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PURPOSE: To study the clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with asthma and COPD in primary care in Sweden, with a focus on adherence to recommended guidelines and quality indicators. METHODS: All visits at health care centres in Skaraborg, Sweden, are documented in computerized medical records constituting the Skaraborg Primary Care Database (SPCD). In a register-based retrospective obser

As emphasized in Part 1 of these guidelines, the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is confirmed or refuted using ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (V/P(SCAN)) or multidetector computed tomography of the pulmonary arteries (MDCT). To reduce the costs, the risks associated with false-negative and false-positive diagnoses, and unnecessary radiation exposure, preimaging assessment of clinical prob

Most studies of GABA(A) receptor accessory proteins have focused on trafficking, clustering and phosphorylation state of the channel-forming subunits and as a result a number of proteins and mechanisms have been identified that can influence the GABA(A) channel expression and function in the cell plasma membrane. In the light of a growing list of intracellular and transmembrane neuronal proteins s

Several new oral antidiabetic agents, known as 'gliptins' or 'enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitors', have been developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and a key clinical use of the gliptins is in combination with metformin. There are important differences in the kinetics of the interaction of different gliptins with the catalytic site of DPP-4, which may lead to varying pharmac

Two monoclonal antibodies against the receptor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were obtained by immunizing mice with pure PDGF receptor preparations derived from porcine uterus. The antibodies, denoted PDGFR-B1 and PDGFR-B2, both bound to the external domain of the receptor, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence and binding of 125I-labeled antibodies to intact human fibroblasts.

Syringe exchange has been suggested as a potential conduit to treatment for drug dependence, but this never has been documented in Europe. The primary aim was to compare the effectiveness of strength-based case management intervention against referral only to facilitate treatment attendance in a syringe exchange programme. We also assessed effectiveness of a syringe exchange programme for referral

Background. Variation in susceptibility to cadmium (Cd) toxicity may partly be due to differences in Cd toxicokinetics. Experimental studies indicate that zinc (Zn) homeostasis proteins transport Cd. Objective. To evaluate the potential effect of variation in Zn-transporter genes (SLC39A8 and SLC39A14) on Cd concentrations in blood and urine. Methods. We studied women from the Argentinean Andes [m

Abstract in Undetermined Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides a potential tool for non-invasive evaluation of the trabecular bone structure. The objective of this study was to determine the reproducibility of the NMR relaxation parameters (T(2), Carr-Purcel-T(2), T(1ρ)) for fat and water and relate those to the structural parameters obtained by micro-computed tomography (μCT). Es

The generation of radiation pulses that can be as short as 120 attoseconds is demonstrated theoretically. We have employed a two-dimensional exact solution of the Schrodinger equation that allows for arbitrary laser ellipticity. By manipulating the laser ellipticity in time, it is shown that one can control the wave-packet dynamics of the ejected atomic electron. The nonlinear interaction of the e

The increasing demand for software project managers in industry requires strategies for the development of the management-related knowledge and skills of the current and future software workforce. Although several approaches help teach the required skills in a university setting, few empirical studies are currently available to characterize and compare their effects. This paper presents results of

Accumulating evidence implicates a role for altered metal homeostasis in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, few investigations have addressed this issue in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The aim of the present study was to investigate metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from patients with DLB and other neurodegenera

The knee is one of the most common joints affected by osteoarthritis (OA), frequently with clinical presentation by middle age or even earlier. Accumulating evidence supports that knee OA progression is often driven by biomechanical forces, and the pathological response of tissues to such forces leads to structural joint deterioration, knee symptoms and reduced function. Well-known biomechanical r

This 15-year-old girl was operated due to an ectopic recurrence of a craniopharyngioma along the previous surgical route. She presented with a sellar craniopharyngioma at the age of 4 years and underwent a right subfrontal craniotomy. Two and a half years later she had a local recurrence in the sella that was resected along the same surgical route. Postoperative cranial radiotherapy was administer

BACKGROUND: Liver resection provides the best chance for cure in colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases. A variety of factors that might influence survival and recurrence have been identified. Predictive models can help in risk stratification, to determine multidisciplinary treatment and follow-up for individual patients. AIMS: To systematically review available prognostic models described for o

OBJECTIVES: Intake of fish is an important source for many essential substances, such as n-3 PUFA. However, certain fish also contains relatively high levels of PCBs and dioxins. In Sweden, the concentrations of these compounds are higher in fatty fish caught at the east coast as compared to fish from the west coast. The aim of the present study was to assess cancer incidence and mortality pattern

PURPOSE:: The purpose of this research is 2-fold. First of all, the level of keratopathy development in patients with congenital aniridia is studied. In addition, a correlation between the effects of ocular surgery on the severity of keratopathy is made. METHODS:: A thorough search for the total number of patients with aniridia in Sweden and Norway was performed. One hundred eighty-one patients we

Oscillations in plasma membrane potential play a central role in glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and related insulinoma cell lines. We have employed a novel fluorescent plasma membrane potential (ψp) indicator in combination with indicators of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]c), mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm), matrix ATP concentration and NAD(P)H fluorescence to inves

OBJECTIVES: Telomeres are critical to maintain the integrity of the chromosomes, and telomere abnormalities are important features of carcinogenesis. Telomere length differs among individuals due to genetic and environmental factors. Aiming to examine the relationship between DNA-damaging agents and average telomere length in peripheral blood, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 157 workers