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This thesis considers the problem of finding an optimal control policy for control problems in continuous time and space, utilising reinforcement learning techniques. Finding analytical solutions to optimal control problems is often intractable due to involved constraints, cost-function objectives, and uncertainty. The focal point will be on reinforcement learning RL techniques to find approximate
Background: Cognitive impairment in trauma-affected refugees is often unassessed due to the absence of suitable cross-cultural neuropsychological measures, the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, and the need for interpreter mediation. This poses both a clinical challenge and a health inequality for trauma-affected refugees who are left without access to much needed rehabilitation. Untreated
The costs and consequences of donepezil versus placebo treatment in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) were evaluated as part of a 1-year prospective, double-blind, randomized, multinational clinical trial. Patients received either donepezil (n = 142; 5 mg/day for 28 days followed by 10 mg/day according to the clinician's judgement) or placebo (n = 144). Unit costs were assess
Background: Patients with first-time myocardial infarction (MI) and diabetes mellitus (DM) constitute a vulnerable subgroup of cardiovascular (CV) patients for which secondary prevention is particularly important. We investigated if patients with versus without DM differ in attaining four main lifestyle-related cardiac rehabilitation (CR) targets, one-year post-MI. Methods: This national cohort st
Location is everything and the geographical distribution of populations will make them differentially affected by global warming. Sweden’s north to south orientation presents a great frame for studying the effect of latitudinal climate change. We present a long-term study on the migratory behaviour of two populations of Willow Warbler subspecies (southern Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus and north
BACKGROUND: The methylation of cytosines at CpG dinucleotides, which plays an important role in gene expression regulation, is one of the most studied epigenetic modifications. Thus far, the detection of DNA methylation has been determined mostly by experimental methods, which are not only prone to bench effects and artifacts but are also time-consuming, expensive, and cannot be easily scaled up t
Objective: The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has potential as a prognosis and severity biomarker in several inflammatory and infectious diseases. In a previous cross-sectional study, suPAR levels were shown to reflect damage accrual in cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Herein, we evaluated suPAR as a predictor of future organ damage in recent-onset SLE. Method
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly fatal cancer with currently limited opportunities for early detection and effective treatment. Modifiable factors may offer pathways for primary prevention. In this study, the association between the Healthy Lifestyle Index (HLI) and PC risk was examined. Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, 1113 incident PC (57% women)
Breast cancer is a common disease partially caused by genetic risk factors. Germline pathogenic variants in DNA repair genes BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, and CHEK2 are associated with breast cancer risk. FANCM, which encodes for a DNA translocase, has been proposed as a breast cancer predisposition gene, with greater effects for the ER-negative and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes. We te
Catheter ablation may reduce ventricular tachycardia (VT) burden in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) patients. However, little is known about factors predicting need for ablation. Therefore, we sought to investigate predictors and use of VT ablation and to evaluate the postprocedural outcome in ARVC patients. We studied 435 patients from the Nordic ARVC registry including 220
Aim: The aim of the study was to identify sociodemographic, disease-related, physical and mental health-related determinants of fatigue at 2-year follow-up in individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: A longitudinal analysis of participants with symptomatic knee OA from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) was conducted to identify predictors of fatigue at 2-year follo
Gastric cancer trends seem to follow improvements in the environment of blue-collar workers, but the etiological role of occupational exposures in gastric carcinogenesis is scantily investigated. The risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in 10 common occupational industries, and particularly the long-term effects of asbestos, organic solvents, impregnating agents, insecticides, and herbicides, were evalu
Background Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of heart transplant recipient- and donor-derived cardiac biopsies may facilitate organ matching, graft failure prediction, and immunotolerance research. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of WGS based on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded endomyocardial biopsies. Methods and results The study included serial donor- and recipient samp
AIMS : Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a disorder of unknown aetiology characterized by orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia with diverse other symptoms, including neurocognitive deficits. Cerebral oximetry non-invasively measures cerebral tissue saturation (SctO2) and has been shown to be informative in syncope evaluation. We aimed to assess SctO2 in POTS patients and those
Background: Coagulation activation is a hallmark of cancer, and anticoagulants have shown tumour-inhibiting properties. However, recent trials have failed to demonstrate improved survival with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in cancer populations. This has raised the question of suboptimal adherence as a possible explanation for the lack of benefit. Still, there is no standardised method to di
Aims: Sorbitol and myo-inositol levels and morphology of sural nerve were compared with nerve function and clinical neuropathy in men with diabetic, impaired (IGT), and normal glucose tolerance. Methods: After neurography of sural nerve and determinations of sensory thresholds for vibration, warm and cold on the foot, whole nerve sural nerve biopsy was performed in 10 men with Type 1 diabetes mell
1. In the present study, the vasodilator actions of methanandamide and capsaicin in the rat isolated mesenteric arterial bed and small mesenteric arterial segments were investigated. 2. Methanandamide elicited concentration-dependent relaxations of preconstricted mesenteric arterial beds (pEC 50 = 6.0 ± 0.1, E(max) = 87 ± 3%) and arterial segments (pEC 50 = 6.4 ± 0.1, E(max) = 93 ± 3%). 3. In art
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between incipient dementia (ID) and hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) among people with osteoarthritis (OA) of the peripheral joints.METHODS: Among individuals aged 51-99 years residing in Skåne, Sweden, in 2009, we identified those with a doctor-diagnosed OA and no dementia during 1998-2009 (n = 57,733). Treating ID as a
Aim: The use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine consultations in primary healthcare has increased rapidly, in Sweden and internationally. Such consultations may be a low-cost alternative to face-to-face visits, but there is limited evidence on their effects on overall healthcare consumption. The aim of this study was to assess the short- and intermediate-term impact of DTC telemedicine consu
The incidence of human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) tonsillar cancer has been sharply rising during the last decades. Myeloid cells represent an appropriate therapeutic target due to their proximity to virus-infected tumor cells, and their ability to orchestrate antigen-specific immunity, within the tonsil. However, the interrelationship of steady-state and inflammatory myeloid cell subsets, and
