Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death or invalidism in high-income countries today. Moreover, worldwide demographic changes are aiding CVD’s rapid progression towards the number one killer in middleand low-income countries. The World Health Organisation estimates that if current trends are allowed to continue, about 20 million people will die from CVD by 2015. This group of di...

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is frequently associated with metastatic complications and infective endocarditis (IE). The Duke criteria for the diagnosis of IE utilize echocardiographic techniques and are more sensitive than previous criteria. The documentation of IE in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) has become increasingly important in order to avoid the overuse of empiric...

This study aimed to compare the effects of polypropylene (PP), lightweight PP (UP) and expanded polytetrafluorethylene (e-PTFE) hernia mesh on the reproductive function of adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats following open tension-free hernioplasty. Forty adult SD rats were obtained and divided into five groups: A sham-operated (FO) group, an e-PTFE mesh group, a PP mesh group, the UP mesh grou...

Abstract Background/Introduction Atrial arrhythmias frequently occur in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. We recently demonstrated that CaMKII-dependent pro-arrhythmic activity is increased OSA, of CaMKII activation unknown. Interestingly, OSA can lead to reactive oxygen species production, which may facilitate by oxidat...

statement of problem: tooth-coloured restorative materials are brittle with the major shortcomings of sensitivity to flaws and defects. although various mechanical properties of resin composites have been studied, no fracture toughness test data for nano-hybrid composites under acidic condition for a long period of time has been published. objectives: to compare the fracture toughness (k ic ) o...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the benefit of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in the management of deep, alloplastic graft infections (Szilagyi grade III) in the groin. From 2000 to 2009, we identified and included in our study 72 deep inguinal infections in 68 patients, involving native as well as synthetic graft or patch material. There were 29 early graft infections (<30 days aft...

OBJECTIVES The CARMAT total artificial heart (TAH) is an implantable, electro-hydraulically driven, pulsatile flow device with four bioprosthetic valves. Its blood-pumping surfaces consist of processed bioprosthetic pericardial tissue and expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE), potentially allowing for the reduction of anti-coagulation. This pre-clinical study assessed the in vitro haemocompat...

A 65-year-old male pre-dialysis Turkish patient with diabetic nephropathy received a Cimino fistula of the left lower arm, which occluded before use within the following weeks after the operation. A polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) loop was created at the left forearm. The first sessions of dialysis were successful; however, 2 weeks after starting dialysis using unfractionated heparin, the loop oc...

Introduction The incidence of renal failure is gradually increasing in India. These patients need renal replacement therapy. Renal replacement therapy is provided in the form of dialysis and renal transplant. As the survival after renal failure is increasing because of the availability of renal replacement therapy, there is increased demand for angio access. For temporary angio access central d...