Incidence and outcome of acquired aplastic anemia: real-world data from patients diagnosed in Sweden from 2000-2011.

A plastic anemia is a rare life-threatening disease. However, since the introduction of immunosuppressive therapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, the outcome has improved considerably, and the 5-year survival is reported to be 70-80% in selected patient cohorts. Yet, contemporary population-based data on incidence and survival are lacking.

Hand-Held Femtogram Detection of Hazardous Picric Acid with Hydrophobic Ag Nanopillar SERS Substrates and Mechanism of Elasto-Capillarity.

Picric acid (PA) is a severe environmental and security risk due to its unstable, toxic, and explosive properties. It is also challenging to detect in trace amounts and in situ because of its highly acidic and anionic character. Here, we assess sensing of PA under nonlaboratory conditions using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) silver nanopillar substrates and hand-held Raman spectroscopy equipment.

Factors Affecting Older Persons' Ability to Manage Oral Hygiene: A Qualitative Study.

A great challenge for the dental service is to support the growing group of elderly people with preserving good oral health throughout their lives. Limitations in the ability to manage oral hygiene and an increased number of risk factors are often reflected by poor oral health. Thus, the need for individualized support and oral health procedures based on the older person's condition is significant.

Labradorins with Antibacterial Activity Produced by Pseudomonas sp.

The urgent need for new antibacterial drugs has led to renewed interest in microorganisms, which historically have been the main source of previously discovered antibiotics. The present study describes the discovery of two new antibacterial oxazolylindole type alkaloids, labradorins 5 () and 6 (), which were isolated and characterized from two isolates of sp., along with four previously known tryptophane derived alkaloids.

Primary health clinic toilet/bathroom surface swab sampling can indicate community profile of sexually transmitted infections.

Background: The microbiome of built environment surfaces is impacted by the presence of humans. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that analysis of surface swabs from clinic toilet/bathroom yields results correlated with sexually transmitted infection (STI) notifications from corresponding human populations. We extended a previously reported study in which surfaces in toilet/bathroom facilities in primary health clinics in the Australian Northern Territory (NT) were swabbed then tested for nucleic acid from the STI agents and .

Contaminated fingers: a potential cause of positive urine specimens.

Objectives: The detection of an STI agent in a urogenital tract (UGT) specimen from a young child is regarded as being indicative of sexual abuse. However, the probabilities of contamination events that could conceivably lead to STI positive specimens in the absence of sexual contact are unclear. The objective was to estimate the potential for fingers that have come in contact with positive urine to detectably contaminate negative urine.

Discriminating Ability of Abbreviated Impactor Measurement Approach (AIM) to Detect Changes in Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) of an Albuterol/Salbutamol pMDI Aerosol.

This article reports on results from a two-lab, multiple impactor experiment evaluating the abbreviated impactor measurement (AIM) concept, conducted by the Cascade Impaction Working Group of the International Pharmaceutical Aerosol Consortium on Regulation and Science (IPAC-RS). The goal of this experiment was to expand understanding of the performance of an AIM-type apparatus based on the Andersen eight-stage non-viable cascade impactor (ACI) for the assessment of inhalation aerosols and sprays, compared with the full-resolution version of that impactor described in the pharmacopeial compendia. The experiment was conducted at two centers with a representative commercially available pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) containing albuterol (salbutamol) as active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).

Comprehensive global genome dynamics of show ancient diversification followed by contemporary mixing and recent lineage expansion.

is the world's most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection and leading infectious cause of blindness, yet it is one of the least understood human pathogens, in part due to the difficulties of in vitro culturing and the lack of available tools for genetic manipulation. Genome sequencing has reinvigorated this field, shedding light on the contemporary history of this pathogen. Here, we analyze 563 full genomes, 455 of which are novel, to show that the history of the species comprises two phases, and conclude that the currently circulating lineages are the result of evolution in different genomic ecotypes.

The Swedish radiological environmental protection regulations applied in a review of a license application for a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel.

