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For many years, splenectomy has been used to treat immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and this procedure benefits approximately two-thirds of the treated patients. Although splenectomy may raise platelet counts, antibody-coated platelets and cytotoxic T lymphocytes appear to persist or can change over time. To better understand how the spleen may affect anti-platelet immune responses, we used a murine
Over the past few years, a growing body of work in economic geography and innovation studies has enhanced our understanding of forms and determinants of regional industrial path development. The importance of policy, however, has received limited attention and accordingly, the role of policy for the emergence and development of new regional industrial growth paths remains largely unexplored. This
There is an increased interest in and awareness of mould growth damage in buildings. Today’s mould growth models are limited to only presenting the risk of mould growth. They do not take into account underlying factors and other parameters that make it possible to establish necessary measures to limit or avoid the risk of mould growth. This paper presents a chart that can be used to determine thes
Background and ObjectivesRecently, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the tau-binding radiotracer [18F]flortaucipir and an accompanying visual read method to support the diagnostic process in cognitively impaired patients assessed for Alzheimer disease (AD). Studies evaluating this visual read method are limited. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the visual read method in pa
Telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are characterized by short telomeres, premature aging, bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition. Germline mutations in NHP2, encoding for one component of the telomerase cofactor H/ACA RNA binding complex together with Dyskerin, NOP10 and GAR1, have been previously reported in rare cases of TBDs. Here, we report two novel NHP2 variants (NHP2-A39T and NHP2-T44
Background: To investigate whether baseline serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), patient characteristics, traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and disease activity over time predict CVD, in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: This study included patients with early RA (< 12 months disease duration) (n = 233) recruited 1995–2005. Potential predictors of CVD and c
This work describes the rational design of thin film-based cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe) mixed with conductive polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), inducing PVDF-CdSe composite for potential resistive humidity-sensing applications. The effect of UV/ozone treatment on surface hydrophilicity and sensing properties was investigated. AFM has been performed to examine the prepared films' texture, dis
OBJECTIVE: Early enteral nutrition with fiber-containing solutions plus Lactobacillus may reduce bacterial translocation and minimize the incidence of infections after surgery. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized trial in three groups (n = 30/group) of patients after major abdominal surgery, we compared our previous regimen with parenteral nutrition or fiber-free enteral nutrition (group A) with
BACKGROUND: Earlier studies have shown that physical exercise and a higher workload increase muscle strength and improve gait and balance at all ages for both sexes. Published studies have, so far, failed to investigate the functional performance of elderly individuals concerning their long-term physical activity and variables of daily living. OBJECTIVE: To compare elderly women who participate in
Mammalian leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase is a bifunctional zinc metalloenzyme possessing an Arg/Ala aminopeptidase and an epoxide hydrolase activity, which converts LTA4 into the chemoattractant LTB4. We have previously cloned an LTA4 hydrolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a primitive epoxide hydrolase activity and a Leu aminopeptidase activity, which is stimulated by LTA4. Here we used a m
The dependence of transverse momentum spectra of neutral pions and eta mesons with p(T) < 16 GeV/c and p(T) < 12 GeV/c, respectively, on the centrality of the collision has been measured at midrapidity by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in d + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. The measured yields are compared to those in p + p collisions at the same roo
OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid for human milk-fed preterm infants. The primary end point was cognitive development at 6 months of age. METHODS. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study among 141 infants with birth weights of <1500 g. The intervention with 32 mg of docosahex
Background Postoperative policies of "wait-and-see" and radiotherapy for low-grade glioma are poorly defined. A trial in the mid 1980s established the radiation dose. In 1986 the EORTC Radiotherapy and Brain Tumor Groups initiated a prospective trial to compare early radiotherapy with delayed radiotherapy. An interim analysis has been reported. We now present the long-term results. Methods After s
Objective. To develop a measure of renal activity in systemic lupus erythematosus and use it to develop a renal response index. Methods. Abstracted data from the medical records of 215 patients with lupus nephritis were sent to 8 nephrologists and 29 rheumatologists for rating. Seven nephrologists and 22 rheumatologists completed the ratings. Each physician rated each patient visit with respect to
Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer globally among women in incidence and mortality. Women living with HIV (WLHIV) are disproportionately at a higher risk of developing the disease. Aim: To determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening among WLHIV in the Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania, following the integration of these services in rou
Background: The purpose of this paper was to explore maladaptive behaviors among physically active individuals, including exercise dependence and use of anabolic steroids. Both exercise addiction (EA) and use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) correlate to high amounts of exercise and EA have been linked to eating disorders and other mental health problems. Methods: An internet survey was sprea
Background: Certain immune-mediated diseases (IMDs) have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine whether there is an association between 32 different IMDs and first hospitalization for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: All individuals in Sweden hospitalized with a main diagnosis of IMD (without previous or coexisting stro
In electromyographic (EMG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, muscle and brain activity was compared during low levels of tooth clenching using a novel biting device to control bite force. A total of 21 healthy subjects performed motor tasks, comprising tooth clenching at 5, 10 and 20N. During all measurements, subjects kept the novel bite device between the anterior teeth d
Context: Nonfasting (postprandial) triglyceride concentrations have emerged as a clinically significant cardiovascular disease risk factor that results from accumulation of remnant triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) in the circulation. The remnant TRLs are cleared from the circulation by hepatic uptake, but the specific mechanisms involved are unclear. The syndecan-1 heparan sulfate proteoglyca
Terrestrial ecosystem models (TEMs) contain the coupling of many biogeochemical processes with a large number of parameters involved. In many cases those parameters are highly uncertain. In order to reduce those uncertainties, parameter estimation methods can be applied, which allow the model to be constrained against observations. We compare the performance and results of two such parameter estim
