Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and outcomes of coronary artery perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention.

AIMS We aimed to examine the prevalence, clinical outcomes and procedural characteristics of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) complicated by coronary artery perforation (CAP) in a contemporary patient population. METHODS AND RESULTS Procedural records of 39,115 patients undergoing PCI between 2005 and 2016 were reviewed. CAP affected 149 cases (0.37%). The prevalence of CAP increased from 0.31% in 2005 to 0.45% in 2016 (p=0.03), reflecting an increase in more complex PCI (from 14% in 2005 to 21% in 2016; p<0.0001). CAP was associated with increased all-cause mortality (23.1% vs. 9.4% in those without perforation; p=0.0054) and was an independent predictor of mortality (HR 2.55; 95% CI: 1.34-4.78). In-patient mortality was 4% (6/149). In 43 of 149 (28.9%) cases, a significant pericardial effusion ensued and mortality rates were higher in this subgroup. Thirty-one patients had covered stents (CS) inserted and five did not survive to discharge. Of the 26 patients with a CS who survived to hospital discharge, six (23.1%) had definite stent thrombosis, and two (7.7%) had possible/probable stent thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS CAP remains uncommon but the prevalence is increasing. CAP is associated with significant short- and long-term mortality, particularly when there is haemodynamic compromise necessitating pericardiocentesis. Covered stents are a valuable tool but they are associated with a high risk of stent thrombosis.
Health promotion and health education practice: nurses' perceptions.

AIM This paper is a report of a study to explore nurses' perceptions of health promotion and health education practice in a Chinese provincial hospital. BACKGROUND Health promotion and health education practices are based on universal constructs. Therefore, such practices should share common principles. To date, most nursing-related studies have been conducted in Europe or in North America. METHOD A Husserlian phenomenological approach was adopted. Interviews were conducted in 2006 with a sample of eight nursing students and eight senior nurses. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed from Mandarin to English. Data analysis adhered to the framework developed by Giorgi. RESULTS Reported health education and health promotion-related practices showed results similar to those reported in Europe and North America. Hospital-based nurses were often aware of what health promotion is, but did not have the scope or opportunity to implement it in practice. Instead, they were likely to conduct more limited forms of health education. Actual understanding of health promotion and health education constructs was high with most participants, underpinned by active clinical-based educational support. Some participants were able to conduct broader health promotion activities on a voluntary basis in their own communities. CONCLUSION Health education and health promotion are universal health-related constructs. Thus, there is an expectation that all nurses will implement these in a similar fashion. Where possible, hospital-based nurses should strive to improve their health education practices and further embrace wider perspectives of health promotion practice.
Nitrogenous metabolites in the plasma of chicks adapted to high protein diets.

Abstract SEVERAL investigators have reported levels of uric acid in the range of 4–6 mg. /100 ml. in plasma of chicks (Bolton, 1947; Hsu and Combs, 1952; Krakoff and Karnofsky, 1958; Bell et al., 1959). Uric acid concentrations in plasma are influenced by age, sex, reproductive state and nutritional status. Stoewsand and Scott (1960) observed blood uric acid levels of chicks fed diets containing 84% isolated soybean protein to be approximately 16 mg. /100 ml. Bell et al. (1959) reported that blood levels of urea remained relatively constant and were unaffected by sex, reproductive state or nutritional status of the chick. Ammonia is normally present in very low concentrations in chicken blood. Krakoff and Karnofsky (1958) observed a level of 2.2 μg. /ml. of blood. Numerous studies have shown that the concentrations of plasma free amino acids in chickens are influenced both by the quantity and quality of protein consumed by the chick. …
Pose robust low-resolution face recognition via coupled kernel-based enhanced discriminant analysis

