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Women’s safety has always been an issue in the modern era. They endure lot of problems like sexual harassment, physical abuse and trafficking. These are the most alarming problems in society. All these problems show a very dangerous impact on women empowerment. So, to protect women from such assaults it is very important to find a solution. In this present research work, authors designed a women safety TARA wrist band, a self-defence device for women. TASER [Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle] system is used in this device. This paper deals with the materials which are used in the device, battery, mechanical, thermal and physical analysis of the device. From this analysis, operating temperatures and the load conditions are analysed to manufacture a perfect women safety wristband. Fused Deposition Modelling 3D Printing technique is used for development of the prototype.

Background: Intracardiac masses are historically treated with surgery. As percutaneous technologies continue to evolve, non-surgical techniques for mass removal may become options. We present a case of a woman with a large right atrial mass that was percutaneously removed en bloc without surgery., Case Summary: A 77-year-old woman presents with a 40 mm right atrial mass. The mass was increasing in size, and she preferred to avoid surgical removal. The tumour was removed percutaneously from the femoral vein using a large suction cannula in combination with transection of the stalk using an electrified snare. The case was complicated by a haemopericardium that was treated successfully by injecting a haemostatic matrix into the pericardial space. The pathology returned papillary fibroelastoma., Discussion: The TEXAS technique used to remove the right atrial mass in this case is a modification of a previously described technique (SEATTLE procedure). Using this method, we were able to remove a 40 mm tumour from the right atrium without surgery. This is the largest reported intracardiac tumour that has been removed en bloc percutaneously. Percutaneous removal of right atrial tumours appears feasible, although this may be limited to smaller tumours based on the results of our case., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Psychotropic drug changes during medical hospitalizations may lead to psychiatric and medical readmissions., Methods: One-year hospitalization records of nursing home patients with chronic mental illness and a psychotropic drug change during medical admission were reviewed. We calculated the readmission rates for 30, 60, and 90 days; the classes of the psychotropic drugs changed; the reason for change; and the specialties of the responsible physicians. The readmission rates were compared with those of an age-matched control group., Results: The changes were associated with an increase in psychiatric readmission rates of 2.7% (30 days), 5.4% (60 days), and 14.9% (90 days). The 90 days readmission rate reached statistical significance (14.9% vs 2.7%; OR = 6.29; P = .020). The family practice team was responsible for the highest psychiatric readmission rate (18.4%). The most significant reasons for change included human errors (up to 40%), which is alarming., Conclusions: Judicious changes, attempts at re-titration, and appropriate documentation of reasons for change on discharge records may reduce the readmission rates.

In this paper, we describe a novel strategy for the fabrication of a nanosensor for detecting luteinizing hormone (LH) of sheep using a gold nanoparticle-peptide conjugate. A new peptide sequence "CDHPPLPDILFL" (leutinizing hormone peptide, LHP) has been identified, using BLAST and Clustal W analysis, to detect antibody of LH (sheep). LHP has been synthesized and characterized, and their affinity toward anti-LH was established using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) technique. The thiol group in LHP directly binds with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to yield AuNP-LHP construct. Detailed physicochemical analysis of AuNP-LHP construct was determined using various analytical techniques. Nanosensor using gold nanoparticle peptide conjugate was developed on the basis of competitive binding of AuNP-LHP and LH toward anti-LH. Nitrocellulose membrane, precoated with anti-LH, was soaked in the mixture of AuNP-LHP and sample of analysis (LH). In the absence of LH (sheep), anti-LH coated on the membrane binds with AuNP-LHP, leading to a distinctive red color, while in the presence of LH, no color appeared in the membrane due to the interaction of anti-LH with LH thereby preventing the binding of AuNP-LHP with membrane bound anti-LH. The sensor assay developed in this study can detect LH (sheep) up to a minimal concentration of ∼50 ppm with a high degree of reproducibility and selectivity. The gold-nanoparticle-peptide based nanosensor would be a simple, portable, effective, and low cost technique for infield applications.

With the advent of new tools and techniques including the retrograde approach, success rates for recanalization of chronic total occlusion (CTO) have improved. Numerous cardiac and extracardiac complications during retrograde CTO recanalization have been described. To date the development of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with retrograde recanalization as a result of atheroembolization has not been reported. We report such a case following retrograde recanalization of a totally occluded right coronary artery., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

