Estimating species diversity and distribution in the era of Big Data: to what extent can we trust public databases?

Aim: Massive digitalization of natural history collections is now leading to a steep accumulation of publicly available species distribution data. However, taxonomic errors and geographical uncertainty of species occurrence records are now acknowledged by the scientific community - putting into question to what extent such data can be used to unveil correct patterns of biodiversity and distribution. We explore this question through quantitative and qualitative analyses of uncleaned versus manually verified datasets of species distribution records across different spatial scales.

SVANTE - The Swedish Articulation and Nasality Test - Normative data and a minimum standard set for cross-linguistic comparison.

Normative language-based data are important for comparing speech performances of clinical groups. The Swedish Articulation and Nasality Test (SVANTE) was developed to enable a detailed speech assessment. This study's aim was to present normative data on articulation and nasality in Swedish speakers.

Low aerobic capacity in middle-aged men associated with increased mortality rates during 45 years of follow-up.

Background: Low aerobic capacity has been associated with increased mortality in short-term studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive power of aerobic capacity for mortality in middle-aged men during 45-years of follow-up.

Design: The study design was a population-based prospective cohort study.

Morphology and Dissolution Rate of Wear Debris from Silicon Nitride Coatings.

Silicon nitride (SiN) coatings have recently been introduced as a potential material for joint implant bearing surfaces, but there is no data on wear debris morphology nor their dissolution rate, something that could play a central role to implant longevity. In this study, wear debris was generated in a ball-on-disc setup in simulated body fluid. After serum digestion the debris was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Ceramic cement as a potential stand-alone treatment for bone fractures: An in vitro study of ceramic-bone composites.

Background: A vertebral burst fracture (VBF) treated with vertebroplasty using a ceramic cement consists of four regions; native bone fragments, native ceramic cement, ceramic cement-trabecular bone (ceramic-bone) composite and ceramic-bone interface. Although the mechanical properties of native bone and native ceramic cements have been well investigated, the mechanical properties of ceramic-bone composite and ceramic-bone interface remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of ceramic-bone composites and ceramic-bone interfaces.

Compressive, diametral tensile and biaxial flexural strength of cutting-edge calcium phosphate cements.

Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) are widely used in bone repair. Currently there are two main types of CPCs, brushite and apatite. The aim of this project was to evaluate the mechanical properties of particularly promising experimental brushite and apatite formulations in comparison to commercially available brushite- and apatite-based cements (chronOS(™) Inject and Norian(®) SRS(®), respectively), and in particular evaluate the diametral tensile strength and biaxial flexural strength of these cements in both wet and dry conditions for the first time.

Physical Activity Levels and Their Associations With Postural Control in the First Year After Stroke.

Background: There is limited research concerning the physical activity levels over time of people who have survived stroke.

Objective: The study objectives were: (1) to describe self-reported physical activity levels at 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke onset and (2) to analyze whether there was an association between self-reported physical activity level and postural control.

Design: This was an observational and longitudinal study.

A shared respite--The meaning of place for family well-being in families living with chronic illness.

Living with chronic illness is a family affair that involves ongoing changes and challenges in everyday life. When life changes, the environment is important for family health and well-being. The relation between a place and a family is rarely described, and therefore the aim of this study was to explore the meaning of place for family well-being in families living with chronic illness.

Dissolution behaviour of silicon nitride coatings for joint replacements.

In this study, the dissolution rate of SiNx coatings was investigated as a function of coating composition, in comparison to a cobalt chromium molybdenum alloy (CoCrMo) reference. SiNx coatings with N/Si ratios of 0.3, 0.

Comparison of a quasi-dynamic and a static extraction method for the cytotoxic evaluation of acrylic bone cements.

In this study, two different extraction approaches were compared in order to evaluate the cytotoxicity of 7 different acrylic bone cements, mainly developed for spinal applications, to osteoblastic cells. Firstly, a static extraction was carried out continuously over 24h, a method widely used in literature. Secondly, a quasi-dynamic extraction method that allowed the investigation of time-dependent cytotoxic effects of curing acrylic bone cements to cells was introduced.

Volume dependence of the dielectric properties of amorphous SiO2.

Using first principles calculations, the analysis of the dielectric properties of amorphous SiO2 (am-SiO2) was performed. We found that the am-SiO2 properties are volume dependent, and the dependence is mainly induced by the variation of nanoporosity at the atomic scale. In particular, both ionic and electronic contributions to the static dielectric constants are functions of volume with clear trends.

HIF2α contributes to antiestrogen resistance via positive bilateral crosstalk with EGFR in breast cancer cells.

