Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drug-eluting balloon in the treatment of in-stent restenosis and diffuse coronary artery disease: real-world experience from our registry.

OBJECTIVES To report a single-center experience of drug-eluting balloons (DEB) in the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and de novo coronary artery disease. BACKGROUND DEB are emerging as an alternative treatment for coronary stenosis especially when metal scaffolding is undesirable (in-stent restenosis and small-vessel de novo disease). Although there are various randomized trials and registry studies, the data from real-world cohorts are lacking. METHODS Consecutive patients treated with the In.Pact Falcon™ (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) paclitaxel-eluting balloon between January 2009 and December 2011 were retrospectively studied. The measured end-points were cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as combination of cardiac death, MI, and TVR. RESULTS A total of 275 lesions were successfully treated in 184 patients. The mean age was 66.2 ± 9.6 years, and 87% were males. The predominant indication for DEB use was ISR (62%), with de novo lesions accounting for the remainder (38%). A mean of 1.48 ± 0.9 DEB were used per patient. Bailout stenting was required in 24% of lesions. The median clinical follow-up was 14.6 months (IQR 12-23). The overall rates of cardiac death, MI, TLR, TVR, and MACE were 3.8%, 1.6%, 16.8%, 17.9%, and 21.7%, respectively. The overall rate of stent thrombosis was 0.5% (n = 1). CONCLUSION Our results suggests that DEB can be considered in lesions where the use of stents is not desirable, especially restenotic lesions. Further long-term follow-up of these patients will provide us more insights on the long-term outcomes.
Organ models in wound ballistics: experimental study.

BACKGROUND Effects of various types and diameters of guns and related treatment principles are different. Our study was performed to experimentally demonstrate the effects of different gunshots in body tissues. METHODS 9x19 mm hand-gun and 7.62x51 mm G-3 infantry rifle were used in the study. Injury models were created through hand-gun and rifle shootings at isolated soft tissue, lower extremity, liver and intestine tissue simulants made of ballistic candle. High-speed cameras were used to capture 1000 frames per second. Images were examined and wound mechanisms were evaluated. RESULTS It was observed that the colon content distributed more within the surrounding tissues by the rifle shootings comparing with hand-gun shootings and could be an infection source due to the large size of the cavity in the colon. Especially when the bullets hitting the bone were investigated, it was seen that much more tissue injury occurs with high speed bullets due to bullet deformation and fragmentation. However, no significant difference was found between the effect of hand-gun and rifle bullets passing through the extremity without hitting the bone. CONCLUSION To know the type of the gun that caused the injury and its characteristics will allow to estimate severity and size of the injury before the treatment and to focus on different alternatives of treatment. Therefore, use of appropriate models is required in experimental studies.
Parametric analysis of the transverse bilateral helical antenna

Parametric variations of the TBH antenna over a perfect ground plane were studied to gain insight to the roles played by the key parameters in affecting antenna characteristics. Results of simulations were compared to approximate models based on the superposition of radiation from small loops and monopole. Maximum antenna bandwidth was achieved for a helical conductor width equal to frac12 the helical pitch and a helical core diameter approximately equal to the distance from the center of the helix to the ground plane. Bandwidth is reduced by pacing the helix on a high permittivity core material. Increasing the loss tangent of the core can improve bandwidth but at the expense of antenna efficiency. The directive gain and radiation resistance given by superposition of elementary radiating components are found to be in close agreement with the simulation results.
Aggregate and Idiosyncratic Political Risk: Measurement and Effects

We propose a new measure of political risk faced by individual US-firms based on textual analysis of earnings conference call transcripts: the share of the conversation between management and analysts that is devoted to political topics. Our measure correlates significantly with firm-level stock return volatility, even after controlling for firm and time fixed effects. We find that increases in idiosyncratic political risk are associated with decreases in investment and hiring, and that the dispersion of idiosyncratic political risk tends to increase significantly in times of high aggregate political risk. About two thirds of the variation in political risk is idiosyncratic in the sense that it is neither captured by firm or time fixed effects, nor by heterogeneous exposure of individual firms to aggregate political risk. Further decomposing our measure by political topic, we find that discussion of risk associated with corporate regulation and health care is associated with the largest decreases in investment. We also find that firms actively manage political risk through lobbying: firms that devote more time to discussing the risk associated with a given political topic tend to increase lobbying expenses on that topic that quarter. These effects are most pronounced for large firms and firms headquartered in states that are associated with higher levels of political corruption. JEL classification: D80, E22, G18, G38, H32, L50
Genotypic/phenotypic heterogeneity of selective vitamin B12 malabsorption (Grasbeck‐Imerslund syndrome) in two Bedouin families

We report on seven patients in two unrelated consanguineous Bedouin families with Grasbeck‐Imerslund syndrome. Pedigree analysis in Family 1 was suggestive of an X‐linked mode of inheritance. Intra‐ and interfamilial heterogeneity was elicited among the affected children in both families. Two of the affected sibs in each family had raised Hb A2 (>4%) while a third in Family 1 had a raised level of Hb F before treatment. One of the patients developed subacute combined degeneration of the cord at the age of 17 years before the correct diagnosis was made. All abnormalities were corrected following the institution of parenteral cobalamin therapy.
The relationship between serum ferritin levels and electrocardiogram characteristics in acutely ill patients.

