Background: Steroid injections are used in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but evidence of efficacy beyond 1 month is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy of local methylprednisolone injections in CTS. Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00806871) Setting: Regional referral orthopedic department in Sweden. Patients: Patients aged 18 to 70 years with

Economic growth is often considered to be the main factor behind, and tightly coupled to, the increase in freight transport work and its energy use. Recent research has quantified the relative contribution from underlying factors like value density of products, transport intensity and carbon intensity of fuel. In this work we rely on the theory of economic growth cycles in order to explain the dyn

Using an open-ended contingent valuation survey, we analyze how (i) experience of a power outage due to one of the worst storms ever to hit Sweden and (ii) a cheap talk script affect respondents' WTP to avoid power outages. Experience significantly increases and a cheap talk script significantly decreases the proportion of respondents with zero WTP, and as a result stated WTP is lower with experie

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is usually differentiated based on clinical phenotypes, but recent data indicate that myeloperoxidase (MPO)-AAV is genetically distinct from proteinase 3 (PR3)-AAV. We reviewed a population-based cohort of AAV, focusing on differences in clinical and laboratory characteristics and to compare renal outcome between MPO-ANCA and P

Climate change is a central sustainability concern, but is often treated separately from other policy areas in environmental governance. In this article we study how low-carbon energy transitions might be governed in line with broader sustainability goals. We identify conflicts and synergies between low- carbon strategies and the attainment of longer-term environmental objectives by examining the

L-DOPA, the most effective drug to treat motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, causes abnormal involuntary movements, limiting its use in advanced stages of the disease. An increasing body of evidence points to the serotonin system as a key player in the appearance of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). In fact, exogenously administered L-DOPA can be taken up by serotonin neurons, converted to dopam

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate differences according to country of birth and parental country of birth, in relation to poor self-rated health (SRH), in Swedish adolescents. Methods: The Scania public health survey among children and adolescents, conducted in 2012, is a cross-sectional study including most pupils in grade 9 (15 years old), including in 32 of 33 municipalities. The p

The idea of a European social citizenship is being developed by the EU to provide a minimum safety net. Questions about social citizenship are of fundamental importance in people’s everyday lives. Social assistance is a central dimension when studying social citizenship. Before discussing in terms of a European social citizenship, we should determine whether we have a social citizenship at the nat

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) blood levels are commonly used as biomarkers of human environmental exposure to these compounds. Many biomonitoring studies indicate 100% detection for PFOS and PFOA thus justifying a concern of possible risk for the most exposed individuals. This study addresses the predictive value of hazard quotients (HQs) calculated on the basi

Oil was extracted from fatty material obtained from Nile perch viscera using the protease Protex 30L. Enrichment of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the glyceride fraction was carried out by hydrolysis of extracted oils with lipases from Candida rugosa, Thermomyces lanuginosus and Pseudomonas cepacia. The unusual fatty acid distribution of the oil influenced the appare

Abstract Purpose: To explore the experiences of children with cerebral palsy (CP) regarding participation in physical activities, and to describe facilitators and barriers. Methods: Sixteen children with CP 8-11 years old who varied in gross motor, cognitive and communicative function participated in either an individual interview or a focus group. Results: Two categories and 10 sub-categories eme

Gradient orientations are a common feature used in many computer vision algorithms. It is a good feature when the gradient magnitudes are high, but can be very noisy when the magnitudes are low. This means that some gradient orientations are matched with more confidence than others. By estimating this uncertainty, more weight can be put on the confident matches than those with higher uncertainty.

The incidence of Hodgkin lymphoma has increased among adolescents and young adults in recent decades, but the relevant risk factors in early life are still unknown. A national cohort study was conducted of 3,571,574 individuals born in Sweden in 19732008 and followed up for Hodgkin lymphoma incidence through 2009, to examine perinatal and family risk factors for Hodgkin lymphoma in childhood throu

Recent studies on clay–polymer nanocomposites have shown prominent improvements in thermal and mechanical propertieswith the addition of quite small amounts of nanometer sized clay particles. The present work presents characterization of anisotropic clay–polystyrene nanocomposites synthesized via a guided self-assembly technique, employing electric fields to align the clay particles into chain-lik

In this issue of J Endocrinol, Schuyler et al. show that intimal lesions in atherosclerosis-prone diabetic apoE-/- mice are reduced by insulin treatment. An increase of metalloproteinase-9 expression was observed in untreated diabetic apoE-/- mice; this was absent in insulin-treated mice. The study suggests that hindering of tissue-remodeling metalloproteinases may account for the beneficial effec

A reduced finite element model for determining the maximum principal stress of a glass pane subjected to dynamic impact load is developed and compared to a full dynamic finite element model. The reduced model is based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The Ritz vectors used are determined by simple static load-cases. The model is applicable to centrically and eccentrically applied impact and to glass of

A moderate association exists between body mass index (BMI) and colorectal cancer. Less is known about the effect of weight change.