<p>The country’s cardiology centers have been producing subspecialists in the field of Invasive and Interventional Cardiology. To date, 11 hospitals and/or medical centers are involved in training these subspecialists in a 1 to 2-year program. And to this date, there have been no uniform standards and guidelines as to what comprises the basic and/or acceptable training outcomes for the interventionalist in training. This paper describes the development of the core curriculum for an interventional cardiovascular training program to prepare its trainees to be competent in performing invasive diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures as part of comprehensive patient care. The task force for the core curriculum of the interventional training program gathered several officers and leaders of the PSCCI, the training heads of the various interventional programs in the country, as well as experts in the field of cardiology education. Through a series of meetings, consultations, and workshops, the task force laid out the template on which all the training programs would be based. Such a framework considered the international standards regarding minimum caseloads for interventional training and the peculiar situation of each training institution. International standards like the Core Cardiovascular Training Statement (COCATS 4) Task Force 10: Training in Cardiac Catheterizations and the 2020 EAPCI Core Curriculum for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions served as the reference framework for key recommendations. A consensus was achieved that upheld the highest standards of competence without disenfranchising certain institutions due to intricacies and uniqueness of hospital set-up and training situation.p>
Training ; Education ; Curriculum

AIM: To evaluate the reliability of measurements of corneal changes with accommodation in healthy eyes using a Scheimpflug imaging-based system and how these measurements distribute in the normal population.METHODS: Prospective, non-randomized, comparative study including 27 healthy subjects(54 eyes), including emmetropia(13 eyes), myopia(17 eyes), hyperopia(4 eyes)and astigmatism(20 eyes)groups. In all cases, a complete eye examination was performed, including the analysis of corneal changes with different accommodative stimuli(+2.00, 0.00 and -3.00 D)using the Pentacam AXL system. The investigation was structured in 2 phases: repeatability analysis and characterization of accommodation-related corneal changes in healthy populations.RESULTS: In the repeatability analysis, the index of height asymmetry(IHA)showed the greatest variability with the three accommodative stimuli, being the results for the rest of parameters acceptable. The group of emmetropes showed significant differences with accommodative changes in the position of maximum keratometry(Kmax; P<0.05), whereas in the astigmatism group, significant changes were not only observed in the position of Kmax, but also in minimum corneal thickness(MCT), corneal spherical aberration, and total and low order aberration root mean square(all P<0.05). Likewise, a significant difference was found in the displacement of the X position of Kmax with +2.00 D and -3.00 D in the myopia group(P=0.033)as well as in changes with +2.00 D and -3.00 D in the magnitude of the position vector of Kmax in the emmetropia group(P<0.05). No significant changes were found between accommodative stimuli in the displacement of coordinates of MCT(P≥0.109).CONCLUSION: The position of Kmax and MCT in healthy corneas can change significantly when presenting different accommodative stimuli using the accommodation mode of the Pentacam system, with different trends in these accommodation-related corneal changes between refractive errors. Likewise, the consistency of the measurements obtained with Scheimpflug has been confirmed.

<p>OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha and the expression of PPARbeta in HaCaT keratinocytes.p><p>METHODSHaCaT keratinocytes were cultured and randomly divided into A (normal control), B (with treatment of 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 hours), C (with treatment of 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha for 24 hours), D (with treatment of 10 ng/ml TNF-alpha after 20 ng/ml EGF treatment for 4 hours), E (with treatment of 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha after 20 ng/ml EGF treatment for 4 hours) groups. The apoptosis of HaCaT keratinocytes was observed by flow cytometry. The proliferative activity of HaCaT keratinocytes was evaluated by MTT method. The activity of caspase-3 was analyzed with caspase colorimetric assay Kit. The changes in the mRNA and protein expression of PPARbeta in HaCaT keratinocytes were observed by RT-PCR and western-blotting after treatment with different concentrations (5, 10, 20, 40 ng/ml) of EGF for 4 or 24 hrs.p><p>RESULTSCompared with A and B groups [(32 +/- 6)%, (57 +/- 6)%], the apoptosis of HaCaT keratinocytes in D and E groups were significantly increased [(20 +/- 3)%, (28 +/- 4)%, respectively, P < 0.01], while the survival rate of HaCaT keratinocytes in D and E groups increased, and the caspase-3 activity were decreased (P < 0.01). The expression of PPARbeta mRNA and protein in HaCaT keratinocytes reached the peak with the treatment of 20 ng/ml EGF.p><p>CONCLUSIONEGF can inhibit the apoptosis of HaCaT keratinocytes induced by TNF-alpha, and it can also increase the expression of PPARbeta.p>
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; PPAR-beta ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

