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During the Garden Lupine’s two centuries of presence in Sweden, its apprehension has been marked by cultural reconfigurations – from an appreciated garden plant, through being a token for Swedish midsummer to being deemed an invasive alien species and ecological threat. With the purpose of deepening the understanding of how environmental management works as a nexus of nature and culture, this article analyzes ‘The Great Lupine Combat Day’, to show how the lifecycle of plants and culturally imbued actions and preferences interact. By employing ethnographic methods and qualitative source material to enable a cultural analysis of the traditionalization of eradicating invasive species, the article shows how this annual event ties together an established annual calendar, the life cycle and visuality of plants, biodiversity crises, an idealized aesthetics feature of Swedish nature, and eradication practices. In essence, the management of the Garden Lupine serves as a reminder of how nature is always culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of preservation of documents from the historically significant Azzolino collection at the Swedish National Archives has been investigated and analyses carried out of the iron gall inks. The collection shows varied levels of iron gall ink corrosion. An initial visual condition survey was followed by characterisation of the writing ink with XRF spectrometry on a selection of documents. The aim was to investigate whether ink composition could be related to author or geography, and in turn to level of ink corrosion, which could then serve as a basis for decisions on treatment options. Results indicate a relative purity of the inks in this collection in terms of high iron content and low levels of other elements, entailing that elemental analysis is not a good tool to predict potential deterioration of ink in single documents from this historical context. XRF-mapping showed a possibility for discerning authors by ink composition, contributing meaningful information to questions of attribution and historical context for these documents. A tendency for the ink of Queen Christina to contain more copper than inks from the other authors, and the indication that some inks contain calcium, may be of note for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden, common elementary schools (folkskolan) were introduced in the 1840s. As a consequence, children started walking to and from school several days per week. The school route, as both place and practice, impacted society and families; it created new ways and needs in everyday life. From a time-geographic perspective, the article investigates children's mobility in everyday life in order to understand what walking to school encompassed. Moreover, whereas the common narrative of school routes in the past emphasizes distances and challenges of the journeys it often omits the adult world's comprehension and involvement. The aim of the article is to increase understandings of the school route as a phenomenon and its meanings in everyday life from a historical perspective. Through qualitative analysis of memoirs and societal discussions, the authors focus on the difficulties (conceptualized as "weights") that the school routes could entail and how the adult world tried to manage them (conceptualized as "reliefs"). One conclusion is that society and families were aware of, and tried to deal with, those hardships, and a second is that the school route was more than a distance. In this regard, variations in families' geographical and socioeconomic positions and the physical landscape played crucial roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the electronic structure of nano-crystalline Fe:ZnO, which has recently been found to be an efficient photocatalyst. Using resonant photoemission spectroscopy, we determine the binding energy of Fe 3d states corresponding to different valencies and coordination of the Fe atoms. The photo-activity of ZnO reduces Fe from 3+ to 2+ in the surface region of the nano-crystalline material due to the formation of oxygen vacancies. Electronic states corresponding to low-spin Fe2+ are observed and attributed to crystal field modification at the surface. These states are potentially important for the photocatalytic sensitivity to visible light due to their location deep in the ZnO bandgap. X-ray absorption and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy suggest that Fe is only homogeneously distributed for concentrations up to 3%. Increased concentrations does not result in a higher concentration of Fe ions in the surface region. This is limiting the photocatalytic functionality of ZnO, where the most efficient Fe doping concentration has been shown to be 1%-4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incretins are a group of glucose-lowering drugs with favourable cardiovascular (CV) effects against neoatherosclerosis. Incretins' potential effect in stent failure is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine if incretin treatment decreases the risk of stent-thrombosis (ST), and/or in-stent restenosis (ISR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with implanted drug-eluting stents (DES). Observational study including all diabetes patients who underwent PCI with DES in Sweden from 2007 to 2017. By merging 5 national registers, the information on patient characteristics, outcomes and drug dispenses was retrieved. Cox regression analysis with estimated hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for confounders with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to analyse for the occurrence of ST/ISR, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). A subgroup analysis for the type of incretin treatment was performed. In total 18,505 diabetes patients (30% women) underwent PCI, and 32,463 DES were implanted. Of those, 10% (3449 DES in 1943 patients) were treated with incretins. Median follow-up time was 995 days (Control Group) vs. 771 days (Incretin Group). No significant difference in the risk of ST/ISR was found neither for the main study group (HR:0.98 95% CI:0.80–1.19) nor for the subgroups. No reduction of the risk of MACE (HR:0.96 95% CI:0.88–1.06) was observed. There was a 26% lower risk for CV death in