Coordination of fetal maturation with birth timing is essential for mammalian reproduction. In humans, preterm birth is a disorder of profound global health significance. The signals initiating parturition in humans have remained elusive, due to divergence in physiological mechanisms between humans and model organisms typically studied. Because of relatively large human head size and narrow birth

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) in plasma is a novel inflammatory marker thought to be released from the cell surface of neutrophils, T cells, and macrophages. Other inflammatory markers, mainly acute phase proteins produced in the liver, have been associated with the incidence of heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the association between suPA

Introduction. Nonpharmacologic interventions are themselves complex and are often combined with drugs and other interventions in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Therefore, overall strategies for treatment are complex interventions. These should be evaluated regarding their processes and outcomes. Methods. The CARE network, an international organization of health professionals (physicians and

Diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischaemia in the early stages is now possible with modern computed tomography (CT), using intravenous contrast enhancement and imaging in the arterial and/or portal venous phase. The availability of CT around the clock means that more patients with acute mesenteric ischaemia may be treated with urgent intestinal revascularization.

Stability of Wardrop equilibria is analyzed for dynamical transportation networks in which the drivers' route choices are influenced by information at multiple temporal and spatial scales. The considered model involves a continuum of nonatomic indistinguishable drivers commuting between a common origin-destination pair in an acyclic transportation network. The drivers' route choices are affected b

Compatible solutes are small, soluble organic compounds that have the ability to stabilise proteins against various stress conditions. In this study, the protective effect of ectoines against pH stress is examined using a recombinant xylanase from Bacillus halodurans as a model. Ectoines improved the enzyme stability at low (4.5 and 5.0) and high pH (11 and 12); stabilisation effect of hydroxyecto

Although it is generally agreed that the Arctic flora is among the youngest and least diverse on Earth, the processes that shaped it are poorly understood. Here we present 50 thousand years (kyr) of Arctic vegetation history, derived from the first large-scale ancient DNA metabarcoding study of circumpolar plant diversity. For this interval we also explore nematode diversity as a proxy for modelli

Functionalities of clay-polymer nanocomposites (CPN) are related to the degree of clay particle exfoliation and orientation within the polymer matrix. Exploration of new physical methods for such CPN processing is currently an active field of research. In the present work, organoclay polypropylene nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation and subsequently exposed to an electric field (E)

Objectives: To examine the risk of putative pneumococcal infections in adult arthritis patients on different anti-rheumatic drugs immunized with heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar 7; PCV7) and non-vaccinated individually matched arthritis patients. Method: All individuals in a cohort of 505 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondylarthropathy (SpA) receiving different an

Nasal decolonisation has a proven effect on the prevention of severe Staphylococcus aureus infections and in the control of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). However, rising rates of resistance to antibiotics highlights the need for new substances for nasal decolonisation. LTX-109 is a broad spectrum, fast-acting bactericidal antimicrobial drug for topical treatment, which causes membrane di

The Bushveld Complex in South Africa represents the world's largest intrusion of magnesium-and iron-rich magmas. The Bushveld magmas were emplaced beneath the Transvaal basin(1) similar to 2.06 billion years ago(2,3), but their origin remains elusive. The magmas may have formed in response to an upwelling mantle plume(4), ancient subduction5 or melting triggered by a meteorite impact(6). Here we u

We demonstrate a method that enables the study of photoluminescence of as-grown nanowires on a native substrate by non-destructively suppressing the contribution of substrate photoluminescence. This is achieved by using polarized photo-excitation and photoluminescence and by making an appropriate choice of incident angle of both excitation beam and photoluminescence collection direction. Using T-p

Nanoparticles made from recombinant proteins offer excellent potential for several nanotechnological applications. However, only a very limited number of proteins are currently being used for such purposes due to limited availability and stability. Therefore, we have investigated the enamel matrix protein amelogenin as a new alternative protein for use as recombinant nanoparticles. Amelogenin is a

Background: Elemental mercury (Hg0) is widely used in small-scale gold mining. Individuals working or living in mining areas have high urinary concentrations of Hg (U-Hg). Differences in genes encoding potential Hg-transporters may affect uptake and elimination of Hg. Objective: To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Hg-transporter genes that modify U-Hg. Methods: 1,017 men and wome

Protein and peptide self-assembly is a powerful design principle for engineering of new biomolecules. More sophisticated biomaterials could be built if both the structure of the overall assembly and that of the self-assembling building block could be controlled. To approach this problem, we developed a computational design protocol to enable de novo design of self-assembling peptides with predefin

The aim was to study long-term effects on motor skills and school performance of increased physical education (PE). All pupils born 1990-1992 from one school were included in a longitudinal study over nine years. An intervention group (n = 129) achieved daily PE (5 × 45 min/week) and if needed one extra lesson of adapted motor training. The control group (n = 91) had PE two lessons/week. Motor ski