Shed blood is known to be a source of lipid micro-emboli in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to characterize the occurrence of these particles at different stages of the operation, and to study their occurrence in the circulation at multiple time-points after the retransfusion of shed blood. 44 patients undergoing routine surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were included. Blood was sampl

In this case-control study, interview data on smoking habits were available for 179 de novo cases (116 with cytogenetic data) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Smoking habits were compared with a pooled set of population controls and hospital controls (diagnosed with malignant melanoma). Each pack-year of smoking increased the risk of MDS with 1.3% (95% CI 0.1-2.6

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of impaired gastric emptying (IGE) and its relation to autonomic nervous dysfunction (AD), functional bowel syndrome, and inflammatory and serological variables in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with pSS according to the American-European Consensus Criteria were included in the study. Gastric emptying was eval

OBJECTIVE: Adenoviral vector mediated gene expression is an attractive approach to manipulate or report gene expression in human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), when transient gene expression is preferred. Previous studies have demonstrated that fiber retargeted Ad5F35 vectors can mediate efficient gene transfer into human HSCs. In this study, we have investigated the potential of bi-directional p

We present the scattering lengths for the pi-pi processes in the three flavour Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) framework at next-to-next-to-leading order. We then combine this calculation with the determination of the parameters from $Ke4 and the masses and decay constants and compare with the results of a dispersive analysis of pi-pi scattering. The comparison indicates a small but nonzero valu

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. This study aims to evaluate effects of medical assessment prior to endovascular repair (EVAR) for AAAon long term survival and causes of death. METHODS: Aretrospective study comparing patients treated with EVARfor AAAfrom 1998 to 2006, having undergone standar

Identification and characterization of leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) is important to understand leukemogenesis and develop novel therapies for leukemia. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Gibbs et al. (2012) demonstrate that common active signaling pathways in LICs may be targeted to treat acute myeloid leukemia.

Health care systems around the globe are facing great challenges. The demand for health care is increasing due to the continuous development of new medical technologies, changing demographics, increasing income levels, and greater expectations from patients. The possibilities and willingness to expand health care resources, however, are limited. Consequently, health care organizations are increasi

The efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin M. (PpIX) sensitisation and laser light at 635 nm was investigated in the treatment of experimental hepatic tumours. The model of liver tumours was induced either by local inoculation or by administration of tumour cells through the portal vein in rats. ALA at a dose of 60 mg kg(-1) b.w. was in

Background: In Sweden, a person with substance abuse can be reported to the social services for an investigation about commitment to coercive care. After a change in legislation, municipalities varied greatly in the ratio of commitments/reports compared with the period before the legislation was amended. Aims: The primary aims of this study were first, to investigate whether subjects from municipa

Wennick A, Hallström I, Lindgren B, Bolin K. Attained education and self-assessed health later in life when diagnosed with diabetes in childhood: a population-based study. Background: Previous studies have reported conflicting findings on academic achievement in children with type 1 diabetes, and generally lower self-assessed health status among respondents with diabetes. Objective: Thus, in this

The Kit/stem cell factor receptor (Kit/SCF-R) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor of importance for the normal development of hemopoietic cells, melanoblasts, and germ cells. We recently reported that protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in a negative feedback loop regulating the Kit/SCF-R by direct phosphorylation on serine residues in the receptor. Inhibition of PKC led to increased SCF-in

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Sense of Coherence Scale (C-SOC-13) in women with cervical cancer in Mainland China. METHODS: The C-SOC-13 and Health-related Quality of Life scale (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervix) were administered to 238 women with cervical cancer. Validity was assessed in terms of factor valid

Motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) can be effectively alleviated through intra-striatal transplantation of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue. The success of this approach is dependent on the survival, axonal outgrowth and synaptic integration of newly grafted dopamine neurons with the host striatum. The functional outcome of transplantation therapy has, however, been highly variable, p

BACKGROUND: Neutrophils and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are suggested to be involved in irreversible myocardial reperfusion injury and stunning. We investigated the relations between circulating biochemical markers and myocardium at risk (MaR), myocardial infarct (MI) size, salvage, and recovery of function in man. METHODS AND RESULTS: In patients undergoing PCI serial blood samples were acquir

The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is anti-inflammatory and proapoptotic in human periodontal ligament cells. J Periodont Res 2011; doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.2011.01436.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S Background and Objective: The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is expressed in periodontal tissue, and variations in LL-37 levels have been associated with periodontal disease. The effects of LL-37 on per

The function of the nucleolus is intimately connected to cell proliferation, division and growth. Many cancer cells have enlarged nucleoli, and several nucleolar proteins have been linked to tumorigenesis. In order to find proteins whose expression is altered in the nucleoli of leukemic cells, we carried out two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) analyses. Prohibitin (PHB) and T

Silent brain infarcts and leucoaraiosis are frequently observed in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stroke. Patients with silent brain infarcts and leucoaraiosis at baseline are a high-risk group with an increased long-term risk for recurrent stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia. Effects on short-term outcomes are less clear, but leucoaraiosis appear to increase the ri

Long-term prophylaxis is not as well known in Von Willebrand disease (VWD) as in hemophilia but attempts to evaluate prophylaxis scientifically in VWD have started. A few cohort studies have been reported. In an international effort the Von Willebrand disease prophylaxis network (VWD PN) has been formed to investigate the role of prophylaxis in clinically severe VWD (e.g., patients with type 3 VWD