Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising in esophageal colon interposition

The idea of using the colon to replace a resected esophagus has a long history. The colon has become a favored organ for esophageal reconstruction in adults with esophageal cancer when the stomach is not suitable or is unavailable. In this article, we introduce an 84-year-old woman that she had surgery 40 years ago and presented with an invasive well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of colonic origin in reconstructed esophagus. © 2017 The Author

Liver cell therapy: is this the end of the beginning?

The prevalence of liver diseases is increasing globally. Orthotopic liver transplantation is widely used to treat liver disease upon organ failure. The complexity of this procedure and finite numbers of healthy organ donors have prompted research into alternative therapeutic options to treat liver disease. This includes the transplantation of liver cells to promote regeneration. While successful, the routine supply of good quality human liver cells is limited. Therefore, renewable and scalable sources of these cells are sought. Liver progenitor and pluripotent stem cells offer potential cell sources that could be used clinically. This review discusses recent approaches in liver cell transplantation and requirements to improve the process, with the ultimate goal being efficient organ regeneration. We also discuss the potential off-target effects of cell-based therapies, and the advantages and drawbacks of current pre-clinical animal models used to study organ senescence, repopulation and regeneration

Evaluation of Rubella Immunity in Women before Marriage and Pregnancy in Isfahan During 1997-2000

Background: Congenital Rubella syndrome is a public health problem in many developing countries which has not yet been sufficiently put into account. There is an urgent need for collecting appropriate data to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a potential global Rubella control program. This study was conducted to determine susceptibility to Rubella in women who are going to marry or consult for pregnancy. Methods: This study began in 1997 and ended in 2000. The study was analytic descriptive and prospective. Eight hundred and thirty eight women who referred for premarriage tests or counselling for conception were included. According to antibody levels, test results were reported as immune and non-immune (susceptible) for every individual. Results: Among 838 cases, 253 women (30.1% ) were non-immune (susceptible) and 585 women (69.9%) were immune. The educational status of the two groups were recorded. Analysis of data showed that the higher the educational level (62.2% for University degree holder), the lower the immunity against Rubella would be (75.2% for unfinished high school individuals). Furthermore, immunity in the younger group was higher (73.9% in <20 years) than in the older group(61% in >30 years). Conclusion: More than one third of pre marriage and pre conceptional women were non-immune (susceptible) to Rubella, so health providers should be aware of Rubella prevention and control in childbearing age via screening and vaccination. Immunity against Rubella can vary over time and the socioeconomic status is believed to play an important role in the level of immunity. Keywords: Congenital Rubella Syndrome, Rubella immunity, Rubella non-immunity

Mechanical properties of functionally graded hierarchical bamboo structures

This paper presents the results of a series of multi-scale experiments and numerical models concerning the mechanical properties of moso culm functionally graded bamboo structures. On the nano- and microscales, nanoindentation techniques are used to study the local variations in the Young’s moduli of moso culm bamboo cross-sections. These are then incorporated into finite element models in which the actual variations in Young’s moduli are used to model the deformation and fracture of bamboo during fracture toughness experiments. Similarly, the measured gradations in moduli are incorporated into crack bridging models that predict the toughening observed during resistance curve tests. The implications of the results are discussed for the bio-inspired design of structures that mimic the layered, functionally graded structure of bamboo