This paper is the fourth in a series discussing experiences in applying the Strategic Systemic Thinking (SST) framework. The framework was originally proposed for the purpose of supporting contextual analysis into complex problem spaces as part of information systems analysis. Previous papers have dealt with an application supporting strategic development of work in an academic university departme

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are germline-encoded pathogen-recognition receptors that detect different microbial structures and activate the immune system. The human TLR family presently comprises ten members (TLR1-TLR10), each with distinct properties. Although the TLRs protect the host from infection, they have become increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases, in

Background: Previous studies on domestic violence in Indonesia have focused primarily on women's experiences and little research has been undertaken to understand men's views on domestic violence or their involvement in the prevention of domestic violence. This study aimed to explore men's views on masculinity and the use of violence within marriage, in order to gain knowledge on how to involve me

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) regulate the growth and progression of breast cancer. FGF signaling is transduced through FGF receptors 1-4, which have oncogenic or anti-oncogenic roles depending on the ligand and the cellular context. Our aim was to clarify the roles of FGFR1-3 in breast cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Pools of S115 mouse breast cancer cells expressing shRNA against FGF

Besides medical needs, psychotropic medication use in adolescence might be conditioned by the cultural context of the family. This knowledge is relevant for both detecting inequities in healthcare, and identifying information bias in epidemiological studies using psychotropic medication as a proxy for impaired psychological health. Therefore, we investigated whether, independent of needs, the soci

Objective To examine whether erosive hand osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with knee subchondral bone attrition (SBA) and systemic bone mineral density (BMD). Methods Associations of MRI-defined knee SBA with radiographic erosive hand OA were evaluated in 1253 Framingham participants using logistic regression with generalised estimating equations. We also examined the association between the numb

Monitoring of permafrost has been ongoing since 1978 in the Abisko area, northernmost Sweden, when measurements of active layer thickness started. In 1980, boreholes were drilled in three mires in the area to record permafrost temperatures. Recordings were made twice per year, and the last data were obtained in 2002. During the International Polar Year (2007-2008), new boreholes were drilled withi

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are overexpressed on many types of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer cells, but little is known about the functional relevance of these immune regulatory molecules in malignant settings. Here, we report frequent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the flagellin receptor TLR5 and the TLR downstream effector molecules MyD88 and TIRAP that are associated with al

Introduction: Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with early death, its life expectancy differs greatly between patients. A better understanding of this heterogeneity may reveal important disease mechanisms underlying the malignancy of AD. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between AD pathologies and early death in AD caused by dementia. Methods: At a memory clinic, 247

Background: Reliable exposure data is a vital concern in medical epidemiology and intervention studies. The present study addresses the needs of the medical researcher to spend monetary resources devoted to exposure assessment with an optimal cost-efficiency, i.e. obtain the best possible statistical performance at a specified budget. A few previous studies have suggested mathematical optimization

Astatine isotopes can be produced in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic targets through proton-induced double charge exchange reactions on bismuth or in secondary helium-induced interactions. Models implemented into the most common high-energy transport codes generally have difficulties to correctly estimate their production yields as was shown recently by the ISOLDE Collaboration, which measured releas

Several important observations emerge from this 2008 International Consultation "Bladder Cancer from Pathogenesis to Prevention". The following is a brief summary the issues that have been discussed in the articles from the meeting.

The diagnostic method for Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) involves rectal biopsy to determine the presence of histopathological findings for aganglionosis. Contrast enema (CE) and anorectal manometry help to support the indication for biopsies. Patients with HD lack a rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) that can be studied using manometry, ultrasound, or a modified contrast enema (CE), which provoke

This paper presents and discusses how virtual meetings (VMs) can be used as a Green IT-measure in an organization, by analyzing the experiences and results from the project ‘REMM’ involving 20 public agencies in Sweden. The paper describes the methodology used in the REMM project, how progress and results have been monitored, evaluating how well the approach has worked out and discussing how appli

Neurosin is a protease that in vitro degrades α-synuclein, the main constituent of Lewy bodies found in brains of patients with synucleinopathy including Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Several studies have reported reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of α-synuclein in synucleinopathy patients and recent data also proposes a significant role of α-synuclein in the