In this study, a novel macroporous composite biomaterial consisting of gelatin-hydroxyapatite-calcium sulphate for delivery of bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) and zoledronic acid (ZA) has been developed. The biomaterial scaffold has a porous structure and functionalization of the scaffold with rhBMP-2 induces osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-e1 cells seen by a significant increase in bioch

Objective: To assess the mid-term outcomes and feasibility of branched endovascular repair (b-EVAR) of ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (rTAAAs). Methods: All patients undergoing b-EVAR of rTAAAs between 2011 and 2016 were included. Pre-, intra and postoperative imaging was reviewed to assess technical success, outcomes, and feasibility of b-EVAR in the emergent setting. Results: Eleven

BACKGROUND: Previous results from Scandinavian cohorts have shown that obesity accentuates the effects of common genetic susceptibility variants on increased triglycerides (TG). Whether such interactions are present in the US population and further selective for particular TG-rich lipoprotein subfractions is unknown. METHODS: We examined these questions using body mass index (BMI) and waist circum

The particles in exhaled breath provide a promising matrix for the monitoring of pathological processes in the airways, and also allow exposure to exogenous compounds to be to assessed. The collection is easy to perform and is non-invasive. The aim of the present study is to assess if an exogenous compound - methadone - is distributed in the lining fluid of small airways, and to compare two method

Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) has become a widespread practice given the increasing demand to relieve anxiety, discomfort and pain during invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The role of, and credentialing required by, anaesthesiologists and practitioners performing PSA has been debated for years in different guidelines. For this reason, the European Society of Anaesthesiology

In planning for a future sustainable transport system, it is important to consider the likely effects of e-commerce. This paper analyses the understanding of impacts of e-commerce on urban planning as expressed in planning practice in a number of Swedish municipalities. Knowledge claims concerning the potential effects of e-commerce are studied through an analysis of planning documents and supplem

BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury causes a disruption of the vascular endothelial glycocalyx layer that is associated with an overactivation of the sympathoadrenal system. We hypothesized that early and unselective beta-blockade with propranolol alone or in combination with the alfa2-agonist clonidine would decrease brain edema, blood-brain barrier permeability, and glycocalyx disruption at 24 hou

We study how a neutralising cloud of counterions screens the electric field of a uniformly charged planar membrane (plate), when the counterions are characterised by a distribution of charges (or valence), n(q). We work out analytically the one-plate and two-plate cases, at the level of non-linear PoissonBoltzmann theory. The (essentially asymptotic) predictions are successfully compared to numeri

In an attempt to bridge the pressure gap, APXPS was used to follow the surface development of an aluminum brazing sheet during heating in an ambient oxygen-pressure mimicking the environment of an industrial brazing furnace. The studied aluminum alloy brazing sheet is a composite material consisting of two aluminum alloy standards whose surface is covered with a native aluminum oxide film. To emph

The efficacy of low-dose systemic opioids for chronic breathlessness was questioned by the recent Cochrane review by Barnes et al We examined the reasons for this conflicting finding and re-evaluated the efficacy of systemic opioids. Compared with previous meta-analyses, Barnes et al reported a smaller effect and lower precision, but did not account for matched data of crossover trials (11/12 incl

Uniform arrays of submicron hexagonal InGaN pyramids with high morphological and material homogeneity, reaching an indium composition of 20%, are presented in this work. The pyramids were grown by selective area metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy and nucleated from small openings in a SiN mask. The growth selectivity was accurately controlled with diffusion lengths of the gallium and indium species

OBJECTIVE To examine whether the 1-h blood glucose measurement would be a more suitable screening tool for assessing the risk of diabetes and its complications than the 2-h measurement. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a prospective population-based cohort study of 4,867men, randomly selected fromprespecified birth cohorts between 1921 and 1949,who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential to reduce kidney function damage during the implementation of a water, rest, shade (WRS) and efficiency intervention program among sugarcane workers. Methods A WRS intervention program adapted from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) coupled with an efficiency program began two months into the 5-month harvest. One

We examined the association between plasma 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and islet autoimmunity (IA) and whether vitamin D gene polymorphisms modify the effect of 25(OH)D on IA risk. We followed 8,676 children at increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes at six sites in the U.S. and Europe. We defined IA as positivity for at least one autoantibody (GADA, IAA, or IA-2A) on two or mor

Structured laser illumination planar imaging (SLIPI) is a technique capable of suppressing multiple light scattering effects in optically dense sprays, resulting in spray images without blurs and with enhanced contrast. The novelty of the work presented in this thesis concerns the applications of a variety of SLIPI-based techniques for the measurement of droplet size, droplet concentration, and li