Streptokinase is ineffective in restoring early myocardial reperfusion in Asian patients with acute myocardial infarction

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Infection after fracture osteosynthesis – Part II: Treatment

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Frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles

Objective: To review the outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: Tertiary assisted reproduction centre, Hong Kong. Patients: Subfertile patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer between July 2005 and December 2007. Main outcome measures: Clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates. Results: A total of 983 frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles performed during the study period were reviewed. The clinical pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates were 35% and 30%, respectively. Factors associated with successful outcome included younger maternal age (≤35 years) and 4 or more blastomeres at replacement, but not the method of insemination, the cause of subfertility, or the type of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle. The overall multiple pregnancy rate was 18%. For cycles with a single embryo replaced, embryos having 4-cell or higher stages at replacement gave an ongoing pregnancy rate of 25%, whereas those with less than 4 cells had a significantly lower ongoing pregnancy rate of 5% only. Blastomere lysis after thawing significantly reduced the clinical pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates of cycles with one embryo replaced. Conclusions Clinical pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles were 35% and 30%, respectively. Higher pregnancy rates were associated with younger maternal age (≤35 years), blastomere numbers of 4 or more, and no blastomere lysis after thawing.published_or_final_versio

Infection after fracture osteosynthesis – Part I: Pathogenesis, diagnosis and classification

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Seasonal Variation in Hip Fracture Mortality

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Restoration of Humeral Bone Stock Two Years After Internal Fixation of a Periprosthetic Fracture with a Loose Stem

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Clinical predictors of fetal and maternal outcome in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

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Is It Time to Phase Out the Austin Moore Hemiarthroplasty? A Propensity Score Matched Case Control Comparison versus Cemented Hemiarthroplasty

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Vac-and-fill: A micromoulding technique for fabricating microneedle arrays with vacuum-activated, hands-free mould-filling

We report a simple and reproducible micromoulding technique that dynamically fills microneedle moulds with a liquid formulation, using a plastic syringe, triggered by the application of vacuum (‘vac-and-fill’). As pressure around the syringe drops, air inside the syringe pushes the plunger to uncover an opening in the syringe and fill the microneedle mould without manual intervention, therefore removing inter-operator variability. The technique was validated by monitoring the plunger movement and pressure at which the mould would be filled over 10 vacuum cycles for various liquid formulation of varying viscosity (water, glycerol, 20% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution or 40% PVP solution). Additionally, the impact of re-using the disposable syringes on plunger movement, and thus the fill pressure, was investigated using a 20% PVP solution. The fill pressure was consistent at 300–450 mbar. It produced well-formed and mechanically robust PVP, poly(methylvinylether/maleic anhydride) and hydroxyethylcellulose microneedles from liquid formulations. This simple and inexpensive technique of micromoulding eliminated the air entrapment and bubble formation, which prevent reproducible microneedle formation, in the resultant microneedle arrays. It provides a cost-effective alternative to the conventional micromoulding techniques, where the application of vacuum (‘fill-and-vac’) or centrifugation following mould-filling may be unsuitable, ineffective or have poor reproducibility

The use of three-dimensional printing technology in orthopaedic surgery: A review

Three-dimensional (3-D) printing or additive manufacturing, an advanced technology that 3-D physical models are created, has been wildly applied in medical industries, including cardiothoracic surgery, cranio-maxillo-facial surgery and orthopaedic surgery. The physical models made by 3-D printing technology give surgeons a realistic impression of complex structures, allowing surgical planning and simulation before operations. In orthopaedic surgery, this technique is mainly applied in surgical planning especially revision and reconstructive surgeries, making patient-specific instruments or implants, and bone tissue engineering. This article reviews this technology and its application in orthopaedic surgery.published_or_final_versio