BACKGROUND: Recipient age and donor age are well-known prognostic factors in adult heart transplantation. However, the association between donor age and recipient age and their interaction and short- and long-term mortality is unknown. METHODS: We studied 64,354 heart transplants to adult recipients between 1988 and 2013 in the ISHLT Registry. Donor age and recipient age were analyzed as continuou

Ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (V/P SPECT) is the scintigraphic technique recommended primarily for the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and is golden standard for the diagnosis of chronic PE. Furthermore, interpreting ventilation and corresponding perfusion images enables pattern recognition of many other cardiopulmonary disorders that affect lung funct

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major constituent of the tumor microenvironment, although their origin and roles in shaping disease initiation, progression and treatment response remain unclear due to significant heterogeneity. Here, following a negative selection strategy combined with single-cell RNA sequencing of 768 transcriptomes of mesenchymal cells from a genetically engineered m

The ability to minimize vibrations in milling by the selection of cutting edge geometry and appropriate cutting conditions is an important asset in the optimization of the cutting process. This paper presents a measurement method and a signal processing technique to characterize and quantify the magnitude of the vibrations in an end milling application. Developed methods are then used to investiga

Although it is firmly established that endogenous immunity can prevent cancer outgrowth, with a range of immunomodulatory strategies reaching clinical use, most studies on the topic have been restricted to solid cancers. This applies in particular to cancer initiation, where model constraints have precluded investigations of immunosurveillance and immunoediting during the multistep progression int

Background: Reduced activity of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been associated with decreased short-term death in patients with septic shock. Whether PCSK9 genotype influences long-term outcomes in sepsis survivors is unknown. Methods: We evaluated the impact of PCSK9 loss-of-function (LOF) genotype on both 1-year mortality and infection-related readmission (IRR) after a

Owing to an increasing shortage of donor organs, the majority of patients with end-stage kidney disease remains reliant on extracorporeal hemodialysis (HD) in order to counter the lifelong complications of a failing kidney. While HD remains a life-saving option for these patients, mounting evidence suggests that it also fuels a vicious cycle of thromboinflammation that can increase the risk of car

Background: With continuous increases in survival rates following breast cancer (BC) diagnosis, the challenge of multiple primary cancers has become an issue. The data on familial risk of SPCs after BC diagnosis and the related mortality in BC patients are scarce. Methods: A total of 87 752 female BC patients were followed for SPC diagnoses and records of death. Relative risks (RRs) of SPC in BC p

Aim: Extremes in sleep duration play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes. We examined the associations between sleep duration and sleep debt with estimates of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Methods: Data were derived from the European multi-centre EGIR-RISC study. Sleep duration and sleep debt were derived from a sleep questionnaire asking about sleeping time during

The photoreceptors and eyes of four fish species commonly cohabiting Fennoscandian lakes with different light transmission properties were compared: pikeperch Sander lucioperca, pike Esox lucius, perch Perca fluviatilis and roach Rutilus rutilus. Each species was represented by individuals from a clear (greenish) and a humic (dark brown) lake in southern Finland: Lake Vesijärvi (LV; peak transmiss

Effective and deterrent methods of combating VAT fraud are crucial for the undisturbed functioning of EU internal market, provision of sound legal framework for taxpayers and protection of the integrity of the fiscal systems of the Member States. Artificial intelligence, algorithms and other technological developments involving big data analysis provide potent tools, which can assist tax administr

This paper studies the effects of skilled migration on innovation –proxied by patent citations- in European industries between 1994 and 2005, using the French and the UK Labour Force Surveys and the German Microcensus. Highly-educated migrants have a positive effect on innovation, but the effect differs across industries. It is stronger in industries with low levels of overeducation, high levels o

Background: Information is scarce on long-term changes in energy intake (EI), dietary energy density (DED), and body composition in adolescents undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Objectives: To investigate long-term changes in EI, DED, and body composition in adolescents after LRYGB. Setting: University hospitals, multicenter study, Sweden. Methods: Eighty-five adolescents (6

Standardization research is a fairly new and is a still-evolving field of research, with possibly major practical ramifications. This article presents a summary of the authors' subjective views of the most pressing research topics in the field. These include, among others, standards (e.g. incorporation of ethical issues), the potential impact of standards, the corporate management of standardizati