Zinc (Zn) is an important trace element that is essential for optimal plant growth. Zinc-solubilising bacteria can release Zn from its insoluble compounds. We isolated and identified Zn-solubilising bacteria (ZnSB) from the rhizosphere, and semi-quantitively and quantitatively evaluated their ability to dissolve various Zn minerals (ZnO, ZnCO3 and Zn3(PO4)2). Out of 24 rhizosphere soil samples, 15

White quinoa grains were used as a source of novel beneficial microorganisms and as a matrix for development of a fermented plant-based drink. Studies on the quinoa grain microbiota were performed by applying spontaneous fermentation to allow isolation of autochthonous Lactiplantibacillus strains with potential to be used as starter cultures. The quinoa-based drink was fermented with the commercia

The patients’ burden of comorbidities is a cornerstone in risk assessment, clinical management and follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate if biomarkers associated with comorbidity burden can predict outcome in acute dyspnea patients. We included 774 patients with dyspnea admitted to an emergency department and measured 80 cardiovascular protein biomarkers in serum collected at admission.

In the mid-twentieth century, Sweden distinguished itself as one of the most organized and participatory democracies in the world, with high levels of voting turnout and party membership. But in the late nineteenth century the situation was much the opposite – Sweden had for Western Europe a low degree of suffrage, and low political participation. To explain the turnaround, this paper explores ext

Due to the aging population, hip fracture incidence has been increasing over the past decades. Measurements of bone mineral density with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry are the gold standard for hip fracture risk assessment, where patients with a low bone density have a high risk of fracture. However, many people that are not diagnosed to be at risk, still fracture their hip. Calculations of bone

BACKGROUND: There is a worldwide shift towards increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) with concurrent rising prevalence of obesity. We examined the relationship between the consumption of UPF and weight gain and risk of obesity.METHODS: This prospective cohort included 348 748 men and women aged 25-70 years. Participants were recruited between 1992 and 2000 from 9 European countries

We considered the phase coherence dynamics in a Two-Frequency and Two-Coupling (TFTC) model of coupled oscillators, where coupling strength and natural oscillator frequencies for individual oscillators may assume one of two values (positive/negative). The bimodal distributions for the coupling strengths and frequencies are either correlated or uncorrelated. To study how correlation affects phase c

BACKGROUND: Recent whole genome sequencing studies report that up to 6% of the childhood cancer population harbour a pathogenic variant. Identification of families with hereditary cancer may improve early detection of cancer as well as treatment outcome. AIMS: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate familial cancer risk in relatives of children with cancer and assess the prevalence of pa

This article studies the difference in the government response to COVID-19 in Norway and Sweden drawing upon theories of agenda setting, crisis management and multi-level governance. Despite having virtually identical systems of government and, initially, facing similar infection threats, Sweden opted for far less strict countermeasures than Norway. While Norway’s government response was similar t

The core of this Doctoral thesis is mainly based in the studies of one-dimensional initial-boundary value problems, which are given by a single non-linear hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) with non-convex flux function, or by a system of strongly degenerate parabolic PDEs, for the simulation of sedimentation processes of solid particles immersed in a fluid. Particular attention is pai

Contemporary evidence suggests that climate change and other co-occurring large-scale environmental changes, such as eutrophication, will have a considerable impact on aquatic communities. However, the interactions of these environmental changes on trophic interactions among zooplankton remain largely unknown. Here we present results of a mesocosm experiment examining how a couple of zooplankton p

Autologous (auto-) or allogeneic (allo-) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are accepted treatment modalities for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Recently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy received approval for MCL; however, its exact place and sequence in relation to HCT is unclear. The ASTCT, CIBMTR, and the EBMT, jointly convened an expert panel to formulate consensus recommenda

Small birds are hot creatures with an average body temperature of 40° Centigrade, and so must burn energy at a formidable rate to stay warm. This becomes quite the challenge in winter when birds are 40-50 degrees warmer than outside for extended periods, even in comparatively mild regions such as Scotland. Thus, the little bird in winter must spend most of the day either feeding or searching for f

Objective: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis, a disease that, despite treatment with antibiotics, still is associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Diffuse brain swelling is a leading cause of morbidity in S pneumoniae meningitis. We hypothesized that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) disrupt cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transport by the glym