On the rate constant for reactions between ions in solution: a simple unification of the Born and Debye-Hückel models.

The rate of reaction between ions in solution depends on solvent properties like permittivity and ionic strength. The influence of a solution's ionic strength is described by the Brønsted-Bjerrum equation. We show how this equation can be derived directly from transition-state theory without introducing the concept of activity coefficients.

Immune checkpoint blockade in experimental bacterial infections.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors designed to reinvigorate immune responses suppressed by cancer cells have revolutionized cancer therapy. Similarities in immune dysregulation between cancer and infectious diseases has prompted investigations into the role of immune checkpoints in infectious diseases, including the therapeutic potential of immune checkpoint blockade and drug repurposing. While most research has centered around viral infections, data for bacterial infections are emerging.

Characteristics of eligible patients with knee osteoarthritis accepting versus declining participation in a randomised trial investigating the effect of weight loss versus knee arthroplasty to explore generalisability: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The INtensive diet versus Knee Arthroplasty (INKA) trial is a randomised trial assessing weight loss as an alternative to knee arthroplasty (KA) in obese patients with severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) awaiting KA (NCT05172843). The external validity of the INKA trial may be hampered if the patients who participate differ from those who decline participation.

Objective: To compare baseline characteristics between patients who enrol in the INKA trial and those who decline participation (i.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) cycles are the smallest complete units within EQA programs that laboratories can use to obtain external assessments of their performance. In each cycle, several samples are distributed to the laboratories registered for participation, and ideally, EQA programs not only cover the examination procedures but also the pre- and post-examination procedures. The properties and concentration range of measurands in individual samples are selected with regard to the intended challenge for the participants so that each sample fulfils its purpose.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

Providers of external quality assessment (EQA) programs evaluate data or information obtained and reported by participant laboratories using their routine procedures to examine properties or measurands in samples provided for this purpose. EQA samples must offer participants an equal chance to obtain accurate results, while being designed to provide results in clinically relevant ranges. It is the responsibility of the EQA provider to meet the necessary requirements for homogeneity, stability and some other properties of the EQA items in order to offer participants a fair, reliable and technically interesting EQA experience.

Optimized chelator and nanoparticle strategies for high-activity Pd-loaded biodegradable brachytherapy seeds.

Background: Brachytherapy (BT) is routinely used in the treatment of various cancers. Current BT relies on the placement of large sources of radioactivity at the tumor site, requiring applicators that may cause local traumas and lesions. Further, they suffer from inflexibility in where they can be placed and some sources reside permanently in the body, causing potential long-term discomfort.

Effect of feeding biochar, oat hulls, yeast fermentate, and organic acids on reduction of Campylobacter in free-range broilers from hatching to slaughter.

The Campylobacter prevalence in free-ranging broiler flocks is usually higher than in conventional flocks, and effective interventions for this production type are needed. This study aimed to investigate the on-farm Campylobacter-reducing effect of feeding three feed additives or a water additive to broilers from hatching to slaughter. Newly hatched Ranger Gold broilers (n = 140) were randomly placed into five cages (n = 28/cage) within a flock of 6,000 broilers.

Physical Therapists' Use of Psychological Skills Training in Rehabilitation Following Traumatic Knee Injury: An Online Survey Study.

Background: Rehabilitation following traumatic knee injury often focuses primarily on physical aspects. Lack of knowledge of psychological factors and appropriate strategies may be a barrier to meeting treatment recommendations to address these factors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether, and to what extent, Scandinavian physical therapists address psychological factors in treatment of physically active people with traumatic knee injury.

Early-onset neonatal infection and school performance: a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study.

Objectives: We aimed to study the association between early-onset neonatal infection in near-term and term children and school performance based on mandatory tests in reading and mathematics.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study including all Danish near-term and term singletons born from 1997 to 2009. Early-onset infection was defined as an invasive bacterial infection during the first week of life.

Diagnostic value of extracellular matrix degradation biomarkers in serum from patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, which is highly heterogeneous upon diagnosis. Brain extracellular matrix (ECM) accounts for 10-20 % of the total brain volume and is responsible for the physical organization of neuronal and glia cells. Blood-based biomarkers quantifying ECM fragments holds the potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Pulmonologists-level lung cancer detection based on standard blood test results and smoking status using an explainable machine learning approach.

Lung cancer (LC) remains the primary cause of cancer-related mortality, largely due to late-stage diagnoses. Effective strategies for early detection are therefore of paramount importance. In recent years, machine learning (ML) has demonstrated considerable potential in healthcare by facilitating the detection of various diseases.

Impact of radiotherapy on body weight in head and neck cancer patients: A prospective study.

Background: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy often experience symptoms that affect their ability to eat. This study aimed to explore the impact of radiotherapy on body weight in HNC patients and compare the characteristics of patients receiving enteral tube feeding with those maintaining an oral diet.

Methods: In this prospective study, 52 patients with HNC were examined at diagnosis, at the start and end of radiotherapy, and six weeks after end of treatment.

Impact of genetic testing in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy- parents' perspective.

Background: Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are a group of severe and heterogeneous epilepsies. Most of the affected patients have treatment refractory seizures, intellectual disability (ID), and multiple comorbidities. The condition has a negative impact on quality of life, both for the patients and their families.

