Articles: disease.
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Hepatitis C virus remains a large health care burden to the world. Incidence rates across the world fluctuate and are difficult to calculate given the asymptomatic, often latent nature of the disease prior to clinical presentation. Prevalence rates across the world have changed as well with more countries aware of transfusion-related hepatitis C and more and more evidence supporting intravenous drug use as the leading risk factor of spread of the virus. This article reviews current hepatitis C virus prevalence and genotype data and examines the different risk factors associated with the virus.
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To evaluate the evidence regarding decisions made in the perioperative management of patients undergoing ambulatory surgery for the following: the elderly, hyper-reactive airways disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, the ex-premature infant and the child with an upper respiratory infection. ⋯ Evidence indicates that ambulatory anesthesia is currently very safe. Ambulatory surgery, however, is being offered to a population with increasing co-morbidity. As the population undergoing ambulatory surgery changes over time, the evidence regarding patient outcomes will need re-examination.
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Apoptosis is a highly regulated process of cell deletion and plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in the adult organism. Numerous studies in recent years have revealed that apoptosis is a constitutive suicide programme expressed in most, if not all cells, and can be triggered by a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic signals. ⋯ In addition, defective macrophage engulfment and degradation of cell corpses may also contribute to a dysregulation of tissue homeostasis. An increased understanding of the signalling pathways that govern the execution of apoptosis and the subsequent clearance of dying cells may thus yield novel targets for therapeutic intervention in a wide range of human maladies.