Automated Prediction of Bacterial Exclusion Areas on SEM Images of Graphene-Polymer Composites.

To counter the rising threat of bacterial infections in the post-antibiotic age, intensive efforts are invested in engineering new materials with antibacterial properties. The key bottleneck in this initiative is the speed of evaluation of the antibacterial potential of new materials. To overcome this, we developed an automated pipeline for the prediction of antibacterial potential based on scanning electron microscopy images of engineered surfaces.

Precontrolled Alignment of Graphite Nanoplatelets in Polymeric Composites Prevents Bacterial Attachment.

Graphene coatings composed of vertical spikes are shown to mitigate bacterial attachment. Such coatings present hydrophobic edges of graphene, which penetrate the lipid bilayers causing physical disruption of bacterial cells. However, manufacturing of such surfaces on a scale required for antibacterial applications is currently not feasible.

Antibacterial effect of boron nitride flakes with controlled orientation in polymer composites.

Boron nitride (BN) is a stable 2D material with physiochemical properties similar to graphene-based nanomaterials. We have recently demonstrated that vertically aligned coatings of graphene-based nanomaterials provide strong antibacterial effects on various surfaces. Here we investigated whether BN, a nanomaterial with extensive similarities to graphene, might exhibit similar antibacterial properties.

Validating microscopic colitis (MC) in Swedish pathology registers.

Objective: Microscopic colitis (MC), encompassing collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC), is a diagnosis which relies on histopathologic criteria. This report examines the validity of having a diagnosis of MC in Swedish pathology registers.

Methods: We reviewed patient charts from 215 randomly selected individuals from 15 pathology departments in five healthcare regions in Sweden with a relevant histopathology code for MC on colon biopsies.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine triggers a better immune response than pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia A randomized study by the Swedish CLL group.

Aim: To determine if patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) benefit from vaccination with a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV13), Prevenar13®, compared to a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), Pneumovax®, in terms of immune response.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae causes substantial morbidity in patients with CLL, a group known to respond poorly to polysaccharide vaccines. Comparative studies with conjugated vaccines are lacking.

[Biological treatments in pediatric IBD].

Biological treatments in pediatric IBD In Sweden, there are an estimated 1 500 pediatric IBD patients. We sent out a survey regarding the use of biological treatments in pediatric IBD to pediatric gastroenterologists in Sweden. Of 1 098 recorded IBD patients, 17% had ongoing treatment with biological drugs.

All-printed diode operating at 1.6 GHz.

Printed electronics are considered for wireless electronic tags and sensors within the future Internet-of-things (IoT) concept. As a consequence of the low charge carrier mobility of present printable organic and inorganic semiconductors, the operational frequency of printed rectifiers is not high enough to enable direct communication and powering between mobile phones and printed e-tags. Here, we report an all-printed diode operating up to 1.

Improved survival in myeloma patients: starting to close in on the gap between elderly patients and a matched normal population.

The outcome for multiple myeloma patients has improved since the introduction of bortezomib, thalidomide and lenalidomide. However, studies comparing new and conventional treatment include selected patient groups. We investigated consecutive patients (n = 1638) diagnosed in a defined period and compared survival with a gender- and age-matched cohort Swedish population (n = 9 340 682).

Portal vein thrombosis is a common complication following splenectomy in patients with malignant haematological diseases.

Background: Elective laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is performed with increasing frequency rather than open splenectomy (OS) because of reduced morbidity. LS is feasible also in patients with haematological diseases with splenomegaly, a group that is subject to more postoperative complications, such as bleeding, infections and portal vein thrombosis (PVT).

Method: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 69 patients splenectomised for haematological diseases during a 5-yr period at a single centre with the aim of comparing the results and complications after LS and OS.