The role of VEGF in the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has been clearly established. However, little is known about temporal changes in circulating VEGF concentrations in the preterm infant. The objective was to determine the longitudinal serum concentrations of VEGF in relation to ROP.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the long-term associations between smoking habits, environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETS), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) progression rate, and rate of lumen diameter reduction in the carotid artery during a 16-year follow-up. Another objective was to investigate if an effect of smoking on progression rate could be explained by increased low gr

To evaluate construct validity, internal consistency and inter-rater reliability of the Posture and Postural Ability Scale for children with cerebral palsy.

One peculiarity of referential metonymy is that metonymic subjects and their predicates need not agree as to number. Nor need there be gender agreement between metonymic expressions and anaphoric pronouns. In this respect metonymies differ from metaphors.To account for the apparently erratic syntax in utterances containing referential metonymies, it is first suggested that these involve implicit e

The recent introduction of entry inhibitors in the clinic as components of antiretroviral treatment has heightened the interest in coreceptor use of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Viruses using CCR5 as coreceptor (R5 viruses) are generally present over the entire course of infection whereas viruses using the CXCR4 coreceptor (R5X4/X4 viruses) emerge in about 50% of infected individua

Electrostrictive polyurethane (PU) elastomers belong to the class of materials commonly referred to as electroactive polymers (EAP). These materials have their use in a variety of applications, including biomimetics and microrobotics where traditional engineering components may fall short. PU is one of the materials considered for so called dielectric actuators, where the electromechanical respons

What does it mean that an object has instrumental value? While some writers seem to think it means that the object bears a value, and that instrumental value accordingly is a kind of value, other writers seem to think that the object is not a value bearer but is only what is conducive to something of value. Contrary to what is the general view among philosophers of value, I argue that if instrumen

PURPOSE: To study the clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with asthma and COPD in primary care in Sweden, with a focus on adherence to recommended guidelines and quality indicators. METHODS: All visits at health care centres in Skaraborg, Sweden, are documented in computerized medical records constituting the Skaraborg Primary Care Database (SPCD). In a register-based retrospective obser

BACKGROUND: Liver resection provides the best chance for cure in colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases. A variety of factors that might influence survival and recurrence have been identified. Predictive models can help in risk stratification, to determine multidisciplinary treatment and follow-up for individual patients. AIMS: To systematically review available prognostic models described for o

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital erythroid hypoplasia caused by a functional haploinsufficiency of genes encoding for ribosomal proteins. Recently, a case study reported a patient who became transfusion-independent in response to treatment with the amino acid L-leucine. Therefore, we have validated the therapeutic effect of L-leucine using our recently generated mouse model for RPS19-

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been suggested to improve healing of hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers. Although the wide use of HBOT as a treatment for diabetic foot ulcers has been founded on weak scientific ground, 2 well-designed randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have in recent years put HBOT on firmer ground as treatment for diabetic patients with chronic foot ulcers.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are shed in peripheral blood at advanced metastatic stages of solid cancers. Surface-marker-based detection of CTC predicts recurrence and survival in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. However, scarcity and variation in size, morphology, expression profile, and antigen exposure impairs reliable detection and characterization of CTC. We have developed a nonconta

BACKGROUND: The medical programme at Lund University, Sweden, has undergone curricular reform over several stages, which is still ongoing. Students have been somewhat negative in their evaluations of the education during this time. AIM: To find out how the students perceived the educational climate using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), and to compare the findings taken at t

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled trial involving 121 young, active adults with acute ACL injury in which we compared two strategies: structured rehabilitation plus early ACL reconstruction and structured rehabilitation with the option of later ACL reconstruction if needed. The primar

The molecular and electronic surface structure of a triarylamine based hole-conductor (HC) molecule evaporated onto rutile TiO2(110) single crystal is investigated by means of synchrotron light based photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy in combination with calculations based on density functional theory. Different amounts of the HC molecule was evaporated spanning the monol

IgG antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins A and B were followed in controls and patients with an initial C. difficile infection (CDI). Of the 50 CDI patients, 38 were cured and 12 developed recurrence. Compared to controls, patients had significantly lower anti-toxin A and B IgGs at inclusion, but the subsequent levels rose slightly regardless of clinical outcome. The results imply that