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Introduction: It might in the future be valuable to screen for increased maternal arterial stiffness, i.e. low compliance, since it is associated with development of hypertensive complications in pregnancy. Digital pulse wave analysis (DPA) is an easy and manageable method for arterial stiffness assessment. We aimed to investigate gestational influence on DPA variables longitudinally, and establis

Within the hematopoietic system, the Notch pathway is critical for promoting thymic T cell development and suppressing the B and myeloid lineage fates; however, its impact on NK lymphopoiesis is less understood. To study the role of Notch during NK cell development in vivo, we investigated different NK cell compartments and function in Rbp-Jkfl/flVav-Cretg/+ mice, in which Rbp-Jk, the major transc

Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines may elicit a hyporesponse under certain conditions. There is limited knowledge, however, on the type of specific antibody response in individuals with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the functional antibody response in patients with IPD caused by different serotypes. Pre-immune and convalescent sera from 40 patients

Background and purpose Polymorphisms in coagulation genes have been associated with early-onset ischemic stroke. Here we pursue an a priori hypothesis that genetic variation in the endothelial-based receptors of the thrombomodulin-protein C system (THBD and PROCR) may similarly be associated with early-onset ischemic stroke. We explored this hypothesis utilizing a multistage design of discovery an

During the last decades, several research groups have used bisphosphonates for local application to counteract secondary bone resorption after bone grafting, to improve implant fixation or to control bone resorption caused by bone morphogenetic proteins (BMps). We focused on zoledronate (a bisphosphonate) due to its greater antiresorptive potential over other bisphosphonates. Recently, it has beco

Multipotent progenitor cells confirm their T cell–lineage identity in the CD4–CD8– double-negative (DN) pro-T cell DN2 stages, when expression of the essential transcription factor Bcl11b begins. In vivo and in vitro stage-specific deletions globally identified Bcl11b-controlled target genes in pro-T cells. Proteomics analysis revealed that Bcl11b associated with multiple cofactors and that its di

Although significant improvements have been achieved for organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), the top-performing devices still show power conversion efficiencies far behind those of commercialized solar cells. One of the main reasons is the large driving force required for separating electron-hole pairs. Here, we demonstrate an efficiency of 14.7% in the single-junction OPV by using a new polymer do

Objective. In cross-sectional studies, elevated osteopontin (OPN) levels have been proposed to reflect, and/or precede, progressive organ damage and disease severity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed, in a cohort of patients with recent-onset SLE, to determine whether raised serum OPN levels precede damage and/or are associated with disease activity or certain disease phenotypes. Met

In longitudinal studies, changes in participants’ cognitive performances can partly be attributed to variations in the testing situation (testing specific factors), such as, different test administrators or different testing environments. Focusing on test administrator influence, testing specific factors were examined in a Swedish longitudinal study of ageing. Test scores from 6,686 examinations r

Aim: To describe the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register (SNQ) and to determine its completeness and agreement with other registers. Methods: SNQ collects data for infants admitted to neonatal units during the first four postnatal weeks. Completeness and registers’ agreement were determined cross-linking SNQ data with Swedish population registers (the Inpatient, Medical Birth and Cause of Death Regi

Background and Objectives: Fetal RHD genotyping of cell-free fetal DNA from RhD-negative pregnant women can be used to guide targeted antenatal and postnatal anti-D prophylaxis for the prevention of RhD immunization. To assure the quality of clinical testing, we conducted an external quality assessment workshop with the participation of 28 laboratories. Materials and Methods: Aliquots of pooled ma

Objective: Although life expectancy after spinal cord injury (SCI) has increased, knowledge of life satisfaction and associated factors among older adults with long-term SCI is still very limited. The objective of this study was, therefore, to assess global and domain-specific life satisfaction among older adults with long-term SCI and investigate the association with sociodemographics, injury cha

BACKGROUND: Widespread pain is a common comorbidity in several chronic diseases and is suspected to be caused by the underlying disease that has provoked a state of central sensitization. However, this argument is currently limited by evidence that has not sufficiently captured the temporal nature of the relationship between diagnosis of the underlying disease and onset of widespread pain. The aim

2D Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) perovskite solar cells have manifested superior operation durability yet inferior charge transport compared to their 3D counterparts. Integrating 3D phases with 2D RP perovskites presents a compromise to maintain respective advantages of both components. Here, the spontaneous generation of 3D phases embedded in 2D perovskite matrix is demonstrated at room temperature via

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer represent progressive lung diseases with a poor prognosis. IPF represents a risk factor for the development of lung cancer, and the incidence of lung cancer is increased in patients with IPF. Disease pathogenesis of IPF and lung cancer involves common genetic alterations, dysregulated pathways, and the emergence of hyperplastic and metaplastic ep

Introduction: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have persistent platelet activation and an increased risk of thrombotic events, which cannot be accounted for by traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Factor (F)XII has a potentially important role in thrombus formation and is triggered by activated platelets. We therefore asked whether the contact system is involved in inflammation

Dysregulation of lymphocyte function, accumulation of autoantibodies and defective clearance of circulating immune complexes and apoptotic cells are hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Moreover, it is now evident that an intricate interplay between the adaptive and innate immune systems contributes to the pathogenesis of SLE, ultimately resulting in chronic inflammation and organ dama

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction highlights the importance of all-hazard and multi-stakeholder approaches. This requires exchange and integration of risk information across sectorial and administrative borders. This paper focuses on challenges and prerequisites for aggregating risk information from multiple stakeholders in disaster risk management systems. Aggregation is here under