BACKGROUND Cardiac arrhythmias are common comorbidities among acutely ill patients admitted to hospitals. An abnormal iron metabolism may contribute to the abnormalities in the conduction and propagation of action potentials through myocardium. OBJECTIVE To determine whether serum indexes of iron metabolism correlate with electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. METHODS In the present retrospective, pilot chart review, serum levels of iron, ferritin, Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and total iron-binding capacity in 77 hospitalized patients with acute illness were correlated with ECG variables. RESULTS The serum ferritin level correlated strongly (r=0.49) with QT/QTs interval. There were three subjects with QT prolongation (longer than 450 ms) within the high serum ferritin (576 ng/mL or greater) group versus subjects with low ferritin. Multiple regression analysis showed that serum ferritin level and serum iron level contributed to the variance in the QT/QTs prolongation. No other correlation between the studied serum markers and ECG characteristics were found. CONCLUSION The present study suggests that serum ferritin and iron levels affect the QT interval in a variety of medical conditions, possibly contributing to the emergence of fatal cardiac arrhythmias.
A study of mandibular fractures over a 5-year period of time: A retrospective study

Objective: This study aims to evaluate and compare with the existing literature on the etiology, pattern, gender, and anatomical distribution of mandibular fractures. Materials and Methods: The data of 225 cases were analyzed over a period of 5 years between March 2009 and November 2013. Of this 110 were unilateral, 23 bilateral, 18 symphysis and 74 multiple fractures. Results: Males are more affected than females. The peak incidence rate is occurring in 30-35 years of age group. The most common fracture site is parasymphysis and least common site is ramus of mandible. The most common etiological factor is road traffic accident (RTA) (45.3%) followed by falls (42.6%), assaults (8.9%), sport injuries (2.2%), and gunshot wounds (0.89%). Conclusion: Thus, we conclude that RTA is the leading cause of mandibular fractures and males are more affected. The most common site is parasymphysis fracture in association with angle fracture. We observed that gender was significantly associated with body and angle fracture (P = 0.04) and significant relationship between etiology with multiple site fracture such as (parasymphysis-angle), (body-condyle), (body-angle), and (symphysis-condyle) was observed (P ≤ 0.05).
Oligopoly and consistent conjectural variations

This article examines "consistent" conjectural variations in an oligopoly model with a homogeneous product. A conjectural variation is consistent if it is equivalent to the optimal response of the other firms at the equilibrium defined by that conjecture. When the number of firms is fixed, we find that competitive behavior is consistent when marginal costs are constant, but that when marginal costs are rising, the consistent conjectural variation will be between competitive and Cournot behavior. Finally, if we allow free entry and redefine consistency to account for such, then only competitive behavior will be consistent.
Foreign Direct Investment And The Risk Of Expropriation

Foreign direct investment accounts for a considerable proportion of international capital flows. In 1986 the flow of foreign direct investment from developed market economies to developing countries was $12.5 billion or roughly one-half of all private capital flows from the developed to the developing nations (and roughly one-quarter of the flow of all foreign direct investments). Its significance for developing countries may even grow in the future as debt is swapped for equity (see Pollio and Riemschneider, 1988). The most important sector in volume term is the manufacturing sector, the concern of this paper. In 1978 total stocks of manufacturing foreign direct investment accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total in less developed countries, with just one-eighth devoted to the extractive industries (see Stopford and Dunning, 1983, p.22). (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Quality of Life After Stroke

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke can be defined as: “Rapidly developing clinical signs of focal (or global) disturbance of cerebral function, lasting more than 24 hours or leading to death with no apparent cause other than that of vascular origin”. [1] Stroke is a clinical situation which has a very rich symptomatology (Table 1). [1] The heterogenic characteristics of stroke patients depend on wide ranges in demographic properties, various aetiologies of vasculary involvement, side of brain involvement and concordance, progress variability in natural motor recovery, richness of clinical findings, variability of co-morbidities and nature of therapy provided.
Les soins de santé de transition offerts aux ex-détenus après leur mise en liberté aux États-Unis

