181 research outputs found

    The Regenerative Effect of Intra-Articular Injection of Autologous Fat Micro-Graft in Treatment of Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis

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    The study started in 2010 to find the effect of autologous fat micrograft for osteoarthritis (OA); the result was published on normal animal’s model, in 10 patients, then in 80 patients with knee osteoarthritis, and the current study in 205 patients. The study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (January 2012–October 2015); 80 adult patients were suffering from moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. About 10–20 mL fat micrograft was prepared with liposuction and injected intra-articularly into the affected knee/s. The results revealed that pain improvement after the fat injection during rest and with activity with the visual analogue scale. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) indicated improvement, both in the three domains (pain, stiffness, and physical function) and in total. The use of intra-articular autologous fat micrograft is simple, safe, and effective for degenerative knee osteoarthritis

    On the Semantics of Snapshot Isolation

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    Snapshot isolation (SI) is a standard transactional consistency model used in databases, distributed systems and software transactional memory (STM). Its semantics is formally defined both declaratively as an acyclicity axiom, and operationally as a concurrent algorithm with memory bearing timestamps. We develop two simpler equivalent operational definitions of SI as lock-based reference implementations that do not use timestamps. Our first locking implementation is prescient in that requires a priori knowledge of the data accessed by a transaction and carries out transactional writes eagerly (in-place). Our second implementation is non-prescient and performs transactional writes lazily by recording them in a local log and propagating them to memory at commit time. Whilst our first implementation is simpler and may be better suited for developing a program logic for SI transactions, our second implementation is more practical due to its non-prescience. We show that both implementations are sound and complete against the declarative SI specification and thus yield equivalent operational definitions for SI. We further consider, for the first time formally, the use of SI in a context with racy non-transactional accesses, as can arise in STM implementations of SI. We introduce robust snapshot isolation (RSI), an adaptation of SI with similar semantics and guarantees in this mixed setting. We present a declarative specification of RSI as an acyclicity axiom and analogously develop two operational models as lock-based reference implementations (one eager, one lazy). We show that these operational models are both sound and complete against the declarative RSI model

    Administrative Bullying and its Impact on the Female Work Environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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    The aim of the study is to provide proposed mechanisms for the treatment of administrative bullying in educational institutions in light of modern administrative trends, through the following: 1 Explain and clarify concepts related to administrative bullying and its practices in the administrative environment. 2 Management bullying practices in the working environment of different institutions. 3 Provide proposed mechanisms for the treatment of administrative bullying in the light of modern administrative trends. The researchers used the descriptive survey method, and the researchers designed a questionnaire to answer the second question of the practices of bullied leaders in the work environment, while the first and third questions were referred to the various sources of information from books, studies and scientific reports. The study community consist of higher education employees. The results found that bullies practice authoritarianism in a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways with an average calculation of 4.2, Where the phrase (tyranny in opinion got the highest average account (4.5). The study proposed a remedy to reduce administrative bullying in the light of modern management trends such as the application of business relations strategies and management by roaming and the application of knowledge management, industrial intelligence and leadership selection

    Sex‐related difference in the use of percutaneous left ventricular assist device in patients undergoing complex high‐risk percutaneous coronary intervention: Insight from the cVAD registry

