The di-leucine motif in the host defense peptide LL-37 is essential for initiation of autophagy in human macrophages.

The human cathelicidin peptide LL-37 induces autophagy in human macrophages. Different post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as citrullination, acetylation, and formylation impact LL-37, yet their effect on autophagy remains unknown. Thus, we set out to study how the cellular source could impact PTM of LL-37 and subsequent effects on autophagy initiation.

Peer Problems and Prosocial Behavior Among Icelandic Children and Adolescents with ADHD and/or Autism: Gender and Age Differences.

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders tend to have more social difficulties than typically developing children. The aim of the current study was to examine parent and teacher-reported effects of age and gender on social functioning in a large clinical sample of children and adolescents with ADHD, autism, or co-occurring ADHD and autism using a cross-sectional study design. This nationwide clinical sample included 2132 Icelandic children and adolescents (35% girls, 65% boys) aged 5-18 years referred for a neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment (ADHD and/or autism) in Iceland.

Approaching Hypercalcemia in Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: Insights from the iStopMM study.

Hypercalcemia in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) presents a clinical challenge since it may indicate progression to multiple myeloma (MM) but could also be due to a multitude of unrelated disorders. To inform the approach to this clinical challenge, we conducted a nested cohort study within the iStopMM screening study. Of the 75,422 Icelanders aged 40 years and above who underwent screening for MGUS, we included 2,546 with MGUS who were in active follow-up, including regular serum calcium measurements.

Factors Influencing Medication Adherence in Heart Failure Patients-A Survey among Cardiac Healthcare Providers.

Adhering to medication regimens is key behavior to alleviate symptoms and slow disease progression in heart failure (HF). This study explores cardiac healthcare providers' perceptions and experiences of factors influencing medication adherence (MA) in HF patients, with findings contributing to developing a HF-specific MA assessment scale. Using a cross-sectional, mixed methods design, we conducted an online survey with both closed and open-ended questions distributed to cardiac healthcare providers, working at the National University Hospital in Iceland.

Predicted breeding values for relative scrapie susceptibility for genotyped and ungenotyped sheep.

Background: Scrapie is an infectious prion disease in sheep. Selective breeding for resistant genotypes of the prion protein gene (PRNP) is an effective way to prevent scrapie outbreaks. Genotyping all selection candidates in a population is expensive but existing pedigree records can help infer the probabilities of genotypes in relatives of genotyped animals.

The significance of free light-chain ratio in light-chain monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a flow cytometry sub-study of the iStopMM screening study.

Light-chain (LC) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a precursor of multiple myeloma (MM) and related conditions. LC-MGUS is characterized by free light-chain (FLC) levels outside defined reference intervals, indirectly indicating underlying plasma cell (PC) monoclonality. Next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) was used to evaluate clonal PC presence in bone marrow (BM) samples from individuals with LC-MGUS in the iStopMM study, aiming to assess the predictive value of the FLC ratio for clonal PC presence and its prognostic implications.

Soil carbon stocks of regenerating Icelandic native birch woodlands: Effects of space and time.

Icelandic native ecosystems and soils have been severely degraded since settlement in the 9th century. Today, barren landscapes occupy about 45 % of the land surface and only 1.5 % is covered by native birch woodlands versus 20-40 % in pre-settlement times.

[Termination of pregnancy. Methods, results, and complications].

Introduction: Medical treatment for termination of pregnancy in the first trimester of pregnancy was first introduced in 2006 at Landspitali. This new method, which replaced surgery, slowly gained ground and now most abortions in Iceland are medically induced. It is therefore appropriate to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this method.

[Nordic nutrition recommendations 2023 on diet for health and environment estimated for children].

Nordic nutrition recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) advised for the first time certain amounts of foods from food-groups based on scientific data on healthy and environment-friendly diet. The food-based-dietary-guidelines are intended for adults and children above age two, but children's energy requirement and intake are lower than those of adults. In this review, reference amounts of food from different food-groups are calculated for children to align with the combination recommended for adults in NNR2023.

Host-directed therapies modulating innate immunity against infection in hematologic malignancies.

Patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) are highly susceptible to bloodstream infection (BSI), particularly those undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy. A common and debilitating side effect of chemotherapy is oral and intestinal mucositis. These Patients are also at high risk of developing sepsis, which can arise from mucosal barrier injuries and significantly increases mortality in these patients.

Synthesis of Enantiostructured Triacylglycerols Possessing a Saturated Fatty Acid, a Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid and an Active Drug Intended as Novel Prodrugs.

