Purpose: Stigma has been proposed to be one of the most serious obstacles to successful treatment, rehabilitation and inclusion in society of people with severe mental illness. An aspect of stigma which has been increasingly discussed is self-stigma, which refers to the internalization of negative stereotypes among people with severe mental illness. The aim of the present study was to investigate

Background: The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the most important measure of kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aims to validate commonly used equations for estimated GFR (eGFR) based on creatinine (cr), cystatin C (cys), β-trace protein (BTP), and β2-microglobulin (B2M) in older adults. Method: We conducted a validation study with 126 participants aged between 72 an

Background: Early identification of predictors for a poor long-term outcome in patients who survive the initial phase of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may facilitate future clinical research, the process of care and information provided to relatives. The aim of this study was to determine the association between variables available from the patient's history and status at intensive care ad

Efficient conversion of both glucose and xylose in lignocellulosic biomass is necessary to make second-generation bioethanol from agricultural residues competitive with first-generation bioethanol and gasoline. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) is a promising strategy for obtaining high ethanol yields. However, with this method, the xylose-fermenting capacity and viability o

Background: There is a need for a prehospital stroke test that in addition to high sensitivity for stroke, also is able to communicate stroke severity similar to the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Methods: The PreHospital Ambulance Stroke Test (PreHAST), an eight item test based on NIHSS, which scores stroke severity from 0-19 points, was designed and adapted for the ambulance

Background/Aims: Men with terminal renal failure are often infertile. Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), a marker of Sertoli cell function, is decreased among men with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recently, a microRNA, miR-155, has been shown to be a potential marker for subfertility. We studied miR-155 and semen parameters in patients with CKD who were not yet on dialysis. We also aimed to study poss

In line with increasing international trends of energy efficient devices on the market and in households, domestic consumption of water and energy should be decreasing. However in Sweden, domestic per capita water consumption is not decreasing rapidly and energy consumption is actually increasing. This suggests that physical contexts are not the only factor shaping resource demand. People are also

Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in the maternal circulation but its source is unknown. To investigate whether excessive HbF is produced in the placenta or the fetus, the concentration of HbF (cHbF) in the arterial and venous umbilical cord blood (UCB) was compared in 15825 normotensive and 444 PE pregnancies. The effect of fetal gender on cHbF was also evaluat

Hypertension is a main risk factor for the development of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) – a major contributor to stroke and the most common cause of vascular dementia. Despite the increasing socioeconomic importance arising from cSVD, currently only a few specific treatment strategies with proven efficacy are known. Fundamental to the lack of specific treatments is poor understanding of the

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) attenuates sphingosine- 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling in resistance arteries and has emerged as a prominent regulator of myogenic vasoconstriction. This investigation demonstrates that S1P inhibits CFTR activity via adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), establishing a potential feedback link. In Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cells

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a complex stroke subtype characterized by an initial brain injury, followed by delayed cerebrovascular constriction and ischemia. Current therapeutic strategies nonselectively curtail exacerbated cerebrovascular constriction, which necessarily disrupts the essential and protective process of cerebral blood flow autoregulation. This study ide

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disorder characterized by reduced cardiac output and increased peripheral resistance, ultimately leading to tissue perfusion deficits and devastating consequences for several organs including the brain. We previously described a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-dependent enhancement of posterior cerebral artery tone and concomitant reduced cerebral bl

Background-Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling is a central regulator of resistance artery tone. Therefore, S1P levels need to be tightly controlled through the delicate interplay of its generating enzyme sphingosine kinase 1 and its functional antagonist S1P phosphohydrolase-1. The intracellular localization of S1P phosphohydrolase-1 necessitates the import of extracellular S1P into the intra

BACKGROUND - Heart failure is associated with neurological deficits, including cognitive dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying reduced cerebral blood flow in the early stages of heart failure, particularly when blood pressure is minimally affected, are not known. METHODS AND RESULTS - Using a myocardial infarction model in mice, we demonstrate a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-d

Rationale: Mechanisms underlying vasomotor abnormalities and increased peripheral resistance exacerbating heart failure (HF) are poorly understood. Objective: To explore the role and molecular basis of myogenic responses in HF. Methods and Results: 10 weeks old C57Bl6 mice underwent experimental myocardial infarction (MI) or sham surgery. At 1 to 12 weeks postoperative, mice underwent hemodynamic

OBJECTIVE-: The purpose of this study was to characterize a phosphorylation motif at serine 225 as a molecular switch that regulates the pressure-dependent activation of sphingosine kinase 1 (Sk1) in resistance artery smooth muscle cells. METHODS AND RESULTS-: In isolated hamster gracilis muscle resistance arteries, pressure-dependent activation/translocation of Sk1 by ERK1/2 was critically depend

Calcium, as an integral part of a large number of cellular regulatory pathways, is selective in the control of specific cell functions like the start of G1 phase in cell cycle. Cell proliferation has been suggested to depend on increasing intracellular calcium levels. A major regulatory pathway for intracellular calcium is the calcium influx into the cell via voltage-gated calcium channels. T-type