The majority of breast cancers express estrogen receptor α (ERα), and most patients with ERα-positive breast cancer benefit from antiestrogen therapy. The ERα-modulator tamoxifen and ERα-downregulator fulvestrant are commonly employed antiestrogens. Antiestrogen resistance remains a clinical challenge, with few effective treatments available for patients with antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer.

Solution structure of the calmodulin-like C-terminal domain of Entamoeba α-actinin2.

Cell motility is dependent on a dynamic meshwork of actin filaments that is remodelled continuously. A large number of associated proteins that are severs, cross-links, or caps the filament ends have been identified and the actin cross-linker α-actinin has been implied in several important cellular processes. In Entamoeba histolytica, the etiological agent of human amoebiasis, α-actinin is believed to be required for infection.

Assessing family resources: validation of the Swedish version of the Family Hardiness Index.

All families face normative transitions. Some are perceived as stressful and calls for family resources to maintain or restore family well-being. In times of illness, families also need to develop strengths and capabilities to enhance family well-being.

The effect of oligo(trimethylene carbonate) addition on the stiffness of acrylic bone cement.

With the increasing elderly population an increase in the number of bony fractures associated to age-related diseases such as osteoporosis also follows. The relatively high stiffness of the acrylic bone cements used in these patients has been suggested to give raise to a suboptimal load distribution surrounding the cement in vivo, and hence contribute to clinical complications, such as additional fractures. The aim of this study was to develop a low-modulus bone cement, based on currently used, commercially available poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cements for vertebroplasty.

Comparison of alpha and beta tin for lithium, sodium, and magnesium storage: An ab initio study including phonon contributions.

We present a comparative ab initio study of Li, Na, and Mg storage in tin, including phononic effects and phase competition between α and β Sn. Mg doping at low concentration is found to stabilize the β phase. On the contrary, Li and Na doping is shown to reverse the stability of the phases at room temperature: Li/Na-doped α-Sn is more stable than Li/Na-doped β-Sn up to a temperature of around 380/400 K.

Long-Term In Vitro Degradation of a High-Strength Brushite Cement in Water, PBS, and Serum Solution.

Bone loss and fractures may call for the use of bone substituting materials, such as calcium phosphate cements (CPCs). CPCs can be degradable, and, to determine their limitations in terms of applications, their mechanical as well as chemical properties need to be evaluated over longer periods of time, under physiological conditions. However, there is lack of data on how the in vitro degradation affects high-strength brushite CPCs over longer periods of time, that is, longer than it takes for a bone fracture to heal.

VELOCITY-RESOLVED [C ii] EMISSION AND [C ii]/FIR MAPPING ALONG ORION WITH .

We present the first ~7.5'×11.5' velocity-resolved (~0.

Assessment of family functioning: evaluation of the General Functioning Scale in a Swedish Bariatric Sample.

Background: The General Functioning Scale (GFS) was developed to assess self-perceived overall family functioning. The scale has satisfactory psychometric properties, is internationally recognised and has been used in different contexts. However, no validated Swedish version is available.

What factors can be protective for both self-rated oral health and general health?

The aim of this study was to analyze if the same protective factors are significant for both self-rated health and oral health. It was hypothesized that these factors should be the same. The material is based on a population sample of 17 113 women and men aged 18-84 years in one county in central Sweden.

Changes in the drug release pattern of fresh and set simvastatin-loaded brushite cement.

Calcium phosphate cements are synthetic bone graft substitutes able to set at physiological conditions. They can be applied by minimally invasive surgery and can also be used as drug delivery systems. Consequently, the drug release pattern from the cement paste (fresh cement) is of high clinical interest.

Structure of the N-terminal domain of the metalloprotease PrtV from Vibrio cholerae.

The metalloprotease PrtV from Vibrio cholerae serves an important function for the ability of bacteria to invade the mammalian host cell. The protein belongs to the family of M6 proteases, with a characteristic zinc ion in the catalytic active site. PrtV constitutes a 918 amino acids (102 kDa) multidomain pre-pro-protein that undergoes several N- and C-terminal modifications to form a catalytically active protease.

Surface and Subsurface Analyses of Metal-on-Polyethylene Total Hip Replacement Retrievals.

Metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) articulations are one of the most reliable implanted hip prostheses. Unfortunately, long-term failure remains an obstacle to the service life. There is a lack of higher resolution research investigating the metallic surface component of MoP hip implants.

In Vitro and In Vivo Response to Low-Modulus PMMA-Based Bone Cement.

The high stiffness of acrylic bone cements has been hypothesized to contribute to the increased number of fractures encountered after vertebroplasty, which has led to the development of low-modulus cements. However, there is no data available on the in vivo biocompatibility of any low-modulus cement. In this study, the in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility of two types of low-modulus acrylic cements, one modified with castor oil and one with linoleic acid, were evaluated using human osteoblast-like cells and a rodent model, respectively.