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    ObjectiveTo assess the in‐hospital and short‐term outcome differences between males and females who underwent high‐risk PCI with mechanical circulatory support (MCS).BackgroundSex differences have been noted in several percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) series with females less likely to be referred for PCI due increased risk of adverse events. However, data on sex differences in utilization and outcomes of high‐risk PCI with MCS is scarce.MethodsUsing the cVAD Registry, we identified 1,053 high‐risk patients who underwent PCI with MCS using Impella 2.5 or Impella CP. Patients with cardiogenic shock were excluded. A total of 792 (75.21%) males and 261 (24.79%) females were included in the analysis with median follow‐up of 81.5 days.ResultsFemales were more likely to be African American, older (72.05 ± 11.66 vs. 68.87 ± 11.17, p < .001), have a higher prevalence of diabetes (59.30 vs. 49.04%, p = .005), renal insufficiency (35.41 vs. 27.39%, p = .018), and peripheral vascular disease (31.89 vs. 25.39%, p of .05). Women had a higher mean STS score (8.21 ± 8.21 vs. 5.04 ± 5.97, p < .001) and lower cardiac output on presentation (3.64 ± 1.30 vs. 4.63 ± 1.49, p < .001). Although women had more comorbidities, there was no difference in in‐hospital mortality, stroke, MI or need for recurrent revascularization compared to males. Females were more likely to have multivessel revascularization than males. Ejection fraction improved in both males and females at the time of discharge (26.59 to 31.40% and 30.75 to 36.05%, respectively, p < .0001). However, females had higher rate of bleeding requiring transfusion compared with males (9.58 vs. 5.30%, p = .019).ConclusionFemale patients undergoing high PCI were older and had more comorbidities but had similar outcomes compared to males.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162726/2/ccd28509_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162726/1/ccd28509.pd

    Outcomes of nonemergent percutaneous coronary intervention requiring mechanical circulatory support in patients without cardiogenic shock

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    BACKGROUND: The utilization of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using percutaneous ventricular assist device (PVAD) or intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been increasing. We sought to evaluate the outcome of coronary intervention using PVAD compared with IABP in noncardiogenic shock and nonacute myocardial infarction patients. METHOD: Using the National Inpatient Sampling (NIS) database from 2005 to 2014, we identified patients who underwent PCI using ICD 9 codes. Patients with cardiogenic shock, acute coronary syndrome, or acute myocardial infarction were excluded. Patient was stratified based on the MCS used, either to PVAD or IABP. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to study PCI outcome using PVAD compared with IABP. RESULTS: Out of 21,848 patients who underwent PCI requiring MCS, 17,270 (79.0%) patients received IABP and 4,578 (21%) patients received PVAD. PVAD patients were older (69 vs. 67, p \u3c .001), were less likely to be women (23.3% vs. 33.3%, p \u3c .001), and had higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia prior PCI, prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery, anemia, chronic lung disease, liver disease, renal failure, and peripheral vascular disease compared with IABP group (p ≤ .007). Using Multivariate logistic regression, PVAD patients had lower in-hospital mortality (6.1% vs. 8.8%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.62; 95% CI 0.51, 0.77, p \u3c .001), vascular complications (4.3% vs. 7.5%, aOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.62, 0.99, p = .046), cardiac complications (5.6% vs. 14.5%, aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.24, 0.36, p \u3c .001), and respiratory complications (3.8% vs. 9.8%, aOR 0.37; 95% CI 0.28, 0.48, p \u3c .001) compared with patients who received IABP. CONCLUSION: Despite higher comorbidities, nonemergent PCI procedures using PVAD were associated with lower mortality compared with IABP

    Protective effect of cerium oxide nanoparticle on sperm quality and oxidative damage in malathioninduced testicular toxicity in rats: An experimental study

