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

Decision making for incompetent patients is a much-discussed topic in bioethics. According to one influential decision making standard, the substituted judgment standard, a surrogate decision maker ought to make the decision that the incompetent patient would have made, had he or she been competent. Empirical research has been conducted in order to find out whether surrogate decision makers are su

Osteoporosis is a severe condition in postmenopausal women and a common cause of fracture. Osteoporosis is a complex disease with a strong genetic impact, but susceptibility is determined by many genes with modest effects and environmental factors. Only a handful of genes consistently associated with osteoporosis have been identified so far. Inflammation affects bone metabolism by interfering with

A fully integrated digital phase-locked loop (PLL) used as a clock multiplying circuit is designed. The PLL is made from standard cells found in almost any commercial standard cell library and therefore portable between processes in netlist format. Using a 0.35 μm standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor CMOS process and a 3.0 V supply voltage, the PLL is designed for a locking range of 17

INTRODUCTION: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a key regulator of calcium metabolism. Parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHrP) contributes to skeletal development through regulation of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation during early bone growth. Both PTH and PTHrP act through the same receptor (PTHR1). A second receptor, PTHR2, has been identified although its function is comparatively unkn

Chronically implanted microelectrodes are an invaluable tool for neuroscientific research, allowing long term recordings in awake and behaving animals. It is known that all such electrodes will evoke a tissue reaction affected by its' size, shape, surface structure, fixation mode and implantation method. However, the possible correlation between tissue reactions and the number of implanted electro