Background and aims The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) shares several common pathways with atherosclerosis. Prospective clinical plasma biomarker studies in AAA have been hampered by the need for very large cohorts and long follow-up time. Methods We analyzed a prospective longitudinal cohort of middle-aged individuals from the cardiovascular cohort of the Malmö Diet and Cancer st

The totality of microbial genomes in the gut exceeds the size of the human genome, having around 500-fold more genes that importantly complement our coding potential. Microbial genes are essential for key metabolic processes, such as the breakdown of indigestible dietary fibres to short-chain fatty acids, biosynthesis of amino acids and vitamins, and production of neurotransmitters and hormones. D

Background Psychological stress is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the mechanism by which stress is associated with CVD is not entirely understood. Although genetic factors are implied in both stress responsivity and cardiovascular reactivity, no studies to date have investigated their interactions with stress for cardiovascular end points. The objective was to elu

Limited data are available about the role of the serotonin 2B (5-HT2B) receptor in the function of human islets. This study aimed to test whether the 5-HT2B receptor contributes to glucose, insulin, and glucagon homeostasis in humans, utilizing a hereditary loss-of-function gene mutation in the receptor, which causes a 50% reduction in the production of the receptor protein in heterozygotes. This

Reality isn’t what it appears to be. Contexts are not always clear and visible. People don’t always say what they really mean. And they don’t always mean what they say. When life is your stage manager, anything can happen. I often say, life is hard, my head is harder. Making documentaries is not for the faint-hearted.This PhD project explores creative processes and parallel realities in documentar

oxLDL peptide vaccine and its antibody adoptive transferring have shown a significantly preventive or therapeutic effect in atherosclerotic animal model. The molecular mechanism behind this is obscure. Here, we report that oxLDL induces MCP-1 release in monocytes/macrophages through their TLR-4 (Toll-like receptor 4) and ERK MAPK pathway and is calcium/potassium channel-dependent. Using blocking a

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the FTO genotype on weight loss after dietary, physical activity, or drug based interventions in randomised controlled trials.DESIGN: Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised controlled trials.DATA SOURCES: Ovid Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to November 2015.ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR S

Disease prevalence in wildlife is governed by epidemiological parameters (infection and recovery rates) and response to infection, both of which vary within and among individual hosts. Studies quantifying these individual-scale parameters and documenting their source of variation in wild hosts are fundamental for predicting disease dynamics. Such studies do not exist for the influenza A virus (IAV

Aims/hypothesis To develop a prediction model that can predict HbA1c levels after six years in the non-diabetic general population, including previously used readily available predictors. Methods Data from 5,762 initially non-diabetic subjects from three population-based cohorts (Hoorn Study, Inter99, KORA S4/F4) were combined to predict HbA1c levels at six year follow-up. Using backward selection

Svensk sammanfattningUnder de senaste hundra åren har kulturlandskapet i norra Europa genomgått en dramatisk förändring. Det småskaliga jordbrukslandskapet med sin mosaik av naturtyper har till stor del ersatts av vidsträckta monokulturer. Artrika naturtyper och naturområden har blivit ovanligare och ligger idag ofta isolerats från varandra. Som en följd av detta har många arter gått tillbaka, visPlant species often adapt to local environmental conditions, which can result in the formation of genetically and phenotypically distinct ecotypes. Ecotypes can evolve rapidly, and may be a first step in the process of ecological speciation. Consequently, ecotypes may constitute an important part of the biodiversity in regions with a young flora, where few endemic taxa at the species level have ha

PURPOSE: Welders are exposed to airborne particles from the welding environment and often develop symptoms work-related from the airways. A large fraction of the particles from welding are in the nano-size range. In this study we investigate if the welders' airways are affected by exposure to particles derived from gas metal arc welding in mild steel in levels corresponding to a normal welding day

Purpose: Germline mutations in tumour suppressor genes cause various cancers. These genes are also somatically mutated in sporadic tumours. We hypothesized that there may also be cancer-related germline variants in the genes commonly mutated in sporadic breast tumours. Methods: After excluding the well-characterized breast cancer (BC) genes, we screened 15 novel genes consistently classified as BC

The association between tumor cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression and breast cancer prognosis has been inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of COX-2 tumor expression according to adjuvant treatment, and potential effect modifications of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and other tumor and lifestyle factors. A prospective cohort of 1,116

Managing material flows along a supply chain is a complex matter involving a great many interfaces both between activities and between actors. Integration of material flows may smooth the interfaces and thus also the potential errors and delays in the material flows. The potential to obtain such integration is facilitated by recent developments in identification technologies, particularly RFID tec

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) should be used for secondary prevention in all or in only high-risk patients after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI).OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate whether ACEI/ARB treatment after AMI is associated with better outcomes across different risk profiles, inc

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex metabolic disease associated with obesity, insulin resistance and hypoinsulinemia due to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. Reduced mitochondrial function is thought to be central to β-cell dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced insulin secretion are also observed in β-cells of humans with the most common human genetic disorder, Down syndrome (DS, Trisomy

Background and purpose — Patients having a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) after a previous high tibial osteotomy (HTO) constitute a minor group among those undergoing primary TKA for knee osteoarthritis (OA). There have been few reports on whether such patients differ pre- and postoperatively from those who undergo TKA as the first measure. We evaluated patient characteristics, knee-related pain, f