Aim: Vitamin D stimulates production of the endogenous antimicrobial peptides cathelicidin and β-defensin-2, which are expressed in the urinary tract. We investigated vitamin D status and levels of cathelicidin and β-defensin-2 and their association with urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: The study included 120 children under three years of age: 76 children with UTIs and 44 otherwise healthy

In order to understand why individuals accept and reproduce excessive time regimes, this paper addresses five key drivers: (1) intrinsic motivation, (2) extrinsic motivation, (3) organizational norms, (4) the principle of reciprocity, and (5) identity, including having the ‘true grit’ and belonging to the ‘elite’. It also points to how various elements in excessive work regimes – tendencies toward

The link between knowledge and firm growth has been a core topic in economics of innovation for a long time. However, despite strong theoretical arguments, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. One important reason for this conundrum may be the failure of standard indicators to capture firm innovation activities comprehensively. We contribute to overcoming this limitation by looking in the know

Birds that are foraging in tree canopies can cause a substantial decrease in arthropod numbers. Trees may benefit from avian insectivores attacking insect herbivores. In a field study, we tested whether the intensity of bird predation on caterpillars is linked quantitatively to leaf damage caused by insect herbivores, a hypothesized relationship that previously was poorly investigated. Artificial

The mechanism of how patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) variant M148 is associated with increased risk of development of hepatic steatosis is still debated. Here, we propose a novel role of PNPLA3 as a key player during autophagosome formation in the process of lipophagy. A human hepatocyte cell line, HepG2 cells, expressing recombinant I148 or 148M, was used to study

Charged fluorescent bowl-shaped colloids consisting of a polystyrene core surrounded by a poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) shell are obtained by nanoengineering spherical composite microgels. The phase diagram of these soft bowl-shaped colloids interacting through long-range Yukawa-type interactions is investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The bowl-shaped structure leads to marked

Introduction: Noncompaction cardiomyopathy (NCCM) patients may develop sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Currently no known electrocardiogram (ECG) parameter has demonstrated predictive value for VA development. The spatial QRS-T angle has demonstrated ability to identify VA in other cardiomyopathy populations. Methods: A total of 39 patients with NCCM, defined by compact to non-compact rati

We study a system of spherical non-adsorbing particles immersed in a polydisperse polymer fluid. We derive an analytic expression for the many-body depletion interactions between the colloidal particles in the limit of very long chains. We argue that this expression is essentially exact for long chains and justify this using explicit simulations. In this way we are able to elucidate the profound e

I förra veckan antog Svenska Akademien en ny kommentar till sina stadgar. Där menade man att det ligger närmast till hands att jämföra Akademien med privaträttsliga organisationer. Men frågan är om man inte borde ha jämfört sig mer med de statliga institutionerna.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a major cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Murine models indicate key roles for chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 and their receptor CCR7 in lung inflammation leading to PAH. The objective of this study was to assess the chemokine CCL19–CCL21 axis in patients with SSc-related PAH. Methods: Serum samples obtained from 2 independent prospective SSc cohort

Martin Sunnqvist reflekterar över olika aspekter som rör rättsstaten. Hur byggs en rättsstat upp? Hur bryts en rättsstat ned? Den första frågan har lett till att fri- och rättigheter, oavhängiga domstolar, författningsdomstolar och självständiga advokatväsenden har införts i många länder. Nu måste den motsatta frågan ställas, så att varningsklockorna kan identifieras.

During recent years, many sites with sediments pre-dating the Last Glacial Maximum have been identified in formerly glaciated areas. As more and better dates are presented from these sites, the dynamic behaviour of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet is becoming increasingly clear. In this study, we revisited the site Skorgenes in western Norway. Here, sediments from two ice-free periods are found below an

Megacephalosaurus eulerti is a large macropredatory plesiosaur representing one of the last members of the diverse pliosaurid clade Brachaucheninae. The taxon was established upon a nearly complete skull including the mandible and fragments of the postcranial skeleton originating from the lower middle Turonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Kansas, USA. Owing to its age, reasonable completeness and its sta

Purpose: Patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of sleep apnea, but reported prevalence rates vary largely. Here we aimed to evaluate the sleep apnea prevalence in a large national cohort of patients with acromegaly, to examine possible risk factors, and to assess the proportion of patients diagnosed with sleep apnea prior to acromegaly diagnosis. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter stud