Background: Surgical extraction of testicular spermatozoa is needed in men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) who wish to become biological fathers. Based on available uncontrolled studies with unspecific patient selection, microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE), having a sperm retrieval rate (SRR) of 50%, is considered the most efficient sperm retrieval procedure. However, no rand

Background: Physical activity (PA) increases bone mass, especially in late prepuberty and early puberty, but it remains unclear if and how PA affects both bone formation and bone resorption. Materials and Methods: We included 191 boys and 158 girls aged 7.7 ± 0.6 (mean ± SD) in a population-based PA intervention study. The intervention group (123 boys and 94 girls) received daily physical educatio

Climate change is estimated to increase the risk of the bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) mass outbreaks in Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) forests. Habitats that are thermally suitable for bark beetles may expand, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts can promote drought stress on host trees. Drought affects tree vigor and in unison with environmental features it influe

AIMS: Patients with femoral neck fractures (FNFs) treated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) have an almost ten-fold increased risk of dislocation compared to patients undergoing elective THA. The surgical approach influences the risk of dislocation. To date, the influence of differing head sizes and dual-mobility components (DMCs) on the risk of dislocation has not been well studied. METHODS: In a

This thesis is focused on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), two concomitant conditions that appear with growing concern. In our work, we aim to improve the identification of individuals at-risk of cardiometabolic disease through the characterization of complex environmental exposures (i.e. diet, physical activity), that temporally vary, and the health effects on card

BACKGROUND Exome sequencing in hundreds of thousands of persons may enable the identification of rare protein-coding genetic variants associated with protection from human diseases like liver cirrhosis, providing a strategy for the discovery of new therapeutic targets. METHODS We performed a multistage exome sequencing and genetic association analysis to identify genes in which rare protein-coding

(1) Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), in which a rupture of atherosclerotic plaques and oxidative stress play a role in the initiation and progression of the disorder. Circulating levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO), as an oxidative stress marker, as well as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), as a destabilizer of plaques, are known to

Background: The ESPAC-3 trial showed that adjuvant gemcitabine is the standard of care based on similar survival to and less toxicity than adjuvant 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Other clinical trials have shown better survival and tumour response with gemcitabine and capecitabine than with gemcitabine alone in advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. We

The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate formal care and services at home, regarding structure, process, and outcomes, for persons with dementia (aged 65+ years) at risk of nursing home admission. Availability and utilization of formal care and services at home for persons with dementia, from diagnosis to end-of-life stage, in eight European countries was described in study I. A mapping f

Background: Whether and how n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are related to type 2 diabetes (T2D) is debated. Objectively measured plasma PUFAs can help to clarify these associations. Methods and Findings: Plasma phospholipid PUFAs were measured by gas chromatography among 12,132 incident T2D cases and 15,919 subcohort participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Canc

IMPORTANCE Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering alleles in or near NPC1L1 or HMGCR, encoding the respective molecular targets of ezetimibe and statins, have previously been used as proxies to study the efficacy of these lipid-lowering drugs. Alleles near HMGCR are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, similar to the increased incidence of new-onset diabetes associated w

Although pharmacological treatments can help alleviate mood symptoms in youth with paediatric bipolar disorder (PBD), residual symptoms still commonly persist. In many cases, these symptoms seriously affect the social and psychological development of children and adolescents suffering from PBD. Complementary interventions, such as psychosocial and psychoeducational treatments, can help children an

As part of current efforts to work towards sustainable development, find solutions to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt cities to the effects of climate change, such as floods and extreme heat, there are high hopes that nature-based solutions (NBS) can support the transformation needed. Based on the knowledge that implementation and governance of urban NBS is still emerging and constrained

BACKGROUND: Resection is the cornerstone of curative treatment for many nonmetastatic gastric cancers (GCs), but the population treatment patterns remains largely unknown. This large international population-based study aimed at investigating the treatment patterns and trends for nonmetastatic GC in Europe and the United States and at exploring factors associated with resection.METHODS: Data of pa

Background: Substance use among older persons occurs with medical and psychiatric comorbidities. This study examined the associations of substance use disorder (SUD), psychiatric, and dual diagnoses with 12-month cumulative hospitalized days, hospital admission rate and number of days to first hospitalization.Methods: The cohort of 3,624 individuals (28.2% women) aged 50 years or older was assesse