La planification des soins destines aux detenus apres leur mise en liberte peut favoriser la continuite des soins, car elle permet d’ameliorer l’acces au systeme de sante, de reduire les episodes de soins actifs, de contenir la propagation de maladies transmissibles et de limiter les repercussions financieres sur les systemes publics de sante. Ce projet visait a decrire les soins de sante de transition destines aux detenus souffrant du sida, de tuberculose, d’hepatite, de maladie mentale ou de toxicomanie. Egalement, on a etudie le lien entre la taille de la prison et la coordination des soins. Les programmes de soins de transition varient considerablement; on n’a trouve aucun lien significatif entre le nombre de detenus mis en liberte annuellement dans chaque Etat et la coordination des soins de sante qui leur sont destines.Tous les repondants ont rapporte l’existence d’une forme ou autre de planification des soins de transition, habituellement pendant la periode precedant de un a six mois la mise en liberte. Les plans tiennent tous compte de la prestation des medicaments, de l’aiguillage vers des organismes de sante communautaire, de l’etablissement de rendez-vous et de la recommandation de mesures visant a prevenir la transmission. La majorite des repondants ont indique que la planification des soins de transition etait coordonnee par des infirmieres autorisees. Ils ont aussi fait etat de l’etablissement de mesures specifiques a l’intention des detenus souffrant du VIH/sida, de tuberculose, de maladie mentale ou de toxicomanie. Ces donnees permettront aux infirmieres et aux autres prestataires de soins de cerner les tendances en matiere de planification des soins de transition et d’assurer la continuite des soins offerts aux ex-detenus.
Influence of the carbonate ion on characteristics of electrochemically synthesized layered (α+β) nickel hydroxide

Nickel hydroxide is widely used as the active material of supercapacitors. The most active are samples of Ni(OH) 2 with (α+β) layered structure, synthesized in the slit diaphragm electrolyzer. Influence of carbonate anion on the structure and electrochemical properties of nickel hydroxide samples has been studied by means of sample synthesis in the slit-diaphragm electrolyzer with the use of the diaphragm and cation-exchange membrane as chamber separator. The experiment revealed that when the diaphragm is used, there is a filtration flow from the anodic chamber (alkali with carbonate) into the cathodic chamber. Thus, the samples synthesized with the diaphragm are formed in the presence of carbonates, while the samples synthesized with the cation-exchange membrane – in the absence of carbonates. Crystal structure of the samples was studied by means of X-ray diffraction analysis, electrochemical characteristics – by means of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling in the accumulator regime. Comparative analysis of the samples synthesized in the presence or absence of carbonates has been conducted. By means of X-ray diffraction and cyclic voltammetry, the key role of carbonate ions in the formation of monophase layered (α+β) structure has been revealed. The absence of carbonate resulted in lower crystallinity, α-phase content, the formation of the bi-phase system, composed of the mixture of β-form and (α+β)-structure, at high current densities (12 and 15.7 A/dm 2 ). The study of electrochemical characteristics revealed a decrease in specific capacity by 14.7–31.4 % for hydroxide samples formed in the absence of carbonate ions. The highest specific capacity was obtained for the samples synthesized in the SDE at i=10 A/dm 2 with the diaphragm (in the presence of carbonates) and with the membrane (in the absence of carbonates), and are 216.8 and 185 mA·h/g respectively. To increase specific capacity, it is recommended to conduct synthesis in the SDE with the use of the diaphragm and introduce an additional quantity of sodium carbonate into the anolyte
Protocol Evaluation of the Total Suspended Solids and Suspended Sediment Concentration Methods: Solid Recovery Efficiency and Application for Stormwater Analysis

Total suspended solids (TSS) is routinely measured in water and wastewater treatment plants, and protocols are well‐known. The TSS measurement in stormwater is more difficult, because the particle size and density can be much greater, biasing the sample if it is collected from a poorly mixed location or allowed to settle in a quiescent collection container. An alternative method, called suspended sediment concentration (SSC), uses a different protocol, which analyzes the entire contents of the sample collection container. The SSC method is not compatible with many monitoring programs, which require several constituents to be analyzed from a single sample container, such as from a flow‐weighted composite sample. This paper addresses TSS protocol using glass beads and samples with known particle size distribution and shows that proper mixing, combined with appropriate pipettes, can largely avoid sampling error for typical sediments as large as 250 μm with specific gravity of 2.6.
Parenting Skills Determinant in Preventing Adolescents’ Sexual Health Risk Behavior

