Characterization of VCAM-1-binding peptide-functionalized quantum dots for molecular imaging of inflamed endothelium.

Inflammation-induced activation of endothelium constitutes one of the earliest changes during atherogenesis. New imaging techniques that allow detecting activated endothelial cells can improve the identification of persons at high cardiovascular risk in early stages. Quantum dots (QDs) have attractive optical properties such as bright fluorescence and high photostability, and have been increasingly studied and developed for bio-imaging and bio-targeting applications.

Identification of intermediate risk breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive lymph nodes and excellent survival after tamoxifen as only systemic adjuvant therapy by use of markers of proliferation and apoptosis.

Background: According to current guidelines, patients with primary breast cancer and 1-3 lymph node metastases will in general be offered adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: Our objective was to investigate the relationship between markers of proliferation and apoptosis with survival for patients subjected to adjuvant tamoxifen solely.

Material And Methods: Tumour cytosol samples from 409 consecutive patients with operable oestrogen receptor positive BC, stage I-III and treated with tamoxifen for 2 or 5 years were assessed for levels of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (ccCK18), an indicator of apoptosis, by use of an ELISA assay.

Noise disturbances in daycare centers before and after acoustical treatment.

The authors' aim was to study noise-related problems in personnel at Swedish daycare centers. The authors' study comprised staff (N = 81) who completed a questionnaire (noise, illumination, indoor climate, hearing problems) at five daycare centers with noise problems. After basic and activity sound measurements, absorbers were attached to the ceilings and to two adjacent walls in the playing and dining rooms.

Simple neck pain questions used in surveys, evaluated in relation to health outcomes: a cohort study.

Background: The high prevalence of pain reported in many epidemiological studies, and the degree to which this prevalence reflects severe pain is under discussion in the literature. The aim of the present study was to evaluate use of the simple neck pain questions commonly included in large epidemiological survey studies with respect to aspects of health. We investigated if and how an increase in number of days with pain is associated with reduction in health outcomes.

Quantum dots for labeling live cells.

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals with unique photo-physical properties. QDs are brightly fluorescent and photostable, and therefore represent a novel class of fluorescence probes for bio-imaging and cell monitoring. There are different techniques for labeling cells with QDs.

Age- and sex-related differences in vascular function and vascular response to mental stress. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in a cohort of healthy children and adolescents.

Objective: Limited data, especially from longitudinal studies, are available regarding vascular health assessment in childhood. In this study, we performed longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in healthy children and adolescents to investigate age- and sex-related differences in vascular functions and vascular response to mental stress.

Methods: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured by tonometry.

Cerebrospinal fluid/plasma quotients of essential and non-essential metals in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, the quotients (Q) between metal concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma were studied in subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and referents to investigate if the leakage through the blood-CSF barrier (BCB) increased with increased duration and severity of the disease. Concentrations of 18 metals (Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Hg, and Pb) were determined by ICP-MS in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in 264 patients with AD, and in 54 healthy referents. The quotients Q (Mn), Q (Rb), Q (Sb), Q (Pb) and Q (Hg) were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.

Reduced cardiac vagal activity in obese children and adolescents.

Objective:   Obese children present with various cardiovascular risk factors affecting their future health. In adults, cardiac autonomic function is a major risk factor, predicting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that obese children and adolescents had a lower cardiac vagal activity than lean subjects.

Long-term prognostic value of mitral regurgitation in acute coronary syndromes.

Objectives: To determine the additional prognostic value of mitral regurgitation (MR) over B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and clinical characteristics in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Design: Long-term follow-up in a prospective ACS cohort with Doppler-assessed MR, echocardiographically-determined LVEF and plasma BNP levels by ELISA.

Setting: Single-centre university hospital.

High levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, insulin resistance and saturated fatty acids are associated with endothelial dysfunction in healthy adolescents.

Objective: Atherosclerosis begins and progresses during childhood and adolescence. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the earliest abnormalities that can be detected in the development of atherosclerosis. As the determinants of endothelial function in childhood are unknown, we investigated the influence of cardiovascular risk factors on endothelial function in a cohort of healthy adolescents.

Effects by daily long term provision of ghrelin to unselected weight-losing cancer patients: a randomized double-blind study.

Background: The short-term provision of ghrelin to patients with cancer indicates that there may be benefits from long-term provision of ghrelin for the palliative treatment of weight-losing cancer patients. This hypothesis was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, phase 2 study.

Methods: Weight-losing cancer patients with solid gastrointestinal tumors were randomized to receive either high-dose ghrelin treatment (13 microg/kg daily; n = 17 patients) or low-dose ghrelin treatment (0.

Metal concentrations in blood and hair in pregnant females in southern Sweden.

