Objective: The aim was to document empirical observations about antecedents to and practices of unsuitable behaviours amongst surgical trainees and develop an interview guide that could be used for the selection process. Design: A mixed methods design was adopted combining a survey distributed to senior surgeons and heads of departments, followed by semi-structured interviews with experienced surg

Current approaches to cell replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease are strongly focused on the dopamine system, with the view that restoring dopaminergic inputs in a localized and physiologic manner will provide superior benefits in terms of effect and longevity compared with oral medication. Experience using transplants of fetal tissue containing dopaminergic cell precursors has provided valua

Purpose: Octreotide SC depot is a novel, ready-to-use formulation administered via a thin needle. In a phase 1 study in healthy volunteers, this formulation provided higher bioavailability of octreotide with faster onset and stronger suppression of IGF-1 in healthy volunteers versus long-acting intramuscular (IM) octreotide. This phase 2 study evaluated the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety o

The role of pericytes seems to extend beyond their known function in angiogenesis, fibrosis and wound healing, blood-brain barrier maintenance, and blood flow regulation. More and more data are currently accumulating indicating that pericytes, uniquely positioned at the interface between blood and parenchyma, secrete a large plethora of different molecules in response to microenvironmental changes

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) might adversely affect academic performance, possibly through influences on psychological functioning such as stress resilience. Objectives: To investigate the association of atopic dermatitis with stress resilience, cognitive function and educational attainment. Methods: We used data from a national cohort of men who underwent a military conscription examination

Many trees form ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with fungi. During symbiosis, the tree roots supply sugar to the fungi in exchange for nitrogen, and this process is critical for the nitrogen and carbon cycles in forest ecosystems. However, the extents to which ectomycorrhizal fungi can liberate nitrogen and modify the soil organic matter and the mechanisms by which they do so remain unclear since they h

Attractive interactions between intrinsically disordered proteins can be crucial for the functionality or, on the contrary, lead to the formation of harmful aggregates. For obtaining a molecular understanding of intrinsically disordered proteins and their interactions, computer simulations have proven to be a valuable complement to experiments. In this study, we present a coarse-grained model and

The ability to focus on a task while disregarding irrelevant information is an example of selective attention. The perceptual-load hypothesis argues that the occurrence of early or late selection mechanisms is determined by task-relevant perceptual load. Additionally, evidence shows that pupil size serves as proxy of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) activity, a system associated with cogniti

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis, and is thought to play a role in tumour development. Previous prospective studies have shown that higher circulating concentrations of IGF-I are associated with a higher risk of cancers at specific sites, including breast and prostate. No prospective study has examined the association between circulating IGF-I concent

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is one of the most common urological procedures. With the increasing rate of multiresistant infections including urosepsis, it is essential for all surgeons to adhere to the relevant international guidelines to prevent infectious complications. The aim of this prospective, multinational, multicentre study was to evaluate compliance with recommended in

Recently, we identified unique processing patterns of apolipoprotein A2 (ApoA2) in patients with pancreatic cancer. Our study provides a first prospective evaluation of an ApoA2 isoform (“ApoA2-ATQ/AT”), alone and in combination with carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9), as an early detection biomarker for pancreatic cancer. We performed ELISA measurements of CA19-9 and ApoA2-ATQ/AT in 156 patients

During a fictional visit to Vadstena in the year 1432 we learn about indulgences, see the future insurgent Engelbrekt, hear the adventures of some shipwrecked Venetians, and listen to a sermon at the Birgittine abbey church.

A survey of the pericope system of Western medieval liturgy and the way pericopes were used in medieval preaching.

Temperature often affects maternal investment in offspring. Across and within species, mothers in colder environments generally produce larger offspring than mothers in warmer environments, but the underlying drivers of this relationship remain unresolved. We formally evaluated the ubiquity of the temperature–offspring size relationship and found strong support for a negative relationshipacross a