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Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a known risk factor for ischemic stroke. Electrocardiographic predictors of AF in population studies such as the Framingham Heart Study, as well as in hypertensive patients have demonstrated a predictive value of the P-wave duration for development of AF. QRS vector magnitude has had a predictive value in ventricular arrhythmia development. We aimed to asses

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) acts on TXA2 receptors (TP) to regulate renal artery blood flow and subsequently contributes to the pathogenesis of renal ischemia. The present study was designed to examine if nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-B) signaling pathway is involved in the downregulation of TP receptors in rat renal artery. Rat renal artery segments were organ cultured for 6 or 24 h. Downregulation of TP r

A multi-stage high pressure reducing valve (MSHPRV) is proposed. It can achieve a multi-stage pressure reducing way. Valve failure mainly occurs under high pressure and high temperature conditions, thus it is necessary to investigate the strength of MSHPRV under those complex conditions. In this paper, the mathematical model of MSHPRV is established and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is

Purpose: A degenerative meniscus lesion is a slowly developing process typically involving a horizontal cleavage in a middle-aged or older person. When the knee is symptomatic, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy has been practised for a long time with many case series reporting improved patient outcomes. Since 2002, several randomised clinical trials demonstrated no additional benefit of arthroscop

People with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) are often unnecessarily treated with antibiotics risking adverse effects and antimicrobial resistance. We performed a systematic review to determine any benefits and harms of treating ABU in particular patient groups. Relevant databases were searched and eligible trials were assessed for risk-of-bias and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development

The impact of thyroid surgery on voice is a key performance indicator of surgical quality. This chapter discusses factors that can impact on the incidence of both recurrent and external laryngeal nerve (external branch of superior laryngeal nerve-EBSLN) injury. The literature is reviewed and reported incidence of nerve palsy following thyroid surgery is presented. Particular reference is made to t

Background: Changes in DNA methylation, one of the most studied epigenetic mechanisms, are considered an initial marker for early cancer detection. We evaluated how availability of dietary factors (folates and vitamin B12) involved in one-carbon metabolism may contribute to DNA methylation changes of cancer-related genes in human subjects. Methods: We studied, by pyrosequencing, the methylation of

Persistent developmental stuttering is associated with basal ganglia dysfunction or dopamine dysregulation. Here, we studied whole-brain functional connectivity to test how basal ganglia structures coordinate and reorganize sensorimotor brain networks in stuttering. To this end, adults who stutter and fluent speakers (control participants) performed a response anticipation paradigm in the MRI scan

Host-defense peptides play a fundamental role in the innate immune system by modulating inflammatory responses. Previously, it was shown that the thrombin derived host-defense peptide GKY25 inhibits LPS-induced responses of monocytes and macrophages in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. In this study, the effect of GKY25 on the interaction of monocytes/macrophages with Gram-negative bacteria was explore

Background: The experience of person-centredness and person-centred climate is poorly understood in the context of being assessed as non-urgent and, in many cases, left at home by the Ambulance Service.Aim: The overall objective of this thesis was to explore experiences of person-centredness and the person-centred climate among patients and significant others when patients were assessed as non-urg

AIM: We studied the frequency of Achilles tendon xanthoma (ATX) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, we investigated the differences in clinical findings between ACS patients with and without ATX.METHODS: Patients with ACS (n=335) were admitted to the coronary care unit of Nippon Medical School between July 2011 and December 2014. Informed consent for the measurement of Ach

The accumulation of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH), a primary oxidation product of phosphatidylcholine (PC), in blood plasma and tissues has been observed in various pathological conditions, including atherosclerosis. However, the biological roles of PCOOH in these conditions remain unknown. To estimate the atherogenicity of PCOOH, we evaluated the effect of PCOOH on THP-1 monocytic cel

In this study, intra- and inter-generational perspectives on youth participation are combined and compared. Young people were invited to participate as research partners in an interactive research circle and conducted a survey about participation with other young people as respondents. The discussion concerns how an interactive methodology contributes to the understanding of the concept of partici

Background: Nephrolithiasis (NL) is known to be associated with gout, although there are few comparative studies on risk and risk factors for NL in gout compared to population cohorts. In this cohort study we investigated: (1) overall incidence of NL in gout (cases) and general population controls; (2) risk and risk factors (common comorbidities and medications) for first-time NL in cases and cont