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Object. The pathogenesis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt infection is characterized by staphylococcal adhesion to the polymeric surface of the shunt catheter. Proteins from the CSF-fibronectin, vitronectin, and fibrinogen-are adsorbed to the surface of the catheter immediately after insertion. These proteins can interfere with the biological systems of the host and mediate staphylococcal adhesi

Quantitation of microbes adhering to a surface is commonly used in studies of microbial adhesion to different surfaces. We have quantified different staphylococcal strains adhering to polymer surfaces by measuring bacterial ATP (adenosine triphosphate) by bioluminescence. The method is sensitive, having a detection limit of 104 bacterial cells. Viable counting of bacterial cells may yield falsely

Biomaterials are commonly used in modern medicine. Proteins are adsorbed to the surface of the biomaterial immediately after insertion. This report demonstrates the presence of adsorbed proteins in one infected cerebrospinal shunt from a child with hydrocephalus and on fifteen temporary ventricular catheters from adult patients with spontaneous or traumatic brain injuries. Depositions of vitronect

The interest in miniaturization of modern chemical and medical sensors is steadily increasing. However, when employing methods and fabrication procedures especially developed for microelectronics, one may encounter new and unpredictable problems for applications in aqueous media. For instance, in microelectronics often a dual metal layer system is employed for making electrical contacts. In a solu

As the tip in the atomic force microscope is scanned over the sample surface an image results which contains information from the sample as well as from the tip. This mainly results in an increase of the apparent size of the sample. If the tip is reasonably sharp the contribution from the tip is small. In some cases the widening still persists in spite of a very sharp tip. In this letter, a model

We have fabricated nanometer-sized interdigitated electrode patterns using electron beam lithography and liftoff techniques. The aim of the investigation was to find out whether the dimensions (i.e., the electrode separations) of the pattern would affect the admittance signal of the biomolecules in between the electrodes. Since the admittance signal scales with the geometrical factor A/d, where A

In this study we report on the first direct observation of the real shape of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip using the AFM technique itself, utilizing a specially designed sample geometry. This is the first report of the so-called inverse AFM mode in which the tip is actually used as the sample and vice versa. We propose how this method can, with a very high accuracy, be used for studying ob

In this economic evaluation, conducted alongside a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, economic data were collected from 339 patients with moderate-persistent asthma randomized to receive twice-daily, double-blind treatment with budesonide/formoterol 160/4.5 μg in a single inhaler (n = 166) or fluticasone propionate 250 μg (n = 173) for 12 weeks. The mean number of episode-free days (EFD) per

Previous studies have presented divergent estimates of the cost of illness of COPD due to differences in methodology. The objective of this study was to examine differences between register-based estimates versus population-based estimates on the burden of COPD. This study therefore examined differences in costs of COPD among physician-diagnosed and un-diagnosed subjects. During a one-year period,

This paper reports on a retrospective analysis of hospital-based healthcare costs associated with the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). During the second half of 2001, Simrishamn Hospital, Sweden, implemented a structured Disease Management Programme (DMP) for COPD and a total of 784 patients with COPD, enrolled in the DMP, were included in the analysis. The goal was to r

This open, multinational, randomised, parallel-group, six-month extension conducted in the Swedish centres of a previous six-month study compared the costs of a total of 12 months of treatment with budesonide/formoterol in a single inhaler with budesonide plus formoterol separate inhalers in 320 adults with asthma. Patients received budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort® Turbuhaler®) 160/4.5 mg deliver

Stress, Unmanageability, FOMO, and Lack of Recovery: A New Perspective on Adolescent Mental HealthToday, many of the challenges that adolescents face involve mental health issues, some of which have the potential of negatively affecting them for a long time to come. There is, however, at present a lack of a detailed account on the mental health issues experienced by adolescents in Sweden. This stu

Observations from engine experiments indicates that the gross indicated efficiency (GIE) increases when the inlet temperature (Tinlet) is lowered. The change in Tinlet affects several important factors, such as the heat release profile (affecting heat and exhaust losses), working fluid properties, combustion efficiency and heat transfer losses. These factors all individually contributes to the res

Swedish engineering education is organised as study programs consisting of intertwined chains of course units. Formal program objectives integrate skills, scientific attitudes and engineering knowledge. However, assessment of learning and educational quality typically focuses outcomes of individual course modules. It is our concern that study programme quality and student progression are hard to e

Semiconductor nanowires can act as nanoscaled optical fibers, enabling them to guide and concentrate light emitted by surface-bound fluorophores, potentially enhancing the sensitivity of optical biosensing. While parameters such as the nanowire geometry and the fluorophore wavelength can be expected to strongly influence this lightguiding effect, no detailed description of their effect on in-coupl

The education of our children is one of the most important assignments for society. The facilities where education is conducted have been seen as one important part of a good educational result. In order to create good facilities the lighting situation has for long been seen as one important factor both concerning daylight and electrical lighting. The chapter describes the development of research