favour of incretin treated patients (HR:0.74 95% CI:0.57–0.95). In diabetes patients who underwent PCI incretin treatment was not associated with lower risk of stent failure, but with lower risk of CV death. • Patients with diabetes have a higher risk of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. • Potential beneficial effect of incretins in the risk stent failure following a coronary angioplasty. • No lower risk of stent failure in patients with diabetes treated with incretins was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the performance of 11 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests using a reference set of heat-inactivated samples from 278 unexposed persons and 258 COVID-19 patients, some of whom contributed serial samples. The reference set included samples with a variation in SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers, as determined by an in-house immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The five evaluated rapid diagnostic tests had a specificity of 99.0% and a sensitivity that ranged from 56.3 to 81.6% and decreased with low IFA IgG titers. The specificity was > 99% for five out of six platform-based tests, and when assessed using samples collected ≥ 22 days after symptom onset, two assays had a sensitivity of > 96%. These two assays also detected samples with low IFA titers more frequently than the other assays. In conclusion, the evaluated antibody tests showed a heterogeneity in their performances and only a few tests performed well with samples having low IFA IgG titers, an important aspect for diagnostics and epidemiological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore trends in prognosis and use of glucose-lowering drugs (GLD) in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD). Research design and methods: All patients with diabetes and CAD undergoing a coronary angiography between 2010 and 2021 according to the Swedish Angiography and Angioplasty Registry were included. Information on GLD (dispended 6 months before or after coronary angiography) was collected from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry. Data on major cardiovascular events (MACE; mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure) through December 2021 were obtained from national registries. Cox proportional survival analysis was used to assess outcomes where cardioprotective GLD (any of Sodium Glucose Lowering Transport 2 receptor inhibitors [SGLT2i] and Glucagon Like Peptide Receptor Agonists [GLP-1 RA]) served as a reference. Results: Among all patients (n = 38,671), 31% had stable CAD, and 69% suffered an acute myocardial infarction. Mean age was 69 years, 67% were male, and 81% were on GLD. The use of cardioprotective GLD increased rapidly in recent years (2016–2021; 7–47%) and was more common in younger patients (66 vs. 68 years) and men (72.9% vs. 67.1%) than other GLD. Furthermore, compared with other GLD, the use of cardioprotective GLD was more common in patients with a less frequent history of heart failure (5.0% vs. 6.8%), myocardial infarction (7.7% vs. 10.5%) and chronic kidney disease (3.7% vs. 5.2%). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) for MACE was greater in patients on other GLD than in those on cardioprotective GLD (1.10; 1.03–1.17, p = 0.004). Trend analyses for the years 2010–2019 revealed improved one-year MACE in patients with diabetes and CAD (year 2019 vs. 2010; 0.90; 0.81-1.00, p = 0.045), while 1-year mortality was unchanged. Conclusions: The prescription pattern of diabetes medication is changing quickly in patients with diabetes and CAD; however, there are worrying signals of inefficient use prioritizing cardioprotective GLD to younger and healthier individuals at lower cardiovascular risk. Despite this, there are improving trends in 1-year morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When young people travel, they are often very dependent on public transport or parents. This study uses interviews with 16- 19 years old teenagers in Stockholm to investigate their everyday experiences of public transit. The paper explores the experiences of buses and subways, here conceptualized as mobile places, to understand how they shape teenagers' daily life. Understanding teenagers' experiences of public transportation is part of understanding their everyday life, struggles, and possibilities to be mobile and participate in society. It is also a step towards ensuring that they find public transportation inclusive, safe, and worth traveling with today and in the future. Conceptually, the analysis focuses on how these mobile places are experienced as providing weights or reliefs to the everyday and if, how and when they may be places of interaction or retreat, addressing two needs in teenagers' personal being and development. The study shows how various experiences of traveling with buses and subways shape how the teenagers feel, and how they make strategic choices in relation to this. A quite manifold, varying, and complex picture of public transportation arises, with stories of wellbeing, comfort, discomfort, and exclusion, and with sharp differences between girls and boys, and between buses and subways. These nuances are essential in planning and evaluation of transport systems in regard to how, when, where, or for whom public transport can be a part of social sustainability, as public policies often assume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is common. There are limited data on the mechanisms and prognosis for reinfarction in MINOCA patients.Methods: In this observational study of MINOCA patients hospitalized in Sweden and registered in the SWEDEHEART registry between July 2003 and June 2013 and followed until December 2013, we identified 9092 unique patients with MINOCA of 199,163 MI admissions in total. The 570 (6.3%) MINOCA patients who were hospitalized due to a recurrent MI constituted the study group.Results: The mean age was 69.1 years and 59.1% were women. The median time to readmission was 17 months. A total of 340 patients underwent a new coronary angiography and 180 (53%) had no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and 160 (47%) had obstructive CAD; 123 had 1-vessel, 26 had 2-vessel, 9 had 3-vessel disease, and 2 had left main together with 1-vessel disease. Male