The aim of the study was to describe the patients' experiences of the information and support they received after being placed on the waiting list for a heart or lung transplant. The design was qualitative, and the critical incident technique was used. Incidents were collected via interviews with 21 patients. A total of 357 important events, both positive and negative, were identified and divided

OBJECTIVE:: The severity of vasomotor symptoms has been hypothesized to be linked to a lower bone mineral density (BMD). We examined whether women with vasomotor symptoms are different from women without symptoms with regard to BMD. DESIGN:: We used data from a population-based sample of 5,600 women, aged 46 to 57 years and free from bone diseases, who participated in the first cross-sectional par

ObjectiveTo evaluate the long-term costs and quality of life (QoL) with and without disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodsData on resource consumption, productivity losses, QoL (utility), and fatigue were collected from 1355 patients registered with a patient association and descriptive analyses was performed.A Markov model was developed to estimate co

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), a key enzyme in fatty acid mobilization from lipid stores, is expressed in the liver and decreased hepatic insulin sensitivity has been reported in our HSL null mouse model. Here, an integrated approach, comprising transcriptomics and proteomics together with targeted metabolite analysis, was used to investigate the liver phenotype of HSL null mice. Oligonucleotide

The damage caused by a dramatic worldwide increase in so-called natural disasters is staggering, with the poor in developing countries being most at risk. This paper analyses: (a) the key variables and their causal relations that underlie the complex system of risk and disaster occurrence in slums; (b) the impacts of disasters on slums; (c) the strategies used by local people to cope with risk and

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is associated with mechanical instability and defective neuromuscular function, and can lead to further injury, increased joint loading and osteoarthritis. Patients with ACL injury demonstrate altered postural orientation, manifested as observable "substitution patterns" (SPs) but no one has applied a clinically useful method to systematically study postural

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) on CD4 counts and mortality in tuberculosis (TB) patients with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS: A prospective study on 280 hospitalized patients with pulmonary TB was performed in Guinea-Bissau, 1994-1997, including HIV, CD4 counts and clinical outcome. We compared the CD4 count levels at the

Spherical particles with known properties were used to demonstrate and test a novel software package known as AASIFIT, which is able to unfold complex alpha spectra. A unique feature of the program is that it uses simulated peak shapes in the fitting process. The experimental reference particles in the testing were artificially produced U particles of diameter 1.4mum and a nuclear bomb particle wi

BACKGROUND: In total knee replacement, sound early fixation of the prosthesis is crucial for achieving a good long-term result and for minimising the risk of loosening. Various types of prosthetic material, different surface textures and shapes and the incorporation of screws or pegs have been used to achieve good fixation, particularly in the uncemented knee. Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating of prosth

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired insulin secretion have been reported in families with PAX6 mutations and it is suggested that they result from defective proinsulin processing due to lack of prohormone convertase 1/3, encoded by PCSK1. We investigated whether a common PAX6 variant would mimic these findings and explored in detail its effect on islet function in man. METHODS

Coals with similar thermal maturity and from the same deposit normally show a considerable range in petroleum generation potential as measured by the Hydrogen Index (HI). This variation may partly be related to variations in plant input to the precursor mires and organic matter preservation. It is widely accepted that some Cenozoic coals and coaly sediments have the potential to generate oil, whic

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Our aim was to study whether glycaemic control differs between individuals with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and patients with type 2 diabetes, and whether it is influenced by time on insulin therapy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 372 patients with LADA (205 men and 167 women; median age 54 years, range 35-80 years) from Swedish cohorts from Skåne (

ABSTRACT Aims: To compare two versions of a questionnaire translated using forward-backward (FB) translation and dual-panel (DP) methodologies regarding preference of wording and psychometric properties. Methods: The Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life instrument was adapted into Swedish by two independent groups using FB and DP methodologies, respectively. Seven out of thirty resulting items wer

NLRs are recently discovered PRRs detecting substructures of peptidoglycans and triggering innate immunity. NLRs are expressed in several cell types, but the presence in human B lymphocytes is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate expression and function of NLRs in human B lymphocytes. B cells were isolated and analyzed for mRNA and protein expression. The functional responsiveness of NOD

Jordan has seen a large increase in population during the past five decades as a result of population growth and forced migrations, and also, accompanied with this increase, a cultural and economical development that has improved the standard of living and changing consumer habits in the community, resulting in a clear increase in the volume of waste. These changes urges the need for finding prope

PURPOSE: Asthma includes immunological components that may share mechanisms with autoimmune diseases. We analyzed the subsequent occurrence of any of 22 autoimmune and related conditions in hospitalized asthma patients. METHODS: A nationwide study was conducted in Sweden on subsequent diseases of asthma patients on the basis of the Hospital Discharge Register. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs)

AIM: Stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) with BAY 41-8543 was hypothesized to attenuate acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction alone and combined with dual endothelin (ET)-receptor antagonist tezosentan. METHODS: Measurements were taken in 18 anaesthetized pigs with a mean ± SEM weight of 31.1 ± 0.4 kg, in normoxia (FiO(2) ~0.21) and hypoxia (FiO(2) ~0.10) without (control protocol