Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of a polymer‐free rapamycin‐eluting stent (YUKON) with a polymer‐based paclitaxel‐eluting stent (TAXUS) in real‐world coronary artery lesions

Background: In selected patient cohorts the polymer‐free rapamycin‐eluting YUKON stent (A) has demonstrated noninferiority compared with the polymer‐based paclitaxel‐eluting TAXUS stent (B). To test for equivalency in unselected real‐world patients with coronary lesions of various complexities, we retrospectively compared both stent designs. Methods: A total of 410 patients with symptomatic CAD were successfully treated with A (n = 205) or with B (n = 205). Baseline clinical characteristics, coronary lesion location, lesion length, and the number of stents implanted per lesion were equally distributed between the treatment groups. All patients underwent QCA‐analysis at baseline. Clinical follow‐up with assessment of MACE and noncardiac deaths was obtained at 30 days and 6 months. Results: Nominal stent diameter was 2.96 ± 0.38 mm in Group A vs. 3.05 ± 0.42 mm in Group B (P = 0.2); nominal length of stented segmentwas 22.97 ±13.0 mm vs. 23.63 ± 10.0 (P = 0.56). Analysis of MACE after 6 months resulted in one angiographically documented stent thrombosis causing MI in B (0.2%) vs. none in A. No other MI or cardiac deaths occurred in either group, while two noncardiac deaths in A (1.0%) were reported. Fifteen target lesion revascularizations (7.3%) were performed in A vs. 7 (3.4%) in B. Differences in study endpoints at 6 months did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Up to 6 months after PCI of real‐world coronary lesions, there were no statistically significant differences in MACE between patients treated with the polymer‐free rapamycin‐eluting YUKON stent and the polymer‐based paclitaxel‐eluting TAXUS stent. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE Original Studies Stenting Complex Aortic Arch Obstructions

Objective: To present our institutional experience of endovascular stent therapy in patients with complex aortic arch lesions. Background: The management of aortic arch obstructions is complex and many physicians are either reluctant to treat mild–moderate aortic arch lesions associated with systemic hypertension or instead refer to highrisk surgical alternatives. Reported data on transcatheter stent therapy of complex aortic arch lesions are scarce. Methods: Between October 2002 and November 2006, 40 patients (pts) had complex aortic arch lesions treated with stent implantation in 42 procedures (proc). Aortic arch hypoplasia was present in 30/42 proc (71.4%). The median age was 10 year (16 days 37 years). In 40/42 proc (95.2%) patients had previous transcatheter or surgical aortic arch interventions. Results: Procedural success in achieving a peak systolic gradient reduction to 10 mm Hg with an improvement in the diameter to 90% of the ‘normal’ adjacent aortic arch was achieved in 38/42 proc (90.5%). The diameter of the arch obstruction increased from a median of 7.55 mm to a median of 14 mm (P < 0.0001) and the peak systolic gradient was reduced from a median of 23 mm Hg to a median of 2 mm Hg (P < 0.0001). Arch vessels were crossed in 31/42 proc (73.8%). Periprocedural adverse events were encountered in 13/42 proc (30.9%), predominately in patients with a weight below 10 kg or univentricular physiology. The median follow-up was 1 year (32 days 3.8 years). The incidence of systemic hypertension was significantly reduced from 22/42 (52.4%) before the procedure to 6/39 (15.4%) at the most recent follow-up (P = 0.0005). CT or MRI evaluations were performed in 18 pts, documenting all crossed arch vessels to appear patent. Conclusions: Stenting of complex aortic arch lesions can be performed safely and effectively with excellent, immediate, and midterm results. Patients with a weight below 10 kg or after Hybrid stage I palliation are at increased risk of adverse events. Stents can be placed across major arch vessels without compromising distal perfusion in otherwise normal vasculature. ' 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Wild Foods from Farm and Forest in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