sex, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, higher levels of creatinine, and ST elevation at presentation were more common in patients with MI with obstructive CAD than in patients with a recurrent MINOCA. Mortality during a median follow-up of 38 months was similar whether the reinfarction event was MINOCA or MI with obstructive CAD 13.9% vs 11.9% (P = .54).Conclusions: About half of patients with reinfarction after MINOCA who underwent coronary angiography had progression of coronary stenosis. Angiography should be strongly considered in patients with MI after MINOCA. Mortality associated with recurrent events was substantial, though there was no difference in mortality between those with or without significant CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of glycemic control in the risk of stent failure in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is currently unknown. This study sought to study whether poor glycemic control is associated with a higher risk of stent failure in subjects with T2D. This observational study included all patients in Sweden with T2D who underwent implantation of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) during 2010 to 2020. The exposure variable was the updated mean of glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c). Individuals were stratified by glycemic control, with HbA 1c 6.1% to 7.0% (43-53 mmol/mol) as the reference group. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of stent failure (in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis). The main result was analyzed in a complete cases model. Sensitivity analyses were performed for missing data and a model with death as a competing risk. The study population consisted of 52,457 individuals (70,453 DES). The number of complete cases was 24,411 (29,029 DES). The median follow-up was 6.4 years. The fully adjusted HR was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.80-1.52) for HbA 1c of ≤5.5% (≤37 mmol/mol), 1.02 (95% CI: 0.85-1.23) for HbA 1c of 5.6% to 6.0% (38-42 mmol/mol), 1.25 (95% CI: 1.11-1.41) for HbA 1c of 7.1% to 8.0% (54-64 mmol/mol), 1.30 (95% CI: 1.13-1.51) for HbA 1c of 8.1% to 9.0% (65-75 mmol/mol), 1.46 (95% CI: 1.21-1.76) for HbA 1c of 9.1% to 10.0% (76-86 mmol/mol), and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.06-1.66) for HbA 1c of ≥10.1% (≥87 mmol/mol). Sensitivity analyses did not change the main result. We found a significant association between poor glycemic control and a higher risk of stent failure driven by in-stent restenosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional means are needed for evaluating the quality of stallion spermatozoa in semen doses for AI. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) has been linked to fertility in some species, but is rarely used in the evaluation of cooled stallion semen; metabolic activity may be associated with reactive oxygen species production (ROS). In the present study, ΔΨm and ROS production were measured in doses of cooled stallion semen. The effect of colloid centrifugation on these parameters was also investigated. In this case, colloid centrifugation involves centrifuging a sperm sample through a silane-coated silica colloid formulation to retrieve the most robust spermatozoa. High and low ΔΨm in cooled stallion semen varied between stallions and between ejaculates, but was not affected by single-layer centrifugation (SLC). The SLC-selected spermatozoa produced significantly less hydrogen peroxide than controls (P < 0.001), which could explain the increased longevity and retention of fertilising capacity seen in previous studies. For SLC samples, ΔΨm was positively associated with viable spermatozoa that were not producing reactive oxygen species (r = 0.49; P < 0.001) and negatively associated with ROS production (for superoxide: r = -0.4, P < 0.01; for hydrogen peroxide: r = -0.39, P < 0.05). There was no clear association between ΔΨm and ROS production in control samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zoonotic Rift Valley fever virus affects livestock and humans in Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula. The economic impact of this pathogen due to livestock losses, as well as its relevance to public health, underscores the importance of developing effective and easily distributed vaccines. Vaccines that can be delivered orally are of particular interest. Here, we report the expression in transformed plants ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) of Rift Valley fever virus antigens. The antigens used in this study were the N protein and a deletion mutant of the Gn glycoprotein. Transformed lines were analysed for specific mRNA and protein content by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Furthermore, the plant-expressed antigens were evaluated for their immunogenicity in mice fed the transgenic plants. After oral intake of fresh transgenic plant material, a proportion of the mice elicited specific IgG antibody responses, as compared to the control animals that were fed wild-type plants and of which none sero-converted. Thus, we show that transgenic plants can be readily used to express and produce Rift Valley Fever virus proteins, and that the plants are immunogenic when given orally to mice. These are promising findings and provide a basis for further studies on edible plant vaccines against the Rift Valley fever virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients in the hospital environment are suffering from disrupted sleep, which adversely affects their recovery process, health and well-being. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' experiences and their strategies to promote inpatients' sleep. An empirical qualitative design was applied. Eight nurses at a hospital in Sweden were purposefully selected to be included in semi-structured interviews. Burnard's method for inductively analysing interview transcripts was applied. The findings are presented in four categories: (i) prevention and planning as a sleep-promoting nursing strategy; (ii) adaptation of the environment as a sleep-promoting nursing strategy; (iii) use of drugs as a sleep-promoting nursing strategy; and (iv) caring conversation as a sleep-promoting nursing strategy. Using strategies to promote sleep is important as it affects the recovery of the patients. We argue for the use of simple strategies of sensory reduction as cost-effective sleep-promoting measures that also reduce the use of sedative drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008 the Republic of Ireland entered an economic crisis as part of the global economic crisis. It was met with austerity measures, and Ireland has since experienced large cuts in state spending on health, education, and heritage. Across Europe, the effects of the crisis on heritage have mostly been highlighted in general or supposed terms rather than empirically analyzed. Based on interviews with state and non-state actors in the heritage sector, this paper investigates the effects of the economic crisis and austerity within Irish official heritage management. The crisis has brought changes to the ways heritage is conceptualised and dealt with from a state perspective. These changes are important to track because one key part of the continuous process of production of heritage and its values in society is the ways state heritage management frames and works with heritage. The analysis focuses on four implications: budget cuts; how the crisis creates uncertainty, pauses, and short-termism; an increasing instrumentalization of heritage; and an increasing involvement and dependency on non-state actors. Economical logics, expertise, legal liabilities, short-term emergency responses, and skills in making persuasive arguments grow in importance, while long-term strategies and projects that may not lead to measurable revenues in terms of tourism or employment get put aside. The study opens up critical questions of (in)equality and changing influences within heritage management, of what and who is, should, and can be included in and supported by state heritage management, and by which logic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: ObjectivesWe sought to report the first and repeat events and to separate spontaneous and procedure-related events over two years in the Fast Revascularization during InStability in Coronary artery disease (FRISC-II) invasive trial.: BackgroundThe FRISC-II invasive trial compared the long-term effects of an early invasive versus noninvasive strategy, in terms of death and myocardial infarction (MI) and the need for repeat hospital admissions and late revascularization procedures in patients with coronary artery disease (UCAD).: MethodsIn the FRISC-II trial, 2,457 patients with UCAD were randomized to an early invasive or noninvasive strategy.: ResultsAt 24 month follow-up, there were reductions in mortality (n = 45 [3.7%] vs. 67 [5.4%]; risk ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47 to 0.98]; p = 0.038), MI (n = 111 [9.2%] vs. 156 [12.7%]; risk ratio 0.72 [95% CI 0.57 to 0.91]; p = 0.005), and the composite end point of death or MI (n = 146 [12.1%] vs. 200 [16.3%]; risk ratio 0.74 [95% CI 0.61 to 0.90]; p = 0.003) in the invasive compared with the noninvasive group. Procedure-related MIs were two to three times more common, but spontaneous ones were three times less common in the invasive than in the noninvasive group. After the first year, there was no difference in mortality (n = 20 [1.7%]) between the two groups and fewer MIs in the invasive group (p = 0.031).: ConclusionsIn UCAD, the early invasive approach leads to a sustained reduction in mortality, cardiac morbidity, and the need for repeat hospital admissions and late revascularization procedures. Although the benefits are greatest during the first months, during the second year, cardiac morbidity is lower and the need for hospital care is less in the invasive group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The assay of cardiac-specific troponins (cTroponins) is a sensitive and specific means to diagnose myocardial injury. Several assays for the measurement of cardiac-specific troponin I (cTnI), but only 1 for the assay of cardiac specific troponin T (cTnT), are commercially available. The aim of this study was to compare 3 of these assays (i.e., Access AccuTnI [cTnI], AxSym [cTnI], and Elecsys 3(rd) generation [cTnI]) and their clinical performances in a group of patients (n = 1,763) with unstable coronary artery disease (Fragmin and fast Revascularisation during InStability in Coronary artery disease [FRISC II] trial). Clinical events after 1-year follow-up, such as death and death and/or acute myocardial infarction, were recorded and the effects of invasive or noninvasive treatment evaluated in relation to cTroponin levels. Overall the 2 cTnI methods showed good correlation (r(s) = 0.96), whereas correlations to the cTnT assay were somewhat lower (r(s) = 0.93). Patients with nonelevated levels, as measured with any of the 3 biomarkers, had a significantly better prognosis than patients with elevated levels (p <0.001). A cohort of 10% to 12.4% of patients with a poor prognosis was identified only by the Access AccuTnI assay. Invasive treatment reduced clinical events only in the group of patients with elevated cTroponin levels. We conclude that stratification of patients with unstable coronary artery disease by means of cTroponin measurements is important in clinical management. It is also apparent that assays with superior sensitivity, such as the Access AccuTnI, identify more patients with poor prognosis who are candidates for early invasive procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Fragmin and Fast Revascularisation during Instability in Coronary artery disease II trial (FRISC II) compared an early invasive with an early non-invasive strategy in unstable coronary-artery disease. We report outcome at 1 year.Methods: 2457 patients were randomly assigned invasive or non-invasive treatment and 3 months of dalteparin or placebo. Complete information at 1 year was available for 1222 in the invasive group and 1234 in the non-invasive group. Analyses were by intention to treat.Findings: Revascularisation was done within the first 10 days in 71% of the invasive group and 9% of the non-invasive group and within the first year in 78% and 43%. During the first year, 27 (2.2%) patients in the invasive group and 48 (3.9%) in the non-invasive group died (risk ratio 0.57 [95% CI 0.36-0.90], p=0.016). 