We studied the gene expression profile during cardiac hypertrophy induced by angiotensin (ANG) II in wild-type mice and the influence of LOX-1 deletion on the gene expression profile. Wild-type and LOX-1 knockout mice were given saline or ANG II infusion for 4 wk. The saline-treated LOX-1 knockout mice showed upregulation of several genes including Ddx3y and Eif2s3y. ANG II infusion enhanced expression of genes known to be associated with cardiac remodeling, such as Agt, Ace, Timp4, Fstl, and Tnfrst12a, as well as oxidant stress-related genes Gnaq, Sos1, and Rac1. Some other strongly upregulated genes identified in this study have not been previously associated with LOX-1 deletion and/or hypertension. To confirm these observations with ANG II infusion and LOX-1 deletion, cultured HL-1 mouse cardiomyocytes were exposed to ANG II or transfected with pCI-neo/LOX-1, which resulted in severalfold increase in reactive oxygen species generation, upregulation of ANG II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor, and cardiomyocyte growth. Quantitative PCR analysis of these treated cardiomyocytes confirmed upregulation of many of the genes identified in the in vivo study. This study provides the first set of data on the gene expression profiling of cardiac tissue treated with ANG II and expands on the important role of LOX-1 in cardiac response to ANG II.

Coronary reoperations continue to play an important role in the practice of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Apart from having a sicker patient subgroup, reoperation poses an increasingly more complex and technically demanding surgery to perform. The superior patency of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) has prompted increased interest in using arterial conduits for coronary bypass. However in situations where LIMA to left anterior descending (LAD) graft can not be done successfully, it remains a problem. We present a case of repeat three vessel coronary bypass surgery where three free arterial grafts were used with single anastomosis to ascending aorta as an alternative because of compromised length of LIMA and radial grafts.

Background: The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) reduce serum cholesterol level and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the effect of statins on glucose metabolism is unclear. Some studies have suggested that statins may cause hyperglycemia by increasing calcium concentration in the islet cells leading to decrease in insulin release or by decreasing GLUT 4-mediated peripheral glucose uptake., Methods: We analyzed the data in 345,417 patients (mean age 61 +/- 15 years, 94% males, 6% diabetic, 20% statin users) from the Veterans Affairs VISN 16 database. We studied change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in this population over a mean time of 2 years between the first available measurement and the last measurement form the most recent recorded visit. Data were limited to patients who had 2 FPG measurements. Diagnosis of diabetes had to be present before the first FPG measurement., Results: Among patients without diabetes, FPG increased with statin use from 98 mg/dL to 105 mg/dL, and among nonstatin users, FPG increased from 97 mg/dL to 101 mg/dL (increase in FPG with statin use P < 0.0001). Among patients with diabetes, FPG increased with statin use from 102 mg/dL to 141 mg/dL, and among nonstatin users, FPG increased from 100 mg/dL to 129 mg/dL (increase in FPG with statin use; P < 0.0001). After adjustment for age and use of aspirin, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, the change in FPG in nondiabetic statin users was 7 mg/dL (vs 5 mg/dL in nonstatin users, P < 0.0001) and for diabetic statin users it was 39 mg/dL (vs 32 in nonstatin users, P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Statin use is associated with a rise of FPG in patients with and without diabetes. This relationship between statin use and rise in FPG is independent of age and use of aspirin, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Nkx2.5, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, is known to be necessary for normal heart development in vertebrates. It is one of the earliest lineage-restricted genes expressed in cardiovascular progenitor cells and knowledge of its expression patterns has important therapeutic implications for damaged cardiomyocytes. Mexican axolotl is a unique system to study heart development for two reasons: the presence of a mutant phenotype lacking organized myofibrils due to sarcomeric tropomyosin deficiency and the ability to induce metamorphosis by administration of exogenous thyroid hormone. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the as yet uncharacterized Nkx2.5 cDNA from normal and cardiac mutant axolotl heart RNA. Comparison of cDNA sequences of Nkx2.5 from normal and mutant axolotl hearts did not show differences suggesting that loss of function mutation in Nkx2.5 is not responsible for the mutant phenotype. However, quantitative studies show higher expression of Nkx2.5 in mutant hearts raising the possibility that increased expression of Nkx2.5 may contribute to the mutant phenotype. We also evaluated quantitative changes in expression of Nkx2.5 in axolotl hearts during embryonic and postembryonic heart development induced by exogenous thyroid hormone. There is an apparent increase in Nkx2.5 transcript levels in metamorphosed hearts.

LOX-1, a cell surface lectin-like receptor, is upregulated by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and angiotensin II (Ang II), and plays an important role in host defense. The specific C-type lectin domain on LOX-1 is essential for ox-LDL binding and internalization, generation of oxidant species and eliciting immune response. Here, we show that LOX-1 deletion alters genes that relate to immune response. Microarray (and qPCR) analysis of cardiac tissues showed downregulated expression of several immunoglobulins (Igk-V8, Igk-C, Igh-6, Igj, Ighg, Igh, and Igl-V1) in the LOX-1 knockout (KO) mice [p<0.05 vs. the wild-type (WT) mice]. The expression of these immunoglobulins was upregulated several-fold in the LOX-1 KO mice hearts when these mice were infused with Ang II (p<0.05, vs. WT mice). Importantly, cultured mouse HL-1 cardiomyocytes expressed these immunoglobulins, and pretreatment of cardiomyocytes with a specific anti-LOX-1 antibody enhanced the generation of immunoglobulins upon subsequent exposure to Ang II. These observations mirrored the data obtained from WT and LOX-1 KO mice hearts in the resting state and following Ang II infusion. This study provides first set of data on immunoglobulin expression in cardiac tissues of WT and LOX-1 KO mice and in cultured HL-1 cardiomyocytes, and demonstrates that LOX-1 inactivation leads to upregulation of immunoglobulins in cardiomyocytes upon challenge with Ang II.

