To bin or not to bin? Deselecting print back-runs available electronically at Imperial College London Library

Accepted versio

Potential benefits and risks of clinical xenotransplantation

The transplantation of organs and cells from pigs into humans could overcome the critical and continuing problem of the lack of availability of deceased human organs and cells for clinical transplantation. Developments in the genetic engineering of pigs have enabled considerable progress to be made in the experimental laboratory in overcoming the immune barriers to successful xenotransplantation. With regard to pig organ xenotransplantation, antibody- and cell-mediated rejection have largely been overcome, and the current major barrier is the development of coagulation dysregulation. This is believed to be due to a combination of immune activation of the vascular endothelial cells of the graft and molecular incompatibilities between the pig and primate coagulation-anticoagulation systems. Pigs with new genetic modifications specifically directed to this problem are now becoming available. With regard to less complex tissues, such as islets (for the treatment of diabetes), neuronal cells (for the treatment of Parkinson's disease), and corneas, the remaining barriers are less problematic, and graft survival in nonhuman primate models extends for > 1 year in all three cases. In planning the initial clinical trials, consideration will be concentrated on the risk-benefit ratio, based to a large extent on the results of preclinical studies in nonhuman primates. If the benefit to the patient is anticipated to be high, eg, insulin-independent control of glycemia, and the potential risks low, eg, minimal risk of transfer of a porcine infectious agent, then a clinical trial would be justified. © 2012 Cooper and Ayares, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd

Examining consent for interventional research in potential deceased organ donors: a narrative review

In the last decade, research in transplant medicine has focused on developing interventions in the management of the deceased organ donor to improve the quality and quantity of transplantable organs. Despite the promise of interventional donor research, there remain debates about the ethics of this research, specifically regarding gaining research consent. Here, we examine the concerns and ambiguities around consent for interventional donor research, which incorporate questions about who should consent for interventional donor research and what people are being asked to consent for. We highlight the US and UK policy responses to these concerns and argue that, whereas guidance in this area has done much to clarify these ambiguities, there is little consideration of the nature, practicalities and context around consent in this area, particularly regarding organ donors and their families. We review wider studies of consent in critical care research and social science studies of consent in medical research, to gain a broader view of consent in this area as a relational and contextual process. We contend a lack of consideration has been given to: what it might mean to consent to interventional donor research; how families, patients and health professionals might experience providing and seeking this consent; who is best placed to have these discussions; and the socio‐institutional contexts affecting these processes. Further, empirical research is required to establish an ethical and sensitive model for consent in interventional donor research, ensuring the principles enshrined in research ethics are met and public trust in organ donation is maintained

Spectrographic coverage and data reduction of nasa chemical release. studies directed toward design and development of new spectrographic instrumentation final report

Slitless spectrograph for upper atmosphere chemical release

Finite-volume Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds contain immersed Quasi-Fuchsian surfaces

The paper contains a new proof that a complete, non-compact hyperbolic $3$-manifold $M$ with finite volume contains an immersed, closed, quasi-Fuchsian surface.Comment: Final version to appear in AGT. Some typos corrected, particularly def (3.6). Rewording of 4 paragraphs in proof of (4.2) for added clarity. Final section added comparing this paper to the approach of Masters and Zhan

Operation of a forced circulation, haynes alloy no. 25, mercury loop to study corrosion product separation techniques

Forced circulation, Haynes alloy 25, mercury loop to study corrosion product separatio

A superior process for forming titanium hydrogen isotopic films

Process forms stoichiometric, continuous, strongly bonded titanium hydrogen isotopic films. Films have thermal and electrical conductivities approximately the same as bulk pure titanium, ten times greater than those of usual thin films