Liver tissue engineering within alginate scaffolds: effects of cell-seeding density on hepatocyte viability, morphology, and function.

Tissue engineering with three-dimensional biomaterials represents a promising approach for developing hepatic tissue to replace the function of a failing liver. Herein, we address cell seeding and distribution within porous alginate scaffolds, which represent a new type of porous biomaterial for tissue engineering. The hydrophilic nature of the alginate scaffold as well as its pore structure and interconnectivity enabled the efficient seeding of hepatocytes into the scaffolds, that is, 70-90% of the initial cells depending on the seeding method.

Biomass production, transpiration rate and endogenous abscisic acid levels in grafts of flacca and wild-type tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).

ABA is a plant signalling-molecule that plays a key role in regulating stomatal response, stress-tolerance responses, and coordinated growth of roots and shoots. Knowledge of the relationship between endogenous ABA level and plant growth is essential for improving plant growth and productivity. The wild-type tomato Rheinlands Ruhm (RR) and its flacca mutant were grafted in order to determine the relationship between endogenous ABA levels and biomass production.

Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain (CFAP).

Patients with chronic functional abdominal pain (CFAP) present particularly challenging management issues for primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. A major objective in the care of patients with CFAP is to develop an understanding of this condition as a biopsychosocial disorder where symptoms can be attributed to "brain-gut" dysfunction rather than to a missed structurally based condition. The foundation of any therapeutic strategy is the patient-physician partnership, probably the hardest element of treatment for most physicians.

The "door-to-needle blitz" in acute myocardial infarction: the impact of a CQI project.

Background: A continuous quality improvement (CQI) project was conducted at Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel, in an effort to identify and address causes of delays in thrombolytic therapy in patients arriving at a high-volume (160,000 patients per year) emergency department with acute myocardial infarction and thereby reduce the "door-to-needle time" (DTNT). The study had four phases: preintervention survey, peri-intervention process redesign, postintervention evaluation, and follow-up evaluation. CQI TEAM: The CQI team followed a seven-step protocol: problem definition, present-state screening, factors analysis, solution development, outcome evaluation, standardization, and conclusions.

NK sensitivity, H-2, c-K-ras proto-oncogene expression and metastases: analysis of the metastatic potential of H-2 gene transfected fibrosarcoma cells.

The transformation of a potentially neoplastic cell into an autonomous highly malignant and metastatic tumor cell involves a multifactorial cascade of events. This will eventually lead not only to the emergence of a tumor cell with an unlimited potential of replication, but more important will contribute to its ability to ignore and evade homeostatic immune and non-immune regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, those mechanisms which may restrict and direct its growth, dissemination, patterns of differentiation and interaction with the cellular and humoral factors comprising its environment.

The immunobiology of metastatic processes: analysis of NK sensitivity and the metastatic potential of H-2 gene transfected fibrosarcoma cells.

The transformation of a potentially neoplastic cell into an autonomous highly malignant and metastatic tumor cell involves a multifactorial cascade of events. This will eventually lead not only to the emergence of a tumor cell with an unlimited potential of replication, but more important will contribute to its ability to ignore and evade homeostatic immune and nonimmune regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, those mechanisms which may restrict and direct its growth, dissemination, patterns of differentiation and interaction with the cellular and humoral factors comprising its environment.