105 (8.6%) versus 143 (11.6%) had myocardial infarction (0.74 [0.59-0.94], p=0.015). The composite of death or myocardial infarction occurred in 127 (10.4%) versus 174 (14.1%) patients (0.74 [0.60-0.92], p=0.005). There were also reductions in readmission (451 [37%] vs 704 [57%]; 0.67 [0.62-0.72]), and revascularisation after the initial admission (92 [7.5%] vs 383 [31%]; 0.24 [0.20-0.30]). The results did not interact with the dalteparin/placebo allocation.Interpretation: After 1 year in 100 patients, an invasive strategy saves 1.7 lives, prevents 2.0 non-fatal myocardial infarctions and 20 readmissions, and provides earlier and better symptom relief at the cost of 15 more patients with coronary-artery bypass grafting and 21 more with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Therefore, an invasive approach should be the preferred strategy in patients with unstable coronary-artery disease and signs of ischaemia on electrocardiography or raised levels of biochemical markers of myocardial damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having in mind the topic of industrialised construction and the benefits of modular construction, sandwich panels are investigated to be utilised as load-bearing wall elements. To assess its full potential, the present paper tackles the linear elastic buckling response of axially loaded angle sandwich panels, by means of numerical and analytical calculations, as the upper bound of its load bearing capacity. The failures modes are obtained and framed for concentrically loaded angle panels with fixed and pin-ended supports. A parametric study of the angle panel comprising a series of finite element models is undertaken where responses are compared with analytical calculations based on the theory of sandwich panels. Boundaries for local and global buckling are identified and framed. • Load bearing capacity of the angle/corner sandwich panel. • Numerically identified thresholds for local and global instabilities. • Development of an analytical formulation for thresholds for local and global instabilities. • parametric study by means of an automatic generation of 8640 finite element model and calculations of responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pluripotent stem cells offer an unparalleled opportunity to investigate cardiac physiology, pharmacology, toxicology and pathophysiology. In this paper we describe the use of both mouse (Nkx2-5 eGFP/w ) and human (NKX2-5 eGFP/w ) pluripotent stem cell reporter lines, differentiated toward cardiac lineage, for live single cell high acquisition rate calcium imaging. We also assess the potential of NKX2-5 eGFP/w cardiac lineage cells for use toxicological screening as well as establish their sensitivity to a shift between low and high oxygen environments. Differentiated mouse Nkx2-5 eGFP/w cells demonstrated a wide range of spontaneous oscillation rates that could be reduced by ryanodine (10 μM), thapsigargin (1 μM) and ZD7288 (10 μM). In contrast human NKX2-5 eGFP/w cell activity was only reduced by thapsigargin (1 μM). Human cell survival was sensitive to the addition of trastuzumab and doxorubicin, while the switch from a low to a high oxygen environment affected oscillation frequency. We suggest that the human NKX2-5 eGFP/w cells are less suitable for studies of compounds affecting cardiac pacemaker activity than mouse Nkx2-5 eGFP/w cells, but are very suitable for cardiac toxicity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co–CoO composite films were prepared by solution chemical technique using amine-modified nitrates and acetates in methanol. We study how particle size and porosity can be tuned through the synthesis parameters and how this influences the magnetic properties. Phase content and microstructure were characterised with grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, and the magnetic properties were studied by magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy. Composite films were obtained by heating spin-coated films in Ar followed by oxidation in air at room temperature, and the porosity and particle size of the films were controlled by gas flow and heating rate. The synthesis yielded dense films with a random distribution of metal and oxide nanoparticles, and layered films with porosity and sintered primary particles. Exchange anisotropy, revealed as a shift towards negative fields of the magnetic hysteresis curve, was found in all films. The films with a random distribution of metal and oxide nanoparticles displayed a significantly larger coercivity and exchange anisotropy field compared to the films with a layered structure, whereas the layered films displayed a larger nominal saturation magnetisation. The magnitude of the coercivity decreased with increasing Co grain size, whereas increased porosity caused an increased tilt of the magnetic hysteresis curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the reconstruction of the paddle steamer Eric Nordevall that took place between 1995 and 2012 in Forsvik, Sweden. The original steamer was built in 1836 and was specifically designed for traffic the Göta Canal, the mid-Swedish waterway inaugurated in 1832 between Lake Vänern and the east coast. The reconstruction project aimed to produce a design as close as possible to the original, thus representing a historical-intensive research project including the revival of craft skills, such as model carpentry and riveting of pressure chambers. The project has also been important for empowering a local - former industrial - community situated in region with depopulation and loss of employment opportunities. In addition, this article describes the original vessel and her context, which provides an example of the British influence in the early 19th-century industrialisation in Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the article "Outcomes One Year After Thrombus Aspiration for Myocardial Infarction" by Bo Lagerqvist and colleagues, posted on the NEJM.org Web site on September 1, 2014 is presented. The article discusses clinical outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients a year after thrombus aspiration, clinical end point results ranging from death to rehospitalization and stent thrombosis and a conclusion on the lack of significant benefit from thrombus aspiration.

