Macromolecular drugs hold great promise as novel therapeutics of several major disorders, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, their use is limited by lack of efficient, safe, and specific delivery strategies. Successful development of such strategies requires interdisciplinary collaborations involving researchers with expertise on, e.g., polymer chemistry, cell biology, nanotechnol

Traditionally, most funding is made available when a disaster occurs. Disaster re-sponse is the implementation of what humanitarian actors did (or didn't do) in pre-paredness for any intervention. Based on a case study of a logistics change in the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Society, this paper discusses how more funding of preparedness can radically improve the speed and qu

OBJECTIVE: To elicit psychological and psychosocial problems existing in patients in dialysis and their partners, its being felt that the diversity involved has important implications for how service in dialysis units is delivered to patients and their partners. METHODS: The results of a series of interviews of 39 patients in dialysis and 21 partners of theirs, each interview individual, concernin

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible learning curve effects on survival during the introduction of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in patients with deep sternal wound infection (DSWI). Furthermore, predictors of late mortality were analysed and causes of late death were examined. Fifty-three patients (early Group, n = 26, January 1999 to July 2001 versus late group, n = 27, Aug

The Lundby Study is a prospective cohort study, which has followed a Swedish unselected community sample between 1 July 1947 and 1 July 1997. The aim was to study the risks of mental morbidity and different DSM-IV disorders in subjects with intellectual disability (ID) in the Lundby cohort between 1 July 1947 to 30 June 1997. The diagnosis of ID was re-evaluated according to DSM-IV in subjects who

Apolipoprotein M (apoM) in human plasma is mainly associated with HDL. A retained signal peptide anchors apoM to the lipoproteins. To investigate the role of the signal peptide in the transfer of apoM from the synthesizing cell to the lipoproteins, wildtype apoM cDNA and the Q(22)A mutant, introducing a signal peptidase cleavage site, were used to stably transfect HEK293 cells, which intrinsically

Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (LO)-1 has been implicated in allergic inflammation and asthma. The overall effect of 15-LO in allergic inflammation in vivo is, however, unclear. This study investigates systemic allergen sensitization and local allergic airway inflammation and remodeling in mice lacking the murine 12/15-LO, the ortholog to human 15-LO-1. Upon systemic sensitization with intraperitone

The directional stability of the crack path during wedging of a strip is investigated, using finite element methods. Linearly elastic material and plane conditions are considered. No dynamic effects are included. Stable crack growth in the direction of maximum mode I stress intensity factor at the tip of the crack is assumed. It is found that directional stability seems to prevail if the thickness

Haemophilus influenzae protein E (PE) is a 16 kDa adhesin that induces a pro-inflammatory immune response in lung epithelial cells. The active epithelial binding region comprising amino acids PE 84-108 also interferes with complement-mediated bacterial killing by capturing vitronectin (Vn) that prevents complement deposition and formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC). Here, the interaction

The objective of this literature review is to analyze the implications of using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as international and European position regarding such organisms. METHOD: Review of international and European legal requirements and ethical guidelines and relevant publications, found and accessed with the help of PubMed and Lund University Library databases. RESULTS: The

PURPOSE: To offer minimized risk-adapted adjuvant treatment on a nationwide basis for patients with clinical stage 1 (CS1) nonseminomatous germ-cell testicular cancer (NSGCT). The aim was to reduce the risk of relapse and thereby reducing the need of later salvage chemotherapy while maintaining a high cure rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2005, 745 Norwegian and Swedish patients were inclu

Evaluated the importance of ultrasound to women’s thoughts about their unborn child. 10 first-time mothers (ages 22 – 33 years) with normal pregnancies were interviewed approxi¬mately 1 week before and 1 week after their first ultrasound screening. Analysis of the interviews was conducted using the techniques of grounded theory. The results show that ultrasound was of great importance for increasi

Purpose: To investigate the measures of validity for selective or population screening of the time-domain Stratus and the spectral-domain Cirrus Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging techniques in a population-based sample and in clinical glaucoma patients at different stages of glaucoma. Patients and methods: A random sample of 307 subjects living in two rural areas in southern Sweden, and a

Assessment of image analysis methods and computer software used in (99m) Tc-MAG3 dynamic renography is important to ensure reliable study results and ultimately the best possible care for patients. In this work, we present a national multicentre study of the quantification accuracy in (99m) Tc-MAG3 renography, utilizing virtual dynamic scintigraphic data obtained by Monte Carlo-simulated scintilla

INTRODUCTION: Suspected cases of deep vein thrombosis are common at emergency departments and they often require extensive and costly diagnostic testing. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a diagnostic algorithm based upon pre-test probability and D-dimer in diagnosing deep vein thrombosis may be cost-effective from a societal perspective in a Swedish setting. MATERIAL AND METHODS

Background:Familial nervous system cancers are rare and limited data on familial aspects are available particularly on site-specific tumours.Methods:Data from five Nordic countries were used to analyse familial risks of nervous system tumours. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for offspring of affected relatives compared with offspring of non-affected relatives.Results:The total

The effect of financial risks on (R, Q) inventory policies is analyzed in a real options framework. Simple adjustments of the usual formulas for R and Q are suggested and tested. Stochastic demand and purchase costs are considered, both with known systematic (business-cycle-related) risk. The systematic risk of stochastic demand has typically a negligible effect on the optimal values of R and Q, a