The antigens of the ABO system were the first to be recognized as blood groups and actually the first human genetic markers known. Their presence and the realization of naturally occurring antibodies to those antigens lacking from the cells made sense of the erratic failure of blood transfusion hitherto and opened up the possibility of a safe treatment practice in life-threatening blood loss. Alth

We report the implantation of the Berlin Heart EXCOR (Berlin Heart, Berlin, Germany) as a pediatric biventricular assist device in a 10-month-old boy with primary graft failure after cardiac transplantation. The EXCOR was successfully used as a bridge to cardiac retransplantation. The pneumatically driven paracorporeal device supported the patient for 165 days until another suitable heart was obta

Background: In resource-limited settings the monitoring of tuberculosis (TB) patients is challenging, and early identification of TB patients with a high mortality risk is important. The aim of this study was to investigate prospectively whether early changes in a clinical scoring system (TB score) can predict treatment outcome in Ethiopian patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Method: TB patients

Background. Recent studies have associated the transcription factors, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog as parts of a self-regulating network which is responsible for maintaining embryonic stem cell properties -- self renewal and pluripotency. In addition, mutual antagonism between two of these and other master regulators have been shown to regulate lineage determination. In particular, an excess of Cdx2 over

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 33: 578-584 SUMMARY: Background Time-trend analyses of incidence and mortality in bleeding peptic ulcer show divergent results. Aim To conduct a detailed national analysis of hospitalisation of and mortality from bleeding peptic ulcer in Sweden. Method Data from all hospitalisations at departments with primary responsibility for patients with bleeding ulcer in Sweden,

To illustrate the importance of biomechanical impact on tissue health within the central nervous system (CNS), we herein describe an in vitro model of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in which disruption and restoration of physical tissue support can be studied in isolation.

Replacement therapy with blood products has long been the only available therapeutic option for patients with bleeding disorders. Plasma-derived cryoprecipitate and factor (F) VIII concentrates, which have been used for hemophilia A patients, involve the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases. Both plasma-derived and recombinant FVIII concentrates are expensive, and there is a global shortage.

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT), also known as topical negative-pressure therapy, is widely used to manage wounds and accelerate healing. NPWT has so far been delivered mainly via open-cell polyurethane foam, but increasing interest has been directed toward delivering NPWT via gauze. In the present study, the early effects of NPWT on pressure transduction and wound contraction were examined

Taiwan's competitiveness in the global arena has often been attributed to the country's dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the most recent decade, the Taiwanese government has increased support to innovative SMEs, and with the emergence of new fields such as biotechnology, companies with highly innovation-driven agendas are surfacing. The innovation focus provides not only new o

Cutaneous Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types have been associated with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including a previous nested case-control study using HPV serology with bacterially derived fusion proteins with the major HPV capsid protein L1 (GST-L1). However, HPV serology using conformationally intact pseudovirions has been shown to correlate better with natural infection. Prospective studies

The more we know about the catastrophic implications of climate change, the more fossil fuels are burnt in the world. How did we get caught up in this mess? This thesis returns to a crucial moment in the emergence of the fossil economy: the rise of steam-power. With the adoption of the steam-engine, fossil energy was first coupled to a process of self-sustaining growth, the new prime mover using c