Government efforts to industrialise and modernise the Lao economy through intensive resource development are having adverse effects on rural livelihoods as resources are degraded and access to limited land and natural resources has intensified. In one of the country's key river basins, Nam Ngum, a series of resource developments including hydropower, mining and agricultural plantations have modified the landscape over the last four decades. Uncoordinated resource developments are putting intense pressure on increasingly scarce natural resources and affecting the lives of people who are dependent on them. Economic diversification of rural households in Feuang District in the Nam Ngum River Basin has created significant discrepancies between the rich and the poor, yet all households remain primarily dependent on agriculture. Land is of enduring importance to rural livelihoods. National development intervention has failed to secure basic livelihoods for rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the factors influencing the lives of people, the formal networks used by humans, and the livelihood change.

Background: Some concerns still have not been resolved about the long-term safety of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with acute STEMI. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the stent thrombosis (ST) rate up to 3 years in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new-generation drug-eluting stents (n-DES) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) and old-generation drug-eluting stents (o-DES) enrolled in the SCAAR (Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry). Methods: From January 2007 to January 2013, 34,147 patients with STEMI were treated by PCI with n-DES (n = 4,811), o-DES (n = 4,271), or BMS (n = 25,065). The risks of early/late (up to 1 year) and very late definite ST (after 1 year) were estimated. Results: Cox regression landmark analysis showed a significantly lower risk of early/late ST in patients treated with n-DES (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43 to 0.99; p = 0.04) and o-DES (HR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.89; p = 0.01) compared with the BMS group. The risk of very late ST was similar between the n-DES and BMS groups (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 0.78 to 2.98; p = 0.21), whereas a higher risk of very late ST was observed with o-DES compared with BMS (HR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.70 to 4.89; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Patients treated with n-DES have a lower risk of early/late ST than patients treated with BMS. The risk of very late ST is low and comparable between n-DES and BMS up to 3 years of follow-up, whereas o-DES treatment is associated with an increased risk of very late ST. The current STEMI guidelines might require an update in light of the results of this and other recent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Some concerns still have not been resolved about the long-term safety of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with acute STEMI. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the stent thrombosis (ST) rate up to 3 years in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new-generation drug-eluting stents (n-DES) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) and old-generation drug-eluting stents (o-DES) enrolled in the SCAAR (Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry). Methods From January 2007 to January 2013, 34,147 patients with STEMI were treated by PCI with n-DES (n = 4,811), o-DES (n = 4,271), or BMS (n = 25,065). The risks of early/late (up to 1 year) and very late definite ST (after 1 year) were estimated. Results Cox regression landmark analysis showed a significantly lower risk of early/late ST in patients treated with n-DES (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43 to 0.99; p = 0.04) and o-DES (HR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.89; p = 0.01) compared with the BMS group. The risk of very late ST was similar between the n-DES and BMS groups (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 0.78 to 2.98; p = 0.21), whereas a higher risk of very late ST was observed with o-DES compared with BMS (HR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.70 to 4.89; p < 0.01). Conclusions Patients treated with n-DES have a lower risk of early/late ST than patients treated with BMS. The risk of very late ST is low and comparable between n-DES and BMS up to 3 years of follow-up, whereas o-DES treatment is associated with an increased risk of very late ST. The current STEMI guidelines might require an update in light of the results of this and other recent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Avian influenza viruses circulate in bird populations, and it is important to maintain and uphold our knowledge of the viral strains that are currently of interest in this context. Here, we describe the use of hemagglutinin-pseudotype retroviruses based on highly pathogenic influenza viruses for the screening of avian sera for influenza A antibodies. Our aim was also to determine whether the pseudovirus neutralization tests that we assessed were sensitive and simple to use compared to the traditional methods, including hemagglutination inhibition assays and microneutralization tests. Material and methods: H5 and H7 pseudovirus neutralization tests were evaluated by using serum from infected rabbits. Subsequently, the assays were further investigated using a panel of serum samples from avian species. The panel contained samples that were seropositive for five different hemagglutinin subtypes as well as influenza A seronegative samples. Results and discussion: The results suggest that the pseudovirus neutralization test is an alternative to hemagglutination inhibition assays, as we observed comparable titers to those of both standard microneutralizations assays as well as hemagglutinin inhibition assays. When evaluated by a panel of avian sera, the method also showed its capability to recognize antibodies directed toward low-pathogenic H5 and H7. Hence, we conclude that it is possible to use pseudoviruses based on highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses to screen avian sera for antibodies directed against influenza A subtypes H5 and H7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of