Risk Factors for Infection After Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Population-based Register Study.

Background And Objective: Infection after transrectal prostate biopsy (TPBx) is a well-known risk. A comprehensive investigation of risk factors may identify measures for safe TPBx as an alternative to a change in biopsy route. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for infection after TPBx.

A Nonlinear Relation between Body Mass Index and Long-Term Poststroke Functional Outcome-The Importance of Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-1.

Both high serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (s-IGFBP-1) and insulin resistance (IR) are associated with poor functional outcome poststroke, whereas overweight body mass index (BMI; 25-30) is related to fewer deaths and favorable functional outcome in a phenomenon labeled "the obesity paradox". Furthermore, IGFBP-1 is inversely related to BMI, in contrast to the linear relation between IR and BMI. Here, we investigated s-IGFBP-1 and IR concerning BMI and 7-year poststroke functional outcome.

Spectral-partitioned Kohn-Sham density functional theory.

We introduce a general, variational scheme for systematic approximation of a given Kohn-Sham free-energy functional by partitioning the density matrix into distinct spectral domains, each of which may be spanned by an independent diagonal representation without requirement of mutual orthogonality. It is shown that by generalizing the entropic contribution to the free energy to allow for independent representations in each spectral domain, the free energy becomes an upper bound to the exact (unpartitioned) Kohn-Sham free energy, attaining this limit as the representations approach Kohn-Sham eigenfunctions. A numerical procedure is devised for calculation of the generalized entropy associated with spectral partitioning of the density matrix.

Serum IGFBP-1 Concentration as a Predictor of Outcome after Ischemic Stroke-A Prospective Observational Study.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) regulates insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) bioactivity, and is a central player in normal growth, metabolism, and stroke recovery. However, the role of serum IGFBP-1 (s-IGFBP-1) after ischemic stroke is unclear. We determined whether s-IGFBP-1 is predictive of poststroke outcome.

Clinical Value of a Routine Urine Culture Prior to Transrectal Prostate Biopsy.

Background: Infectious complications after a transrectal prostate biopsy may be severe. In Sweden, a routine culture prior to all prostate biopsies was introduced to enable targeted antimicrobial prophylaxis and reduce postbiopsy infections.

Objective: To investigate whether a clinical routine with a urine culture prior to a prostate biopsy and targeted prophylactic antibiotic therapy reduces postbiopsy infections.

Quantifying electron temperature distributions from time-integrated x-ray emission spectra.

K-shell x-ray emission spectroscopy is a standard tool used to diagnose the plasma conditions created in high-energy-density physics experiments. In the simplest approach, the emissivity-weighted average temperature of the plasma can be extracted by fitting an emission spectrum to a single temperature condition. It is known, however, that a range of plasma conditions can contribute to the measured spectra due to a combination of the evolution of the sample and spatial gradients.

Interprofessional teamwork before and after organizational change in a tertiary emergency department: An observational study.

In healthcare settings, suboptimal interprofessional teamwork and communication contribute to unsafe care and avoidable harm. Interprofessional teamwork is essential in high-risk clinical areas such as the emergency department (ED). The aims of this study were to describe interprofessional teamwork in a hospital ED and to evaluate factors influencing interprofessional communication before and after implementation of a department-wide multifaceted intervention.

The environmental release and ecosystem risks of illicit drugs during Glastonbury Festival.

Reported high drug use at music festivals coupled with factors such as public urination can lead to the direct release of illicit drugs into the environment. Glastonbury Festival 2019 had 203,000 attendees, its site is intercepted by the Whitelake River providing a direct route for illicit drug pollution into the local environment. We tested for popular illicit drugs such as cocaine and MDMA in the river upstream and downstream of the festival site as well as in the neighbouring Redlake River.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II and Ischemic Stroke-A Prospective Observational Study.

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) regulates prenatal brain development, but the role in adult brain function and injury is unclear. Here, we determined whether serum levels of IGF-II (s-IGF-II) are associated with mortality and functional outcome after ischemic stroke (IS). The study population comprised ischemic stroke cases (n = 492) and controls (n = 514) from the Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke (SAHLSIS).

Self-supervised learning and prediction of microstructure evolution with convolutional recurrent neural networks.

Microstructural evolution is a key aspect of understanding and exploiting the processing-structure-property relationship of materials. Modeling microstructure evolution usually relies on coarse-grained simulations with evolution principles described by partial differential equations (PDEs). Here we demonstrate that convolutional recurrent neural networks can learn the underlying physical rules and replace PDE-based simulations in the prediction of microstructure phenomena.

Myocardial expression of somatotropic axis, adrenergic signalling, and calcium handling genes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Aims: Limited data are available regarding cardiac expression of molecules involved in heart failure (HF) pathophysiology. The majority of the studies have focused on end-stage HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) without comparison with healthy subjects, while no data are available with regard to HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFpEF is a condition whose multiple pathophysiological mechanisms are still not fully defined, with many proposed hypotheses remaining speculative due to limited access to human heart tissue.