The study described here was comprised of 100 pregnant females from two prenatal care units at the cities of Hassleholm and Simrishamn in southern Sweden. It included a questionnaire as well as whole blood (total mercury, cadmium, and lead) and hair (total mercury) sampling (collection period 2002-2003). The median values of total mercury (B-Hg 0.

Effects of Quantum Dot Labeling on Endothelial Progenitor Cell Function and Viability.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) play an important role in repairing damaged endothelium. An effective imaging method for in vivo tracking of EPCs is essential for understanding EPC-based cell therapy. Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) have attractive optical characteristics such as extreme brightness and photostability.

Concentrations of metals, beta-amyloid and tau-markers in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background/aims: In this study, metal concentrations were related to the levels of well-known Alzheimer markers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), such as amyloid-beta (Abeta), total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated-tau (P-tau).

Methods: Concentrations of 19 metals (Mg, Ca, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Hg and Pb by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) and the levels of Abeta, T-tau and P-tau in CSF were determined (xMAP technology) in 264 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and in 54 healthy referents.

Results: The AD subjects showed positive correlations between CSF-T-tau and CSF-P-tau versus CSF-Mn (r(s) = 0.

TOF-SIMS analysis of lipid accumulation in the skeletal muscle of ob/ob mice.

Skeletal muscle lipid accumulation is associated with several chronic metabolic disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether static imaging time-of-flight-secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) equipped with a Bismuth-cluster ion source can be used for studying skeletal muscle lipid accumulation associated with obesity. Mouse gastrocnemius muscle tissues in 10-week-old obese ob/ob (n = 8) and lean wild-type C57/BL6 (n = 6) mice were analyzed by TOF-SIMS.

Metal concentrations in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background/aims: The homeostasis of essential metals such as copper, iron, selenium and zinc may be altered in the brain of subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Concentrations of metals (magnesium, calcium, vanadium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, selenium, rubidium, strontium, molybdenum, cadmium, tin, antimony, cesium, mercury and lead) were determined in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 173 patients with AD and in 87 patients with the combination of AD and minor vascular components (AD + vasc). Comparison was made with 54 healthy controls.

Lipid imaging of human skeletal muscle using TOF-SIMS with bismuth cluster ion as a primary ion source.

Intramyocellular lipids are of importance in lipid-related diseases. The techniques in this field are limited because of a lack of adequate tools for localization of various lipids. The most usual methods for the localization of lipid distribution in the skeletal muscle are histochemistry and fluorescence probes.

Current issues in case definitions for common musculoskeletal disorders in workers for clinical practice and research.

Background: Several reviews and attempts at meta-analysis have pointed out that comparisons between studies on work-related musculoskeletal disorders are problematic, since different studies use different case definitions. In a clinical setting, the case definition involves a detailed history, a physical examination, and laboratory testing.

Discussion And Conclusions: When determining which tests should be included in a clinical examination, it is necessary to take into consideration the characteristics of clinical tests in terms of likelihood ratio for confirming and ruling out disease in addition to the pre-test probability of disease.

Clinical assessment, prognosis and return to work with reference to work related neck and upper limb disorders.

Objectives: To describe the clinical assessment and management of work related neck and upper limb disorders.

Methods: A total of 65 references in English were found in Pub Med for the years 1980-2002 that dealt with clinical assessment, prognosis and return to work with reference to neck and upper limb original research that dealt with test performance in diagnostic procedures. Few studies were randomised studies of prognosis and return to work with reference to neck and upper limb disorders.

Impact of consumption of freshwater fish on mercury levels in hair, blood, urine, and alveolar air.

Human exposure to methylmercury occurs mainly via consumption of fish. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of freshwater fish consumption on mercury levels in hair, blood, urine, and end-exhaled air. Twenty subjects without dental amalgam fillings were recruited from sport-fishing societies.

Hair mercury levels versus freshwater fish consumption in household members of Swedish angling societies.

Hair mercury levels were determined in 143 individuals from households of members in angling societies in an area of Sweden with many lakes that have freshwater fish with relatively high mercury levels. Thus, the individuals had a potentially high intake of methyl mercury. The mean mercury concentration of pike and perch was approximately 0.

The use of information technology among young adults--experience, attitudes and health beliefs.

The aim of this study was to explore attitudes, coherence and health beliefs among young adults, related to their use and experience of information technology (IT). A qualitative approach was used and the data were collected through individual thematised interviews with 25 young IT users, aged 18-24. The interviews were analysed in line with the grounded theory method with a constructivist approach.

Incidence and risk factors for symptoms of decompression sickness among male and female dive masters and instructors--a retrospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: The aim was to determine the incidence of symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS) in dive masters and instructors in relation to number of dives and possible risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of dive masters and instructors in Sweden. STUDY BASE: All dive masters and instructors listed with PADI, NAUI and CMAS in Sweden as of January 1st 1999 (2380 divers).