Associations of infection burden with Kawasaki disease in a population-based setting during 30 years.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of infections in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease.

Methods: The investigation was a nationwide epidemiological case-control study, comprising all cases of Kawasaki disease diagnosed in Sweden 1987-2018. Controls were randomly sampled from the general population, matched on sex, age, and area of residency.

A novel, dominant disease mechanism of distal renal tubular acidosis with specific variants in ATP6V1B1.

Background And Hypothesis: ATP6V1B1 encodes a subunit of the vacuolar H+-ATPase and pathogenic variants are associated with autosomal recessive distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) with deafness. Heterozygous variants predicted to affect a specific amino acid, Arg394, have been recurrently reported in dRTA but their significance has been unclear. We hypothesised that these variants are associated with a dominant disease mechanism.

A consensus on the definition of positive animal welfare.

The concept of animal welfare is evolving due to progress in our scientific understanding of animal biology and changing societal expectations. Animal welfare science has been primarily concerned with minimizing suffering, but there is growing interest in also promoting positive experiences, grouped under the term positive animal welfare (PAW). However, there are discrepancies in the use of the term PAW.

Physical Activity and Life Expectancy Free of Cancer: Prospective Evidence From the UK Biobank Study.

Background: Life expectancy free of cancer (LEFC) is a novel measure that considers both morbidity and mortality and could be a useful metric for disease surveillance and risk communication. We aimed to examine the association between physical activity and LEFC in British adults.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 292,559 apparently healthy UK Biobank participants (mean [SD] age, 56.

Associations Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes and Weight Outcomes Among US Adolescents.

Given the recent implementation and preemption of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes across the United States, we aimed to evaluate the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes and adolescent weight-related outcomes using data on 364,540 adolescents drawn from 1999 to 2021 district Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. We used difference-in-differences models to assess the associations and the potential mediating roles of SSBs, milk, and 100% fruit juice consumption. We found that a one cent per ounce increase in SSB taxes was associated with a 0.

Probing Autism and ADHD subtypes using cortical signatures of the T1w/T2w-ratio and morphometry.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental conditions that share genetic etiology and frequently co-occur. Given this comorbidity and well-established clinical heterogeneity, identifying individuals with similar brain signatures may be valuable for predicting clinical outcomes and tailoring treatment strategies. Cortical myelination is a prominent developmental process, and its disruption is a candidate mechanism for both disorders.

Can household energy efficiency dampen crude oil price volatility in the United States?

Even though the effect of oil price shocks on macroeconomics has been extensively investigated, the literature on how efficiency in household energy use affect crude oil price volatility is yet explored. This study unveils whether household energy efficiency lower crude oil price volatility asymmetrically in the United States using the historical and forecast dataset that spans from 1970:Q1-2040:Q1. Applying the multivariate case of Quantile-on-Quantile Regression, the empirical results show that household energy efficiency dampens crude oil price volatility with a stronger connection in quantiles before the median quantiles of crude oil price volatility.

Physical health in young males and risk of chronic musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases by middle age: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal disease are among the leading causes of disability in middle-aged and older people. Health and lifestyle factors in youth have known associations with cardiovascular or respiratory disease in adulthood, but largely unknown associations with musculoskeletal disease.

Methods And Findings: We included approximately 40,000 18-year-old Swedish males, who completed their conscription examination in 1969 to 1970, followed up until age of 60 years.

Pyrimidinergic P2Y1-Like Nucleotide Receptors Are Functional in Rat Conjunctival Goblet Cells.

Purpose: To investigate the presence of uridine-5'-triphosphate (UTP)-activated P2Y1-like nucleotide receptors (P2Y2R, P2Y4R, and P2Y6R) in conjunctival goblet cells (CGCs) and determine if they increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and induce mucin secretion.

Methods: Adult, male rat conjunctiva was used for culture of CGCs. To investigate the expression of P2YRs, mRNA was extracted from CGCs and used for reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) with commercially obtained primers specific to P2Y2R, P2Y4R, and P2Y6R.

Tolerance to land-use changes through natural modulations of the plant microbiome.

Land-use changes threaten ecosystems and are a major driver of species loss. Plants may adapt or migrate to resist global change, but this can lag behind rapid anthropogenic changes to the environment. Our data show that natural modulations of the microbiome of grassland plants in response to experimental land-use change in a common garden directly affect plant phenotype and performance, thus increasing plant tolerance.

The value of early root development traits in breeding programs for biomass yield in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).

Early root traits, particularly total root length, are heritable and show positive genetic correlations with biomass yield in perennial ryegrass; incorporating them into breeding programs can enhance genetic gain. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is an important forage grass widely used in pastures and lawns, valued for its high nutritive value and environmental benefits.

Speech therapy for exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction.

Introduction: Exercise- Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO) can lead to disabling exercise related dyspnea and hamper participation in physical activity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of a standardized speech therapy protocol as treatment for EILO.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with EILO at our institution were invited to participate.

Cosmetic surgery among women - a cross-sectional study.

Background: Studies from 2003 and 2008 indicated that 7-8 % of adult women in Norway had undergone cosmetic surgery. As there is little research available on the current situation, the main purpose of this study was to map the use of, desire for and social acceptance of cosmetic surgery. We also wanted to identify differences in demographic and psychosocial factors between women who have undergone cosmetic surgery, those who desire such surgery and those who do not.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in mental health care.