Relationship between Levels of Pre-Stroke Physical Activity and Post-Stroke Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor I.

Physical activity (PA) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have beneficial effects for patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke (stroke). However, the relationship between the levels of PA and IGF-I after stroke has not been explored in detail. We investigated the pre-stroke PA level in relation to the post-stroke serum IGF-I (s-IGF-I) level, at baseline and at 3 months after the index stroke, and calculated the change that occurred between these two time-points (ΔIGF-I).

Altered levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) following ischemic stroke are associated with outcome - a prospective observational study.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has neuroprotective effects in experimental ischemic stroke (IS). However, in patients who have suffered IS, various associations between the levels of serum IGF-I (s-IGF-I) and clinical outcome have been reported, probably reflecting differences in sampling time-points and follow-up periods. Since changes in the levels of post-stroke s-IGF-I have not been extensively explored, we investigated whether decreases in the levels of s-IGF-I between the acute time-point (median, 4 days) and 3 months (ΔIGF-I, further transformed into ΔIGF-I-quintiles, ΔIGF-I-q) are associated with IS severity and outcome.

Cognitive performance in late adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in Swedish men.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) incidence appears to increase among younger individuals, raising questions of how risk factors affect the younger population. We investigated the association of cognitive performance in late adolescence with long-term risk of early HF.

Methods And Results: We followed a cohort of Swedish men enrolled in mandatory military conscription in 1968-2005 (n = 1 225 300; mean age 18.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength in late adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in Swedish men.

Aims To investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength in late adolescence and the long-term risk of heart failure (HF). Methods A cohort was created of Swedish men enrolled in compulsory military service between 1968 and 2005 with measurements for CRF and muscle strength ( n = 1,226,623; mean age 18.3 years).

Growth Hormone Deficiency Is Associated with Worse Cardiac Function, Physical Performance, and Outcome in Chronic Heart Failure: Insights from the T.O.S.CA. GHD Study.

Background: Although mounting evidence supports the concept that growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) affects cardiovascular function, no study has systematically investigated its prevalence and role in a large cohort of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of GHD in mild-to-moderate CHF and to explore clinical and functional correlates of GHD.

Methods: One-hundred thirty CHF patients underwent GH provocative test with GHRH+arginine and accordingly categorized into GH-deficiency (GHD, n = 88, age = 61.

Body weight in adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in adulthood among men in Sweden.

Aims: To study the relation between body mass index (BMI) in young men and risk of early hospitalization with heart failure.

Methods And Results: In a prospective cohort study, men from the Swedish Conscript Registry investigated 1968-2005 (n = 1 610 437; mean age, 18.6 years were followed 5-42 years (median, 23.

Increased Cerebrospinal Fluid Level of Insulin-like Growth Factor-II in Male Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is important for brain development. Although IGF-II is abundant also in adult life, little is known of the role of IGF-II in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective And Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 60 consecutive patients under primary evaluation of cognitive impairment and 20 healthy controls.

Density functional theory calculations of magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies for (Fe(1-x)Co(x))(2)B.

We present and discuss density functional theory calculations of magnetic properties of the family of ferromagnetic compounds, (Fe(1-x)Co(x))(2)B, focusing specifically on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE). Using periodic supercells of various sizes (up to 96 atoms), it is shown that the general qualitative features of the composition dependence of the MAE is in agreement with experimental findings, while our predicted magnitudes are larger than those of experiment. We find that the use of small supercells (6 and 12-atom) favors larger MAE values relative to a statistical sample of configurations constructed with 96-atom supercells.

A combined theoretical and experimental investigation of uranium dioxide under high static pressure.

We have investigated the behavior of uranium dioxide (UO2) under high static pressure using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. We have made Raman spectroscopic measurements up to 87 GPa, electrical transport measurements up to 50 GPa from 10 K to room temperature, and optical transmission measurements up to 28 GPa. We have also carried out theoretical calculations within the GGA + U framework.

Energy levels of the Ce activator relative to the YAP(Ce) scintillator host.

The electronic structure of the cerium-activated yttrium aluminum perovskite [YAP(Ce)] scintillator has been studied by core level x-ray spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. X-ray absorption and emission spectra at the oxygen K-edge of YAP(Ce) and CeO2 have been measured and compared with the calculated partial density of states. With the known band gap of CeO2, the measured oxygen K-edge absorption and emission spectra are used to construct a fixed relation between the valence and conduction bands of YAP and CeO2.

Genetic variation at the IGF1 locus shows association with post-stroke outcome and to circulating IGF1.

Objective: In humans, serum IGF1 (s-IGF1) is associated with outcome after ischemic stroke (IS). Therefore variation at the IGF1 locus could also associate with both IS and s-IGF1. We investigated whether genetic variation at the IGF1 locus is associated with i) s-IGF1, ii) IS occurrence, iii) IS severity, and iv) post-stroke outcome.