically overt. Left main or ostial lesion, bifurcation treatment with provisional side branch stenting or ballooning, additional downstream intervention of a distal lesion, intravascular ultrasound use, and adjunctive post-dilatation were independently associated with QCA-based LSD. The type of stent was not associated with QCA-based LSD. Rates of target lesion failure were nominally higher in lesions with QCA-based LSD than in those without (8.97% versus 5.88%; hazard ratio, 1.415; 95% confidence interval, 0.631–3.175; P=0.399). Conclusions— LSD is uncommon with contemporary drug-eluting stents, regardless of the type of stent platform. LSD is mainly associated with procedural factors, especially with additional downstream procedures which require the passage of devices through the stent. Careful manipulation of poststent imaging or procedural devices is required to prevent LSD. More data are needed to clarify the impact of LSD on clinical events.