Most face recognition techniques have been successful in dealing with high-resolution (HR) frontal face images. However, real-world face recognition systems are often confronted with the low-resolution (LR) face images with pose and illumination variations. This is a very challenging issue, especially under the constraint of using only a single gallery image per person. To address the problem, we propose a novel approach called coupled kernel-based enhanced discriminant analysis (CKEDA). CKEDA aims to simultaneously project the features from LR non-frontal probe images and HR frontal gallery ones into a common space where discrimination property is maximized. There are four advantages of the proposed approach: 1) by using the appropriate kernel function, the data becomes linearly separable, which is beneficial for recognition; 2) inspired by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), we integrate multiple discriminant factors into our objective function to enhance the discrimination property; 3) we use the gallery extended trick to improve the recognition performance for a single gallery image per person problem; 4) our approach can address the problem of matching LR non-frontal probe images with HR frontal gallery images, which is difficult for most existing face recognition techniques. Experimental evaluation on the multi-PIE dataset signifies highly competitive performance of our algorithm.
Differences in the Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection between Total Hip Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Korean Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (KONIS)

Objective. To compare the characteristics and risk factors for surgical site infections (SSIs) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a nationwide survey, using shared case detection and recording systems. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Twenty-six hospitals participating in the Korean Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (KONIS). Patients. From 2006 to 2009, all patients undergoing THA and TKA in KONIS were enrolled. Results. SSI occurred in 161 (2.35%) of 6,848 cases (3,422 THAs and 3,426 TKAs). Pooled mean SSI rates were 1.69% and 2.82% for THA and TKA, respectively. Of the cases we examined, 42 (26%) were superficial-incisional SSIs and 119 (74%) were “severe” SSIs; of the latter, 24 (15%) were deep-incisional SSIs and 95 (59%) were organ/space SSIs. In multivariate analysis, a duration of preoperative hospital stay of greater than 3 days was a risk factor for total SSI after both THA and TKA. Diabetes mellitus, revision surgery, prolonged duration of surgery (above the 75th percentile), and the need for surgery due to trauma were independent risk factors for total and severe SSI after THA, while male sex and an operating room without artificial ventilation were independent risk factors for total and severe SSI after TKA. A large volume of surgeries (more than 10 procedures per month) protected against total and severe SSI, but only in patients who underwent TKA. Conclusions. Risk factors for SSI after arthroplasty differ according to the site of the arthroplasty. Therefore, clinicians should take into account the site of arthroplasty in the analysis of SSI and the development of strategies for reducing SSI.
User-led research and evidence-based medicine

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) and clinical governance play a central role in raising the quality of medical care. People want clinical decisions to be based on the best evidence and EBM places scientific knowledge in the service of clinical decision-making. Yet a quite different agenda is engaging patients as partners in health research, to make the medical profession more accountable. Here, we examine the epistemological basis of EBM, and the ethical concerns raised by this. In particular, we examine the value of user-led research in psychiatry in improving the concept of ‘evidence’ in evidence-based psychiatry.
Haematological Parameters of Broiler Chicks Fed Aspergillus niger - Fermented Terminalia catappa Seed Meal-Based Diet

The effect of Aspergillus niger-fermented Terminalia catappa seed meal-based diet on the haematological parameters of broiler chicks was studied. T. catappa seed meal was inoculated with A. niger spore suspension and incubated at room temperature for 3 weeks. Forty-five, day-old broiler chicks with an initial average weight of 30.25 ± 2.40 g were divided into three groups of fifteen animals each. The first group was placed on soybean-based (control) diet; the second group on raw (unfermented) T. catappa seed meal-based diet; and the third on A. niger fermented T. catappa seed meal-based diet for seven (7) weeks. Haematological parameters like Hb, RBC, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC and platelets were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the blood of the broilers fed the raw T. catappa seed meal-based diet. However, there was significant (p<0.05) increase in these parameters in the blood of the birds fed A. niger fermented T. catappa seed meal-based diet. The increase in the latter however, was significantly lower (p<0.05) than for those on the control diet. We conclude that feeding A. niger-fermented T. catappa seed meal to broilers is safe and it alleviates the toxic effect of the raw T. catappa seed on the haematological parameters of broilers.
In vitro effects of water activity, temperature and solutes on the growth rate of P. italicum Wehmer and P. digitatum Sacc.

