Vampires in the village Žrnovo on the island of Korčula: following an archival document from the 18th century

Središnja tema rada usmjerena je na raščlambu spisa pohranjenog u Državnom arhivu u Mlecima (fond: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) koji se odnosi na događaj iz 1748. godine u korčulanskom selu Žrnovo, kada su mještani – vjerujući da su se pojavili vampiri – oskvrnuli nekoliko mjesnih grobova. U radu se podrobno iznose osnovni podaci iz spisa te rečeni događaj analizira u širem društvenom kontekstu i prate se lokalna vjerovanja.The main interest of this essay is the analysis of the document from the State Archive in Venice (file: Capi del Consiglio de’ Dieci: Lettere di Rettori e di altre cariche) which is connected with the episode from 1748 when the inhabitants of the village Žrnove on the island of Korčula in Croatia opened tombs on the local cemetery in the fear of the vampires treating. This essay try to show some social circumstances connected with this event as well as a local vernacular tradition concerning superstitions

Fibrinogen Availability and Coagulation Function after Hemorrhage and Resuscitation in Pigs

Hemorrhagic coagulopathy (without neurological injuries) constitutes 40% of injury-related death in civilian hospitals and on the battlefield, and the underlying contributing mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of fibrinogen availability on coagulation function after hemorrhage in pigs. Sixteen crossbred commercial Yorkshire swine were randomized into the control group (group C) (n = 8) and hemorrhage group (group H) (n = 8). Hemorrhage was induced in group H by bleeding 35% of the estimated total blood volume, followed by resuscitation with lactated Ringer solution at three times the bled volume. Pigs in group C were not hemorrhaged or resuscitated. Blood samples were withdrawn at baseline, 15 min, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h after hemorrhage and lactated Ringer (LR) resuscitation (H–LR). Coagulation was assessed by using thrombelastography. All baseline measurements were similar between groups C and H. Hemorrhage caused a decrease in mean arterial pressure and an increase in heart rate in group H, but LR resuscitation corrected these changes within 1 h. Compared to baseline values, fibrinogen concentrations in group H decreased at 15 min, 3 h and 6 h after H–LR, but increased to double that of the baseline value at 24 h; platelet counts decreased throughout the study; clot strength was decreased at 15 min, 3 h and 6 h, but returned to baseline value at 24 h after H–LR. Hemorrhage caused decreases in fibrinogen and platelets, and compromised clot strength. The rebound of fibrinogen at 24 h restored clot strength despite platelet deficit. These data suggest the potential compensatory role of fibrinogen in restoring coagulation function in vivo after hemorrhagic shock

Polyethylene Glycol Camouflaged Earthworm Hemoglobin

Nearly 21 million components of blood and whole blood and transfused annually in the United States, while on average only 13.6 million units of blood are donated. As the demand for Red Blood Cells (RBCs) continues to increase due to the aging population, this deficit will be more significant. Despite decades of research to develop hemoglobin (Hb) based oxygen (O2) carriers (HBOCs) as RBC substitutes, there are no products approved for clinical use. Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin (LtEc) is the large acellular O2 carrying protein complex found in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. LtEc is an extremely stable protein complex, resistant to autoxidation, and capable of transporting O2 to tissue when transfused into mammals. These characteristics render LtEc a promising candidate for the development of the next generation HBOCs. LtEc has a short half-life in circulation, limiting its application as a bridge over days, until blood became available. Conjugation with polyethylene glycol (PEG-LtEc) can extend LtEc circulation time. This study explores PEG-LtEc pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. To study PEG-LtEc pharmacokinetics, hamsters instrumented with the dorsal window chamber were subjected to a 40% exchange transfusion with 10 g/dL PEG-LtEc or LtEc and followed for 48 hours. To study the vascular response of PEG-LtEc, hamsters instrumented with the dorsal window chamber received multiple infusions of 10 g/dL PEG-LtEc or LtEc solution to increase plasma LtEc concentration to 0.5, then 1.0, and 1.5 g/dL, while monitoring the animals' systemic and microcirculatory parameters. Results confirm that PEGylation of LtEc increases its circulation time, extending the half-life to 70 hours, 4 times longer than that of unPEGylated LtEc. However, PEGylation increased the rate of LtEc oxidation in vivo. Vascular analysis verified that PEG-LtEc showed the absence of microvascular vasoconstriction or systemic hypertension. The molecular size of PEG-LtEc did not change the colloid osmotic pressure or blood volume expansion capacity compared to LtEc, due to LtEc's already large molecular size. Taken together, these results further encourage the development of PEG-LtEc as an O2 carrying therapeutic