For the first time, a system for specific consideration of radiological environmental protection has been applied in a major license application in Sweden. In 2011 the Swedish Nuclear Fuel & Waste Management Co. (SKB) submitted a license application for construction of a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel at the Forsmark site.

Refining particle positions using circular symmetry.

Particle and object tracking is gaining attention in industrial applications and is commonly applied in: colloidal, biophysical, ecological, and micro-fluidic research. Reliable tracking information is heavily dependent on the system under study and algorithms that correctly determine particle position between images. However, in a real environmental context with the presence of noise including particular or dissolved matter in water, and low and fluctuating light conditions, many algorithms fail to obtain reliable information.

Whole genome sequencing to investigate a putative outbreak of the virulent community-associated methicillin-resistant ST93 clone in a remote Indigenous community.

We report two cases of severe pneumonia due to clone ST93 methicillin-resistant (MRSA) presenting from a remote Australian Indigenous community within a 2-week period, and the utilization of whole genome sequences to determine whether these were part of an outbreak. was isolated from 12 of 92 nasal swabs collected from 25 community households (including the two index households); one isolate was ST93. Three of five skin lesion isolates obtained at the community were ST93.

Ethnobotanical survey and toxicity evaluation of medicinal plants used for fungal remedy in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania.

Background/aim: Some of the antifungal drugs used in the current treatments regime are responding to antimicrobial resistance. In rural areas of Southern Tanzania, indigenous people use antifungal drugs alone or together with medicinal plants to curb the effects of antibiotic resistance. This study documented ethnobotanical information of medicinal plants used for managing fungal infections in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania and further assess their safety.

Screening and prioritization of micropollutants in wastewaters from on-site sewage treatment facilities.

A comprehensive screening of micropollutants was performed in wastewaters from on-site sewage treatment facilities (OSSFs) and urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Sweden. A suspect screening approach, using high resolution mass spectrometry, was developed and used in combination with target analysis. With this strategy, a total number of 79 micropollutants were successfully identified, which belong to the groups of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), pesticides, phosphorus-containing flame retardants (PFRs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).

Evolution and Prospects of the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Olefins.

The catalytic enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral olefins is a key reaction in asymmetric synthesis. Its relevance applies to both industry and academia as an inherently direct and sustainable strategy to induce chirality. Here we briefly recount the early breakthroughs concerning the asymmetric hydrogenation of largely unfunctionalized olefins, from the first reports to the advent of chiral Crabtree-like catalysts.

Risk of Rectal Cancer After Colectomy for Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A National Cohort Study.

Background & Aims: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have an increased risk of rectal cancer, therefore reconstruction with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) generally is preferred to an ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) after subtotal colectomy. Similarly, completion proctectomy is recommended for patients with ileostomy and a diverted rectum, although this approach has been questioned because anti-inflammatory agents might reduce cancer risk. We performed a national cohort study in Sweden to assess the risk of rectal cancer in patients with UC who have an IRA, IPAA, or diverted rectum after subtotal colectomy.

Androgens in women after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: impact of chronic GvHD and glucocorticoid therapy.

Low androgen levels may contribute to sexual dysfunction in women after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). However, data on serum androgens in women after alloHCT are limited. The aim of this study was to assess androgen levels and their association with chronic GvHD (cGvHD) and glucocorticoid (GC) therapy.

Catalyst-solvent interactions in a dinuclear Ru-based water oxidation catalyst.

Photocatalytic water oxidation represents a key process in conversion of solar energy into fuels and can be facilitated by the use of molecular transition metal-based catalysts. A novel straightforward approach for covalent linking of the catalytic units to other moieties is demonstrated by preparation of a dinuclear complex containing two [Ru(pdc)(pic)]-derived units (pdc = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate, pic = 4-picoline). The activity of this complex towards chemical and photochemical oxidation of water was evaluated and a detailed insight is given into the interactions between the catalyst and acetonitrile, a common co-solvent employed to increase solubility of water oxidation catalysts.

Structure-Based Virtual Screening Protocol for in Silico Identification of Potential Thyroid Disrupting Chemicals Targeting Transthyretin.

