Background. The use of central venous lines carries a significant risk for serious complications and high economic costs. Lately, the peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) has gained in popularity due to presumed advantages over other central venous lines. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify scientific evidence justifying the use of PICC. Material and method

In recent years there has been an increased interest in the legacy of the Fourteenth Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, known as the Waffen-SS Galizien, a Ukrainian volunteer formation formed in 1943. In Ukrainian ultra-nationalist mythology the unit is depicted as freedom fighters who fought for an independent Ukraine, its collaboration with Nazi Germany dismissed as “Soviet propaganda.” There

Current international guidelines recommend cerebral computerized tomography (CT) before lumbar puncture (LP) in many adults with suspected acute bacterial meningitis (ABM), due to concern about LP-induced cerebral herniation. Despite guideline emphasis on early treatment based on symptoms, performing CT prior to LP implies a risk of delayed ABM treatment, which may be associated with a fatal outco

The purpose of this paper is to perform a detailed examination of corruption effects on trade based on corruption characteristics known to affect economic exchange within the corruption research field. These characteristics are the level, prevalence, customs location, function and predictability of corruption. The multifaceted corruption impact on trade is empirically examined using a corruption-a

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of physician's sex with blood pressure, lipid control, and cardiovascular risk factors in treated hypertensive men and women, stratified for the sex of their physician. METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey of hypertensive patients, 264 primary care physicians (PCPs), 187 men and 77 women from across Sweden, recruited 6537 treated hypertensive patients (48% men)

A classical structural optimisation problem consists of a problem-specific objective function which has to be minimised in consideration of particular constraints with respect to design and state variables. In this contribution we adopt a conceptually different approach for the design of a structure which is not based on a classical optimisation technique. Instead, we establish a constitutive micr

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of vildagliptin on incretin hormone levels, islet function, and postprandial glucose control in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Research Design and Methods: A 12-week double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study comparing vildagliptin (50 mg qd) and placebo was conducted in 179 subjects with IGT (2-h glucose= 9.1 mmol/l

An unbalanced chromosome number (aneuploidy) is present in most malignant tumours and has been attributed to mitotic mis-segregation of chromosomes. However, recent studies have shown a relatively high rate of chromosomal mis-segregation also in non-neoplastic human cells, while the frequency of aneuploid cells remains low throughout life in most normal tissues. This implies that newly formed aneu

Endocrine resistant breast cancer is a major therapeutical challenge and accurate selection of patients susceptible to certain types of anti-hormonal treatment strategies is pivotal. Discovery of novel biomarkers potentially predicting treatment response as well as the clinical course of breast cancer is essential to effectively improve therapies and diagnosis. The main goal of this thesis was to

Subacute inhalation study (1 week or 2 weeks) is an important process for screening out inhaled compounds causing lung irritation. To investigate whether the lung weight can be used as an indicator for acute lung injury, we have analyzed retrospectively the lung weight data from 30 studies in rats exposed to dry powder inhalation. The lung weight change was correlated with lung histopathology in t

Objective To derive simple and clinically useful ultrasound-based rules for discriminating between benign and malignant adnexal masses. Methods In a multicenter study involving nine centers consecutive patients with persistent adnexal tumors underwent transvaginal gray-scale and Doppler ultrasound examination using a standardized examination technique and standardized terms and definitions. Inform