At northern latitudes, vitamin D is not synthesized endogenously during winter, causing low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of a healthy Nordic diet based on Nordic nutrition recommendations (NNR) on plasma 25(OH)D and explored its dietary predictors. In a Nordic multi-centre trial, subjects (n = 213) with metabolic syndrome were randomized

An online survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted to obtain the opinion of computer users with tetraplegia on their current computer interfaces and to assess desirable applications for future independent control using assistive devices. The survey included questions related to information about the respondents' injury/disease, everyday activities and social life, electronic devices and

Background. Although there are putative mechanistic links between obesity and autoimmune diseases, obesity is not considered a risk factor for most autoimmune diseases. Methods. Using the nation-wide Hospital Discharge Register we defined a cohort of 29,665 patients hospitalized for obesity since year 1964. The patients were followed for hospitalization for any of 34 autoimmune or related conditio

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore how women from part of the world where female genital mutilation (FGM) is normative perceive and experience FGM after immigrating to Sweden. Method: Interviews were conducted with eight women from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The women's feelings were ambivalent: though they opp

Although fever (a closely regulated increase in body temperature in response to infection) typically is beneficial, it is energetically costly and may induce detrimentally high body temperatures. This can increase the susceptibility to energetic bottlenecks and risks of overheating in some organisms. Accordingly, it could be particularly interesting to study fever in small birds, which have compar

The concentrations of molecular oxygen and nitrogen in a gas mixture were determined by their impact on the shape of a water vapor line in the near infrared region using diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The shape of the water vapor line depends on the composition of other gases in the mixture and can therefore be used to deduce the concentration of partner molecules, e. g., oxygen, in the buff

Background and purpose: Studies on accelerated fractionation (AF) in head and neck cancer have shown increased local control and survival compared with conventional fractionation (CF), while others have been non-conclusive. In 1998 a national Swedish group decided to perform a randomised controlled clinical study of AF. Materials and methods: Patients with verified squamous cell carcinoma of the o

Objective: To describe how vestibular rehabilitation influences pain and range of motion among patients with whiplash-associated disorder and dizziness, and to describe whether pain or range of motion correlated with balance performance or self-perceived dizziness handicap. Subjects: A total of 29 patients, 20 women and 9 men, age range 22-76 years. Methods: Patients with whiplash-associated disor

Objective. To describe vascular events during an 8-year followup in a multicenter systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) inception cohort and their attribution to atherosclerosis. Methods. Clinical data, including comorbidities, were recorded yearly. Vascular events were recorded and attributed to atherosclerosis or not. All of the events met standard clinical criteria. Factors associated with atheros

A cervical cytology biobank (CCB) is an extension of current cytopathology laboratory practice consisting in the systematic storage of Pap smears or liquid-based cytology samples from women participating in cervical cancer screening with the explicit purpose to facilitate future scientific research and quality audit of preventive services. A CCB should use an internationally agreed uniform cytolog

This article presents an analysis of football supporters as magicians based on the theory of magic developed by Marcel Mauss. The research was conducted in co-operation with a local football club from Sweden called Malmö FF. Taking into consideration how the supporters see their position in the club and their contribution, it is possible to explain their behaviour and involvement in terms of a col

A method called Dock'n'Flash was developed to offer site-specific capture and direct UVA-induced photocoupling of recombinant proteins. The method involves the tagging of recombinant proteins with photoreactive p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (pBpa) by genetic engineering. The photoreactive pBpa tag is used for affinity capture of the recombinant protein by beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), which provides hy

The collapse of a massive stellar core may lead to the production of a black hole surrounded by a torus of material. Such a system is a potential source for the so-called long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). A torus will form around the black hole if the infalling material contains sufficient angular momentum. This however requires that the core of the massive star rotates extremely rapidly prior to coll

The influence of dispersion and interaction of Graphene Oxide (GO) in semi-crystalline Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) and glassy amorphous Poly(tBP-oda) is explored by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). The ortho-Positronium lifetimes which represent the main free volume hole size of both polymers are mainly affected by the large differences in internal stresses built up by the shrink

Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relation between a whole grain consumption and risk of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. One tentative mechanism relates to colonic metabolism of indigestible carbohydrates. In a previous study, we reported a positive relation between colonic fermentation and improved glucose tolerance. This work can be seen as an extension of that study, foc

This article addresses the role of the civilizing process' in the historiography of the Victorian period. The author develops a critique of perspectives that deem the nineteenth century to be an era of discipline and self-restraint, arguing that these result from the hegemonic position of literary perspectives within Victorian Studies and their frequent reliance on Foucauldian-inspired techniques

Moisture induced stress in timber is dependant on many factors. The driving force behind is the moisture variation in the surrounding air which causes induced stress due to restraint of hygro-expansion within timber elements (this can to some extent be seen analogous to thermally induced stress in steel). Today's computational power together with advanced constitutive models offers aaEuro-aEuro-va

Background and objectives Barrier-enforcing measures have been suggested as treatment options for allergic rhinitis. This review identifies and describes the literature on the subject. Methods Relevant publications were searched for in the PubMed database (search entries: 'allergic rhinitis' and 'treatment'). The evaluation comprised condition (seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis), type of int