Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is standard clinical practice for patients with severe and end-stage chronic liver disease. However, the chronic shortage of donor livers and parallel growth of ...the transplant waiting list mean that a substantial proportion of patients die while waiting for a donor liver. Attempts to reduce the waiting list by use of split-liver and living-related live donor techniques have had some impact, but additional approaches to management are vital if the death rate is to be significantly reduced. Extensive laboratory research work and limited clinical trials have shown that hepatocyte transplantation may be useful in bridging some patients to OLT. A major limiting factor has been the shortage of mature functioning human hepatocytes, which are currently mostly obtained from livers rejected for OLT. This review examines potential hepatocyte sources, hepatocyte isolation methods and preservation protocols that have been successfully established, along with an overview of clinical results.
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DOBA, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of ^{136}Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba^{++}) ...resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (∼2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Aim: This article presents preliminary results of a cross cultural study of gender and management in universities. Methodology: Qualitative interviews with senior managers in each country were ...analysed in relation to key concepts of career paths, support, gate keeping, management skills, disciplinary factors, gendered leadership styles and organisational cultures, and structural and cultural barriers. Findings: The study found that career paths into senior management are still based on the traditional male model; men tend to receive more support in moving into senior roles; women experience gate keeping on the way up and while in senior management; the skills required to be an effective university manager are not necessarily gendered; disciplinary factor sometimes are played out in senior management teams, women bring a different leadership style and thus strengthen university management; and organisational cultures have not shifted significantly in relation to gender inclusiveness. Conclusion: The study concluded that universities need to pay more attention to policies and practices that either directly or indirectly continue to discriminate against academic women and in turn discourage women from applying for senior management positions in universities.
Summary
Reasons for performing study: There is no consensus on objective outcome measures that can be used to determine if a medical or surgical treatment affects race performance.
Objective: To ...determine the association between 2 commonly used outcome measures (total starts and total earnings) and age, sex, gait and race surface.
Methods: A cross‐sectional study was performed using the race performance data for all Thoroughbred horses age 2, 3, 4 and 5 years racing in the United States, and Standardbred horses of the same ages racing in the United States and Canada during the year 2006. Median earnings and starts were determined for each combination of age, sex and track surface (for Thoroughbred) or gait (for Standardbred). The effect these variables had on starts on race earnings ($) was determined using linear regression.
Results: Race records for 68,649 Thoroughbreds and 25,830 Standardbreds were obtained. All independent variables (age, breed, sex, gait, track surface and total number of starts) had a significant impact on total earnings (P<0.0001).
Conclusions: The data show considerable variation across age groups and track surfaces for Thoroughbreds and across age groups for Standardbreds. They also show that the decision to use earnings or starts as outcome measures could have a marked effect on reported success for a particular treatment.
Potential relevance: Both earning and start data should be reported in studies evaluating outcome following surgery or other intervention. Considerations of age, breed, sex, track surface and gait should be included in the design of these studies.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
1) To determine the prevalence of small intestinal overgrowth with colonic-type bacteria in symptomatic elderly subjects, particularly those without important "clues" such as clinically apparent ...predisposition or vitamin B12 deficiency, and 2) to investigate defense mechanisms such as gastric acidity, small intestinal motility, and luminal IgA in this setting.
Fifty-two symptomatic subjects without vitamin B12 deficiency or clinically apparent predisposition to bacterial overgrowth or disturbed mucosal immunity, including 22 subjects > or = 75 yr old, underwent culture of small intestinal luminal secretions. Indicator paper was used to measure fasting gastric pH. The presence of bacteria of confirmed nonsalivary origin in small intestinal secretions served as an index of small intestinal dysmotility. Small intestinal luminal IgA concentrations were measured by radial immunodiffusion.
Small intestinal overgrowth with colonic-type flora was not present in any subject investigated for dyspepsia, irrespective of age. In subjects with chronic diarrhea, anorexia, or nausea, overgrowth with colonic-type flora (Enterobacteriaceae) was present in 0/12 (0%), 1/10 (10.0%), and 9/14 (64.3%) subjects aged < 50 yr, 50-74 yr, and > or = 75 yr, respectively. Enterobacteriaceae were not concurrently recovered from saliva of any subject > or = 75 yr old with small intestinal overgrowth with these bacteria. Fasting hypochlorhydria was present in only 1/9 (11.1%) such subjects. Luminal IgA concentrations were significantly greater in subjects > or = 75 yr old with bacterial overgrowth than in culture-negative subjects (p < or = 0.003).
Small intestinal overgrowth with colonic-type bacterial should be considered in subjects > or = 75 yr old with chronic diarrhea, anorexia, or nausea, even in the absence of clues such as clinically apparent predisposition or vitamin B12 deficiency. Small intestinal dysmotility, rather than fasting hypochlorhydria or mucosal immunosenescence, probably is responsible for the prevalence of bacterial overgrowth in this group.
ABSTRACT
Background: Recent guidelines recommend that patients receiving treatment for osteoporosis should also receive supplementation with calcium and vitamin D unless they are calcium and vitamin ...D replete. Given that the majority of elderly patients have inadequate levels of vitamin D and that determining nutritional status is time-consuming and costly, it seems prudent to ensure that the majority of patients aged over 65 and receiving medication for osteoporosis should receive supplementation as a matter of course.
Objectives: To determine the level of co-prescription of calcium and vitamin D in patients receiving treatment for osteoporosis with bisphosphonates, teriparatide, raloxifene or strontium.
Study design and methods: A pilot audit of nine general practices covering a population of 61 202.
Results: Overall, 1.1% (n = 662) of patients were receiving treatment for osteoporosis; of those, only 34.1% of patients were co-prescribed calcium or calcium and vitamin D. Levels of co-prescription varied considerably across practices from 74.0% to 12.2%.
Conclusions: Despite national guidelines, co‐prescription of calcium and vitamin D with treatment for osteoporosis remains sub-optimal with considerable variation between practices. Strategies should be adopted to increase physician awareness of widespread vitamin D inadequacy, the rationale for supplementation and poor compliance.
15N(α,γ)19F is believed to be the primary means of stellar nucleosynthesis of fluorine. Here we present the use of a single-fluid bubble chamber to measure the cross section of the time-inverse ...photo-dissociation reaction. The method benefits from a luminosity increase of several orders of magnitude due to the use of a thicker liquid target —when compared to thin films or gas targets— and from the reciprocity theorem. We discuss the results of an experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, where the cross section of the photodisintegration process 19F(γ, α)15N was measured by bombarding a superheated fluid of C3F8 with bremsstrahlung γ-rays produced by impinging a 4 - 5.5 MeV electron beam on a Cu radiator. From the photodissociation yield the cross section was extracted by performing a convolution with a Monte Carlo-generated γ-ray beam spectrum. The measurement produced a cross section that was then time inverted using the reciprocity theorem. The cross section for the 15N(α,γ)19F reaction was determined down to a value in the range of hundreds of picobarns. With further improvements of the experimental setup the technique could potentially push cross section measurements down to the single picobarn range.
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