Several new oral antidiabetic agents, known as 'gliptins' or 'enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitors', have been developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and a key clinical use of the gliptins is in combination with metformin. There are important differences in the kinetics of the interaction of different gliptins with the catalytic site of DPP-4, which may lead to varying pharmac

Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) assessed by sperm chromatin structure assay is a valuable tool for prediction of fertility in vivo. Previous studies on DFI as predictor of in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome, based on relatively small materials, gave contradictory results. The present study examines, in a large cohort, the association between sperm DFI and the outcome of IVF/ICSI procedure. T

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been associated with impaired glucometabolic status. However, studies of older subjects are lacking. We examined associations between echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic function and LV mass index (LVMI) and glucometabolic status among middle-aged and elderly subjects free from heart disease, hypothesizing that the associations woul

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Although recent studies propose that epigenetic factors influence insulin expression, the regulation of the insulin gene in type 2 diabetic islets is still not fully understood. Here, we examined DNA methylation of the insulin gene promoter in pancreatic islets from patients with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic human donors and related it to insulin expression, HbA(1c) levels, BM

The research project "Exclusive metalworking in rural settings" was instigated in 2013 with funding from Berit Wallenbergs foundation. The projects objective is to survey sites housing remains of multimetal craftsmanship of the late Iron Age and medieval periods outside urban contexts. This article aims to contextualize preliminary results from the project by evaluating its chosen source material

The bio-economy has been put forward as a strategy to increase economic growth without this leading to increased emissions of greenhouse gases. A key concept behind the bio-economy is the increased use of biomass for applications such as the production of bio-based chemicals and materials but also an increased importance for biotechnology and biorefinery systems in the production of these products

Gesture-based interaction constitutes a new paradigm in human-machine interaction. The possibility to control a technical system with gestures on surfaces or in mid air makes it possible to design user interfaces that go beyond the WIMP paradigm (Windows Icons Menus and Pointers), the dominating interaction paradigm since the 1970's. After mainly having been of interest in the human-computer inter

Lactic acid exists as two optical isomers, D- and L-lactic acid. For the production of biodegradable poly-lactic acid an optically pure product is desirable, but a racemate of known and constant ratio can also be used. Lactic acid can be produced either synthetically or fermentatively. Fermentative production has some advantages: by choosing a lactic acid bacterium producing only one of the isomer

Autoantibodies to the islet-specific zinc transporter isoform 8 (ZnT8) are detected in the majority of type 1 diabetes patients prior to and at clinical diagnosis. The presence of ZnT8Ab after diagnosis has not been investigated. This study analyzed the autoantibody response to ZnT8 in regard to age at onset and disease duration. Two new onset type 1 diabetes patient cohorts with different age dis

IL-5 is a Th2 cytokine which activates eosinophils and is suggested to have an atheroprotective role. Genetic variants in the IL5 locus have been associated with increased risk of CAD and ischemic stroke. In this study we aimed to identify genetic variants associated with IL-5 concentrations and apply a Mendelian randomisation approach to assess IL-5 levels for causal effect on intima-media thickn

BACKGROUND: Centrally inserted central catheters (CICCs) are indispensable in modern healthcare, but unfortunately, come with complications. Catheter-related thrombosis is a well-known complication reported to occur in 5-30% of patients with CICC. There is a paucity of studies that report the incidence of catheter-related thrombosis after the introduction of real-time ultrasound insertion guidance

Psykologiska evidensbaserade interventioner som förmedlas via internet och mobila teknologier (Digital Mental Health) har potential att minska tröskeln för att få vård, samt minska svårigheter att få tillgång till behandling på grund av avstånd, kostnader, arbete och familjekonflikter eller begränsad kapacitet hos vårdgivare. Den här typen av hinder utgör en särskild utmaning för personer med deprEvidence-based psychological interventions delivered via the internet and mobile technologies (Digital Mental Health) hold the promise of reducing barriers to care, including difficulties accessing treatment because of distance, cost, work and family commitments, and limited provider capacity. Such barriers represent a particular challenge for individuals with depression and anxiety, that tend to

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has demonstrated efficacy for reducing liver fat and reversing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in phase 2 clinical trials. It is also postulated to have anti-fibrotic effects and therefore may be amenable to repurposing for the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: We leverage a missense genetic variant, rs739320 in the FGF

Monitoring crop growth and estimating crop yield are essential for managing agricultural production, ensuring food security, and maintaining sustainable agricultural development. Combining the mechanistic framework of a crop growth model with remote sensing observations can provide a means of generating realistic and spatially detailed crop growth information that can facilitate accurate crop yiel

Aims: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) exists in three isoforms TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3. TGF-β1 has been suggested to be important for maintaining plaque stability, yet the role of TGF-β2 and -β3 in atherosclerosis remains to be investigated. This study explores the association of the three isoforms of TGF-β with plaque stability in the human atherosclerotic disease. Methods and results: TGF-β

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer is more common after total mesorectal excision compared to partial mesorectal excision but might be mitigated by a defunctioning stoma. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to assess how anastomotic leakage is affected by type of mesorectal excision and defunctioning stoma use. DESIGN: This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study eval