This study explored the role of wild foods in the diets of children and mothers in the East Usambara Mountains (N = 274 dyads). We identified 92 wild food species. Although dietary diversity (most measures) was not different between seasons, wild foods accounted for a greater percentage of items consumed in the wet (food insecure) season. Many wild foods were obtained on farm; wild foods obtained from the forest accounted for less than 3% of food items consumed. Wild foods were used by virtually all informants but contributed only 2% of total energy in the diet. However, they contributed large percentages of vitamin A (RAE) (31%), vitamin C (20%), and iron (19.19%). Agricultural factors (e.g., hours spent in farm) were associated with greater wild food use. These findings suggest participation in agriculture may be important for the maintenance of wild food use, and that wild foods can play an important role in the nutritional resilience of local people.
HIV treatment as prevention among injection drug users.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) as a strategy to prevent the transmission of HIV infection is of substantial international interest. Injection drug users (IDUs) are an important population with respect to HIV treatment as prevention because they are often less likely to access HAART in comparison with other risk groups. RECENT FINDINGS A recent multicentre randomized clinical trial demonstrated a 96% reduction in HIV transmission among heterosexual serodiscordant couples prescribed early HAART. Consistent with these results, independent observational studies from Baltimore and Vancouver have demonstrated that population level rates of HAART use among IDUs are associated with reduced rates of HIV incidence. In addition, impact assessments of HAART delivery to IDUs have generally demonstrated no negative effects of HAART use on rates of unsafe sex or syringe sharing. SUMMARY HAART prevents HIV transmission because it dramatically decreases HIV-1 RNA levels in biological fluids. This is relevant to vertical and sexual HIV transmission and also to blood-borne HIV transmission, as it is often the case among IDUs. Efforts to expand HAART to IDUs should be redoubled in an effort to realize both the individual and public health benefits of HAART.
Nutritional Profiles of Urban and Rural Men of Punjab with Regard to Dietary Fat Intake

This study was undertaken to determine the quantity and type of fat consumed by urban and rural men in relation to BMI. Researchers surveyed 200 Punjabi men from rural and urban areas of Ludhiana District; total fat intake (74 g/day) by urban men was significantly more than that of men in rural areas. The energy percentage from total fat was positively and significantly (p ≤ .05) associated with BMI, accounting for 3.1%, 4.2%, and 2.9% of variation in the rural, urban, and total sample, respectively. Fatty-acid ratios were closer to recommendations for urban men than for men from rural areas.
Effects of helminths and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection on HIV-1: a cellular immunological perspective

Purpose of reviewIn many regions of the world, a high prevalence of HIV-1, helminthic and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections can be found. Here, we summarize the types of immune responses induced and/or modulated by these pathogens and the consequences for HIV-1 disease. Recent findingsHelminths predominantly induce strong T helper (Th) 2 cellular responses which are downregulated in chronic disease. The anatomical niche populated by helminths plays a key factor in the effect these parasites have on HIV-1 transmission and subsequent replication. Gut-associated helminths have been found to increase HIV-1 transmission via the lesions they provide. In spite of this, the many immune modulatory molecules secreted by the parasites may inhibit or slow HIV-1 infection. In contrast, Mtb is mainly restricted to the lung and the Mtb-specific Th cells induced are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and replication. Antigens from both pathogens have immunomodulatory activity that can skew cellular immune responses in specific directions. SummaryThe effect of helminths and Mtb on modulating immune responses is varied and complex with both their location and phenotype potentially influencing HIV-1 disease. These pathogens have evolved a complex array of molecules which have the capacity to modulate immunity and preserve pathogen survival.
Community Supported Agriculture Programs: A Novel Venue for Theory-Based Health Behavior Change Interventions

Local foods programs such as community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) and farmers’ markets have increased greatly in popularity. However, little research has been conducted regarding the effect of involvement in local foods programs on diet-related attitudes and behaviors. A series of focus groups was conducted to identify the motives that propel individuals to join a CSA, the experiences of belonging to a CSA, and the diet-related outcomes of CSA membership. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a framework to categorize findings, data suggest the potential of CSAs as a viable intervention strategy for promoting healthful diets and behaviors.
SUMI: the Software Usability Measurement Inventory

SUMI is a solution to the recurring problem of measuring users’ perception of the usability of software. It provides a valid and reliable method for the comparison of competing products and differing versions of the same product, as well as providing diagnostic information for future developments. It consists of a %)-item questionnaire devised in accordance with psychometric practice. It is intended to be administered to a sample of users who have had some experience of using the software to be evaluated. The concept of usability as assessed by SUM1 draws on the definition in IS0 9241, and relates to the European Directive on Health and Safety Standards for Workers with VDU Equipment.
Household Food Expenditure Patterns, Food Nutrient Consumption and Nutritional Vulnerability in Nigeria: Implications for Policy

The study examined the patterns of food spending, food nutrient consumption, and nutrient deficiency profiles of households in Nigeria using a cross-sectional nationwide household survey data. Food nutrients were estimated from food expenditure data while the nutrient deficiency profiles were assessed adapting Foster et al. (1984) poverty index. The study established widespread nutritional deficiencies with low-income household cohorts bearing a greater burden of the deficiencies. Protein-protein deficiency appears to be much more prevalent in urban than rural areas. However, the deficiency of micro-nutrients seems to diffuse across urban-rural divides of the country with deficiency of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C appearing to be more pronounced in rural areas while phosphorous, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B3 deficiencies seem to be higher in urban settings. Pro-poor income growth strategies and sensitively guided urban-rural food and nutrition interventions are advocated for improved food consumption and nutritional deficiency reduction.
Effect of local delivery of heparin and methotrexate on neointimal proliferation in stented porcine coronary arteries

