BACKGROUND: Telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) variations are linked to age-related diseases and are associated with environmental exposure and nutritional status. Limited data, however, exist on the associations with mercury exposure, particularly early in life.OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between prenatal mercury (Hg) exposure and TL and mtDNAcn in 1,145 S

Trusted Third Parties (TTPs) are a standard building block in secure systems and are used in many cryptographic protocols. A TTP is an entity which facilitates interaction between the users in a system. As the name suggests, TTPs are trusted, and can thus be relied on to perform critical parts of a protocol without need for external scrutiny. Due to this property, they can serve the role of making

Det pågår just nu en omvandling av arbetslivet – arbete är inte bundet till en specifik plats eller tid i samma utsträckning som tidigare. Distansarbete och möjlighet till flexibla arbetstider har förekommit sedan decennier tillbaka, men den snabba digitaliseringen och den globala pandemin Covid-19 förändrade våra arbetsformer och kommunikationsmönster i raketfart. Efter pandemin har många organis

In recent years, research interest in second language use and acquisition beyond the classroom has grown considerably. However, terminological confusion and definitional differences have made it difficult to compare findings and discover trends across studies, and more broadly synthesise new insights and developments. Therefore, this scoping review is intended to provide an overview of when, where

This study reports on the impact of rainfall patterns and land surface changes on flood dynamics in the Meijiang River Basin, located in the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River. We formulated a range of rainfall patterns and spatial distribution scenarios and employed the MIKE SHE model to evaluate variations in flood volume, flood peak, and the timing of flood peaks. We found that under comparabl

Despite significant improvement in the survival of pediatric patients with cancer, treatment outcomes for high-risk, relapsed, and refractory cancers remain unsatisfactory. Moreover, prolonged survival is frequently associated with long-term adverse effects due to intensive multimodal treatments. Accelerating the progress of pediatric oncology requires both therapeutic advances and strategies to m

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most prevalent cancer type worldwide, which highlights the urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers for its early detection and improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the patterns of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) collected from low-volume blood serum specimens of CRC patients, focusing on their potential as diagnosti

OBJECTIVES: Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain various signaling molecules, thus playing a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and emerging as a promising source of biomarkers. However, the lack of standardized procedures impedes their translation to clinical practice. Thus, we compared different approaches for high-throughput analysis of small EVs transcriptome.METHODS: Small EVs w

BACKGROUND: Complement activation may promote atherosclerosis. Yet, data on the to which extent complement, and more specifically the alternative complement pathway, is activated in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and related to adverse outcome in these patients, are scarce.METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured, by ELISA, plasma levels of factor D, properdin, C3bBbP (C3 convertase), and factor H

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), syndecans and glypicans, play crucial roles in the functional properties of cancer cells, such as proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/PDGF receptor (PDGF-R) mediated signaling, on the other hand, is highly associated with cancer progression. Specifically, PDGF-Rα and PDGF-Rβ expressions documente

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may be impaired in individuals living with obesity, possibly due to exposure to obesity-related stigma which may in turn activate shame. Few studies have been conducted on shame in relation to obesity and its potential association with other constructs such as HRQoL, self-esteem, and body image. In this study, internalized shame and the potentia

Considering the Islamic perspective on forced migration and displacement, along with the conceptual framework of Islamic social welfare instruments as tools for wealth redistribution to support those in need, this study explores the potential complementarity between Islamic and conventional financing in addressing refugees' basic needs and economic empowerment. Specifically, this research examines

Motivation: Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining Earth's terrestrial biodiversity. However, rapid human-induced environmental changes are compromising the long-term persistence of plant-pollinator interactions. Unfortunately, we lack robust, generalisable data capturing how plant-pollinator communities are structured across space and time. Here, we present the EuPPollNet (European Plant-

Interdisciplinary research and education on human-environment relations has a natural place in many Anglo-American geography and anthropology departments. In Sweden, however, critical scholarship across the socio-natural divide has largely been outsourced to the interdisciplinary field of human ecology. Since the 1970s, Swedish human ecologists have sought to integrate perspectives from the social