Diabetes is a highly ageing-related disease manifesting with a deteriorated capacity of insulin secretion and uncontrolled blood glucose-raising, hyperglycemia. In this thesis, we aim to explore the underlying roles of CaV channels and aging-associated genetic changes in the development of Type 2 diabetes (T2D).In pancreatic β-cells, the active of voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channels play an essen

Aims/hypothesis: Systematic studies on the phenotypic consequences of variants causal of HNF1A-MODY are rare. Our aim was to assess the phenotype of carriers of a single HNF1A variant and genetic and clinical factors affecting the clinical spectrum. Methods: We conducted a family-based multigenerational study by comparing heterozygous carriers of the HNF1A p.(Gly292fs) variant with the non-carrier

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The T allele of transcription factor 7-like 2 gene variant, TCF7L2 rs7903146, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40-50%. As TCF7L2 rs7903146 has been associated with diminished incretin effect we investigated whether interaction between dietary intake of carbohydrate, fat, protein or fibre and this variant affects the risk of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A cohort of 24,799

Östersjön har stora problem med övergödning, eutrofiering, vilket beror på en ökad transport av näringsämnen från omgivande länder. Näringen kommer främst i form av kväve och fosfor från jordbruket och transporteras ut i Östersjön via floder. Framförallt kväve har stor påverkan på övergödningen, som i sin tur leder till fiskdöd, algblomning och syrefria bottnar i sjöar. I den här studien ska läckEutrophication problems in the Baltic Sea have drawn attention to the contribution of nutrients from surrounding countries. The problems have attracted considerable attention to non-point source nitrogen pollution of rivers and lakes. The ability to predict nitrogen export from inland sources is essential in order to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic activities, of which the leakage from agric

SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] penetrated China in spring of 2003, created havoc in the social society, exposed weaknesses within the political system and pushed the nation towards a crisis of confidence. At the same time the crisis revitalised the Party's position, brought people from different social stratum together and had a beneficial impact on the populace's knowledge on he

Adipocytes are crucial energy reservoirs to maintain metabolic homeostasis of glucose and lipids in the human body.Glucose transporters (GLUTs) and aquaporins (AQPs) play an important role in metabolic regulation of glucose andlipids in human adipocytes. Specifically, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and aquaporin 7 (AQP7) are the centralplayers for glucose transport and glycerol efflux in adipocytes

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) is involved in the development of atherosclerosis and CVD. The main aim was to explore the associations between MMP-14 and selected inflammatory and metabolic variables, CVD, depression, physical activity, smoking and medication in patients with T1D. The secondary aim was

Introduction: Fetal growth restriction is a major risk factor for adverse perinatal outcome. As most of the growth-restricted fetuses are small for gestational age (SGA), an efficient antenatal screening method for SGA fetuses would have a major impact on perinatal health. The aim of this study was to compare the SGA prediction rate achieved with third-trimester routine ultrasound estimation of fe

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

Ecological stability encompasses multiple dimensions of functional and compositional responses to environmental change. Though no single stability dimension used in isolation can fully reflect the overall response to environmental change, a common vulnerability assessment that integrates simultaneously across multiple stability components is highly desirable for ecological risk assessment. We deve

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Human genetic studies support a key role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Still, there are only limited data from observational studies exploring circulating IL-6 levels as a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Here, we set out to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of aggregate data on cohort studies to determine the magnitude and s

In Alzheimer's disease, post-mortem studies have shown that the first cortical site where neurofibrillary tangles appear is the transentorhinal region, a subregion within the medial temporal lobe that largely overlaps with Brodmann area 35, and the entorhinal cortex. Here we used tau-PET imaging to investigate the sequence of tau pathology progression within the human medial temporal lobe and acro

Objective: Fenestrated endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (FEVAR) for juxtarenal aortic aneurysm (jAAA) disease is safe and effective with good short- and mid-term outcomes. The durability issues have mainly focused on the proximal and distal seal and target vessel (TV) instability, and long-term data are scarce. In previous studies, we have reported the short-term outcomes after FEVAR and compar

Objective: Recent randomised controlled trials demonstrated the benefit of intracranial endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in acute ischaemic stroke. There is no consensus, however, on how to treat concomitant extracranial carotid artery stenosis after EVT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome in patients treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) after EVT, comparing complication rates a

Buildings account for a signifi cant proportion of the energy use thatgenerates greenhouse gases and consequently drives the ongoing climatechange. As the population of the world increases, the need for buildingsincreases, while the energy use needs to decrease. A reduction in energyuse and increased use of renewable energy are important measures forclimate change mitigation. A fi rst step in decr

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Prognostic factors and characteristics of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before 6 years of age were compared with those diagnosed at 6-13 years of age in the TEDDY study.METHODS: Genetically high-risk children (n = 8502) were followed from birth for a median of 9.9 years; 328 (3.9%) were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the