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Helicobacter pylori is an important human pathogen and a common cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Despite H. pylori provoking strong innate and adaptive immune responses, the bacterium is able to successfully establish long-term infections. Vitronectin (Vn), a component of both the extracellular matrix and plasma, is involved in many physiological processes, including regulation of the co
CD103+CD11b+ dendritic cells (DC) are the major migratory DC subset in the small intestine lamina propria (siLP) and their survival is dependent on the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4). Mice with a DC-specific deletion of irf4 (CD11c-cre.Irf4 mice) have reduced mucosal CD103+CD11b+ DC and altered T cell differentiation to protein antigen. The influence of CD103+CD11b+ DC
IL-18 has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), however its role in the regulation of intestinal CD4+ T-cell function remains unclear. Here we show that murine intestinal CD4+ T cells express high levels of IL-18Rα and provide evidence that IL-18Rα expression is induced on these cells subsequent to their entry into the intestinal mucosa. Using the CD45RBhi T-cell transfer colitis mo
Health care organizations are under increasing pressure to account for their performance to outside constituencies. This chapter reviews the background, nature, and consequences of organized efforts to enhance transparency in health care. Market reforms and quality concerns create mounting demands for public transparency, but health care quality is difficult to assess in a way that is both fair an
Förbränning är både vår största källa till energi och ett stort hot mot miljön i form av föroreningar och växthusgaser. Ett par av de stora bovarna i sammanhanget är koldioxid och kväveoxider och de stora mängderna av dessa i atmosfären. Där bidrar koldioxid till den globala uppvärmningen i egenskap av växthusgas. Kväveoxider påverkar både miljö och människors hälsa negativt genom att bilda marknCombustion of fuels is a major source of energy and at the same time a threat to the environment. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are one of the obstacles on the route to cleaner energy. Combining Carbon Capture and Storage-technology (CCS) with use of biofuels lead to a negative net release of CO2 can be achieved. With some CCS-techniques the CO2 is repurposed in the combustion process together wi
Tissue damage is usually regarded as a necessary price to pay for successful elimination of pathogens by the innate immune defense. Yet, it is possible to distinguish protective from destructive effects of innate immune activation and selectively attenuate molecular nodes that create pathology. Here, we identify acute cystitis as an Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-driven, hyper-inflammatory condition o
Children can and should be encouraged to take an active part in their own care. With the introduction of online health care centers, where the main interaction is provided through digital consultations, the process for including the child must be revised. In addition to the medical and legal challenges, the digital interface needs to be designed so that the parent is encouraged to involve the chil
Buildings are getting taller due to increased urbanisation and densification of cities. More advanced construction methods and the desire to construct impressive buildings is also supporting the trend. Due to their inherent slenderness resulting in low eigenfrequencies, these buildings are susceptible to wind-induced vibrations which can be highly disturbing for occupants. Already barely perceivab
This paper presents a fully automated method for segmentation of 3D SPECT ventilation and perfusion images. It relies on statistical information on lung shape derived by CT manual segmentation and its main processing steps are: shape model extraction, binary segmentation, positioning of mean shape in SPECT images and iterative shape adaptation based on intensity profiles and on what is considered
The kidneys are the major organs affected in diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (D(+)HUS). The pathophysiology of renal disease in D(+)HUS is largely the result of the interaction between bacterial virulence factors such as Shiga toxin and lipopolysaccharide and host cells in the kidney and in the blood circulation. This chapter describes in detail the current knowledge of how these bac
This manuscript presents novel approaches to grow and evaluate Streptococcal biofilm formation using the human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) as the main model organism on biological surfaces in vitro and in vivo. Most biofilm models are based on growth on abiotic surfaces, which is relevant for many pathogens whose growth on surfaces or medical devices is a major
Background Worse outcomes have been noted in patients with multiple primary melanomas (MPMs) than in patients with single primary melanomas. Objective We investigated how family history of melanoma and germline CDKN2A mutation status of MPM patients affects risks of developing subsequent melanomas and other cancers and survival outcomes. Methods Comprehensive data on cancer diagnoses and deaths of
Galectin-3 is an endogenous β-galactoside-binding lectin comprising a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) linked to a collagen-like N-domain. Both domains are required for galectin-3 to induce cellular effects; a C-terminal fragment of galectin-3, galectin-3C, containing the CRD but lacking the N-domain, binds cell surface glycoconjugates but does not induce cellular effects since cross-linking
Parasites are expected to exert long-term costs on host fecundity and longevity. Understanding the consequences of heritable polymorphic variation in disease defence in wild populations is essential in order to predict evolutionary responses to changes in disease risk. Telomeres have been found to shorten faster in malaria-diseased individuals compared with healthy ones with negative effects on lo
Objectives To describe the incidence of atrioventricular (AV) block II-III, atrial fibrillation (AF), pacemaker implantation (PM) and aortic regurgitation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (uSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) compared with the general population (GP) and with each other. Methods A prospective nationwide study with cohorts of patients
The Roman historian Tacitus is not only our most important source for the Early Roman Empire, but also a literary artist second to none. His fragmentarily preserved Annales deals with the imperial rule established by the first emperor Augustus, the Julio-Claudian dynasty (AD 14 – 68). Through his scathing analyses of the consequences of autocratic government, Tacitus has established himself as an
