Host-defense peptides play a fundamental role in the innate immune system by modulating inflammatory responses. Previously, it was shown that the thrombin derived host-defense peptide GKY25 inhibits LPS-induced responses of monocytes and macrophages in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. In this study, the effect of GKY25 on the interaction of monocytes/macrophages with Gram-negative bacteria was explore

Background: The experience of person-centredness and person-centred climate is poorly understood in the context of being assessed as non-urgent and, in many cases, left at home by the Ambulance Service.Aim: The overall objective of this thesis was to explore experiences of person-centredness and the person-centred climate among patients and significant others when patients were assessed as non-urg

AIM: We studied the frequency of Achilles tendon xanthoma (ATX) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, we investigated the differences in clinical findings between ACS patients with and without ATX.METHODS: Patients with ACS (n=335) were admitted to the coronary care unit of Nippon Medical School between July 2011 and December 2014. Informed consent for the measurement of Ach

The accumulation of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH), a primary oxidation product of phosphatidylcholine (PC), in blood plasma and tissues has been observed in various pathological conditions, including atherosclerosis. However, the biological roles of PCOOH in these conditions remain unknown. To estimate the atherogenicity of PCOOH, we evaluated the effect of PCOOH on THP-1 monocytic cel

In this study, intra- and inter-generational perspectives on youth participation are combined and compared. Young people were invited to participate as research partners in an interactive research circle and conducted a survey about participation with other young people as respondents. The discussion concerns how an interactive methodology contributes to the understanding of the concept of partici

Background: Nephrolithiasis (NL) is known to be associated with gout, although there are few comparative studies on risk and risk factors for NL in gout compared to population cohorts. In this cohort study we investigated: (1) overall incidence of NL in gout (cases) and general population controls; (2) risk and risk factors (common comorbidities and medications) for first-time NL in cases and cont

Environmental factors and genetic incompatibilities between parents have been suggested as important determinants for embryonic mortality and survival. The genetic set-up of the immune system, specifically the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) may also influence individual resistance to infections. MHC proteins are important for an appropriate adaptive immune response and e

Increasing population has posed insurmountable challenges to agriculture in the provision of future food security, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where biophysical conditions are not well-suited for agriculture. Iran, as a major agricultural country in the MENA region, has long been in the quest for food self-sufficiency, however, the capability of its land and wate

Metallic implants are commonly used as surgical treatments for many orthopedic conditions. The long-term stability of implants relies on an adequate integration with the surrounding bone. Unsuccessful integration could lead to implant loosening. By combining mechanical loading with high-resolution 3D imaging methods, followed by image analysis such as Digital Volume Correlation (DVC), we aim at ev

Spatial distribution of sponge species richness (SSR) and its relationship with environment are important for marine ecosystem management, but they are either unavailable or unknown. Hence we applied random forest (RF), generalised linear model (GLM) and their hybrid methods with geostatistical techniques to SSR data by addressing relevant issues with variable selection and model selection. It was

In light of the biomedical interest for self-assembling amphiphiles bearing the tripeptide Arg-Gly-Gly (RGD), a cholic acid derivative was synthesized by introducing an aromatic moiety on the steroidal skeleton and the RGD sequence on the carboxylic function of its chain 17–24, thus forming a peptide amphiphile with the unconventional rigid amphiphilic structure of bile salts. In aqueous solution,

Introduction This study follows cadmium and lead concentrations in blood in the adult population in northern Sweden over 24 years. Material and methods Concentrations of lead and cadmium were measured in single whole blood samples (B-Pb and B-Cd) from 619 men and 926 women participating in the Northern Sweden WHO MONICA Study on one occasion 1990–2014. Associations with smoking and dietary factors

The ability to flexibly plan for events outside of the current sensory scope is at the core of being human and is crucial to our everyday lives and society. Studies on apes have shaped a belief that this ability evolved within the hominid lineage. Corvids, however, have shown evidence of planning their food hoarding, although this has been suggested to reflect a specific caching adaptation rather

Purpose: Patients with complex congenital heart disease may need to be converted to a Fontan circulation with systemic venous return surgically connected to the pulmonary circulation. These patients frequently form aortopulmonary collaterals (APC), that is arterial inflows to the pulmonary artery vascular tree. The aim of this study was to develop a method to calculate the effect of APC on the pul

Mixed micelle formation between two oppositely charged diblock copolymers that have a common thermosensitive nonionic block of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) has been studied. The block copolymer mixed solutions were investigated under equimolar charge conditions as a function of both temperature and total polymer concentrations by turbidimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, two-dimens

In addition to its role in neuronal survival, the brain neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to influence serotonin transmission and synaptic plasticity, events strongly implicated in the appearance of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), a motor complication occurring in parkinsonian patients after long-term treatment with the dopamine precursor. In order to evaluate a possible influence of BDNF