Gender-related differences in patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes: clinical presentation, biomarkers and diagnosis

Objectives: Gender differences in patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have not yet been fully characterized. The aim of this study was to assess gender-related disparities in clinical profiles, biomarkers and diagnoses of patients with suspected ACS. Methods: This single-centre, prospective cohort study included 377 consecutive patients presenting with suspected ACS to the emergency department. Suspected ACS was defined as a request for conventional troponin T (c-cTnT) measurements on clinical grounds. Results: Women were older than men (p = 0.004), and had a lower prevalence of known coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease (p < 0.05). c-cTnT was positive in 8% of female and in 14% of male patients (p = 0.16), TIMI risk score and cardiac biomarkers including c-cTnT, hs-cTnT, myoglobin, creatine kinase, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, myeloid-related protein 8/14 and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A were lower in women (p < 0.05). Women were less frequently diagnosed with ACS (30 vs. 51%), and were not referred for urgent coronary angiography as often as men (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, female gender was associated with a lower referral for coronary angiography (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.78, p = 0.006). Conclusions: In patients with suspected ACS, women presented with different biomarker profiles, and were less often diagnosed with ACS and referred to coronary angiography

Sakai: a mobile learning platform

These days, humans have been witnessing related technological and social development, by means of which mobile technologies and Internet yield global access to information with mobility of knowledge. Mobile learning platforms are designed based on electronic learning (e-learning) and mobility. It is regarded as a useful way to enhance the learning process. Sakai as a mobile learning platform, design intentions are to be adaptable to any educational purposes, within or outside the institution, dependent on the provision of effectiveness in classroom instruction based on the learning style of the students, extensible on the cultivation of thinking skills in the learner, and efficient in communicating and exchanging data among its enrolled classroom members and other online platforms. This study employed a systematic review of related literature to investigate the predominant research methodology adopted by various scholars to assess necessary factors concerning mobile learning platform. Fifteen articles are selected based on established criteria. The findings indicated that most of the researchers used quantitative research methodology in investigating the effectiveness and concern variable of mobile learning. Also find out is that most of the outcome of the studies include, achievement, perception, pedagogy, motivation and mobile learning platform as a form of educational technology