The exponential growth of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has in large part been due to expansion of the indications to include the procedure in patients with extensive coronary disease, multiple risk factors, older age and comorbidities. Improvement in PCI equipment, development of new interventional techniques, and availability of myocardial and systemic support techniques have all contributed to this growth. With these advances, patients once considered high risk for PCI are no longer considered high risk. This article reviews the complex coronary lesions challenges, various interventional and pharmacologic strategies for optimal results and novel technology.

The cardiac lethal mutation in Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) results in a lack of contractions in the ventricle of mutant embryos. Previous studies have demonstrated that tropomyosin, a component of thin filaments, is greatly reduced in mutant hearts lacking myofibril organization. Confocal microscopy was used to examine the structure and comparative amount of tropomyosin at heartbeat initiation and at a later stage. The formation of functional sarcomeres coincided with contractions in normal hearts at stage 35. A-bands and I-bands were formed at stage 35 and did not change at stage 39. The widening of Z-bodies into z-lines was the main developmental difference between stage 35 and 39 normal hearts. Relative to normal hearts, a reduction of sarcomeric protein levels in mutant hearts at stage 35 was found, and a greater reduction occurred at later stages. The lower level of tropomyosin limited the areas where organized myofibrils formed in the mutant. The areas that had tropomyosin staining also had staining for alpha-actinin and myosin. Early myofibrils formed in these areas but the A-bands and I-bands were shorter than normal. At a later stage in the mutant, A-bands and I-bands remained shorter and importantly the Z-bodies also did not form wider z-lines.

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of signaling molecules has been implicated in normal developmental and physiological processes, as well as in human malignancy. Using a homology-based genomic DNA mining process, we identified a human gene encoding a novel member of the FGF family, that we designate FGF-20. The FGF-20 cDNA was isolated, and its sequence confirmed the gene prediction. FGF-20 is expressed in normal brain, particularly the cerebellum, and in some cancer cell lines. Recombinant FGF-20 protein induces DNA synthesis in a variety of cell types and is recognized by multiple FGF receptors. Ectopic expression of FGF-20 in NIH 3T3 cells renders the cells transformed in vitro and tumorigenic in nude mice. These results underscore the utility of mining genomic DNA databases and reveal FGF-20 to be a novel oncogene that may play a role in human cancer.

Gene gun-based DNA immunization using vectors encoding HIV-1 gp120 or influenza virus nucleoprotein result in Th2-like immune responses following successive immunizations. The codelivery of vectors encoding IL-2, IL-7, or IL-12 blocked this effect by markedly enhancing gp120-specific interferon gamma production, and suppressing IL-4 and IgG1 responses. An unbiased augmentation of all immune responses was observed by increasing the resting period between immunizations. In this case, IFN-gamma production following in vitro stimulation increased by over 1000-fold, while IL-4, IgG1, and IgG2a responses were elevated as well. Interestingly, cytokine gene codelivery, in the context of the longer resting period, provided no additional stimulation of Th1-like responses such as IFN-gamma and IgG2a production, although there was still some suppression of IL-4 production. These data demonstrate that the quality and magnitude of responses elicited following epidermal administration of DNA vaccines can be manipulated by multiple means.

Particle-mediated (gene gun) DNA transfer to the epidermis was evaluated for its ability to elicit humoral and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses using decreasing quantities of plasmid DNA-based antigen expression vectors. Using plasmids encoding human growth hormone, human alpha-1-antitrypsin, and influenza virus nucleoprotein, strong immune responses were observed in mice following immunization with as little as 16 ng of DNA using an electric discharge gene delivery system. Significant antibody titers were observed against these antigens following a primary immunization, with responses rising dramatically following a boost. Increasing the DNA dose above 16 ng per immunization had little beneficial effect. In contrast to particle-mediated DNA delivery, intramuscular or intradermal inoculation required greater than 5000-fold more DNA to achieve comparable results. Data are also presented demonstrating that a simple, hand-held version of the Accell DNA delivery system, employing compressed helium as the particle motive force, achieves immune responses comparable to the traditional electric discharge device.