<p>OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM-1) in monocytes of burn patients at early post-burn stage, and its significance.p><p>METHODSThe monocytes of 8 healthy volunteers (A group), 29 patients with mild and moderate burn (B group), and 9 patients with severe and very serious burns (C group) were isolated from the blood, and the THEM-1 mRNA and protein expression were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The plasma levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta were determined by ELISA method.p><p>RESULTSThe value of TREM-1 mRNA expression in A, B and C groups were 0.74 +/- 0.13, 1.24 +/- 0.09, and 1.46 +/-0.07, respectively, and the expression rates on cell surface in the 3 groups were (9 +/- 4)%, (51 +/- 6)%, and (71 +/- 7)%, respectively, and there were significant differences among the three groups (P = 0.000). the plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in B and C groups were obviously higher than that in A group (P = 0.000), and they were positively correlated to TREM-1 expression (rs = 0.68, 0.72, P = 0.000).p><p>CONCLUSIONIncreased expression of TREM-1 in monocytes of burn patients at early post-burn stage is correlated with the release of inflammatory factors, indicating that TREM-1 might contribute to the onset and development of acute inflammatory response after burns.p>
Adult ; Burns ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; blood ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Monocytes ; metabolism ; Myeloid Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptors, Immunologic ; metabolism ; Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

<p>OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of the use of sodium lactate and sorbitol (CISS) in the fluid resuscitation for shock in patients with major burns.p><p>METHODSFifty - three adult patients with major burns (hospitalized within 6 hours after burns) were randomly divided into A (n = 24, with i.v. infusion of 50 g/L CISS, 2 000 ml per day) and B (n = 29, with i. v. infusion of 50 g/L glucose, 2 000 ml per day) groups. The amount of electrolytes and colloid as the main resuscitation fluids was calculated according to the formula in both groups. Meanwhile, additional electrolytes and insulin were supplemented to the patients in the B group. The result of combating shock, energy supply, and side effects in the two groups were observed. The changes in hepatic and renal function, and the changes in electrolytes were monitored. The amount of fluid supplementation and urinary volume were recorded. The level of blood glucose of each patient was determined at the admission time and 24, 48, and 72 hours after injury.p><p>RESULTSNo obvious difference was found in control of shock and energy supply between A and B group. There was no side effects or damage to hepatic and renal function related to infused fluids in A group. But the patients of the B group required supplementation of exra electrolytes and insulin during the fluid resuscitation period in order to maintain the normal levels of electrolytes and blood glucose, and this was not necessary in group A. The diuretic effect in group A was better than that in group B (average urinary volume in the first two 24 hours: group A: 1.9 +/- 0.6 and 3.3 +/- 0.8 L; group B:1.0 +/- 0.5 and 2.3 +/- 0.8 L).p><p>CONCLUSIONThe use of CISS during shock stage of the patients with major burns could be beneficial to the replenishment of blood volume, control of shock, promotion of diuresis and subsidence of edema. It could also provide electrolytes and energy, without the influence on the level of blood glucose.p>
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; Burns ; complications ; therapy ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fluid Therapy ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Shock ; etiology ; therapy ; Sodium Lactate ; therapeutic use ; Sorbitol ; therapeutic use