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To analyze the role of the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation in the effector phase of arthritis, we have induced arthritis in C3- and factor B (FB)-deficient (C3(-/-) and FB-/-) DBA/1J mice using well-defined monoclonal IgG2b and IgG2a antibodies to type II collagen. In control DBA/1J mice, severe swelling of the joints, destruction of cartilage and erosion of bone develo

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) content changes in early osteoarthritis (OA), and whether contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cartilage in vitro may identify early event of OA pathology. METHOD: Osteochondral plugs from patients with hip OA or femoral neck fracture (reference group) were collected and analysed by 1.5 T MRI with ΔR1 as a me

Summary. The optimal mode of delivery of a haemophilia carrier expecting a child is still a matter of uncertainty and debate. The aim of this commentary/review is to suggest that normal vaginal delivery should be the recommended mode of delivery for the majority of carriers, based on review of studies on obstetric aspects of haemophilia. About 2.0-4.0% of all haemophilia boys born in countries wit

AIM: The aim of this paper was to define the incidence of disease progression of the contralateral internal carotid artery (CICA) in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to identify factors influencing disease progression. METHODS: Patients from our primary catchment area that had undergone CEA between 2002 and 2005 were included. The study cohort was divided in four groups based

The remarkable advancements in basic stem cell research with implications for several central nervous system disorders have so far not been translated into clinically effective therapies. Here I discuss some of the underlying problems and how they could be overcome.

Human cystatin C is considered the physiologically most important inhibitor of endogenous papain-like cysteine proteases. We present here an unexpected function of cystatin C. Instead of acting as an inhibitor, cystatin C acts as a facultative, endogenous cofactor for the papain-like IgG-cleaving enzyme IdeS of the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. IdeS activity is not dependent on cystatin C

The biochemical mechanisms underlying glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells are not completely understood. To identify metabolic disturbances in beta-cells that impair glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, we compared two INS-1-derived clonal beta-cell lines, which are glucose-responsive (832/13) or glucose-unresponsive (832/2). We found that despite a marked impairment o

Protein kinase B is known to mediate a number of biological responses to insulin and growth factors, its role in glucose uptake being one of the most extensively studied. In this paper, we have employed a recently described allosteric inhibitor of PKB, Akti, to clarify the role of PKB in lipid metabolism in adipocytes - a subject that has received less attention. Pretreatment of primary rat and 3T

Genetic risk scores (GRSs) have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in large studies. We asked whether expanding an established 27-variant GRS (GRS27) to a 50-variant GRS (GRS50) improved CHD prediction and whether GRSs are independent of self-reported family history of CHD.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is characterized by dysfunction of respiratory cilia and sperm flagella and random determination of visceral asymmetry. Here, we identify the DRC1 subunit of the nexin-dynein regulatory complex (N-DRC), an axonemal structure critical for the regulation of dynein motors, and show that mutations in the gene encoding DRC1, CCDC164, are involved in PCD pathogenesis. Lo

Background: Identification of disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) may be facilitated by focusing on genes in a disease-associated pathway. Objective: To search for SNPs in genes that belong to the T-cell receptor (TCR) pathway and that change in expression in allergen-challenged CD4+ cells from patients with SAR. Methods: CD4+ cells from pa

Endoglin is a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) accessory receptor recently identified as being highly expressed on long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) However, little is known regarding its function in these cells. We have used two complementary approaches toward understanding endoglin's role in HSC biology: one that efficiently knocks down expression via lentiviral-dri

From an interdisciplinary approach, this study aims at analyzing self-reported animal fear, specifically large carnivore fear, in relation to public willingness to pay to fulfill a governmental policy on large carnivore-induced costs. In a survey in Sweden involving more than 2,000 respondents, it was found that people whose animal fear was directed particularly toward large carnivores were less l

Background: There are known associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related plasma proteins and spirometry measures. Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) measures gas exchange that can be impaired both by lung and heart diseases. We aimed to study the associations between DLCO and CVD-linked plasma proteins in a population-based cohort without airflow obstruction. Methods: 89 CV

OBJECTIVE: Emergency department length of stay (EDLOS) is linked to crowding and patient outcomes whereas worse prognosis in low socioeconomic status remains poorly understood. We studied whether income was associated with ED process times among patients with chest pain.METHODS: This was a registry-based cohort study on 124,980 patients arriving at 14 Swedish EDs between 2015 and 2019 with chest p

The high youth unemployment in Uganda has resulted in youth volunteering to gain competitive advantages in the labour market. Volunteering has an important place in social development, and it is beneficial for the individual. This study investigated how youth volunteering within non-governmental organisations are creating opportunities for youth empowerment in Kampala, Uganda. A majority of previo

Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning Ska du flyga långt med de där vingarna? Vissa fåglar flyger långt, andra inte. Silvertärnorna flaxar med vingarna från Arktis till Antarktis medan pingvinerna använder vingarna för att simma och inte flyger alls. Eftersom att olika fåglar använder sina vingar på så olika sätt så har nämnda vingar anpassats efter vingbärarnas behov. Vissa studier har visat sambaAbstract Bird wings are adapted to the needs of the birds and bird wings therefore differ between species, but also between ages and sexes. In this thesis, an interspecific analysis investigating relations between measurements of wing shape for birds within the Sylviidae-family, revealed strong connections between morphologically unrelated measurements. Long distances (compared to the wing length

The transformational mode of sustainability science is concerned with generating actionable knowledge and practical solutions to complex sustainability challenges in order to facilitate a transition towards sustainability by strategizing transformational pathways. However, some scholars in the field believe that sustainability science lacks such capacity, since so far greater focus has been put on