BackgroundMultiple systemic agents have not prevented restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Attention has focused more recently on developing local drug delivery systems that achieve significant focal concentrations of agents potentially effective against restenosis. Recent advances in polymer design allow specific drugs to be eluted within a defined period after polymer binding onto intracoronary stents. Preliminary results suggested heparin and methotrexate may inhibit the neointimal smooth muscle cell proliferation involved in restenosis. We investigated whether a local drug delivery system involving polymer binding of methotrexate, heparin, or both agents onto an intracoronary stent would inhibit neointimal smooth muscle cell proliferation in a model involving oversized stenting of porcine coronary arteries. MethodsForty animals were randomly divided into four treatment groups. Ten pigs each received a flexible, balloon-expandable tantalum stent coated with a cellulose ester polymer that bound methotrexate, heparin, or a combination of both drugs; 10 animals received an uncoated tantalum control stent. All animals were fed a nonatherogenic diet and were killed 28 days after stenting. Morphometric analysis of stented arteries was performed; mean neointimal area and percent lumen area stenosis were compared between treatment groups. ResultsNo statistically significant differences were found between treatment groups by 2 × 2 factorial analysis with respect to either mean neointimal area or percent lumen area stenosis. ConclusionsThis preliminary attempt to inhibit neointimal smooth muscle cell proliferation after vascular injury by local delivery of methotrexate and heparin with polymer-coated intracoronary stents was unsuccessful. Further efforts to refine polymer-based local drug delivery systems may involve more effective antiproliferative agents and more extensive surface areas for drug delivery.
Nutrition education practices of primary school teachers in a resource-constrained community in Gauteng, South Africa

ABSTRACT We investigated the nutrition education (NE) practices of teachers of grade 4‒7 learners in 11 primary schools (85% of total number) of the Bronkhorstspruit district (Gauteng Province) to identify opportunities for improving NE in these schools. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among a convenient sample of the teachers (N = 73) using a structured nutrition education practice questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis was done. Results showed that the majority of the teachers taught nutrition in about 10% to 20% of their teaching time. Thirty percent had no training to teach nutrition, and most teachers (86%) would like to receive training in nutrition. Teachers mostly taught nutrition as part of the curriculum (67%) and very few (18%) integrated nutrition into other subjects. Needing improvement were adequate classroom time for nutrition education delivery, continuing training in nutrition for teachers, and provision of up-to-date instructional materials for teaching nutrition.
Progress in HIV-1 vaccine development

Purpose of reviewIn this review, examples of recent progress in HIV-1 vaccine research are discussed. Recent findingsNew insights from the immune correlates analyses of the RV144 efficacy trial have accelerated vaccine development with leads to follow in nonhuman primate studies and improved vaccine designs. Several new vaccine vector approaches offer promise in the exquisite control of acute infection and in improving the breadth of T-cell responses. New targets of broadly neutralizing antibodies (BnAbs) have been elucidated, and improved understanding of how the human host controls BnAb development have emerged from BnAb knock-in mice and from analyses of BnAb maturation and virus evolution in individuals followed from the time of HIV-1 transmission to BnAb induction. SummaryBased on these observations, it is clear that the development of a successful HIV-1 vaccine will require new vaccine approaches and iterative testing of immunogens in well designed animal and human trials.
Pharmacogenomics in Heart Failure: Where Are We Now and How Can We Reach Clinical Application?

Heart failure is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Several therapies are currently available to treat this chronic illness; however, clinical response to these treatment options exhibit significant interpatient variation. It is now clearly understood that genetics is a key contributor to diversity in therapeutic response, and evidence that genetic polymorphisms alter the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical response of heart failure drugs continues to accumulate. This suggests that pharmacogenomics has the potential to help clinicians improve the management of heart failure by choosing the safest and most effective medications and doses. Unfortunately, despite much supportive data, pharmacogenetic optimization of heart failure treatment regimens is not yet a reality. In order to attenuate the rising burden of heart failure, particularly in the context of the recent paucity of new effective interventions, there is an urgent need to extend pharmacogenetic knowledge and leverage these associations in order to enhance the effectiveness of existing heart failure therapies. This review focuses on the current state of pharmacogenomics in heart failure and provides a glimpse of the aforementioned future needs.
Existing Drugs and Agents Under Investigation for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive and debilitating disorder with an associated high morbidity and mortality rate. Significant advances in our understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension have occurred over the past several decades. This has allowed the development of new therapeutic options in this disease. Today, our selection of therapeutic modalities is broader, including calcium channel blockers, prostanoids, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, and soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, but the disease remains fatal. This underscores the need for a continued search for novel therapies. Several potential pharmacologic agents for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension are under clinical development and some promising results with these treatments have been reported. These agents include rho-kinase inhibitors, long-acting nonprostanoid prostacyclin receptor agonists, tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors, endothelial nitric oxide synthase couplers, synthetically produced vasoactive intestinal peptide, antagonists of the 5-HT2 receptors, and others. This article will review several of these promising new therapies and will discuss the current evidence regarding their potential benefit in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Avoiding false positives in PCR-based identification methods for nonsterile plant pathogens