Aims: To evaluate the effect of water activity (aw 0·98–0·89, adjusted with glycerol, sorbitol, glucose, or NaCl) and temperature (5–25°C) on the lag phase and radial growth rate (mm day−1) of the important citrus spoilage fungi, such as Penicillium italicum and Penicillium digitatum grown in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. To select, among models based on the use of different solutes, a model fitting accurately the growth of these species in relation to aw and temperature.
Tomato consumption modulates oxidative DNA damage in humans.

Consumption of a single serving of tomatoes by healthy human volunteers was sufficient to alter levels of oxidative DNA base damage in white cell DNA within 24 h. Levels of the mutagenic oxidized purine base 8-hydroxyguanine decreased, especially in those subjects whose initial levels of this base were higher than the mean. However, total DNA base damage remained unchanged since levels of 8-hydroxyadenine rose. The ability of tomato consumption to modulate oxidative DNA damage in the short term may indicate why daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is beneficial in decreasing cancer incidence.
Structural Studies on Intact Clostridium botulinum Neurotoxins Complexed with Inhibitors Leading to Drug Design

Abstract : In this first annual report we present our progress in three of the Statement of Work. In addition we have included our work being done in collaboration with Walter Reed Army - Institute of Research. Structural work with Clostridium botulinum B and a potential inhibitor, SABIM, is reported. Though it was predicted that it would bind to the active site, we have shown that it binds at two sites in BoNT/B, the active site and the substrate-binding site. We speculate that the inhibitory property of this molecule may be because it chelates the active site zinc or because it blocks the substrate binding site or due to both. We also propose that analogs of BABIM might work better. We are continuing with our studies on BoNT/B with other potential inhibitors. A set of potential inhibitors identified by biochemical methods and a few small molecules known to inhibit zinc - endopeptidases like thermolysin and carboxypeptidase have been screened by computational methods before determining the structures of the complexes. Combining the docking calculations with the x-ray diffraction methods offers a powerful rational design of inhibitors. From our studies so far we conclude that small molecules that will stay bound to the toxins will%be the best inhibitors.
Lipedema: an overview of its clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of the disproportional fatty deposition syndrome – systematic review

Lipedema is a disproportionate, symmetrical fatty swelling characterized by pain and bruising existing almost exclusively among women. We undertook a systematic review of the available literature about lipedema, given the lack of knowledge and little evidence about this disorder especially among obesity experts. Diagnosis of lipedema is usually based on clinical features. Symmetrical edema in the lower limbs with fatty deposits located to hips and thighs usually appears at puberty and often affects several members of the same family. Main disorders considered for differential diagnosis are lymphedema, obesity, lipohypertrophy and phlebedema. Treatment protocols comprise conservative (decongestive lymphatic therapy) and surgical (liposuction) approaches. Early diagnosis and treatment are mandatory for this disorder otherwise gradual enlargement of fatty deposition causes impaired mobility and further comorbidities like arthrosis and lymphatic insufficiency.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Corporate Credit Spreads

