Aim: To evaluate the relevance of endothelial-derived apoptotic microparticles (EMPs) with inflammatory cytokine outcomes in patients with ischaemic chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: A total of 154 patients with moderate-to-severe CHF were enrolled in the study. Flow cytometry analysis was used for quantifying the number of EMPs. All-cause mortality, CHF-related death, and CHD-readmission r...

This article aspires to an embodiment of dynamic living versus mere survival. The term cancer survivor, including a survivor who is in remission, has been legitimated (Berger and Luckmann, The social construction of reality, p. 94 1967) by language which creates knowledge of what a cancer survivor is and does. Because we act under descriptions (Hacking, The social construction of what?, p. 103 ...

BACKGROUND Recent studies in infective endocarditis have suggested an association between surgery and reduced mortality. However, these studies did not account for survivor treatment selection bias, which is an underrecognized source of error in observational studies. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the effects of survivor bias on surgical outcomes in infective endocarditis. METHODS AND RESU...

OBJECTIVES The social construction of breast cancer (BC) survivor identity has produced a powerful image of woman as survivor. Group membership through peer-support programmes can provide positive role models, shape survivor identity and promote post-traumatic growth (PTG). The main objective of this study was to conduct a qualitative investigation based on a phenomenological framework in order...

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes not only an accelerated disease progression, but also an increased mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors associated with clinical features, comorbidities and mortality in patients at high risk for acute COPD exacerbation who had been hospitalized at least once in a year. METHODS...

BACKGROUND Informal caregivers are vital to the long-term care and rehabilitation of stroke survivors worldwide. However, caregiving has been associated with negative psychological outcomes such as anxiety and depression, which leads to concerns about caregiver as well as stroke survivor well-being. Furthermore, caregivers may not receive the support and service provision they require from the ...

Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was evaluated in Vibrio vulnificus-infected patients at admission. The median TNF-α concentration in the non-survivor group was determined to be 261.0 pg/mL, in contrast to 69.5 pg/mL in the survivor group (P = 0.001). Hence, serum TNF-α concentration may potentially be an early predictor of the mortality in patients with Vibrio septicemia.

Eric Shanteau, who was a member of US Olympic Swim team, heard the three of the most chilling words just one week before the US Olympic trials: “You have cancer.” Regardless of his misfortune, he decided to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he posted a personal best time in the 200 meter breaststroke. After returning to his hometown, he underwent surgery and has become a legendary canc...

Amidst the transition from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the book, Political Agendas for Education: From Race to the top to saving the planet by Joel Spring has discussed issues such as the impact of Race to the Top, the influence of Teach for America (TFA), teacher evaluation and merit pay, Republican reaction and rejection of Race to the Top and the ed...

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework was named in the supporting documents for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as a means of helping all students, especially those with disabilities, to meet and exceed the rigorous expectations. This article will describe the principles of UDL, show how educational teams use the framework to design instruction to teach the CCSS with examples...