Thyroid disruption by xenobiotics is associated with a broad spectrum of severe adverse outcomes. One possible molecular target of thyroid hormone disrupting chemicals (THDCs) is transthyretin (TTR), a thyroid hormone transporter in vertebrates. To better understand the interactions between TTR and THDCs, we determined the crystallographic structures of human TTR in complex with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and 2,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (BP2).

Global DNA methylation profiling reveals new insights into epigenetically deregulated protein coding and long noncoding RNAs in CLL.

Background: Methyl-CpG-binding domain protein enriched genome-wide sequencing (MBD-Seq) is a robust and powerful method for analyzing methylated CpG-rich regions with complete genome-wide coverage. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the role of CpG methylated regions associated with transcribed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and repetitive genomic elements are poorly understood. Based on MBD-Seq, we characterized the global methylation profile of high CpG-rich regions in different CLL prognostic subgroups based on IGHV mutational status.

High Caveolin-1 Expression in Tumor Stroma Is Associated with a Favourable Outcome in Prostate Cancer Patients Managed by Watchful Waiting.

In the present study we have investigated whether Caveolin-1 expression in non-malignant and malignant prostate tissue is a potential prognostic marker for outcome in prostate cancer patients managed by watchful waiting. Caveolin-1 was measured in prostate tissues obtained through transurethral resection of the prostate from 395 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. The majority of the patients (n = 298) were followed by watchful waiting after diagnosis.

Non-target screening and prioritization of potentially persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic domestic wastewater contaminants and their removal in on-site and large-scale sewage treatment plants.

On-site sewage treatment facilities (OSSFs), which are used to reduce nutrient emissions in rural areas, were screened for anthropogenic compounds with two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS). The detected compounds were prioritized based on their persistence, bioaccumulation, ecotoxicity, removal efficiency, and concentrations. This comprehensive prioritization strategy, which was used for the first time on OSSF samples, ranked galaxolide, α-tocopheryl acetate, octocrylene, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyn-4,7-diol, several chlorinated organophosphorus flame retardants and linear alkyl benzenes as the most relevant compounds being emitted from OSSFs.

Considering ionic state in modeling sorption of pharmaceuticals to sewage sludge.

Information on the partitioning of chemicals between particulate matter and water in sewage treatment plants (STPs) can be used to predict their subsequent environmental fate. However, this information can be challenging to acquire, especially for pharmaceuticals that are frequently present in ionized forms. This study investigated the relationship between the ionization state of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their partitioning between water and sludge in STPs.

Discontinuation of anti-VEGF cancer therapy promotes metastasis through a liver revascularization mechanism.

The impact of discontinuation of anti-VEGF cancer therapy in promoting cancer metastasis is unknown. Here we show discontinuation of anti-VEGF treatment creates a time-window of profound structural changes of liver sinusoidal vasculatures, exhibiting hyper-permeability and enlarged open-pore sizes of the fenestrated endothelium and loss of VE-cadherin. The drug cessation caused highly leaky hepatic vasculatures permit tumour cell intravasation and extravasation.

Enantio- and Regioselective Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Di- and Trisubstituted Cycloalkenes.

A number of cyclic olefins were prepared and evaluated for the asymmetric hydrogenation reaction using novel N,P-ligated iridium imidazole-based catalysts (Crabtree type). The diversity of these cyclic olefins spanned those having little functionality to others bearing strongly coordinating substituents and heterocycles. Excellent enantioselectivities were observed both for substrates having little functionality (up to >99% ee) and for substrates possessing functional groups several carbons away from the olefin.

Endothelial PDGF-CC regulates angiogenesis-dependent thermogenesis in beige fat.

Cold- and β3-adrenoceptor agonist-induced sympathetic activation leads to angiogenesis and UCP1-dependent thermogenesis in mouse brown and white adipose tissues. Here we show that endothelial production of PDGF-CC during white adipose tissue (WAT) angiogenesis regulates WAT browning. We find that genetic deletion of endothelial VEGFR2, knockout of the Pdgf-c gene or pharmacological blockade of PDGFR-α impair the WAT-beige transition.