We have studied the presence of novel inflammatory markers as soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and natural IgM antibodies directed against phosphorylcholine (αPC-IgM) in Swedish diabetic patients (n = 164) and in healthy control subjects (n = 41). SuPAR is expressed by several types of immune cells and has been shown to be a marker of disease severity and predict mortality

The 2012–14 reform of the Belgian state has deeeply transformed its Senate. Not only does the reform reduce the legislative powers of the Belgian upper chamber, but it also alters its composition. The former appointment of Senators based on a system of direct and community-based election is replaced by a system of indirect and mixed regional and community-based designation. This article presents t

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play an important role in the chemistry of the troposphere, especially in the formation of tropospheric ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Ecosystems produce and emit a large number of BVOCs. It is estimated on a global scale that approximately 90% of annual BVOC emissions are from terrestrial sources. In this study, measurements of BVOCs w

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is common and results in increased morbidity and mortality. One possible mechanism for AKI is ischaemia-reperfusion injury caused by the extracorporeal circulation (ECC), resulting in an opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in the kidneys, which can lead to cell injury or cell death. Ciclosporin may block the

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction might be an important component of many neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we investigated its role in dementia using large clinical cohorts. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma albumin ratio (Qalb), an indicator of BBB (and blood-CSF barrier) permeability, was measured in a total of 1015 individuals. The ratio was increased in patients with Alzheime

Background: Except for overall survival, whether or not waiting time for treatment could influences other domains of cancer patients' overall well-being is to a large extent unknown. Therefore, we performed this study to determine the effect of waiting time for cancer treatment on the mental health of patients with esophageal or gastric cancer. Methods: Based on the Swedish National Quality Regist

During vasculitis, activation of the kinin system induces inflammation, whereby the kinin B1-receptor is expressed and activated after ligand binding. Additionally, activated blood cells release microvesicles into the circulation. Here we determined whether leukocyte-derived microvesicles bear B1-kinin receptors during vasculitis, and if microvesicles transfer functional B1-receptors to recipient

A series of racemic aryl-substituted phenylalanines was synthesized and evaluated in vitro at recombinant rat GluA1-3, at GluK1-3, and at native AMPA receptors. The individual enantiomers of two target compounds, (RS)-2-amino-3-(3,4-dichloro-5-(5-hydroxypyridin-3-yl)phenyl)propanoic acid 37 and (RS)-2-amino-3-(3'-hydroxybiphenyl-3-yl)propanoic acid 38, were characterized. (S)-37 and (R)-38 were id

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) confers a risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life, but the risk of developing type 1 diabetes is also increased. In this study we have evaluated the clinical use of C-peptide and β-cell specific autoantibodies during pregnancy with GDM as predictors for later development of diabetes. C-peptide levels were measured 2 hours after glucose intake in pregn

The α4β2 subtype of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has been pursued as a drug target for treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and smoking cessation aids for decades. Still, a thorough understanding of structure-function relationships of α4β2 agonists is lacking. Using binding experiments, electrophysiology and x-ray crystallography we have investigated a consecutive serie

An integrated approach is presented in this study to design electrical hubs combining optimization, multi-criterion assessment and decision making. Levelized Energy Cost (LEC), Initial Capital Cost (ICC), Grid Integration Level (GI), Levelized CO2 emission (LCO2), utilization of renewable energy, flexibility of the system, loss of load probability (LOLP) are considered as criteria used to assess t