There is a pressing need for compatible Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), in high quantities and of good clinical quality, to ensure optimal treatment for patients with various blood malignancies. Pluripotent Stem Cells (PSCs) have the potential to be a source for generating HSCs. The indefinite expansion capacity of PSCs, combined with the possibility of creating these cells from patient-specific

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to define the scales and test the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-H&N35, a questionnaire designed to assess the quality of life of head and neck (H&N) cancer patients in conjunction with the general cancer-specific EORTC QLQ-C30. PATIENTS AND

Background: Few studies have compared the validity of objective measures of physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) in pregnant and non-pregnant women. PAEE is commonly estimated with accelerometers attached to the hip or waist, but little is known about the validity and participant acceptability of wrist attachment. The objectives of the current study were to assess the validity of a simple s

In linkage analysis or, in a wider sense, gene mapping one searches for disease loci along a genome. This is done by observing so called marker genotypes (alleles) and phenotypes (affecteds/unaffecteds) of a pedigree set, i.e. a set of multigenerational families, in order to locate the loci corresponding to the underlying disease genes or, at least, to narrow down the interesting genome regions. I

Objectives: The characteristic clinical symptoms of collagenous colitis are non-bloody diarrhoea, urgency and abdominal pain. Treatment is aimed at reducing the symptom burden and the disease impact on patients' health-related quality of life. The objective of this study was to analyse health-related quality of life in patients with collagenous colitis. Methods: In a cross-sectional, postal HRQL s

Context: SHBG regulates free sex steroid levels, which in turn regulate skeletal homeostasis. Twin studies have demonstrated that genetic factors largely account for interindividual variation in SHBG levels. Glucuronidated androgen metabolites have been proposed as markers of androgenic activity. Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the SHBG gene promoter [(TAAAA)(n

A wealth of biospecimen samples are stored in modern globally distributed biobanks. Biomedical researchers worldwide need to be able to combine the available resources to improve the power of large-scale studies. A prerequisite for this effort is to be able to search and access phenotypic, clinical and other information about samples that are currently stored at biobanks in an integrated manner. H

Polymorphisms of the FA desaturase (FADS) gene cluster have been associated with LDL, HDL, and triglyceride concentrations. Because FADS converts alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid into PUFAs, we investigated the interaction between different PUFA intakes and the FADS polymorphism rs174547 (T>C) on fasting blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. We included 4,635 individuals (60% fem

Background/Objective: Previous studies have found that ethnicity influences glycemic control. We hypothesized that differences between Nordic and non-Nordic patients are less pronounced for children with type 1 diabetes in high incidence countries in Northern Europe. Research design and methods: We investigated patients aged 0-15 yr in national pediatric registers in Denmark (D), Iceland (I), Norw

Objectives Gestational age (GA) is one of the most important obstetric factors and prediction of date of delivery is usually based on ultrasonographic fetal measurements. Our aim was to determine whether applying three different dating formulae to a cohort of extremely preterm infants influenced the estimation of their GA. Methods This was a study of 513 infants delivered before 27 gestational wee

Insulin secretion is enhanced upon the binding of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to its receptor (GLP1R) in pancreatic β cells. Although a reduced expression of GLP1R in pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetic patients and hyperglycaemic rats has been established, it is still unknown if this is caused by differential DNA methylation of GLP1R in pancreatic islets of type 2 diabetic patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of eating difficulties and malnutrition among persons in hospital care and in special accommodations. Design: The cross-sectional observational study was performed in Nov. 2005. Setting: Hospitals and special accommodations. Participants: Out of 2945 persons, 2600 (88%) agreed to participate (1726 from special accommodations and 874 f

The overall aim of the thesis was to describe long-term development of functional outcomes in children with cerebral palsy undergoing selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) combined with physiotherapy and to evaluate measures used in follow-up. Five years after SDR muscle tone was reduced, passive range of motion (PROM) increased in hip, knee and foot, gross motor function measured by the Gross Motor F

The aims of this work were: 1) to estimate the number of follicles, ovarian volume and power Doppler vascular indices and their changes with age using three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal grey-scale and power Doppler ultrasound in asymptomatic women of fertile age either with natural menstrual cycles or using combined oral contraceptives, and 2) to determine whether tumour vascularity, assessed by

Chromosomal instability is a hallmark of many cancers and it has a potential to predict clinical outcome of a cancer patient. We hypothesized that genes whose expression status differs between chromosomal stable and unstable breast tumors represent target genes for the identification of genetic variants predicting breast cancer (BC) risk, disease progression, and survival. We used a published list

Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to generate further knowledge about prosthetic and orthotic services in developing countries. In particular, the thesis focused on patient mobility and satisfaction with prosthetic and orthotic devices, satisfaction with service delivery, and the views of staff regarding clinical practice and education. Methods: Questionnaires, including QUEST 2.0, were use