During percutaneous interventional procedures, the orientation and position and of a needle-like instrument can be constrained relative to the patient’s coordinate system using a variety of aiming devices. Physicians align the aiming device in space according to a pre-defined plan and advance the instrument without excessive bending, resulting in a higher targeting accuracy. However, available ...

Replication protein A (RPA) is a heterotrimeric, multi-functional protein that binds single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and is essential for eukaryotic DNA metabolism. Using heteronuclear NMR methods we have investigated the domain interactions and ssDNA binding of a fragment from the 70 kDa subunit of human RPA (hRPA70). This fragment contains an N-terminal domain (NTD), which is important for hRPA70...

This paper deals with future aspects and developments in endoscopic sutures, needles, needle drivers, and sewing devices. Shape memory alloys such as superelastic nickel-titanium can be used for surgical needles and hingeless needle drivers. A sewing device consists of a T-Needle which can be shuttled between the jaws of specially designed instruments. The jaws possess small elements that grip ...

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between the risk of neural tube defects (NTD) and maternal serum vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine in a high-risk area of China. DESIGN A case-control study was carried out in Luliang mountain area of Shanxi Province. SUBJECTS/SETTING A total of eighty-four NTD pregnancies and 110 matched controls were included in the study; their serum vitamin B12 an...

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a fundamental role in nervous signal transmission, therefore various antagonists and agonists are highly desired to explore the structure and function of nAChRs. Recently, a novel dimeric αD-conotoxin GeXXA was identified to inhibit nAChRs by binding at the top surface of the receptors, and the monomeric C-terminal domain (CTD) of αD-GeXXA retains...

Safe sampling of cord blood can reduce the risk of exposure to infectious agents by obstetric personnel. We developed a new device for collecting umbilical cord blood. Using a modified closed-cup instrument, gravity drainage within the sealed device allows for guarded-needle vacuum tube blood collection. The mean (+/- standard deviation) volume of blood collected with the device was 6.1 +/- 3.1...

Effective supplementation with folate, which prevents neural tube defect (NTD) occurrence, and high homocysteine levels in the blood of NTD children's mothers suggest that genes involved in folate and homocysteine metabolism can be involved in NTD aetiology. Genes encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) or methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD) belong to the first group. G...

Suppression of one-carbon metabolism or insufficient methionine intake are suggested to increase risk of neural tube defects (NTD). Here, exogenous methionine unexpectedly caused frequent NTD in cultured mouse embryos. NTD were associated with reduced cranial mesenchyme cell density, which may result from a preceding reduction in proliferation. The abundance ratio of S-adenosylmethionine to S-a...

STUDY OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to describe the epidemiology of neural tube defects (NTD) in the eastern region of Ireland using the EUROCAT register of congenital malformations. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS EUROCAT registries monitor the prevalence of congenital anomalies in defined populations using multiple sources for case ascertainment. All cases of NTD on the Dublin EUROC...