Background: Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques is the major cause of acute cardiovascular events. The biomarker PRO-C6 measuring Endotrophin, a matrikine of collagen type VI, may provide valuable information detecting subjects in need of intensified strategies for secondary prevention. Objective: In this study, we evaluate endotrophin in human atherosclerotic plaques and circulating levels of PRO-

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by β-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Plasma levels of phospho-tau217 (P-tau217) accurately differentiate Alzheimer’s disease dementia from other dementias, but it is unclear to what degree this reflects β-amyloid plaque accumulation, tau tangle accumulation, or both. In a cohort with post-mortem neuropathological data (N = 88), both plaque and tangle density c

Pericytes conceivably play important roles in the tumour microenvironment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by allowing for an aberrant vasculature and acting as a component in the perivascular niche that supports glioma stem-like cells. However, a lack of specific markers has hampered in-depth elucidation of the functional contribution of pericytes to GBM. This study provides a comprehensive compu

A hybrid bifunctional core-shell nanostructure was synthesized for the first time via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) using myoglobin as a biocatalyst (ATRPase) in an aqueous solution. N-Isopropyl acrylamide (NIPA) and N-(3-aminopropyl)methacrylamide (APMA) were applied to graft flexible polymer brushes onto initiator-functionalized silica nanoparticles. Two differ

Background: Therapeutic activation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes using monoclonal antibodies targeting PD1 or PD-L1 (immune checkpoint inhibitors—ICIs) has revolutionized treatment of specific solid tumors in adult cancer patients, and much hope has been placed on a similar effect in relapsed or refractory solid pediatric tumors. Recent clinical trials have disappointingly shown an almost none

This book provides an analysis of the process and outcomes of the tax reform, with a focus on progressivity, redistribution, and inequality. Between 1977 and 1986, Spain underwent a comprehensive tax reform which shaped its fiscal system until today. It was made in connection with the transition to democracy and indeed was understood as a fundamental part of the political change. The book situates

A presentation of the doctoral conferment ceremony and its insignia and symbols.

Modelling capabilities have drastically improved in the last decade. However, in most of the cases the fire response of building elements is predicted by fitting input material properties to the models in order to match test data. This paper presents models developed to predict the unexposed side temperature of stone wool layered composites with stainless steel or gypsum claddings exposed to sever

We examine a two-dimensional Coulomb gas consisting of n identical repelling point charges at an arbitrary inverse temperature β, subjected to a suitable external field. We prove that the gas is effectively localized to a small neighbourhood of the droplet – the support of the equilibrium measure determined by the external field. More precisely, we prove that the distance between the droplet and t

Objectives: Deep brain stimulation, continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion, and levodopa–carbidopa intestinal gel infusion, together called device-aided therapies (DAT), are introduced when oral and transdermal pharmacotherapy are not enough for a satisfactory control of Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms. Solid relationships are central to an individual's well-being, but the impact of close

A large fraction of nitrogen (N) in forest soils is present in mineral-associated proteinaceous compounds. The strong association between proteins and minerals limits microbial accessibility to this source, which is a relatively stable reservoir of soil N. We have shown that the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus Paxillus involutus can acquire N from iron oxide-associated proteins. Using tightly control

This paper considers disaggregated price data that are observed not only for multiple markets over extended periods of time, but also for a large number of assets. The previous literature has argued that in such data rich environments, which arise frequently in applied work, the analysis of price discovery can be made more precise by accounting for the panel structure of the data. Moreover, since

Ceramic biomaterials are promising alternatives to bone autografts. However, limited bioactivity affects their performance. Therefore, bioactive molecules and cells are often added to enhance their performance. Exosomes have emerged as cell-secreted vesicles, delivering proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids in a paracrine/endocrine fashion. We studied two complementary aspects required for exosome a

Background: Current clinical decision rules to exclude deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are underused partly because of their complexity. A simplified rule that can be easily applied would be more appealing to use in clinical practice. Methods: We used individual patient data from prospective diagnostic studies of patients suspected of DVT to develop a new clinical decision rule. The primary outcome was

In this article, we consider the properties of the Pesaran CD test for cross-section correlation when applied to residuals obtained from panel data models with many estimated parameters. We show that the presence of period-specific parameters leads the CD test statistic to diverge as the time dimension of the sample grows. This result holds even if cross-section dependence is correctly accounted f

Objective: We studied cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in a cross-sectional population-based cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients ≥61 years of age with and without a diagnosis of periodontitis. Background data: Earlier studies on cytokines in GCF in RA patients have not given clear results. Methods: In a population-based cross-sectional study of patients ≥61 years of age, 233 R

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of compromised bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition. There are limited data on the physical exercise (PE) habits of patients with childhood-onset IBD and on the associations between PE and BMD and body composition. Patients and methods: In total, 72 young adults with childhood-onset IBD and 1341 normative