HYPOTHESIS Nonoperative management (NOM) of injuries to the liver, spleen, and kidney is highly successful, as shown in retrospective studies, but needs prospective validation. Patients in whom NOM is likely to fail can be identified by specific criteria. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Academic level I trauma center at a county hospital. PATIENTS Two hundred six patients ...

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode endemic in the tropics and subtropics. Immunocompetent hosts typically are asymptomatic, despite chronic Strongyloides infection. In contrast, immunocompromised patients are at risk for hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated disease, with a fatality rate >50%. The infection source for immunocompromised patients, such as solid organ transplan...

Introduction: The present study is aimed to design and develop a tissue-equivalent pelvic phantom, mimicking the Indian female pelvic dimensions by means of locally available and cost-effective tissue substitutes having equivalent radiological properties. Materials and Methods: For the purpose of the study, the real female pelvic bones were embedded for preparation. Paraffin wax, Aloe-vera powd...

High accuracy and precision in reaching target locations inside the human body is necessary for the success of percutaneous procedures, such as tissue sample removal (biopsy), brachytherapy, and localized drug delivery. Flexible steerable needles may allow the surgeon to reach targets deep inside solid organs while avoiding sensitive structures (e.g. blood vessels). This article provides a syst...

OBJECTIVE To review the factors involved in determining the availability of solid organs for transplantation in Hong Kong and to identify methods that have been used in other countries to increase organ donation rates. DATA SOURCES Medline and non-Medline search of the relevant English literature, local data, and personal experience. STUDY SELECTION Articles describing approaches to solid o...

The CD30 molecule, a 120 kDa cell surface glycoprotein, is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily and was originally identified on the surface of Reed-Sternberg cells and anaplastic large cell lymphomas in Hodgkin's disease patients. In addition to lymphoproliferative disorders the expression of CD30 was found in both activated CD8+ and CD4+ Th2 cells which lead to t...

Knowledge of miRNA expression and function in specific cell types in solid organs is limited because of difficulty in obtaining appropriate specimens. We used laser capture microdissection to obtain nine tissue regions from rats, including the nucleus of the solitary tract, hypoglossal motor nucleus, ventral respiratory column/pre-Bötzinger complex, and midline raphe nucleus from the brain stem...