Proteoglycans are key components of the cartilage extracellular matrix and essential for normal tissue function. The core protein and the glycosaminoglycan chains both contribute to function and provide different properties of the individual proteoglycans. This review is focused on the two main families of cartilage proteoglycans.The first of these is the lectican family, including aggrecan, versi

Objective. To study the change in the modified Hand Mobility in Scleroderma (mHAMIS) test from early to advanced stages of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and the relationship between mHAMIS and skin involvement during followup. Methods. This retrospective study includes 65 patients with baseline disease duration of . 3 years who were assessed with the mHAMIS test at baseline and at 1 or 2 predefined fo

In fMRI studies with evoked activity, brain activity is detected by voxel-wise GLM tting, followed by statistical hypothesis testing. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM), one of the most popular classical methods, relies upon Gaussian smoothing to deal with the multiple-comparison correction. As an alternative, we have recently introduced a graph-based framework for fMRI brain activation mapping

By using historical data on about 50,000 twins born in Sweden during 1886–1958, we demonstrate a positive and statistically significant relationship between years of schooling and longevity. This relation remains almost unchanged when exploiting a twin fixed-effects design to control for the influence of genetics and shared family background. This result is robust to controlling for within-twin-pa

Transplantation of DA neurons is actively pursued as a restorative therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD). Pioneering clinical trials using transplants of fetal DA neuroblasts have given promising results, although a number of patients have developed graft-induced dyskinesias (GIDs), and the mechanism underlying this troublesome side effect is still unknown. Here we have used a new model where the ac

Background: Radiotherapy is based on the premise of accurate dose delivery to target volumes within a patient, while minimizing dose to surrounding tissues. Recent developments in the treatment of breast cancer have focused on “gating” the delivery of the treatment beams to minimize the effect of patient motion during treatment, and increasing separation between the target volume and organs at ris

Background: TopHat is a popular spliced junction mapper for RNA sequencing data, and writes files in the BAM format - the binary version of the Sequence Alignment/Map (SAM) format. BAM is the standard exchange format for aligned sequencing reads, thus correct format implementation is paramount for software interoperability and correct analysis. However, TopHat writes its unmapped reads in a way th

We report a new study of the V i atom using a combination of time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence and Fourier transform spectroscopy that contains newly measured radiative lifetimes for 25 levels between 24,648 cm-1 and 37,518 cm-1 and oscillator strengths for 208 lines between 3040 and 20000 from 39 upper energy levels. Thirteen of these oscillator strengths have not been reported previously.

A major challenge for ecological research is to identify ways to improve resilience to climate-induced changes in order to secure the ecosystem functions of natural systems, as well as ecosystem services for human welfare. With respect to aquatic ecosystems, interactions between climate warming and the elevated runoff of humic substances (brownification) may strongly affect ecosystem functions and

The primary aim of the present study was to determine the expression levels of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) in steatotic rat livers. The secondary aim was to clarify whether steatosis and inflammation are more marked in areas with increased CB1 overexpression. For ethical and economic reasons, the present study investigated tissue from archived liver blocks, which were obtained from 38 rats t

Objective: To investigate perceptions of control among people with uncontrolled and well controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with basal insulin, as well as differences in perceptions and diabetes management practices between the two groups. Research design and methods: Web surveys of 1012 people with uncontrolled T2D (HbA1c >8.0% or 64 mmol/mol) on basal insulin in Sweden, Switzerland, and th

Aim. We discuss technical points, the safety, and efficacy of ultrasonic bone shaver in various spinal surgeries within our own series. Methods. Between June 2010 and January 2014, 307 patients with various spinal diseases were operated on with the use of an ultrasonic bone curette with microhook shaver (UBShaver). Patients' data were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. The technique for the us

The discovery that variants in the melatonin receptor 2 (MTNR1B) gene were associated with glucose levels, insulin secretion, and risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) reinforced the previously suggested link between glucose homeostasis and circadian rhythmicity. Diurnal secretion of melatonin has reported to be altered in people with diabetes and rodent models o

Aims This study examines the association between the incidence of drug abuse (DA) and linking (communal) social capital, a theoretical concept describing the amount of trust between individuals and societal institutions. Methods We present results from an 8-year population-based cohort study that followed all residents in Sweden, aged 15–44, from 2003 through 2010, for a total of 1,700,896 men and

Background and objectives: This cross-sectional, epidemiological study sought to assess the prevalence and extent of potential risk factors for hypertension, particularly renal function related to haematuria and their associations in people with haemophilia. Methodology: Demographic and medical data were collected at a single time-point in patients with haemophilia over 40 years of age from 16 Eur

Background: We aimed to explore the association between self-reported leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in men and women with and without impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a random sample (n = 2,816) was examined with an oral glucose tolerance test, CRP and information about LTPA. Those with IGT or normal glucose

The marine environment harbors a large proportion of the total biodiversity on this planet, including the majority of the earths’ different phyla and classes. Studying the genomes of marine organisms can bring interesting insights into genome evolution. Today, almost all marine organismal groups are understudied with respect to their genomes. One potential reason is that extraction of high-quality

Nutrigenetics considers the influence of individual genetic variation on differences in response to dietary components, nutrient requirements and predisposition to disease. Nutrigenomics involves the study of interactions between the genome and diet, including how nutrients affect the transcription and translation process plus subsequent proteomic and metabolomic changes, and also differences in r

Type 2 diabetes has become a leading health problem throughout the world. The escalating epidemic of type 2 diabetes is believed to result from a collision between inherent biological susceptibilities (genotypes) and a shift toward dietary habits and lifestyle that promote obesity over the past several decades; the transition from “traditional” to modern “obesogenic” lifestyles is characterized by

Context: Alkyl glucosides and alkyl poly-glucosides are widely used as wetting agents, surfactants and emulsifiers in several industrial and cosmetic products. They are known as well-tolerated and are usually added to the primary surfactants in order to reduce the irritating potential of the main foaming agents.Objective: Recently, some authors suggested that allergic contact dermatitis to alkyl g