Molecular approaches to species-specific identification are frequently applied in diagnostic, epidemiological, and phylogenetic studies. Many of these methodologies, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), random amplified polymorphic DNA, and restriction-fragment length polymorphism assays, make use of universal-primer sequences during the development of the assays or even in routine applications. This practise, particularly with environmental samples, can lead to erroneous conclusions, because samples may be contaminated with a wide range of diverse DNA sequences. As an example, in the course of developing PCR-based diagnostics for common nematode plant pathogens, in this study, the 18S–25S intragenic regions from genes encoding rRNA in the target organisms were isolated by PCR amplification. Employing “universal” primers, products of various sizes were amplified from DNA in six different pathogenic species, which had been isolated from the field and identified morphologically. While the observed size heterogeneity was very promising with respect to molecular identification, subsequent sequence analyses revealed several examples of contaminating DNA. Some reactions with universal primers did amplify rDNA sequences from the target nematodes but other reactions preferentially amplified rDNA sequences from small amounts of contaminating organisms, which were associated with the nematode samples. These results illustrate the necessity for sequence analyses when product size differences are adopted to identify closely related organisms and sampling cannot be carried out under sterile conditions.
Proposing a framework to assess Internet usage in university education: an empirical investigation from a student's perspective

University administrators are continuously investing in Information Technology (IT) to support learning and help deal with educational budget cuts. Instructors are increasingly making their teaching materials available on the Internet. While administrators and instructors would like to make the Internet an effective educational tool, they need to understand what their students' attitudes towards using it are. Since the use of the Internet in university education is still in its early stages, many issues regarding its use have not been fully addressed. This study was conducted to provide a better understanding of how the Internet is used in university learning from a student's perspective. Our research framework is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, Technology Acceptance Model. and IT Diffusion Process Model. We use a survey conducted among university students to explore these issues. Research findings provide some useful insights for university administrators and educators.
Media effectiveness, essentiality, and amount of study: a mathematical model

An in-depth investigation of the relationship between media effectiveness, essentiality, and amount of study was presented. Overall, effectiveness explains 48% of the variation in the amount of study. Students who found the media more effective studied the media more. Those media that were more effective were studied more. The relationship between effectiveness and amount of study is different for each medium. This is because media differ in their degree of 'essentiality-versus-optionality'. Thus, the amount of study depends on a combination of effectiveness and essentiality. The relationship between effectiveness, essentiality, and amount of study is different for each student. This is because students differ in their 'sensitivities'-their sensitivity to effectiveness and to essentiality. The final equation used effectiveness, essentiality, and sensitivity to explain 74% of the variation in the amount of study. The analysis was informed by a mathematical model.
Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus and aorto‐pulmonary vessels using non‐ferromagnetic Inconel MReye embolization coils

Objectives. We report the use of non‐ferromagnetic embolization coils for transcatheter PDA closure. Background. Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure has been performed for 40 years. A number of devices have been used with varying degrees of success. Gianturco embolization coils have been used frequently since 1992 with excellent results. These coils are a stainless steel alloy, and create an artifact when subsequent MRI imaging is performed. Methods. Eight patients underwent right and left heart catheterization and transcatheter PDA closure. Angiography displayed a PDA with left to right shunting. The minimum PDA diameter was measured. An Inconel MReye coil was implanted using standard retrograde technique. A postimplant angiogram was performed. Evaluations were performed the following morning and after 2 months. Results. The median age was 5.5 years, median weight was 24 kg. The PDA minimum diameter was 1.7 mm (range 1.4–2.4 mm), with a median Qp:Qs=1.33:1. In all patients, the PDA was completely immediately closed using one Inconel coil. Two patients also had a small aorto‐pulmonary collateral vessel that was occluded using a separate Inconel coil. All patients had follow‐up evaluation the following day; the PDA remained completely occluded and there was no obstruction of the pulmonary artery branches or descending aorta. Seven patients had subsequent follow‐up and echocardiograms; the PDA remained completely occluded. There were no complications. Conclusion. The Inconel MReye coil is safe and effective for coil occlusion of small PDA and aorto‐pulmonary vessels. Additional studies are needed to define the maximum vessel diameter for Inconel coil occlusion. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.