Motivated by failures of iconic corporate hallmarks like Enron and WorldCom, in July of 2002 the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed to prevent managerial misconduct and deceptive accounting in an effort to ensure incentives alignment between managers and shareholders. Whether the Act has been effective in mitigating the problems that it set out to resolve is the subject of a lively debate, discussion and research. Most current analyses of the Act focus on stock market evidence because it assumes that underpinning agency conflicts that gave rise to high-profile corporate failures of 2001 - 2002 were exclusively limited to incentive misalignments between managers and investors. If the managerial misconducts and accounting deceptions were a reflection of a different agency conflict, per se that of managers and bondholders, then the evidence from corporate bond markets would be much more telling simply because the brunt of such an agency cost would be borne by creditors (Myers, 1977). These iconic debacles trace back to managerial engagement in extremely risky projects and overexpansion in an attempt to meet unreasonable expectations. Equipped with complex accounting practices which made disclosure effectively a voluntary managerial decision, as Shin (2003) predicts, managers 'rolled the dice' with shareholders' fortunes, hoped for unlikely favorable results that could meet unreasonably high expectations, and hide their failures. This of course is the classical Myers' (1977) asset substitution. Since bondholders bear the cost of wealth transfer due to asset substitution, a priori, they will charge a premium. In fact Leland (1998) shows that while agency cost as a percentage of firm value increases moderately with firm's riskiness, the bonds' credit spreads exponentially rise. Examining the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley on credit spreads then provides us with an excellent setting to determine to what extent manger/bondholder agency problems affects corporate bonds and the firm value. Using a panel regression analysis of credit spreads and controlling for a host of determining variables, we investigate how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has changed the credit spreads. We show that the Act indeed has caused one third of the 150 basis points increase in credit spreads preceding the passage of the Act to dissipate, implying that the Act succeeded in partially resolving underlying problems.
Interaction between waterborne pathogenic bacteria and Acanthamoeba catellanii

Waterborne bacteria cause global public health problems. Francisella tularensis causes tularemia, which is a fatal disease in humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen of humans. Vibrio cholerae O1 and V. cholerae O139 infect only humans and cause epidemic and pandemic cholera. The principal natural reservoirs of these pathogens are largely unknown. To find their aquatic reservoirs is an important factor in the epidemiology of the infections. Acanthamoeba is a genus of free-living amoebae, which are found in the aquatic system and include several species and seem to have an increased role as reservoirs to many pathogenic bacteria. Acanthamoeba castellanii was co-cultured with each of the above-mentioned bacteria for more than two weeks in order to study the interaction. Growth of the microorganisms, localisation and survival of intracellular bacteria was estimated by cell count, viable count, flow cytometry, PCR, fluorescence as well as electron microscopy. The results showed that F. tularensis localised in A. castellanii, multiplied within vacuoles and survived in intact trophozoites, excreted vesicles, and cysts. Co-cultivation enhanced growth of F. tularensis, which grew and survived intracellularly for more than 3 weeks. In contrast, growth of singly cultured bacteria decreased significantly to non-detectable level within 2 weeks confirming the intracellular behaviour of the bacterium. The co-cultivation decreased growth of the amoebae in comparision to growth of singly cultured amoebae. Co-cultivation of A. castellanii with different strains of P. aeruginosa PA103 producing different effector proteins secreted by type III secretion system (TTSS) resulted in the death of the amoeba populations. Different analysis disclosed that the number of co-cultured amoebae decreased over time in comparision to the number of singly cultured cells. The TTSS effector proteins ExoU and ExoS induced necrotic cell death to the most of A. castellanii. The interaction between V. cholerae and A. castellanii resulted in growth and survival of V. cholerae O1 as well as O139 in the cytoplasm of trophozoites and in the cysts of A. castellanii. Co-cultivation enhanced growth of V. cholerae, which grew and survived intracellularly for more than two weeks, whereas, singly cultured bacteria decreased significantly to non-detectable level within few days disclosing an intracellular behaviour of V. cholerae. In conclusion, methods used in this project showed predation between A. castellanii and the extracellular P. aeruginosa, symbiosis between A. castellanii and each of the facultative intracellular bacterium F. tularensis as well as V. cholerae.
Control of vascular smooth muscle function by Src‐family kinases and reactive oxygen species in health and disease

