Background - Cardiovascular risk factors tend to aggregate. The biological and predictive value of this aggregation is questioned and genetics could shed light on this debate. Our aims were to reappraise the impact of risk factor confluence on ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk by testing whether genetic risk scores (GRSs) associated with these factors interact on an additive or multiplicative scal

Cerebral vasculature is often the target of stroke studies. However, the vasculature supplying the eye might also be affected by ischemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the transient global cerebral ischemia (GCI) enhances vascular effect of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and 5-hydroxytryptamine/serotonin (5-HT) on the ophthalmic artery in rats, leading to delayed retinal damage. This wa

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) is a key element of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and radiation-grafting is an attractive option for the synthesis of PEMs. Via a systematic investigation of a well-defined model material, sulfonated polystyrene grafted poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene), ETFE-g-PS(SA), we show that the performance and stability of radiation-grafted PEMs in fuel cells stro

To evaluate the potential of monoolein-based cubic bicontinuous liquid crystalline nanoparticles (cubosomes) as diagnostic tools in diabetes and pancreatic β-cell transplantation, fluorescent cubosomes were formulated, entrapping within the lipid bilayer a newly synthesized, potent, hydrophobic dye. Cryo-TEM, SAXS, and DLS were performed to assess the morphological and structural aspects of this f

Background: There are challenging methodological issues in obtaining valid and reliable results on which to base occupational therapy interventions for ethnic minorities. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the methodological problems within occupational therapy research, when ethnic minorities are included. Method: A thorough literature search yielded 21 articles obtained from the scien

Background: Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease that is usually characterized by histological parameters such as tumor size, cellular arrangements/rearrangments, necrosis, nuclear grade and the mitotic index, leading to a set of around twenty subtypes. Together with clinical markers such as hormone receptor status, this classification has considerable prognostic value but there is

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of cell aging, and psychiatric disorders in adults compared with controls using meta-analytic methods. METHODS: Data were abstracted from studies examining the relationship between LTL and adult psychiatric disorders. In addition to an overall estimate of effect size, subgroup analyses and meta-regres

Purpose: The diagnosis of pediatric appendicitis is still a challenge, resulting in perforation and negative appendectomies. The aim of this study was to evaluate novel biomarkers in urine and to use the most promising biomarkers in conjunction with the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS), to see whether this could improve the accuracy of diagnosing appendicitis. Methods: A prospective study of chi

Following female sex and age, mammographic density is considered one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. Despite the association between mammographic density and breast cancer risk, little is known about the underlying histology and biological basis of breast density. To better understand the mechanisms behind mammographic density we assessed morphology, proliferation and hormone rece

Background/Aims: Survival for dialysis patients is poor. Earlier studies have shown better survival in home-hemodialysis (HHD). The aims of this study are to compare survival for matched patients with HHD and institutional hemodialysis (IHD) and to elucidate the effect on factors related to survival such as hyperphosphatemia, fluid overload and anemia. Methods: In this retrospective, observational

Background: Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) is a serine protease inhibitor that exerts multiple physiological and patho-physiological activities involving the modulation of coagulation, angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and apoptosis. In previous studies we reported a novel role of human TFPI-2 in innate immunity by serving as a precursor for host defense peptides. Here we employed a number

Essentials: Validated assays are required to precisely measure factor IX (FIX) activity in FIX products. N9-GP and two other FIX products were assessed in various coagulation assay systems at two sites. Large variations in FIX activity measurements were observed for N9-GP using some assays. One-stage and chromogenic assays accurately measuring FIX activity for N9-GP were identified. Summary: Backg

In acute coronary syndromes without ST-segment elevation (NSTE-ACS), identification of the culprit artery is, most often, not possible. In this case report, we elaborate on the likelihood of different culprit arteries in a patient with NSTE-ACS. While her symptoms were progressing, typical ECG findings of ischemia in the left coronary territories were diminishing. Instead, dynamic T-wave changes i

Background: Meaningful everyday occupations are important for mental health and recovery and are provided by both community-based day centres (DCs) and clubhouses. It is unknown, however, if any of the two has more recovery-promoting features. Objective: This nine-month longitudinal study compared DC and clubhouses, concerning the users’ perceptions of unit and programme characteristics, and aspec

Objectives: To investigate and establish the prevalence of dementia with Lewy body (DLB) symptoms in all nursing home (NH) residents in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden. DLB is a neurocognitive disorder with core features, such as parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, and fluctuating cognition/excessive daytime sleepiness, and supportive features, such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior di

Aims/hypothesis: Insufficient insulin release and hyperglucagonaemia are culprits in type 2 diabetes. Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART, encoded by Cartpt) affects islet hormone secretion and beta cell survival in vitro in rats, and Cart−/− mice have diminished insulin secretion. We aimed to test if CART is differentially regulated in human type 2 diabetic islets and if CART affe

Background and purpose — Idiopathic clubfoot can be bilateral or unilateral; however, most studies of gait have assessed clubfoot cases as one uniform group. The contralateral foot in children with unilateral clubfoot has shown deviations in pedobarographic measurements, but it is seldom included in studies of gait. We evaluated gait in children with idiopathic clubfoot, concentrating on foot invo