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The effects of thrombo-prevention, such as antiplatelet and anticoagulant activity, have been reported with the usage of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE); however, the detailed mechanism has not yet been fully investigated, especially the role of Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2). This study aimed to investigate whether GbE can activate KLF2 and then induce thrombomodulin (TM) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) secretion to enhance the effects of thrombo-prevention. Different concentrations of GbE were incubated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to evaluate its effect on endothelial cells. We found that KLF2 expression is correlated to the risk of atherosclerosis and venous thromboembolism in clinical practice. In the HUVEC cell model, GbE stimulated the expression of KLF2 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, TM and t-PA secretion increased when the cells were cultured with GbE. Both the expressions and activities of TM and t-PA in the GbE-treated cells declined after KLF2 was blocked by shKLF2. In sum, with GbE treatment, KLF2 expression in human endothelial cells was significantly activated, which in turn induced an increase in the protein expression and activity of TM and t-PA. After shRNA inhibited the KLF2 expression, GbE stopped inducing the expression and activity of TM and t-PA. These findings suggest that GbE exerts an antithrombotic effect on endothelial cells by increasing the TM expression and t-PA secretion; further, KLF2 is a key factor in this mechanism.

This paper presents a model of nonisothermal blood flow through a diseased arterial segment due to the presence of stenosis and thrombosis. The rheological properties of the blood in the annulus are captured by utilizing micropolar fluid model. The equation describing the blood flow and heat transfer is developed under the assumption that stenosis growth into the lumen of the artery is small as compared to the average radius of the artery. Biological processes like intimal proliferation of cells or changes in artery caliber may be activated by small growths that cause moderate stenotic blockages. Closed-form solutions for temperature, velocity, resistance impedance and wall shear stress are obtained and then utilized to estimate the impact of various physical parameters on micropolar blood flow. Graphs are plotted to illustrate variations in temperature, velocity, shear stress at the wall and resistance impedance against different controlling parameters. The results are also validated via the bvp4c approach.

Efficient Light-Harvesting of Plants: Conversation with Professor Alexander Ruban.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the Emerging Markets.

Burden of Thrombosis-related Diseases in Asia-Pacific.

GE Healthcare's Cell Culture Media Facility in Singapore.

Waste Management in Singapore: Where Does Our Rubbish Go?

Robots, A Potential Staple in Eye Surgery.

Interviews at Commonwealth Science Conference 2017.

Precision Medicine for Cancer Patients: Interview with Dr Allen Lai.

Background: Antithrombotic therapy following replantation remains controversial, and the survival of replanted digits is affected by various other factors, such as the state of vascular damage and the surgeon’s level of skill. The present study’s aim is to obtain clinical evidence for postoperative antithrombotic therapy in replantation, with antithrombotic therapy being the only variable.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of patients who underwent replantation of a completely amputated digit by the same surgeon. The subject sample included 17 patients/19 digits (group A) in whom heparin and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) were used postoperatively during a 1-year period, 19 patients/22 digits (group B) in whom heparin was not used postoperatively but PGE1 was used for a 1-year period, and 16 patients/19 digits (group C) in whom neither heparin not PGE1 were used postoperatively for a 1-year period.

Results: Patient background and surgical procedure were not significantly different among groups, and only the postoperative use of heparin and/or PGE1 showed differences. Incidence of arterial occlusion, venous occlusion, or vascular spasm were not significantly different among groups (arterial occlusion: 1 digit in group A, 2 in group B, and two in group C, p = 1; venous occlusion: 1 digit in group A, 2 in group B, and three in group C, p = 0.67; vascular spasm: 1 digit in group A, 2 in group B, and one in group C, p = 1). Postoperative bleeding was significantly more common in the group using heparin (7 patients in group A, 0 in group B, and zero in group C, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: These results suggest that heparin and PGE1 administration do not improve impaired blood flow following replantation. Considering the potential complications, heparin and PGE1 following replantation do not seem necessary.

Objective: To investigate possible differences in levels of ovarian reserve between antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) asymptomatic carriers and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients, by measuring the levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).

Methods: We enrolled 69 premenopausal women divided in 2 groups: a) patients with APS, either primary (PAPS) or secondary (SAPS), according to the Sydney classification criteria; b) asymptomatic aPL carriers. Aged-matched premenopausal healthy donors (HDs) were also recruited. Complete aPL testing was performed and AMH levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Among the 69 patients included in the study, 22 were diagnosed with PAPS, 13 with SAPS, and 14 patients were asymptomatic aPL carriers. No differences in AMH levels were observed among the three groups [mean AMH: PAPS 3.09 ng/ml ± 1.9 (range 1.02 − 7.1); SAPS 3.1 ng/ml ± 2.2 (range 1.1 − 7.6); aPL carriers 2.2 ng/ml ± 5.4 (range 1 − 6.3)] and between patients/aPL carriers and HDs [mean AMH 2.82 ng/ml ± 2.9 (range 1 − 6.9)]. Any correlation between the global APS score (GAPSS) and AMH levels failed to be found (rho = 0.31; p = 0.073).

Conclusion: With the limitations of the current study, as observed in women with APS, we confirm that ovarian reserve, assessed with AMH levels, is not reduced in premenopausal women with isolated aPL positivity. Moreover, when granulating the aPL profile in terms of risk assessment, using the GAPSS, no impact on fertility was observed.

In recent years, ventricular assist devices (VAD) have received a worldwide admissibility and have become the unrivalled tools for replacing a failed heart. Most of the newer generations of these devices, including second and third generations, are designed to produce non-pulsatile flow at constant rotational speed. Here, we have proposed the design of a VAD, which although is an axial flow type, is able to produce pulsatile flow; and this has come through by changing the rotational speed of the impeller of the pump. This pump, which has an output analogous to cardiac output, is able to produce a flow rate of approximately 6 L per minute. Designing of this pump is based on turbomachinery theories and applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. The proposed pattern of the changes of rotational speed is trapezoidal and consists of four phases. Studies of the shear stresses imposed on the blood within the pump have shown that there has been an acceptable margin of safety for this pump in terms of blood injuries such as hemolysis and thrombosis.