Suboptimal adherence to a gluten-free diet in adults with both type 1 diabetes and celiac disease using urinary gluten immunogenic peptide measurement.

Objectives: Concurrent type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (CeD) pose challenges in insulin dosage adjustments and gluten-free dietary adherence. Urine testing for gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) is a new method to detect gluten exposure within the last 3-12 h. Our aims were to compare gluten-free dietary adherence between T1D + CeD and CeD individuals and evaluate urinary GIP testing in an outpatient setting.

Low Surgery Rates in Early Crohn's Disease: Results from a Prospective Population-Based Inception Cohort-The Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South-Eastern Norway III Study.

Background And Aims: The emergence of biologic therapy has coincided with a decline in surgery rates for Crohn's disease (CD). This study aims to describe the disease course, including intra-abdominal surgery rates, biologic therapy use, and variables associated with biologic therapy initiation in a cohort of newly diagnosed CD patients.

Methods: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South-Eastern Norway (IBSEN) III study is a population-based inception cohort study.

Effect of heated mittens on physical hand function in people with hand osteoarthritis: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the effect of electrically heated mittens on physical hand function in people with osteoarthritis of the hands compared with control mittens.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Osteoarthritis outpatient clinic, Copenhagen, Denmark.

A Bayesian Network Approach to Lung Cancer Screening: Assessing the Impact of Data Quantity, Quality, and the Combination of Data from Danish Electronic Health Records.

: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality, making early diagnosis essential. While LC screening trials are underway globally, optimal prediction models and inclusion criteria are still lacking. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Bayesian Network (BN) models for LC risk prediction using a decade of data from Denmark.

Muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors among college-aged women: The role of sexual orientation.

While sexual minority (SM) status has been associated with poorer body image and greater eating pathology among men, findings are inconsistent among women. The lack of focus on muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviors among SM women may contribute to these mixed findings; thus, we examined these constructs within a large sample of SM and heterosexual women. Our sample included 1511 cisgender women (n= 1213 heterosexual, n= 298 SM).

Threatening and nurturing mental health: insights from Danish elite athletes on the dynamic interplay of factors associated with their mental health.

Introduction: Numerous factors have been identified that potentially influence athletes' mental health. Given the predominant focus in the literature on athletes' mental health risk factors, our study aimed to explore elite athletes' perceptions of factors associated with their mental health and thriving based on the combination of holistic developmental and ecological approaches.

Methods: Seven Danish international elite athletes representing diverse sports were interviewed twice.

Added prognostic value of DCE blood volume imaging in patients with suspected recurrent or residual glioblastoma-A hybrid [F]FET PET/MRI study.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cerebral blood volume (CBV) measurements improve the diagnosis of recurrent gliomas. The study investigated the prognostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) CBV imaging in treated IDH wildtype glioblastoma when added to MRI or amino acid positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: Hybrid [F]FET PET/MRI with 2CXM (2-compartment exchange model) DCE from 86 adult patients with suspected recurrent or residual glioblastoma were retrospectively analyzed.

Prescription drug use in Danish children and adolescents 2005-2023.

Continuous monitoring of pediatric drug utilization is important for ensuring rational use and prioritizing research. This study provides an overview of pediatric prescription drug use among Danish children and adolescents from 2005-2023. Using Danish nationwide individual-level dispensing data, we identified all redeemed prescriptions for individuals < 18 years from January 2005-December 2023.

Magnetic resonance imaging and o-(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine positron emission tomography for early response assessment of nivolumab and bevacizumab in patients with recurrent high-grade astrocytic glioma.

Background: In the present study, early response assessment by o-(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (FET) positron emission tomography (PET) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were investigated in a phase II open-label single-center study of nivolumab plus bevacizumab for recurrent high-grade astrocytic glioma.

Methods: Twenty patients with nonresectable first recurrence of high-grade astrocytic glioma after EORTC/NCIC protocol underwent [F]FET PET/MRI at baseline and after 2 cycles of treatment. Whole brain values of contrast-enhancing volume on MRI (CEV), of the mean (TBR) and maximal tumor-to-background ratio (TBR), and of metabolically active volume (MTV) on [F]FET PET were obtained.

Lung function improvement on triple modulators: high-resolution, nationwide data from the Danish Cystic Fibrosis Cohort.

Background: People living with cystic fibrosis in Denmark had early, universal access to triple modulator treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor. Close monitoring allowed us to assess the impact of treatment on lung function and progression of lung disease in an unselected nationwide cystic fibrosis population from 6 years of age.

Methods: Data were analysed using linear mixed-effect models to assess changes in levels and annual rates of change (slopes) in percent predicted (pp) forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of FVC (ppFEF) between the 12 months pre-treatment and treatment periods.

Acid-base parameters in venous blood - agreement between values from safePICO syringes and lithium-heparin vacutainer tubes.

Venous blood is considered an acceptable alternative to arterial blood for assessment of metabolic acid-base disorders. Also, venous sampling using lithium-heparin (Li-Hep) tubes is advantageous to arterial sampling using PICO syringes, the risk of complications being lower. Usage of partly filled tubes without firm knowledge about the clinical consequences is, however, a pre-analytic consideration.