Background: The use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) is associated with an increased risk of pneumonia in patients with COPD. However the risks of other respiratory infections such as TB and influenza remain unclear. Methods: Through a comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE EMBASE CINAHL Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to July 2013 we identified randomized controlled tr

The ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) leads to immediate symptoms that severely affect the individual and receives great attention among the scientific community, yet there is still no consensus on the optional form of treatment. An ACL injury is also a well known high risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA) some decades later. Knee OA development after an ACL injury is

Popular Abstract in Swedish De vanligaste anledningarna till att vi eldar idag är att skapa värme, elektricitet eller mekanisk energi (som till exempel i bilar och andra fordon). När man eldar bildas kemikalier och partiklar som är skadliga för hälsa och miljö. För att minimera mängden av dessa skadliga utsläpp och för att optimera mängden energi som man kan utvinna från en viss mängd bränsle, är Laser based optical diagnostic methods are routinely used in combustion research. Many of the more common approaches are based on illuminating a cross-section of the sample with a thin laser sheet. For example, by targeting an electronic transition in a molecule, its concentration within the plane illuminated by the laser sheet can be deduced. By probing the relative occurrence of an atom or molec

Recension av Henrik Arnstad; Skyldig till skuld. En europeisk resa i Nazitysklands skugga.

The formulation of pedestrian floor field cellular automaton models is generally based on hypothetical assumptions to represent reality. This paper proposes a novel methodology to calibrate these models using experimental trajectories. The methodology is based on likelihood function optimization and allows verifying whether the parameters defining a model statistically affect pedestrian navigation

The author explores how a tobacco firm in crisis engaged in crisis communication and image repair work in a highly polarized ideological milieu. Through an analysis of the tobacco firm's public statements produced in the aftermath of a 1997 lawsuit, the author demonstrates how the firm dealt with its milieu by exploiting and embracing both of the ambient ideological poles. By embracing these poles

Background: Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is an increasingly common cancer in fair-skinned people. The purpose of this thesis was to study high-risk patients with multiple tumours including a CMM, high-risk families with the unique Swedish germline mutation in CDKN2A(113insArg), as well as study risk factors for CMM in women. Methods: Tumours associated with CMM, in individuals/probands with

Disease related mutations and environmental factors are key determinants of the aggregation mechanism of the amyloid-β peptide implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Here we present an approach to investigate these factors through acquisition of highly reproducible data and global kinetic analysis to determine the mechanistic influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the Aβ aggregation network.

A key component in low energy houses is the heat recovery from the ventilation air. Over recent years, the most frequently used ventilation type is the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. This kind of ventilation results in high heat recovery but does unfortunately consume a considerable amount of electrical energy. Natural or hybrid ventilation has the potential to consume less electricity

Increased cancer risk has been reported among workers in the rubber manufacturing industry employed before the 1960s. It is unclear whether risk remains increased among workers hired subsequently. The present study focused on risk of cancer mortality for rubber workers first employed since 1975 in 64 factories.

Activins are members of the TGF-β family of ligands that have multiple biological functions in embryonic stem cells as well as in differentiated tissue. Serum levels of activin A were found to be elevated in pathological conditions such as cachexia, osteoporosis and cancer. Signaling by activin A through canonical ALK4-ACVR2 receptor complexes activates the transcription factors SMAD2 and SMAD3. A

In this paper we consider the distribution of the product of a Wishart random matrix and a Gaussian random vector. We derive a stochastic representation for the elements of the product. Using this result, the exact joint density for an arbitrary linear combination of the elements of the product is obtained. Furthermore, the derived stochastic representation allows us to simulate samples of arbitra

This article examines the practice of doctors and nurses to invoke the categories of age, sex, class, ethnicity, and/or lifestyle factors when discussing individual patients and patient groups. In what situations are such references explicitly made, and what does this practice accomplish? The material consists of field notes from a cardiology clinic in Sweden, and a theory of descriptive practice

Background: Cysteine protease cathepsins are important in extracellular matrix protein degradation, cell apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Mice lacking cathepsins are protected from tumor progression in several animal models, suggesting that the regulation of cathepsin activities controls the growth of various malignant tumors. Methods and Results: We tested the role of cathepsins using a mouse model o