Background Impaired orthostatic blood pressure response and syncope confer a high risk of falls and trauma. The relationship between a history of unexplained syncope and orthostatic hypotension (OH) with subsequent fractures, however, has not been thoroughly examined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between previous hospital admissions due to unexplained syncope and OH and

Lignin represents the second most abundant biopolymer of the plant cell wall. Among microorganisms, fungi are the most efficient lignin decomposers. The discovery of ligninolysis by fungi could have altered the ancient carbon cycle at the global scale and it is still one of the processes that determine carbon sequestration and soil formation. Understanding the evolution of ligninolytic systems rep

The genetic background of lupus nephritis (LN) has not been completely elucidated. We performed a case-only study of 2886 SLE patients, including 947 (33%) with LN. Renal biopsies were available from 396 patients. The discovery cohort (Sweden, n = 1091) and replication cohort 1 (US, n = 962) were genotyped on the Immunochip and replication cohort 2 (Denmark/Norway, n = 833) on a custom array. Pati

Dupuytren’s disease (DD) is a fibroproliferative disorder affecting the palmar fascia of the hand. Risk factors include diabetes mellitus (DM), whereas a high body mass index (BMI) is associated with a lower prevalence of DD. The aim of this study was to further elucidate risk and protective factors for the development of DD using longitudinal population-based data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer S

The dissertation aims to advance our understanding about the role of local industry structure in regional economic development. More specifically, it investigates how relatedness between local industries (i.e. similarities in what kind of knowledge industries use) contributes to and constrains regional economic development. Empirically, the dissertation investigates Swedish regional development in

Premise of research. Geochemical fingerprinting of fossil plants is a relatively new research field complementing morphological analyses and providing information for paleoenvironmental interpretations. Ginkgoales contains a single extant species but was diverse through the Mesozoic and is an excellent target for biochemical analyses. Methodology. Cuticles derived from fresh and fallen autumn leav

Live blogging from legal trials has become one of the most accessible ways in which the public can gain direct insight into legal proceedings, particularly in countries where television cameras are denied entry into the courtroom. Whilst live blogging constitutes an important way of ensuring the transparency and openness of legal processes and documents – a principle known as open justice and a ke

The cultivation of ethnographic discovery is not only about being insightful in the field by paying attention to unexpected events and unforeseen social processes. We should also search for potentially surprising or disturbing findings after the fieldwork. This can provide additional ways to create an original and sustainable understanding of research material. In this chapter, we discuss a study

Human midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are a heterogeneous group of cells that share a common neurotransmitter phenotype and are in close anatomical proximity but display different functions, sensitivity to degeneration, and axonal innervation targets. The A9 DA neuron subtype controls motor function and is primarily degenerated in Parkinson's disease (PD), whereas A10 neurons are largely unaffected

Recent advances in cell reprogramming have made it possible to form new therapeutic cells within the body itself via a process called direct conversion or lineage reprogramming. A series of studies have shown that it is possible to reprogram resident glia into new neurons within the brain parenchyma. These studies opened up for the targeted attempts to achieve functional brain repair using in vivo

The use of stem cell derived dopamine neurons for treating patients with Parkinson's disease has now evolved to the first in human clinical trials. In this debate, we argue that assuming these trials give positive outcomes that this therapy will supercede DBS as the neurosurgical treatment of choice for PD patients in the future given it is a one-off therapy that repairs a critical pathway in the

In two recent postmortem studies, Jeffrey Kordower and colleagues report new findings that open up for an interesting discussion on the status of GDNF/NRTN signaling in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), adding an interesting perspective on the, admittedly very limited, signs of restorative effects previously seen in GDNF/NRTN-treated patients. Their new findings show that the level of the GD