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Abstract Background Organ transplantation represents the most effective and acceptable therapy for end-stage organ failure. However, its frequent practice often leads to a shortage of organs worldwide. To solve this dilemma, some countries, such as Portugal, have switched from an opt-in to an opt-out system, which has raised concerns about respect for individual autonomy. We aimed to evaluate whether young university students are aware of this opt-out system so that they can make informed, autonomous and conscious decisions, as well as to identify the factors that determine a positive attitude toward post-mortem organ donation. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study was developed and a questionnaire was administered to first-year students from six faculties of the University of Porto. Results Of the 841 participants, 60% were unaware that Portugal had adopted an opt-out system. Among the informed individuals, their main sources of information included social media, internet, and family. Furthermore, only 48% of all participants agreed with the current opt-out system. Female sex (p = 0.049; OR 1.393), knowledge of the law (p

Background: Organ transplantation represents the most effective and acceptable therapy for end-stage organ failure. However, its frequent practice often leads to a shortage of organs worldwide. To solve this dilemma, some countries, such as Portugal, have switched from an opt-in to an opt-out system, which has raised concerns about respect for individual autonomy. We aimed to evaluate whether young university students are aware of this opt-out system so that they can make informed, autonomous and conscious decisions, as well as to identify the factors that determine a positive attitude toward post-mortem organ donation.Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was developed and a questionnaire was administered to first-year students from six faculties of the University of Porto.Results: Of the 841 participants, 60% were unaware that Portugal had adopted an opt-out system. Among the informed individuals, their main sources of information included social media, internet, and family. Furthermore, only 48% of all participants agreed with the current opt-out system. Female sex (p = 0.049; OR 1.393), knowledge of the law (p < 0.001; OR 4.749) and family being the primary source of information (p < 0.001; OR 2.855) were independent factors associated with a positive attitude toward post-mortem organ donation law.Conclusions: There is a significant lack of knowledge among young university students regarding the presumed post-mortem organ donation law and how it works. Female sex, having family as a primary source of information and being aware of the presumed post-mortem organ donation law are the strongest independent factors that determine a positive attitude toward the opt-out system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To develop a safe protocol for cryopreservation of segments of iliac arteries straight after their retrieval from post-mortem donor with the use of polydimethylsiloxane as a coolant and cryoprotectant.Materials and methods. Eleven segments of iliac arteries were retrieved from post-mortem donor and divided into four groups including control. Based on preliminary heat and cold transfer mathematical modeling and tests with tissueequivalent phantom arterial segments were placed on plastic mounts and cryopreserved by following protocol: groups 1 and 2 were immersed in polydimethylsiloxane and cooled rapidly at 180 °С/min to –75 °С. Group 3 segments were cryopreserved at 1,6 °С/min in PDMS – fi lled cryo-container placed in the freezer at –80 °С. All segments were defrosted by immersion in PDMS at +24 °С and then examined for morphology changes by histological methods and SEM. EDS analysis with the use of AzTech software also was performed for Si – content evaluation. Restricted biomechanical tests were conducted for group 2 segments.Results. There were no signifi cant morphological differences between segments of the control and cryopreserved groups except for the segment with slow cooling.Conclusion. Mobile cryopreservation may allow increasing the effi ciency of retrieval of a large number of donor tissues for possible later use in the processing of bioprostheses of blood vessels; or, after decellularization, as well as tissue-specifi c matrices for tissue-engineering blood vessels.