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are now recognised as second messenger molecules that regulate cellular function by reversibly oxidising specific amino acid residues of key target proteins. Amongst these are the Src‐family kinases (SrcFKs), a multi‐functional group of non‐receptor tyrosine kinases highly expressed in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). In this review we examine the evidence supporting a role for ROS‐induced SrcFK activity in normal VSM contractile function and in vascular remodelling in cardiovascular disease. VSM contractile responses to G‐protein‐coupled receptor stimulation, as well as hypoxia in pulmonary artery, are shown to be dependent on both ROS and SrcFK activity. Specific phosphorylation targets are identified amongst those that alter intracellular Ca2+ concentration, including transient receptor potential channels, voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels and various types of K+ channels, as well as amongst those that regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics and myosin phosphatase activity, including focal adhesion kinase, protein tyrosine kinase‐2, Janus kinase, other focal adhesion‐associated proteins, and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors. We also examine a growing weight of evidence in favour of a key role for SrcFKs in multiple pro‐proliferative and anti‐apoptotic signalling pathways relating to oxidative stress and vascular remodelling, with a particular focus on pulmonary hypertension, including growth‐factor receptor transactivation and downstream signalling, hypoxia‐inducible factors, positive feedback between SrcFK and STAT3 signalling and positive feedback between SrcFK and NADPH oxidase dependent ROS production. We also discuss evidence for and against the potential therapeutic targeting of SrcFKs in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
Effect of 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity on bone histomorphometry of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic male Sprague-Dawley rats.

INTRODUCTION Glucocorticoids cause osteoporosis by decreasing bone formation and increasing bone resorption activity. Glucocorticoid action in bones depends on the activity of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) enzyme, which plays an important role in regulating corticosteroids. 11β-HSD1 is expressed by human and rat osteoblasts. We aimed to investigate the relationship between 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity and bone histomorphometric changes in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic bone in rats. METHODS A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats (aged three months, weighing 200-250 g) were divided into three groups of ten each. Group 1 rats were the baseline control, which were sacrificed untreated at the beginning of the study. Group 2 rats underwent sham operation and were administered with vehicle olive oil intramuscularly at 0.05 ml/kg. Group 3 rats were adrenalectomised and administered with an intramuscular injection of dexamethasone 120 μg/kg body weight/day. The treatment was started two weeks after the operation, for a duration of two months. Plasma osteocalcin, plasma pyrodinoline, plasma corticosterone and 11β-HSD1 were measured, and bone histomorphometry analysis was performed. RESULTS Dexamethasone treatment caused an increase in plasma corticosterone level, together with a significant reduction in 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity of the bone, along with a higher plasma level of the bone resorption marker, pyridinoline. Dexamethasone treatment also caused a reduction in trabecular volume, number and thickness, and an increase in trabecular separation. CONCLUSION Long-term glucocorticoid treatment reduces the 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity in the bone, which can otherwise lead to bone loss due to the increased level of active glucocorticoids.
Treatment of hemispatial neglect in patients with post-hemiparesis: a single-subject experimental design study using a whole-body tilt exercise plus mental practice.

PURPOSE To investigate the effect of whole-body tilt exercise for treating hemispatial neglect and to identify the effects of incorporating mental practice into the exercise. METHODS We used a single-subject experimental design alternating with multiple baselines. Three stroke patients with hemispatial neglect participated in this study. The severity of hemispatial neglect and balance function were measured during baseline and intervention sessions. The whole-body tilt exercise was performed by using a device that allows the body to tilt 20° from the neutral upright position. Mental practice consisted of 5 min of relaxation, main whole-body tilt imagination, and normalization phases. RESULTS When the whole-body tilt exercise alone was performed, the average severity score of hemispatial neglect in subjects 1, 2, and 3 decreased by 7.54, 10.02, and 8.24, respectively; their respective average balance function score increased by 35.95%, 28.13%, and 15.33% under the open-eye condition and 34.66%, 20.33%, and 13.77% under the closed-eye condition. For subjects 1, 2, and 3, the respective average hemispatial neglect score decreased by 9.07, 11.35, and 10.13 after the whole-body tilt exercise with mental practice; their average balance function scores increased by 40.15%, 33.38%, and 24.22% under the open-eye condition and by 38.93%, 27.08%, and 11.88% under the closed-eye condition, respectively. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a whole-body tilt exercise alone may be beneficial in enhancing hemispatial neglect symptoms but the addition of mental practice produces a greater positive effect.