This report describes the asymmetric synthesis of a focused library of enantiopure structured triacylglycerols (TAGs) comprised of a single saturated fatty acid (C6, C8, C10, C12, C14 or C16), a pure bioactive n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (EPA or DHA) and a potent drug (ibuprofen or naproxen) intended as a novel type of prodrug. One of the terminal -1 or -3 positions of the glycerol backbone is occupied with a saturated fatty, the remaining one with a PUFA, and the drug entity is present in the -2 position. This was accomplished by a six-step chemoenzymatic approach starting from enantiopure ()- and ()-solketals.

Lithium Use During Pregnancy in 14 Countries.

Importance: In pregnancy, the benefits of lithium treatment for relapse prevention in psychiatric conditions must be weighed against potential teratogenic effects. Currently, there is a paucity of information on how and when lithium is used by pregnant women.

Objective: To examine lithium use in the perinatal period.

Non-Hermitian polariton-photon coupling in a perovskite open microcavity.

Exploring the non-Hermitian properties of semiconductor materials for optical applications is at the forefront of photonic research. However, the selection of appropriate systems to implement such photonic devices remains a topic of debate. In this work, we demonstrate that a perovskite crystal, characterized by its easy and low-cost manufacturing, when placed between two distributed Bragg reflectors with an air gap, can form a natural double microcavity.

Impulsive Buying and Deferment of Gratification Among Adults With ADHD.

Background: Impulsivity symptoms have been studied thoroughly in adults with ADHD, including hasty actions and decisions without considering possible consequences. The objective of our study was to investigate impulsive buying and deferment of gratification among adults with ADHD and a comparison group.

Method: The participants were 225 adults with ADHD and 121 university students who completed the Buying Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), the Deferment of Gratification Questionnaire (DOGQ), the Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS), as well as background questions.

Glomerular Filtration of Creatinine: Validation of a Novel Index of Muscle Mass Among Older Adults.

Rationale & Objective: Low muscle mass is common among older adults and associated with poor prognosis. Quantifying muscle mass is challenging in routine clinical practice. We hypothesized that glomerular filtration of creatinine (GFcr) reflects muscle mass, and previously proposed estimated GFcr (eGFcr), as a practical index of muscle mass in older adults.

Genetics of female and male reproductive traits and their relationship with health, longevity and consequences for offspring.

Substantial shifts in reproductive behaviors have recently taken place in many high-income countries including earlier age at menarche, advanced age at childbearing, rising childlessness and a lower number of children. As reproduction shifts to later ages, genetic factors may become increasingly important. Although monogenic genetic effects are known, the genetics underlying human reproductive traits are complex, with both causal effects and statistical bias often confounded by socioeconomic factors.

Automated fingerprint analysis as a diagnostic tool for the genetic disorder Kabuki syndrome.

Purpose: Emerging therapeutic strategies for Kabuki syndrome (KS) make early diagnosis critical. Fingerprint analysis as a diagnostic aid for KS diagnosis could facilitate early diagnosis and expand the current patient base for clinical trials and natural history studies.

Method: Fingerprints of 74 individuals with KS, 1 individual with a KS-like phenotype, and 108 controls were collected through a mobile app.

Early trigeminal and sensory impairment and lysosomal dysfunction in accurate models of Wolfram syndrome.

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare condition caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the WFS1 gene primarily. It is diagnosed on the basis of early-onset diabetes mellitus and optic nerve atrophy. Patients complain of trigeminal-like migraines and show deficits in vibration sensation, but the underlying cause is unknown.

Accurate quantification of nascent and mature RNAs from single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq.

In single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the coexistence of nascent (unprocessed) and mature (processed) messenger RNA (mRNA) poses challenges in accurate read mapping and the interpretation of count matrices. The traditional transcriptome reference, defining the "region of interest" in bulk RNA-seq, restricts its focus to mature mRNA transcripts. This restriction leads to two problems: reads originating outside of the "region of interest" are prone to mismapping within this region, and additionally, such external reads cannot be matched to specific transcript targets.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Icelandic Version of the Modified Dynamic Gait Index for Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Balance Impairments.

Rationale: Optimal mobility is crucial for healthy aging, particularly among older adults with balance impairments. This research examines the psychometric properties of the modified Dynamic Gait Index (mDGI) translated into Icelandic, highlighting its suitability for evaluating mobility in this demographic group and within the context of healthy aging. Addressing the scarcity of international psychometric research on the mDGI, this study contributes to the translation of geriatric outcome measures into different languages, enhancing clinical applications and international research.

Goose grubbing and warming suppress summer net ecosystem CO uptake differentially across high-Arctic tundra habitats.

Environmental changes, such as climate warming and higher herbivory pressure, are altering the carbon balance of Arctic ecosystems; yet, how these drivers modify the carbon balance among different habitats remains uncertain. This hampers our ability to predict changes in the carbon sink strength of tundra ecosystems. We investigated how spring goose grubbing and summer warming-two key environmental-change drivers in the Arctic-alter CO fluxes in three tundra habitats varying in soil moisture and plant-community composition.