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    Background: Malathion is an organophosphorus pesticide that commonly used in many agricultural and non-agricultural processes. Previous studies have reported the effects of melatonin on the reproductive system. Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) due to their antioxidative properties are promising to impact on the development of male infertility. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CeNPs on oxidative stress and sperm parameters after malathion exposure of male rats. Materials and Methods: 36 adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups (n=6/each): Control, CeNPs -treated control (15 and 30 mg/kg/day), malathion (100 mg/ kg/day), and CeNPs -treated malathion groups (15 and 30 mg/ kg/day). At the end of the study (4 wk), the sperm counts, motility, and viability in the testis of rats were measured, also lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant capacity, and total thiol groups in homogenate testis were investigated. Results: Malathion significantly reduced sperm count, viability, and motility than the control rats (p<0.001). Co-treatment of malathion with CeNPs 30 mg/kg had a protective effect on sperm counts (p=0.03), motility (p=0.01), and viability (p<0.001) compare to malathion group. Also, the results showed that malathion reduced testis total anti-oxidant capacity, the total thiol group, and increased testis malondialdehyde than the control rats (p<0.001). CeNPs 30 mg/kg are increased total antioxidant capacity (p<0.001) and total thiol group (p=0.03) compared to malathion group. CeNPs at both doses (15 and 30 mg/kg) improved malondialdehyde than the malathion group (p<0.001 and p=0.01 respectively). Conclusion: CeNPs 30 mg/kg administered considerably restored testicular changes induced by malathion. The improvement of oxidative stress by CeNPs may be associated with increased sperm counts, motility and viability in the testis. © 2018, Research and Clinical Center for Infertitlity. All rights reserved

    Physical and mechanical characteristics of the earthen barns used for food crop storage in the North-West of Benin (West Africa)

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    Atacora and Donga are two departments regarded as the barns of Benin. In these two regions, the surplus of food crops harvested by farmers is stocked in earthen barns whose primary construction material is kneaded clay soil with an admixture of vegetable straws (fonio, rice…) pounded beforehand. The following research is designed to scrutinize the variation of compression strength and/or tensile strength of the used earthen material with respect to the optimum straw content, and the fluctuation of the fracture related parameters. Laboratory tests have shown that an optimum straw content of 2% provides the highest compression strength with the best mechanical performances in terms of cohesion and internal angle of friction. Tensile strength, however, continues to increase with higher straw percentages with no breakpoint indication. Moreover, the laboratory determination of the composite material’s modulus of elasticity has proven that the used soil does not have a linear elastic behavior

    Melatonin administration in diabetes: regulation of plasma Cr, V, and Mg in young male Zucker diabetic fatty rats

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    The use of melatonin, a neurohormone present in plants, represents an exciting approach for the maintenance of optimum health conditions. Melatonin administration ameliorates glucose homeostasis in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin in diabetes in relation to the levels and regulation of plasma chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), and magnesium (Mg) in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and Zucker lean (ZL) rats. At the age of 6 weeks, ZDF (n ¼ 30) and ZL (n ¼ 30) groups were each subdivided into three groups: control (C) (n ¼ 10), vehicle-treated (V 0 ) (n ¼ 10) and melatonin-treated (M) (10 mg kg À1 per day; n ¼ 10) groups for a 6 week period. After treatment, plasma mineral concentrations were measured by flame (Mg) and electrothermal (Cr and V) atomic absorption spectrometry. No significant differences were found between the C and V 0 groups (p &gt; 0.05). Plasma Mg levels were significantly lower in C-ZDF vs. C-ZL rats, demonstrating the presence of hypomagnesemia in this diabetes mellitus model. Plasma V and Cr levels were significantly higher in M-ZDF vs. C-ZDF rats. Plasma Mg levels in ZDF rats were not affected by melatonin treatment (p &gt; 0.05). Melatonin administration ameliorates the diabetic status of ZDF rats by enhancing plasma Cr and V concentrations. This appears to be the first report of a beneficial effect of melatonin treatment on plasma Cr and V regulation in ZDF rats

    Sensitivities of the Proton-Nucleus Elastical Scattering Observables of 6He and 8He at Intermediate Energies

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    We investigate the use of proton-nucleus elastic scattering experiments using secondary beams of 6He and 8He to determine the physical structure of these nuclei. The sensitivity of these experiments to nuclear structure is examined by using four different nuclear structure models with different spatial features using a full-folding optical potential model. The results show that elastic scattering at intermediate energies (<100 MeV per nucleon) is not a good constraint to be used to determine features of structure. Therefore researchers should look elsewhere to put constraints on the ground state wave function of the 6He and 8He nuclei.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev.
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