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Despite the recent, remarkable achievements in cardiology, heart failure (HF) remains a major public health problem due to its increasing prevalence, frequent hospitalizations, and significant mortality. Humoral biomarkers in HF are capable to reflect different aspects of the cardiac morpho-functional changes and the related pathophysiological processes and could have important diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutical roles. CA-125 is a well-known tumor marker (mainly for ovarian cancer), and also a useful, but less applied cardiac biomarker. Practical aspects, possible pitfalls related with increased CA-125 levels are illustrated by two cases, both with HF, with the biomarker determined for other reasons and having high levels in the context of the cardiac decompensation. The paper presents a short review of the main biochemical, pathophysiological, and clinical data linked to CA-125, with special accent on its utility in patients with HF.Aim This study aims to assess the results of open versus closed reduction in intramedullary nailing for femoral fractures and whether it delays union, predisposes to nonunion, or increases the rate of infection. Materials and methods A retrospective review of all adult patients with isolated femoral shaft fractures treated by intramedullary nailing was done. The primary outcome is union rate, and the secondary outcomes are operation time and the infection rate. Results 110 isolated femoral shaft fractures, with 73 (66.4%) in the closed reduction group and 37 (33.6%) in the open reduction group, 90.4% males and 9.6% females, and the average age was 32.6 years. RTA is the most common cause of these injuries followed by the fall from height. The delayed union rate was 20% (22/110) with no difference between the two groups, p value 0.480, and the nonunion rate was 5.5% (6/110), and no statistical difference was observed between the two groups. The operation time was shorter in the closed groups, and no difference in the time to union was observed between two groups. No infection was found in the two groups. Conclusions There is no statistical difference between the healing rates in closed and open reduction in femoral shaft fractures. In cases where closed reduction is difficult, it is better to open reduce the fracture if closed reduction cannot be achieved in 15 minutes, especially in polytrauma.Despite the number of patients enrolled in ART is increased, HIV/AIDS continues to constitute a significant proportion of medical admissions and risk of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. As one of these countries, the case in Ethiopia is not different. The aim of this study was thus to assess reasons for hospitalization, discharge outcomes, and predictors of inpatient mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH), Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia. Prospective observational study was conducted in medical wards of JUSH from February 17th to August 17th, 2017. In this study, 101 PLWH admitted during the study period were included. To identify the predictors of mortality, multiple logistic regression analysis was employed. Of the 101 hospitalized PLWH, 62 (61.4%) of them were females and most of them (52.5%) were between 25 and 34 years of age. A majority (79.2%) of the study participants were known HIV patients, before their admission. Tuberculosis (24.8%), infections of the nervous system (18.8%), and pneumonia (9.9%) comprised more than half of the reasons for hospitalization. Moreover, drug-related toxicity was a reason for hospitalization of 6 (5.9%) patients. Outcomes of hospitalization indicated that the overall inpatient mortality was 18 (17.8%). The median CD4 cell counts for survivors and deceased patients were 202 cells/μL (IQR, 121-295 cells/μL) and 70 cells/μL (IQR, 42-100 cells/μL), respectively. Neurologic complications (AOR = 13.97; 95% CI 2.32-84.17, P = 0.004), CD4 count ≤ 100 cells/μl (AOR = 16.40; 95% CI 2.88-93.42, P = 0.002), and short hospital stay (AOR = 12.98, 95% CI 2.13-78.97, P = 0.005) were found to be significant predictors of inpatient mortality. In conclusion, opportunistic infections are the main reason of hospitalization in PLWH.Background Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is growing as a powerful aid in delivering proficient skills training in many specialties. Cerebral angiography (CA), a spatially and navigationally challenging endovascular procedure, can benefit from SBME by training targetable skills outside of the Angiosuite. In order to standardize and specify training requirements, navigational challenges and needs have to be identified. Furthermore, to enable successful adoption of these strategies, simulation adoption barriers, such as necessity of supervisory resources, must be reduced. In this study, we assessed the navigational challenges in simulated CA through a self-guided novice training program. Methods Novice participants (n = 14) received virtual reality (ANGIO Mentor, Simbionix) diagnostic cerebral angiography training and were tested on a right middle cerebral artery aneurysm case over 8 sessions with a reference instructional outline. The navigational trajectories for the guidewire and catheter were analyzed and rates in erroneous vessel access were analyzed. Participants were given a Mental Rotations Test (MRT) and were analyzed based on MRT performance. Results After 8 sessions, there was a significant (p less then 0.05) reduction on navigational error prevalence. The L-SUB and L-CCA saw the biggest drop in erroneous access, whereas the R-ECA, the biggest consumer of error time, saw no changes in access frequency. Individuals with high MRT score performed much better (p less then 0.05) than those with low MRT score. Conclusions Through self-guided simulation training, we demonstrated the navigational challenges encountered in simulated CA. To establish better assessments and standards in medical training, we can create self-guided training curricula aimed at correcting errors, enabling repetitive practice, and reducing human resource needs.The association between neural oscillations and functional integration is widely recognized in the study of human cognition. Large-scale synchronization of neural activity has also been proposed as the neural basis of consciousness. Intriguingly, a growing number of studies in social cognitive neuroscience reveal that phase synchronization similarly appears across brains during meaningful social interaction. Moreover, this inter-brain synchronization has been associated with subjective reports of social connectedness, engagement, and cooperativeness, as well as experiences of social cohesion and ‘self-other merging’. These findings challenge the standard view of human consciousness as essentially first-person singular and private. We therefore revisit the recent controversy over the possibility of extended consciousness and argue that evidence of inter-brain synchronization in the fastest frequency bands overcomes the hitherto most convincing sceptical position. Selleckchem YM155 If this proposal is on the right track, our understanding of human consciousness would be profoundly transformed, and we propose a method to test this proposal experimentally.