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is a neuromodulation therapy for psychiatric disorders, is not widely used in Norway. We aimed to investigate whether doctors in mental health care are familiar with and interested in the method, as well as the reasons for its limited use and the key factors required for its implementation.

Material And Method: An anonymous electronic survey questionnaire was distributed to all active members of the Norwegian Psychiatric Association in the autumn of 2022 (n = 1979), consisting of 484 specialty registrars and 1495 specialists.

The Role of Negative Affect and Experiential Avoidance in Postsurgical Pain and Fatigue Among Norwegian Women With Breast Cancer.

Background: Women undergoing breast cancer surgery frequently experience postsurgical pain and fatigue, which reduces their quality of life. Although psychological factors have been shown to play a role in predicting postsurgical outcomes, the subacute recovery phase often remains underexplored. In this secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial, we sought to investigate the predictive role of negative affect and experiential avoidance on postsurgical symptoms during both acute and subacute recovery.

Circumpolar Population Structure, Diversity and Recent Evolutionary History of the Bearded Seal in Relation to Past and Present Icescapes.

The Arctic environment plays a critical role in the global climate system and marine biodiversity. The region's ice-covered expanses provide essential breeding and feeding grounds for a diverse assemblage of marine species, who have adapted to thrive in these harsh conditions and consequently are under threat from global warming. The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), including two subspecies (E.

Non-Canonical TERT Activity Initiates Osteogenesis in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease.

Background: Calcific aortic valve disease is the pathological remodeling of valve leaflets. The initial steps in valve leaflet osteogenic reprogramming are not fully understood. As TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) overexpression primes mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into osteoblasts, we investigated whether TERT contributes to the osteogenic reprogramming of valve interstitial cells.

Perceptions of Mental Health Challenges and Needs of Indonesian Adolescents: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Indonesian adolescents face an increased risk of developing mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, largely due to insufficient mental health literacy and awareness. This lack of knowledge often leads to delayed recognition and treatment. To address this, the present descriptive qualitative study explores Indonesian adolescents' perceptions of mental health challenges and needs.

Pavement policies: unraveling the Norwegian ban on skateboarding.

This paper investigates the historical prohibition of skateboarding in Norway from 1977 to 1989, a unique instance of such a comprehensive ban globally. The study aims to understand the circumstances leading to this ban and the rationale behind it. Two primary explanations emerged around the ban: one from a bureaucratic perspective citing risk management, and the other from skateboarders seeing it as a regulation of their counterculture.

The effect of HLA genotype on disease onset and severity in CTLA-4 insufficiency.

Introduction: Human Cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-antigen-4 (CTLA-4) insufficiency caused by heterozygous germline mutations in is a complex immune dysregulation and immunodeficiency syndrome presenting with reduced penetrance and variable disease expressivity, suggesting the presence of disease modifiers that trigger the disease onset and severity. Various genetic and non-genetic potential triggers have been analyzed in CTLA-4 insufficiency cohorts, however, none of them have revealed a clear association to the disease. Multiple HLA haplotypes have been positively or negatively associated with various autoimmune diseases and inborn errors of immunity (IEI) due to the relevance of MHC in the strength of the T cell responses.

Exercise-induced extracellular vesicles in reprogramming energy metabolism in cancer.

Cancer is caused by complex interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, making prevention strategies, including exercise, a promising avenue for intervention. Physical activity is associated with reduced cancer incidence and progression and systemic anti-cancer effects, including improved tumor suppression and prolonged survival in preclinical models. Exercise impacts the body's nutrient balance and stimulates the release of several exercise-induced factors into circulation.

Viral niche-partitioning: comparative genomics of giant viruses across environmental gradients in a high Arctic freshwater-saltwater lake.

Giant viruses (GVs; ) impact the biology and ecology of a wide range of eukaryotic hosts, with implications for global biogeochemical cycles. Here, we investigated GV niche separation in highly stratified Lake A at the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. This lake is composed of a layer of ice-covered freshwater that overlies saltwater derived from the ancient Arctic Ocean, and it therefore provides a broad gradient of environmental conditions and ecological habitats, each with a distinct protist community and rich assemblages of associated GVs.

Learning to play to learn in pediatric physical therapy.

Introduction: Play is a way for children to develop and learn about themselves in conjunction with the world. Using play as part of pediatric physical therapy is broadly recommended. This study investigates this integration of play and seeks to answer the research question: How do pediatric physical therapists (PPT) understand and manage embedding play in pediatric physical therapy with children aged 0-3?

Methods: This is a qualitative study in which we connect to an enactive theoretical framework.

The accuracy of forecasted hospital admission for respiratory tract infections in children aged 0-5 years for 2017/2023.

Aim: Healthcare services are in need of tools that can help to ensure a sufficient capacity in periods with high prevalence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). During the COVID-19 pandemic, we forecasted the number of hospital admissions for RTIs among children aged 0-5 years. Now, in 2024, we aim to examine the accuracy and usefulness of our forecast models.

Genetic Algorithm Workflow for Parameterization of a Water Model Using the Vashishta Force Field.

Water participates in countless processes on Earth, and the properties of mineral surfaces can be drastically changed in the presence of water. For example, the fracture toughness of silica glass is reduced by 25% for water-filled cracks than for dry cracks [ , , 9341-9354]. An accurate description of water is therefore essential for modeling the behavior of minerals in aqueous environments and, in particular, for modeling dynamic processes such as fracture, where the mechanical response of water may play an important role.