lesions in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) may confer a worse prognosis compared with the proximal right coronary artery (RCA) and left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). Methods: From May 2005, to May 2011 we identified all PCIs for proximal, one-vessel coronary artery disease in the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR). We evaluated restenosis, stent thrombosis (ST) and mortality in the LAD as compared to the RCA and LCX according to stent type, bare metal (BMS) or drug-eluting stents (DES). Results: 7840 single vessel proximal PCI procedures were identified. Mean follow-up time was 792days. No differences in restenosis or ST were seen between the LAD and the RCA. The frequency of restenosis and ST was higher in the proximal LAD compared to the proximal LCX (restenosis: hazard ratio (HR) 2.28, confidence interval (CI) 1.56–3.34 p<0.001; ST: HR 2.32, CI 1.11–4.85 p=0.024). We found no difference in mortality related to coronary artery. In the proximal LAD, DES implantation was associated with a lower restenosis rate (HR 0.39, CI 0.27–0.55 p<0.001) and mortality (HR 0.58, CI 0.41–0.82 p=0.002) compared with BMS. In the proximal RCA and LCX, DES use was not associated with lower frequency of clinical restenosis or mortality. Conclusions: Following proximal coronary artery intervention restenosis was more frequent in the LAD than in the LCX. Solely in the proximal LAD we found DES use to be associated with a lower risk of restenosis and death weighted against BMS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Along with urbanisation and modernisation, the use of second homes has increased in the Western world. This can be seen as part of the increasing mobility of people in society, but also as part of a search for stillness and escape from modern urban society. Recently, scholars in geography and other disciplines have argued that mobility and fixity are two sides of the same coin. This paper aims to explore the complex, manifold and often paradoxical relationship between mobility and immobility in practices of dwelling and seeking stillness in a highly mobile society. It elaborates on how mobility and stillness, in both space and time, are intertwined and mutually influence each other by analysing second home usage of old cottages that formally were dwelling houses of poor tenant smallholdings in Sweden. How do mobility and stillness exist and interact at these cottages and what parts do the cottages themselves have in this? This is studied through interviews with cottage users regarding their daily life practices and encounters with history and materiality at the cottages. These cottages are easily thought of as places of immobility where time has stood still. However, the paper shows that these cottages are places that continuously emerge through entanglements of mobility and stillness and of present and past times. The practices and experiences of mobility and stillness at the cottage are much integrated in and directed by the cottages' specific geography, history and materiality, and the activities and thinking of their users because of these characteristics. The users go to the cottage to be at a place where they, with the help of the preserved materiality and history of the cottages, can feel rooted and still. At the same time the cottages offer imaginary time travels and experiences of other times and lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to examine the clinical impact of intracoronary thrombus aspiration prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). It says that a randomized, controlled, and prospective clinical trial with patients with myocardial infarction has been conducted. Results show that there is no patients were lost to follow-up and 2.8% of patients belong in the thrombus-aspiration group were died.

Abstract: Background: The safety and efficacy of the Promus Element stent have been recently demonstrated in a selected population from one randomized trial. The aim of this study was to describe the initial clinical experience with the everolimus eluting platinum chromium stent (Promus Element) in unselected patients from a real life nationwide registry. Methods: The Promus Element DES was compared to all other DES implanted in Sweden (with more than 500 implants) from November 2009 to March 2011. The results were assessed using Cox regression. Results: A total of 13,577 stents (Promus Element, n=2724, Cypher, n=782; Endeavor, n=747; Taxus Liberté, n=1393, Xience V/Promus, n=4832, Resolute, n=1566, Xience Prime, n=4832) were implanted at 8375 procedures. At one year the restenosis rate in the Promus Element was not significantly different from the overall DES group (2.8% vs. 2.7%, adjusted HR:1.17, 95% CI: 0.75–1.75). A significantly lower restenosis rate was observed in the Promus Element when compared with Endeavor (2.8% vs. 5.8%; adjusted HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.26–0.74). The stent thrombosis (ST) rate at one year was not significantly different in the Promus Element as compared with the overall DES group (0.2% vs. 0.5% adjusted HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 025–1.40). ST rate was significantly lower as compared with Endeavor stent (0.2% vs. 0.8%; HR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08–0.67). Conclusions: In a large unselected population the Promus Element stent appears to be safe and effective with a low risk of restenosis and ST. