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Background: Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) is a serine protease inhibitor that exerts multiple physiological and patho-physiological activities involving the modulation of coagulation, angiogenesis, tumor invasion, and apoptosis. In previous studies we reported a novel role of human TFPI-2 in innate immunity by serving as a precursor for host defense peptides. Here we employed a number
Hypoxia and acidosis are inherent stress factors of the tumor microenvironment and have been linked to increased tumor aggressiveness and treatment resistance. Molecules involved in the adaptive mechanisms that drive stress-induced disease progression constitute interesting candidates of therapeutic intervention. Here, we provide evidence of a novel role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in
We investigated efficacy and toxicity of replacing conventional triple (cytarabine, methotrexate, and hydrocortisone) intrathecal therapy (TIT) with liposomal cytarabine during maintenance therapy among 40 acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Twenty-eight of 29 patients in the TIT arm received TIT and 9/11 in the liposomal cytarabine arm received liposomal cytarabine. Arachnoiditis occurred in a
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is required for completion of the DNA synthesis step of DNA replication as well as nucleotide excision repair (NER) of damaged DNA. We investigated the expression of PCNA mRNA and the levels of PCNA protein in the adult rat hippocampus following normo- and hypothermic global forebrain ischemia. Hypothermia protected the CA1 neurons from ischemic damage. A
Background: Changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) tone are present before, during, and after episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR, the inverse of the atrial cycle length) has been used as a surrogate marker for local refractoriness and is a key characteristic of the fibrillatory process in patients with AF. Aim of this study is to assess changes in AFR, as an
BACKGROUND: High-quality non-invasive imaging of the deep venous system in the thorax is challenging, but nevertheless required for diagnosis of vascular pathology as well as for patient selection and preoperative planning for endovascular procedures.PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic quality of Gadofosveset-enhanced thoracic magnetic resonance venography, seven consecutive patients with suspected
Human cystatin C, a member of the cysteine proteinaseinhibitory family, is produced by all nucleated cells and has important roles in regulating natural immunity. Nematode homologs to human cystatin C have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on monocytes and to reduce colitis in mice. In Crohn’s disease, pathogenic activated monocytes help drive inflammatory processes via the release of p
Background: CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the potent suppressors of activation and proliferation of conventional T cells. Tregs subdivided by their expression of FoxP3 and CD45RA identify clinically important functional subsets. Methods: We analyzed Treg subpopulations in hematopoietic stem cell harvests (SCH) from 22 allogeneic (matched unrelated and sibling) donors with flow cytomet
Functional recovery is markedly restricted following traumatic brain injury (TBI), partly due to myelin-associated inhibitors including Nogo-A, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), that all bind to the Nogo-66 receptor-1 (NgR1). In previous studies, pharmacological neutralization of both Nogo-A and MAG improved outcome following TBI in the rat, and n
Diarrheal diseases (DD) are leading causes of disease burden, death, and disability, especially in children in low-income settings. DD can also impact a child's potential livelihood through stunted physical growth, cognitive impairment, and other sequelae. As part of the Global Burden of Disease Study, we estimated DD burden, and the burden attributable to specific risk factors and particular etio
Purpose. Testing a newly developed Swedish version of the Body Image and Relationship Scale (BIRS) for test-retest reliability, convergent validity and inter-item analysis in a Swedish context for breast cancer survivors. Methods. A Swedish BIRS version, translation involving the input of experts and breast cancer survivors, with 41 items (BIRS-S) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) were sent to a sampl
Preclinical data suggest that chronic stress may cause cellular damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, potentially leading to the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the bloodstream. Major depressive disorder has been associated with an increased amount of mtDNA in leukocytes from saliva samples and blood; however, no previous studies have measured plasma levels of free-circulating mtDNA in a
BACKGROUND: National European cancer survival rates vary widely. Prolonged diagnostic intervals are thought to be a key factor in explaining these variations. Primary care practitioners (PCPs) frequently play a crucial role during initial cancer diagnosis; their knowledge could be used to improve the planning of more effective approaches to earlier cancer diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: This study sought t
BackgroundThe global health community and funding agencies are currently engaged in ensuring that worthwhile research-based programmes are sustainable. Despite its importance, few studies have analysed the sustainability of global health interventions. In this paper, we aim to explore barriers and facilitators for the wider implementation and sustainability of a mobile health (mHealth) interventio
Genomes of eusocial insects code for dramatic examples of phenotypic plasticity and social organization. We compared the genomes of seven ants, the honeybee, and various solitary insects to examine whether eusocial lineages share distinct features of genomic organization. Each ant lineage contains ∼4000 novel genes, but only 64 of these genes are conserved among all seven ants. Many gene families
The role of plant phenology as a regulator for gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in peatlands is empirically not well constrained. This is because proxies to track vegetation development with daily coverage at the ecosystem scale have only recently become available and the lack of such data has hampered the disentangling of biotic and abiotic effects. This study aimed at unraveling the mechanisms
Purpose: Previously identified transcriptomic signatures have been based on primary and metastatic melanomas with relatively few American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I tumors, given difficulties in sampling small tumors. The advent of adjuvant therapies has highlighted the need for better prognostic and predictive biomarkers, especially for AJCC stage I and stage II disease. Experimenta
Aim: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition has effects on both fasting and postprandial glucose. However, the extent of this effect over the whole day and whether different DPP-4 inhibitors have the same effects have not been established. We therefore explored the whole day effects of three different DPP-4 inhibitors versus placebo on glucose, islet and incretin hormones after ingestion of bre
S-State-dependent split EPR signals that are induced by illumination at cryogenic temperatures (5 K) have been measured in spinach photosystem II without interference from the YD• radical in the g ∼ 2 region. This allows us to present the first decay-associated spectra for the split signals, which originate from the CaMn4 cluster in magnetic interaction with a nearby radical, presumably YZ•. The t
