Background and Purpose- Extracellular matrix proteins are important in atherosclerotic disease by influencing plaque stability and cellular behavior but also by regulating inflammation. COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) is present in healthy human arteries and expressed by smooth muscle cells. A recent study showed that transplantation of COMP-deficient bone marrow to apoE-/- mice increas

We present an architecture for distributed, heterogeneous systems where there is a clear separation of concerns for Computation, Coordination, Configuration. The computation part is often implemented in traditional programming code, and packaged as services. The other concerns might need to be addressed much later and by other people in separate organisations, or even by end users. In this paper w

Background: Primary indication for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is to reduce symptoms and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL). There are data showing differences between the genders and between younger and older patients. To evaluate this, we studied a large Scandinavian cohort of patients referred for catheter ablation of AF. Methods: Consecutive patients filled out th

Recent warming in the Arctic, which has been amplified during the winter1–3, greatly enhances microbial decomposition of soil organic matter and subsequent release of carbon dioxide (CO2)4. However, the amount of CO2 released in winter is not known and has not been well represented by ecosystem models or empirically based estimates5,6. Here we synthesize regional in situ observations of CO2 flux f

Background: Medical advancements have resulted in better survival and life expectancy among those with spina bifida, but a significantly increased risk of perinatal and postnatal mortality for individuals with spina bifida remains. Objectives: To examine stillbirth and infant and child mortality among those affected by spina bifida using data from multiple countries. Methods: We conducted an obser

During the few past decades, intensive efforts have been focused toward optimizing ‘wiring’ of thylakoid membranes (TMs) to conductive surfaces for their further application for light-energy conversion and production of an electron flow. This review summarizes recent progress and current state of photobioelectrodes and systems based on TMs. We consider various electrode materials and surface modif

The self-assembly of small colloidal clusters, so-called colloidal molecules, into crystalline materials has proven extremely challenging, the outcome often being glassy, amorphous states where positions and orientations are locked. In this paper, a new type of colloidal molecule is therefore prepared, assembled from poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based microgels that due to their well docum

Wastewater treatment and subsequent effluent recycling for non-drinking purposes such as irrigation contributes to the mitigation of the pressure on freshwater resources. In this study, two vertical sub-surface flow constructed wetland (VSSF-CW) pilot plants were operated to treat municipal wastewater and their effluents were reused for irrigation purposes. One of the wetlands was vegetated with P

The experimental methodology achieved in the present study signified that the adsorption and precipitation were main mechanisms occurred together in the removal of nickel from aqueous solution by sorption using cement kiln dust (CKD) byproduct as sorbent. Finding the contribution of each mechanism in the removal process and derivation an analytical model for finding the portion of precipitation we

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of different durations of simulated microgravity exposure on ventricular repolarization (VR) in terms of T-wave alternans (TWA) as well as to test whether an increase in VR heterogeneity could be detected once normal gravity was restored. APPROACH: A total of 63 healthy volunteers were recruited in several head-down bed-rest (HDBR) experiments in the context of the

In regions where sunlight exposure is limited, dietary vitamin D intake becomes important for maintaining status. However, Swedish children have been shown to have deficient or marginal status during the winter months even if the recommended dietary intake is met. Since low vitamin D status has been associated with several disease states, this study investigated the metabolic changes associated wi

Biomolecule derivatives are transversally used in nanotechnology. Deciphering their aggregation behavior is a crucial issue for the rational design of functional materials. To this end, it is necessary to build libraries of selectively functionalized analogues and infer general rules. In this work we enrich the highly applicative oriented collection of steroid derivatives, by reporting a rare exam

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the Swedish health authority recommendation against the use of knee arthroscopy in patients aged ≥40 years with knee osteoarthritis (OA).DESIGN: Interrupted time series analysis.SETTING: Public health care in Skåne region.PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged ≥40 years who underwent knee arthroscopy from January 2010 to December 2015.INTERVENTION(S): National guideline's r

Saturated, monoenoic and β-hydroxysubstituted fatty acids, 13C-labelled at the carboxyl group, were prepared from natural or synthetic unlabelled analogues. The synthetic route involves decarboxylation of the unlabelled fatty acid to the next lower iodide, displacement of iodide for [13C]cyanide and hydrolysis. The fatty acids were converted to their pentafluorobenzyl esters and analysed by select

The isopod Oniscus asellus was fed wood pieces. The fecal pellets produced during 6 days were reingested twice. Both fresh and ageing pellets were examined for microorganisms and nitrogen compounds including proteins and bacterial cell wall compounds, d-alanine and diaminopimelic acid. In old pellets, the plate counts of fungi decreased but that of bacteria as well as the concentrations of protein

Male and female flowers of the dioecious perennial herb Rubus chamaemorus L. are similar in general appearance. However, female flowers are somewhat smaller, do not produce any pollen, and contain very small amounts of nectar. Syrphids and bumblebees, which are important pollinators of R. chamaemorus, showed a strong preference for male flowers. Male flowers were also less often rejected by flower

An autoclavable all-glass system for studying microbial dynamics at permeable surfaces is described. Standard hydrophobic or hydrophilic membranes (46-mm diameter) of various pore sizes were supported on a glass frit through which nutrient solutions were pumped by a peristaltic pump. The pump provided a precisely controlled flow at speeds of 0.5 to 500 ml of defined or natural cell exudates per h,

Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed in lipids, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), and a cell wall peptidoglycan consitutent in a marine bacterial isolate during starvation for 24 h in an energy and nutrient-free medium. While the amount and composition of the membrane fatty acids fluctuated within the first hours of starvation, the total amount of fatty acids decreased during the starvat

Three marine bacteria were examined for physiological and morphological changes in the initial phase of starvation. It was found that the starvation process was induced in a similar way irrespective of whether the cells were suspended in nutrient and energy free artificial seawater (NSS) or NSS supplemented with nitrogen and phosphorus. An initial phase of increased activity was consistent with a