Impact of Postdilation on Intervention Success and Long-Term Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes

Postdilation is frequently used during coronary interventions to prevent stent malapposition. Currently there are contradictory findings regarding the benefits of postdilation for both intraprocedural and long-term outcomes. We evaluated the impact of postdilation among patients who presented with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and underwent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). A total of 258 consecutive patients who presented with ACS and underwent PCI were included in the study. The patients were followed up for 25±1.7 months for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). During follow-up, 65 patients (25.2%) had MACE. Among patients without MACE, intracoronary nitrate infusion was less frequently used (P=0.005), myocardial blush grade was higher (P<0.001), and a drug-eluting stent was more frequently used (P=0.005). No significant differences were noted between groups regarding the predilation, recurrent dilation, postdilation, and other angiographic characteristics. In multivariate analysis, female sex (P=0.047), myocardial blush grade (P=0.038), previous coronary artery disease (P=0.030), and peak troponin level (P=0.002) were found to be predictors of MACE. In patients who were treated with PCI for ACS, performing postdilation did not predict final Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade, corrected TIMI frame count, myocardial blush grade, or MACE

Designing for Student Well-Being

High levels of student stress are prevalent at MIT, especially among the undergraduate community. Many undergraduate students report that the MIT environment is harmful to their mental health. However, the current research efforts at MIT are mainly quantitative and do not capture the deeper insights required to understand the underlying stress factors and students’ needs. This thesis aims to contribute to the knowledge about undergraduate student well-being at MIT through in-depth qualitative research. It also seeks to explore a well-being intervention informed by the research findings. This thesis is composed of two studies: a series of interviews and a design case study. Sixteen one-on-one interviews with MIT undergraduate students were conducted to gather in-depth qualitative insights. Internal, social, and academic pressures to manage a high workload were identified as the main stress factors. Findings indicate that students want to remain productive while maintaining peace and cheerfulness in their MIT experiences. Students’ related needs are also discussed. The case study explored using an SMS bot to practice self-reflection, increase self-awareness, and prioritize well-being. Thirty-four MIT students participated in the study to use the bot every morning and night for two weeks. The changes in participants’ self-awareness, mental well-being, and perceived stress levels were measured through pre-, mid-, and post-study surveys and compared to a control condition with an alternative intervention (open-ended journaling through texting). The results are discussed. Participants shared their appreciation of the bot’s friendly and caring tone, simplicity of use, and content.S.M

Mitral annular calcification predicted major cardiovascular events in patients presented with acute coronary syndrome and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention

Cinier, Goksel/0000-0001-5064-1816; Cetin, Mustafa/0000-0001-6342-436X; duman, hakan/0000-0002-1441-7320WOS: 000503283700001PubMed: 31846583Background: Despite the presence of several clinical studies evaluating the association of atherosclerosis and MAC, no data is present regarding the value of MAC in predicting CV adverse events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Prospective, observational cohort study including 314 patients presented with ACS and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). MAC was defined by increased echodensity located at the junction of the atrioventricular groove and posterior mitral leaflet on the parasternal long-axis, short-axis, or apical four-chamber view. Patients were followed for a median 25.1 (23.1-26.5) months for any occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: Among 316 patients 46 (14%) had MAC. Seventy (22.1%) patients had MACE during the follow-up. Patients with MACE had higher creatinine, white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), peak troponin I, glucose level at admission compared to those without MACE. Age (HR = 1.026, 95% CI = 1.004-1.049; p = .023), myocardial blush grade (HR = 0.637, 95% CI = 0.480-0.846; p = .008), MAC (HR = 2.429, 95% CI = 1.126-5.239; p = .026), and WBC at admission (HR = 1.079, 95% CI = 1.007-1.157; p = .031) were independent predictors for MACE. Conclusion: in patients presented with ACS and underwent PCI, MAC detected by TTE was an independent predictor for MACE during the long-term follow-up

Determination of and Effects of Taxifolin and Epirubicin on Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Mouse Breast Cancer Cells

Background: One of the most significant characteristics of cancer is epithelial–mesenchymal transition and research on the relationship between phenolic compounds and anticancer medications and epithelial–mesenchymal transition is widespread. Methods: In order to investigate the potential effects of Taxifolin on enhancing the effectiveness of Epirubicin in treating breast cancer, specifically in 4T1 cells and an allograft BALB/c model, the effects of Taxifolin and Epirubicin, both individually and in combination, were examined. Cell viability assays and cytotoxicity assays in 4T1 cells were performed. In addition, 4T1 cells were implanted into female BALB/c mice to conduct in vivo studies and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Taxifolin and Epirubicin alone or in combination. Tumor volumes and histological analysis were also assessed in mice. To further understand the mechanisms involved, we examined the messenger RNA and protein levels of epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related genes, as well as active Caspase-3/7 levels, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively. Results: In vitro results demonstrated that the coadministration of Taxifolin and Epirubicin reduced cell viability and cytotoxicity in 4T1 cell lines. In vivo , coadministration of Taxifolin and Epirubicin suppressed tumor growth in BALB/c mice with 4T1 breast cancer cells. Additionally, this combination treatment significantly increased the levels of active caspase-3/7 and downregulated the messenger RNA and protein levels of N-cadherin, β-catenin, vimentin, snail, and slug, but upregulated the E-cadherin gene. It significantly decreased the messenger RNA levels of the Zeb1 and Zeb2 genes. Conclusion: The in vitro and in vivo results of our study indicate that the concurrent use of Epirubicin with Taxifolin has supportive effects on breast cancer treatment

Is the road still bumpy without the most frequent life events?

Two studies were conducted to explore the effect of the most frequent life events on the reminiscence bump. Thefirststudy examined the life scripts and autobiographical memories of 44 adults [Mage= 62.8, standard deviation (SD) = 2.8] byremoving the most frequent 10 life events. The regular reminiscence bump disappeared in the distribution of both event types.The second study explored whether results of thefirst study would be extended to autobiographical memories evoked by differentmethods. Cue word and important memories reported by 64 adults (Mage= 66.6, SD = 2.8) were examined. Important memorieshad later bump than cue word memories, but removing the top 10 life events affected the bumps of both memory types with astronger impact on important memories. Different retrieval strategies activated by these two methods may lead to differenttemporal peaks, which further influence the sensitivity of distributions to the most frequent life event categories.WOS:000403099200006Scopus - Affiliation ID: 60105072Social Sciences Citation IndexQ3ArticleUluslararası işbirliği ile yapılmayan - HAYIRMayıs2017YÖK - 2016-1