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The feasibility of exploiting genomic information for individualized treatment of polygenic diseases remains uncertain. A genetic variant in ADRA2A, which encodes the α2A-adrenergic receptor (α2AAR), was recently associated with type 2 diabetes. This variant causes receptor overexpression and impaired insulin secretion; thus, we hypothesized that blocking α2AAR pharmacologically could improve insu
Background and aims Metabolic syndrome has been reported to have adverse effects on cognition although the results are conflicting. We investigated the association between metabolic syndrome and cognitive function in a population sample of middle-aged and older European men and whether any observed association could be explained by lifestyle or other confounding factors. Methods A total of 3369 me
This thesis deals with the interplay between education, labor markets and health. It consists of five studies exploiting large-scale administrative datasets from Sweden. The first study asks if health and educational attainment are related within monozygotic twin (MZ) pairs. This is motivated by the literature using MZ twins to estimate the returns to schooling. If a healthier twin tends to get
OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple and robust assay suitable for fetal RHD screening in first-trimester pregnancy and to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the test after its implementation in an unselected pregnant population. METHODS: Pregnant women attending their first antenatal visit were included, and fetal RHD determination was performed for all women who typed RhD-negative by routine
Objectives. To gain updated estimates of prevalence and incidence of RA and proportion on biological treatment in southern Sweden. Methods. Inpatient and outpatient health care provided to residents in the southernmost county of Sweden (1.2 million inhabitants) is registered in the Skåne Health Care Register (SHCR). We identified residents aged >/=20 years who had received a diagnosis of RA at lea
Naive male and female silver Y moths, Autographa gamma (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were attracted in a flight tunnel assay to potted creeping thistle, Cirsium arvense (Asteraceae), butterfly-orchid, Platanthera bifolia (Orchidaceae), soapwort, Saponaria officinalis (Caryophyllaceae), greater knapweed, Centaurea scabiosa (Asteraceae), red clover, Trifolium pratense (Fabaceae), and catnip, Nepeta faas
P>1. Ants show complex interactions with plants, both facultative and mutualistic, ranging from grazers through seed predators and dispersers to herders of some herbivores and guards against others. But ants are rarely pollinators, and their visits to flowers may be detrimental to plant fitness. 2. Plants therefore have various strategies to control ant distributions, and restrict them to foliage
BACKGROUND: The amount of myocardium at risk (MaR) during acute coronary occlusion and the duration of occlusion are important determinants of final infarct size. The main goal of early reperfusion therapy is to salvage ischemic myocardium, thereby preserving left ventricular function. The aims of the present study were to test the feasibility of developing polar plot representations of MaR, for p
Abstract Purpose: To describe the most prominent use of or perceived unmet need of assistive technology (AT) and to compare the characteristics of users, non-users and those expressing perceived unmet need with respect to overall health, independence in everyday life, environmental barriers and socio-demographic features. Method: The study is based on data collected in the "Home and Health in the
The aim of the study was to compare and evaluate a multidisciplinary educational programme with traditional follow-up visits to a physician after breast cancer surgery in terms of well-being, aspects of self-care and coping ability 1 year after diagnosis. A reduction in the intensity of follow-up after breast cancer surgery is recommended. New follow-up models are being debated and could be of int
The importance of wild bees for crop pollination is well established, but less is known about which species contribute to service delivery to inform agricultural management, monitoring and conservation. Using sites in Great Britain as a case study, we use a novel qualitative approach combining ecological information and field survey data to establish a national list of crop pollinating bees for fo
Background Utilizing surgical services, including caesarean sections, can result in catastrophic expenditure and impoverishment. In 2010, Sierra Leone introduced the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), a national financial risk protection program for the most vulnerable groups. Aim of this study was to investigate catastrophic expenditure and impoverishment related to caesarean section in Sierra L
Background: The Parkinson Disease (PD) Home Diary (HD) is a commonly used clinical outcome measure, but it has not been extensively compared to direct assessments by experienced observers.Objective: Validation of patient-reported HD by investigating the agreement between motor state assessments by patients and observers.Methods: This observational study included patients with PD and motor fluctuat
BackgroundObservational data suggests that an anterior or apical left ventricular (LV) position in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) is associated with worse outcome and higher likelihood of “non-response”. It is not known whether the benefits of optimizing LV lead position in a second procedure outweighs the procedural risks.ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effects of LV lead repositioning
Study design: Cross-sectional study. Objectives: To identify socio-demographic and injury-related factors that contribute to activity limitations and participation restrictions in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Bangladesh. Setting: Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: This study involved 120 (83% men) participants with SCI; their median
OBJECTIVES: Tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNFi) treatment has been shown to reduce the rates of anterior uveitis (AU) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Our objective was to compare the effect of adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETN) and infliximab (IFX) on AU occurrence in AS, using real-world data.METHODS: Patients with AS starting ADA, ETN or IFX as their first TNFi from January 2
Background: While walking difficulties are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PD), little is known about factors that independently contribute to their perceived walking difficulties. Objective: To identify factors that independently contribute to perceived walking difficulties in people with PD.Methods: This study involved 243 (62% men) participants; their mean (min-max) age and PD durati
Multiplex separation of mixed cell samples is required in a variety of clinical and research applications. Herein, we present an acoustic microchip with multiple outlets and integrated pre-alignment channel to enable high performance and label-free separation of three different cell or particle fractions simultaneously at high sample throughput. By implementing a new cooling system for rigorous t
Objective: Adult-onset IgA vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein) (IgAV) is a rare systemic vasculitis characterized by IgA1-dominant deposits. The treatment of adult-onset IgAV is controversial and is based on the combination of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents, but many patients have refractory or relapsing disease despite treatment. Rituximab (RTX) is a B cell–depleting antibody of proven ef
