Background: Interleukin-6 is dysregulated in multiple pathological conditions, e.g., cancer and inflammatory diseases. Aim: To investigate new mechanisms for the regulation of pathological IL-6 production. Methods: PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) stimulated by cancer serum factors or specific peptides produce interleukin-6 (IL-6). Immunoregulatory albumin neo-structures and peptides wer

Measuring temperature in complex two-phase flows is crucial for understanding the dynamics of heat and mass transfer. In this Letter, we introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, optical approach based on the combination of two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (2p-LIF) imaging and two-color laser-induced fluorescence (2CLIF) for instantaneous temperature mapping of complex liquid media. Us

Background: We have previously demonstrated that high-risk obstructive sleep apnea (HR-OSA), based on a modified Berlin Questionnaire (mBQ), is linked to worse clinical outcomes. Chest computed tomography (CT) imaging with the implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis program has been a valuable tool for the speedy assessment of huge numbers of patients during the COVID-19 epidemi

Background: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has failed to reduce cardiovascular risk in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in randomized trials. CPAP increases angiopoietin-2, a lung distension-responsive endothelial proinflammatory marker associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether CPAP has unanticipated proinflammatory effects in patients with OSA and cardiovasc

Understanding and effectively managing Technical Debt (TD) remains a vital challenge in software engineering. While many studies on code-level TD have been published, few illustrate the business impact of low-quality source code. In this study, we combine two publicly available datasets to study the association between code quality on the one hand, and defect count and implementation time on the o

We here report on the progress of the HHH Workshop, that took place in Dubrovnik in July 2023. After the discovery of a particle that complies with the properties of the Higgs boson of the Standard Model, all Standard Model (SM) parameters are in principle determined. However, in order to verify or falsify the model, the full form of the potential has to be determined. This includes the measuremen

When it comes to innovation, economic growth, affluence and international attractiveness, there are currently few places in the world that can compare with the San Francisco Bay Area. However, new megatrends such as Sustainability, can challenge its attractiveness. Scholars talk about the “Nordic approach”.In the geographical area of Southern Scandinavia, ‘The Strait Area’, the focus is on Sustain

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent joint disease, affecting millions of people worldwide and characterized by degradation of articular cartilage, subchondral bone remodeling and low-grade inflammation, leading to pain, stiffness and disability. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) is a major structural component of cartilage and its degradation has been proposed as a marker of OA seve

Context. Stars presently identified in the bulge spheroid are probably very old, and their abundances can be interpreted as due to the fast chemical enrichment of the early Galactic bulge. The abundances of the iron-peak elements are important tracers of nucleosynthesis processes, in particular oxygen burning, silicon burning, the weak s-process, and α-rich freeze-out. Aims. The aim of this work i

Currently facing the problems of security of supply and higher electricity prices in southern Sweden, a medium-large power plant is considered to be built. To prepare for the possible outcome, a study of different cycle configurations was conducted. The study analyzed a 500 MWeldistrict heating mode power plant based on the Avedare power plant in Denmark, a single reheat Rankine cycle with a heat

PURPOSE: Clinical relapse is the major threat for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Early detection of measurable residual disease (MRD) would enable preemptive treatment and potentially reduced relapse risk.METHODSPatients with MDS planned for HSCT were enrolled in a prospective, observational study evaluating the association b

Photolabile (µ-peroxo)(µ-hydroxo)bis[bis(bipyridyl)-cobalt-based caged oxygen compounds have been synthesized and characterized by optical absorbance spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography. and the quantum yield and redox stability were investigated. Furthermore, conditions were established where redox incompatibilities encountered between caged oxygen compounds and oxygen-dependant cytochrome c oxid

Background and aim: Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare congenital vascular entity, mainly characterized by cutaneous and gastrointestinal venous malformations. BRBNS remains relatively unexplored and only limited descriptive data is available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features, diagnostic work-up and therapeutic management in current practice. Methods: A mu

We consider the Boussinesq equation on the line for a broad class of Schwartz initial data for which (i) no solitons are present, (ii) the spectral functions have generic behavior near \pm1, and (iii) the solution exists globally. In a recent work, we identified 10 main sectors describing the asymptotic behavior of the solution, and for each of these sectors we gave an exact expression for the lea

High-intensity neutron beams, such as those available at the European Spallation Source (ESS), provide new opportunities for fundamental discoveries. Here, we discuss a novel Ramsey neutron-beam experiment to search for ultralight axion dark matter through its coupling to neutron spins, which would cause the neutron spins to rotate about the velocity of the neutrons relative to the dark matter hal

We study the flow stability and spatiotemporal spectral dynamics of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions in a custom Taylor-Couette flow cell using the intrinsic shear induced birefringence and liquid crystalline properties of CNC suspensions for flow visualizations, for the first time. The analysis is performed at constant ramped speed inputs of the independently rotating cylinders for several

Getting or paying “interest” on loans is probably the most vehemently and frequently debated subject of Islamic economics. There is no doubt that the Holy Quran forbids riba, but the question is: Does the Holy Quran give a “divine” definition of riba or its scope? Unfortunately, the Holy Book of Islam, which is the primary source of reference for Muslims, offers no “divine” definitions. Definition

An unprecedented upsurge in mpox, caused by clade I of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) was noted in Central Africa in 2024. The first mpox case with MPXV clade Ib outside Africa was reported in Sweden in mid-August. The case experienced a mild disease course after travelling to an affected country. No additional cases of this clade have been detected in Sweden. Strengthened public health measures and s