Physicians often exclude patients with a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score ≥ 18 from a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure due to the concern for higher risk of death. We aimed to determine if TIPS increased the risk of death in these patients. We analyzed the interaction between TIPS and MELD in 106 patients with TIPS and 79 with intractable ascites with...

Certain natural organisms use micro-patterned surface chemistry, or icenucleating species, to control water condensation and ice nucleation for survival under extreme conditions. As an analogy to these biological approaches, it is shown that functionalized, hydrophilic polymers and particles deposited on the tips of superhydrophobic posts induce precise topographical control over water condensa...

Single-walled carbon nanotube ~SWNT! tips have been used to image nanostructures with high resolution. Studies of gold nanocrystal standards showed that SWNT tips provide a significant improvement in lateral resolution with respect to multi-walled nanotube tips and microfabricated Si tips. The nanotube tips were also used to resolve substructure within SWNTs deposited on surfaces. These results...

Purpose. We report a novel technique which aided recanalization of an occluded portal vein for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation in a patient with symptomatic portal vein thrombosis with cavernous transformation. Some have previously considered cavernous transformation a contraindication to TIPS. Case Presentation. 62-year-old man with chronic pancreatitis, portal ve...

Potato is one of the most important staple crops in both developed and developing countries of the world. Potato genetic resources are a prerequisite for potato breeding in both conventional and genetic engineering programmes. Cryopreservation has long been considered an ideal means for the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. This review provides comprehensive information on vari...