Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and this is in part due to the effects of hyperglycemia on vascular smooth muscle cells. Small non-coding microRNAs are known to control smooth muscle phenotype and arterial contractility and are dysregulated in diabetes. The effect of microRNAs on smooth muscle differentiation is in part mediated by the transcription factor KLF4 but the r

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is self-inflicted physical harm that is associated with suicidality, although it is not an expression of suicidal intent. NSSI behaviours range from minor skin scratching to injury requiring medical attention, and in extreme cases, death. NSSI is understood as an effort to modulate emotion in times of crisis and distress. Causal models have been developed for self-h

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease arising from the destruction of pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells. The disease represents a continuum, progressing sequentially at variable rates through identifiable stages prior to the onset of symptoms, through diagnosis and into the critical periods that follow, culminating in a variable depth of beta cell depletion. The ability to identify the ve

Background: Voice and swallowing problems are often seen in patients with advanced larynx cancer, after total laryngectomy (TL) and chemo/radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of voice and swallowing problems in patients who have been laryngectomised and investigate if these symptoms were related to age, time after TL, radiotherapy and TNM-classification. In addition,

A challenge in perishable food industry today is variable and unknown food quality caused by different temperature conditions. This sometimes leads to unreliable printed shelf lives (best before dates) and food waste. Hence, temperature monitoring and control along cold food supply chains (FSCs) are essential for maintaining food quality and safety of perishable food products. This paper evaluates

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of self-assessed preoperative physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking with self-assessed quality of life, negative intrusive thoughts and depressed mood after radical prostatectomy. Materials and methods: The Laparoscopic Prostatectomy Robot Open (LAPPRO) trial was a prospective, controlled, non-randomized longitudinal tri

Obesity is more common in individuals with mobility disability than in those without this condition. Individuals with mobility disability also have lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and are limited in their participation in society. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the body mass index (BMI) status and the association of overweight or obesity on HRQoL and participation in socie

Objectives: The parts of constructive alignment, i.e. learning objectives, activities and assessment are crucial for good learning outcomes. However, they must constantly be evaluated so as to verify the alignment. Our aim was to investigate if attendance to our casebased seminars in family medicine contributed to exam performance and whether gender had any impact for undergraduate students at the

This paper seeks to improve the understanding of the interaction between patients with stroke and the physical environment in their home settings. Stroke care is increasingly performed in the patient's home. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to identify the existing knowledge about facilitators and barriers in the physical environment of home settings for the stroke rehabilitation proce

‘Sustainability’, often presented through an ecological–economic–social triad, is today one of spatial planning’s absolute key concepts (and key priorities). But it is also a highly contested concept, whose meaning is often considered evasive or vague. In this paper, we try to counterweigh such evasiveness by putting emphasis on the material landscape produced within a project that is frequently d

Universities are currently facing mounting policy expectations to assume a broader societal responsibility in creating sustainable growth and wellbeing. In response to these demands, universities are developing new approaches to proactively take on their role with societal collaboration, including project-based education, student innovation programmes, open testbed and demonstration facilities andUniversities are currently facing mounting policy expectations to assume a broader societal responsi-bility in creating sustainable growth and wellbeing. In response to these demands, universities are developing new approaches to proactively take on their role with societal collaboration, including project-based education, student innovation programmes, open testbed and demonstration facilities an

The human cathelicidin peptide LL-37 has antimicrobial and anti-biofilm functions, but LL-37 may also damage the host by triggering inflammation and exerting a cytotoxic effect, thereby reducing host cell viability. Human plasma mitigates LL-37-induced host cell cytotoxicity but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) is a plasma protein endowed with at

Objective: Meal ingestion is followed by a redistribution of blood flow (BF) within the splanchnic region contributing to nutrient absorption, insulin secretion and glucose disposal, but factors regulating this phenomenon in humans are poorly known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the organ-specific changes in BF during a mixed-meal and incretin infusions. Design: A non-randomized int

Objective Low physical fitness and obesity have been associated with higher risk of developing heart failure (HF), but their interactive effects are unknown. Elucidation of interactions among these common modifiable factors may help facilitate more effective primary prevention. Methods We conducted a national cohort study to examine the interactive effects of aerobic fitness, muscular strength and

The globalized and regionalized labour market has brought about significant scrutiny on how to organize not only labour regulations and legal provisions, but also industrial relations for the development, enforcement and monitoring of working life provisions and agreements. There has been an outspoken need to understand the recent situation and to structure a theory of maintaining established regi

Transcriptional changes control β-cell survival in response to inflammatory stress. Posttranslational modifications of histone and non-histone transcriptional regulators activate or repress gene transcription, but the link to cell-fate signaling is unclear. Inhibition of lysine deacetylases (KDACs) protects β cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis and reduces type 1 diabetes incidence in animals. W

Background: Smooth muscle cells are important for atheroscleroticplaque stability. Their proper ability to communicatewith the extracellular matrix is crucial for maintainingthe correct tissue integrity. In this study, we have investigatedthe role of β-sarcoglycan within the matrix-binding dystrophin-glycoproteincomplex in the development of atherosclerosis.Results: Atherosclerotic plaque developm