The New England journal of medicine
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The role of orthotopic liver transplantation in the treatment of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is controversial, and determining which patients are likely to have a good outcome after liver transplantation is difficult. ⋯ Liver transplantation is an effective treatment for small, unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with cirrhosis.
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The nutritional quality of soybeans (Glycine max) is compromised by a relative deficiency of methionine in the protein fraction of the seeds. To improve the nutritional quality, methionine-rich 2S albumin from the Brazil nut (Betholletia excelsa) has been introduced into transgenic soybeans. Since the Brazil nut is a known allergenic food, we assessed the allergenicity of the 2S albumin. ⋯ The 2S albumin is probably a major Brazil-nut allergen, and the transgenic soybeans analyzed in this study contain this protein. Our study show that an allergen from a food known to be allergenic can be transferred into another food by genetic engineering.
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Many visits to emergency departments are for minor medical problems, and these visits are criticized as being expensive and economically inefficient. This study examines the marginal costs (the extra costs for an additional visit) of emergency department visits. ⋯ The true costs of nonurgent care in the emergency department are relatively low. The potential savings from a diversion of nonurgent visits to private physicians' offices may therefore be much less than is widely believed.