Parenting skill is one of the crucial needs that parents must have in caring adolescents’ sexual health risk behavior. Present study aims to determine predictors of parenting skills in preventing adolescents’ sexual health risk behavior. A cross sectional study was conducted among adolescents’ parents who attended government health clinics in a semi-urban district, West Malaysia. Data were collected by systematic random sampling using validated questionnaire from eight government health clinics based on routine daily out-patient services. There were 386 respondents participated with 98.9% of response rate. Parental skill is categorized as appropriate or inappropriate based on Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) staging. Eighteen independent variables were used: parental socioeconomic status, adolescent characteristic, parenting style, parent-adolescent communication, parental stress, perception on adolescent sexual risk, comfortable in discussing sexual issues, knowledge in sexual reproductive health (SRH) and knowledge in HIV/AIDS. Assessment of parenting skills using the TTM stage showed 139 respondents (36%) had inappropriate parenting skills, in which they were in pre contemplation, contemplation or preparedness stages, while 247 respondents (64%) showed appropriate parenting skills when they were in action and maintenance stages of TTM. Older parent, late adolescent, low parental education level, extended family living arrangement, comfortable in discussing sexual issues, good parent-adolescent communication and higher knowledge in HIV/AIDS were found significant in bivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified older parent (AOR = 1.927, 95% CI = 1.889 - 1.966, p < 0.001), lower parental education (AOR = 2.394, 95% CI = 1.348 - 4.254, p = 0.003), comfortable in discussing sexual issues (AOR = 3.810, 95% CI = 1.622 - 8.948, p = 0.002), good parent-adolescent communication (AOR = 4.741, 95% CI = 2.478 - 9.071, p ≤ 0.001) and having higher knowledge on HIV/AIDS (AOR = 2.804, 95% CI = 1.528 - 5.147, p = 0.001) as significant predictors for appropriate parenting skills in preventing adolescent sexual health risk behavior. In conclusion, more than one third of parents were still not ready in preventing adolescent sexual risk behavior. Targeting the young parents and those having difficulty in communicating sexual issues with theirs adolescents should be emphasized in early intervention program for parents. Self-assessment using TTM stage questionnaire will help parents to identify their parenting skills in preventing adolescent sexual health risk behavior.
Spontaneous remission in acute myeloid leukaemia

A summary of the literature of adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who have undergone spontaneous remission (SR) is presented together with a report of a patient whose SR was accompanied by cytogenetic remission. There are less than 20 reports of SR since the 1980s. SR is by no means synonymous with cure, since the average duration of the remission is only 7·1±9·2 months. Neither infections nor transfusions are absolute requirements of SR.
Synchronous operation of a rotating power electronic brushless doubly-fed generator

This paper presents the synchronous operation of a novel generator termed as the rotating power electronic brushless doubly-fed induction generator (RPE-BDFIG). It is shown that the generator operates well at the synchronous speed of the main machine, delivering the desired power to the grid. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the RPE-BDFIG behaves similar to a synchronous generator in the synchronous mode. The closed-loop control of the generator is implemented in real-time, and the current and voltage waveforms of the stator and rotor of the RPE-BDFIG are experimentally analyzed. The paper highlights the stable operation and full control of the generator during synchronous mode.
Diagnostic and prognostic value of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in adrenocortical carcinoma: a prospective comparison with computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE Patients with adrenocortical cancer are submitted to multiple imaging procedures for diagnosis of recurrence and staging. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic values of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) using a combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) modality, compared with thoracoabdominopelvic computed tomography (TAP-CT). METHODS Twenty-eight consecutive patients with adrenocortical cancer referred from November 2003 to December 2004 to the Institut Gustave Roussy were included. Mean time between PET/CT and TAP-CT was 16 d. Independent readers analyzed images of each modality. The gold standard was progression on follow-up TAP-CT or pathology. RESULTS A total of 269 lesions in 57 organs were depicted in 22 patients. The sensitivities for the detection of distinct lesions and the diagnosis of metastatic organs were 90 and 93% for PET/CT and 88 and 82% for TAP-CT, respectively. Twelve percent of the lesions were seen on PET/CT only and 10% on TAP-CT only. Eighteen percent of the metastatic organs were diagnosed with PET/CT only and 7% with TAP-CT only. Thirty-eight percent of the local relapses were seen only with PET/CT. PET/CT depicted three false-positive lesions. Treatment modalities were modified by PET/CT findings in five cases among which one was falsely positive. Tumor size and mitotic rate were significantly associated with FDG uptake. The intensity of FDG uptake (maximum standardized uptake value > 10) and the volume of FDG uptake (>150 ml) were significant prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSIONS We show that FDG-PET/CT is complementary to TAP-CT and of special interest in the diagnosis of local relapses.