Publications by authors named "Flanagan Michael"

Objective: Compare the effectiveness of instructional videos with print handouts when educating family medicine patients about the use of herbs and spices to reduce sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars during meal preparation.

Design: Enrollees were randomized to either view 5 short videos or read 3 handouts. The intervention was implemented while patients waited for their provider to begin their appointment.

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  • Postmenopausal cardiovascular health is crucial for longevity, and beetroot juice (BR), which is rich in nitrates, can enhance nitric oxide levels, benefiting endothelial function.
  • Research compared the effects of a single dose of nitrate-rich beetroot juice on early-postmenopausal women to late-postmenopausal women, finding different improvements in endothelial function and resistance to ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.
  • The study showed that while beetroot juice significantly improved macrovascular function in late-postmenopausal women, early-postmenopausal women had a stronger overall response, indicating that menopause timing may influence how dietary nitrates affect cardiovascular health.
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  • Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a serious condition with various causes and can lead to high rates of illness and death (35-50%), even with modern treatments.
  • Recent research has focused on better recognition and management of CS through standardized protocols and tailored use of temporary mechanical support, which have shown promising results.
  • This review covers the underlying mechanisms of CS, emerging definitions and treatment strategies, and highlights the need for more studies to fill knowledge gaps and improve patient outcomes.
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Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract by ingested foreign body is an uncommon surgical emergency, most typically associated with the consumption of fish and chicken bones. We present an unusual case of a gentleman presenting emergently with an acute abdomen following ingestion of a meal containing frog meat. Emergent computed tomography (CT) revealed findings suggestive of jejunal perforation due to a foreign body.

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Museum-based learning activities provide interactive and innovative ways to integrate the arts and humanities into medical education. Like other museum-based activities, the Group Poem supports the development of multiple clinically relevant skills and attributes, such as observation, communication, perspective-taking, empathy, and implicit bias awareness. In this paper, we present a step-by-step guide for educators seeking to design and implement a museum-based Group Poem activity for medical learners.

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Objective: Understanding the regulation and function of plant genes is essential for addressing the challenges faced by modern agriculture. Plant transformation, in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy, offers a powerful approach to investigate the dynamic behavior of plant genes and the proteins they encode. We previously developed a set of Gateway-compatible tissue-specific plant transformation vectors.

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Morquio A disease is a genetic disorder resulting in N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) deficiency, and patients are currently treated with enzyme replacement therapy via weekly intravenous enzyme infusions. A means of sustained enzyme delivery could improve patient quality of life by reducing the administration time, frequency of hospital visits, and treatment cost. In this study, we investigated poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) hydrogels as a tunable, hydrolytically degradable drug delivery system for the encapsulation and sustained release of recombinant human GALNS (rhGALNS).

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This paper presents a structural performance study of a fibre-reinforced composite blade for a 1 MW tidal turbine rotor blade that was designed for a floating tidal turbine device. The 8-m long blade was manufactured by ÉireComposites Teo and its structural performance was experimentally evaluated under mechanical loading in the Large Structures Research Laboratory at the University of Galway. Composite coupons, applied with an accelerated ageing process, were tested to evaluate the influence of seawater ageing effects on the performance of the materials.

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Background: The benefits of standardized care for cardiogenic shock (CS) across regional care networks are poorly understood.

Objectives: The authors compared the management and outcomes of CS patients initially presenting to hub versus spoke hospitals within a regional care network.

Methods: The authors stratified consecutive patients enrolled in their CS registry (January 2017 to December 2019) by presentation to a spoke versus the hub hospital.

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Background: The current sparsity of surgical trainees' exposure to training in operative trauma surgery is multifactorial. This concern has been addressed in the revised Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) for general and vascular surgery (2021). In the lead up to its implementation, we aimed to assess both trainee and consultant confidence levels as a surrogate reflection in the core competency operative skills in general emergency trauma surgery, identify individual experience in commonly performed trauma procedures and gauge interest in a career in trauma surgery.

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Exercise tolerance appears to benefit most from dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation when muscle oxygen (O) availability is low. Using a double-blind, randomized cross-over design, we tested the hypothesis that acute NO supplementation would improve blood flow restricted exercise duration in post-menopausal women, a population with reduced endogenous nitric oxide bioavailability. Thirteen women (57-76 yr) performed rhythmic isometric handgrip contractions (10% MVC, 30 per min) during progressive forearm blood flow restriction (upper arm cuff gradually inflated 20 mmHg each min) on three study visits, with 7-10 days between visits.

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After wind and solar energy, tidal energy presents the most prominent opportunity for generating energy from renewable sources. However, due to the harsh environment that tidal turbines are deployed in, a number of design and manufacture challenges are presented to engineers. As a consequence of the harsh environment, the loadings on the turbine blades are much greater than that on wind turbine blades and, therefore, require advanced solutions to be able to survive in this environment.

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Background And Purpose: The increasing cost of cosmetic procedures, long elective waiting times in the public system and affordability of procedures offered abroad has driven the rapid growth of cosmetic tourism. The incidence and cost of patients presenting to the Irish health service with complications related to cosmetic procedures carried out in overseas institutions is largely unknown. This heterogenous group of patients is challenging to identify.

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The management of breast cancer has evolved into a multidisciplinary evidence-based surgical speciality, with emphasis on conservative surgery. A number of landmark trials have established lumpectomy followed by radiation as the standard of care for many patients. The aim of this study is to construct a narrative review of recent developments in the surgical management of breast cancer and how such developments have impacted surgical practice.

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  • Supplemental Digital Content refers to additional online materials that complement the main text.
  • This content may include videos, charts, or interactive tools that enhance understanding of the subject matter.
  • Accessing this supplemental material can provide deeper insights and better learning experiences for readers.
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  • Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (Morquio A syndrome) is caused by a deficiency of the GALNS enzyme, leading to harmful accumulations of GAGs in various tissues, and current enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has limitations in treating all aspects of the disease.
  • Researchers cultured human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (UMSC) to analyze their ability to produce GALNS enzyme and to examine how extracellular vesicles (EVs) from these cells can be used by GALNS-deficient cells.
  • The study found that EVs released by UMSC contained active GALNS and were successfully taken up by deficient fibroblast cells, suggesting an efficient mechanism for enzyme delivery not relying on traditional pathways, potentially improving treatment for Mor
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Background: There is no consensus on the use of neoadjuvant radiotherapy for tumors of the upper third of the rectum. Due to conflicting findings in high-quality trials and significant long-term side effects associated with neoadjuvant radiotherapy, the benefit of neoadjuvant radiotherapy for upper third rectal tumors is less certain than for lower two third rectal tumors. This metaanalysis compares oncological outcomes with neoadjuvant radiotherapy and surgery versus surgery alone for upper third rectal tumors.

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