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Muang Sing in Luang Namtha province, an administrative district of northern Laos bordering Myanmar and China, has been portrayed by the Lao government and international development agencies as a 'poor' rural region in need of development. To developers, Muang Sing's remoteness from major towns and the livelihoods of ethnic people such as the Akha in the uplands based on swidden agriculture and opium production characterized 'poverty'. To address this rural poverty, state and development agencies devised land use zoning that would demarcate and regulate various land uses in line with a rural development plan for the district. This vision for regulated development began to go awry, however, as farmers and traders in Muang Sing launched their own rapid social and economic changes. In contrast to the official image of a backward rural district in need of outside assistance, this paper portrays farmers and local entrepreneurs of the Muang Sing borderlands as actively transforming their lives and agricultural landscapes. This paper challenges the official version of a remote, poor district untouched by regional trade through a focus on narratives of local people. Ethnographic research reveals the dynamic micro-processes of agrarian transformation during recent decades to highlight the centrality of borderland people in reworking their lives and agricultural landscapes through cross-border relationships in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) are characterized by abortions in gestating animals and high mortality rates among domestic ruminants. An immunization program using a formalin-inactivated vaccine was initiated in Mozambique in 2002 to control RVF in cattle. In this intervention, the vaccine must be transported for more than a week within the country before it can be administered to the animals, and it is practically impossible to maintain low storage temperatures during that time. Here, we evaluated the influence of transportation conditions on the efficacy of the vaccine. Sixty-three previously unvaccinated and RVF virus seronegative cattle were divided into four groups, which were given vaccine that had been stored for 1 week at 4°C (n =9, group A), at 25°C (n =8, group B), or alternating between 4 and 25°C (n =8, group C), or under the temperature conditions ordinarily occurring during transportation within Mozambique (n =38, group D). The antibody responses induced were monitored for 6–9 months and in some animals up to 21 months. Two immunizations (3 weeks apart) with the formalin-inactivated vaccine induced a long-lasting neutralizing antibody response that was still detectable up to 21 months later. The antibody titers in the animals did not differ significantly between the temperature-assigned vaccine groups A, B, and C, whereas they were significantly higher in group D. These results show that the formalin-inactivated RVF virus vaccine is stable, and, importantly, it is not adversely affected by the variation in temperature that ordinarily occurs during transport within Mozambique. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Bivalirudin reduces bleeding events and is associated with a lower mortality than the combination of unfractionated heparin (UFH) and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the effect of adding UFH in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with bivalirudin during primary PCI is unknown. Methods: Patients enrolled in the national Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry who underwent primary PCI due to STEMI with bivalirudin as anticoagulant were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: those treated with bivalirudin only and those treated with bivalirudin plus a bolus dose of UFH. Results: 2996 patients were included in the study: 1928 (64%) received only bivalirudin and 1068 (36%) received bivalirudin plus a bolus dose of UFH. The primary combined endpoint of death or target lesion thrombosis at 30 days occurred more often in the bivalirudin group (11.3% vs 6.5%, OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.72, p<0.001). This difference remained significant after adjustment (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.95, p¼0.03). Death at 30 days and definite target lesion thrombosis at 30 days did not differ between the two groups after adjustment (9.2% vs 5.1%, adjusted HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.03, p¼0.07 and 2.3% vs 1.5%, adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.27 to 1.33, p¼0.21, respectively). Conclusion: An additional bolus dose of UFH is associated with a lower rate of death or definite target lesion thrombosis at 30 days in patients undergoing primary PCI with bivalirudin as anticoagulant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are an important class of environmental contaminants many of which require metabolic activation to DNA-reactive bay or fjord region diolepoxides (DE) in order to exert their mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. In this study, the mutagenicity of the bay region diolepoxides (+)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) and (±)-anti-1,2-dihydroxy-3,4-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrodibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBADE) and the fjord region diolepoxides (±)-anti-11,12-dihydroxy-13,14-epoxy-11,12,13,14-tetrahydrodibenzo[a,l]-pyrene (DBPDE) and (±)-anti-3,4-dihydroxy-1,2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]-phenanthrene (BPhDE) was compared in nucleotide excision repair (NER) proficient and deficient hamster cell lines. The 32P-postlabelling assay was applied to analyze DNA adduct levels and the Hprt gene mutation assay for monitoring mutations. Previously, we found that the mutagenicity per adduct was four times higher for DBPDE compared to BPDE in NER proficient cells. In these same cells, the mutagenicity of DBADE and BPhDE adducts was now found to be significantly lower compared to that of BPDE. In NER deficient cells the highest mutagenicity per adduct was found for BPDE and there was a tenfold and fivefold difference when comparing the BPDE data with the DBADE and BPhDE data, respectively. In order to investigate to what extent the mutagenicity of the different adducts in NER proficient cells was influenced by repair or replication bypass, we measured the overall NER incision rate, the rate of adduct removal, the rate of replication bypass and the frequency of induced recombination in the Hprt gene. Since NER turned out to be an important pathway for the yield of mutations, we further analyzed the role of transcription coupled NER versus global genome NER. However, our data demonstrate that neither of these pathways seems to be the sole factor determining the mutation frequency of the four PAH–DE and that the differences in the repair efficiency of these compounds could not be related to the presence of a bay or fjord region in the parent PAH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chinese hamster V79 cells were used to investigate the protective effect of four known antimutagens present in food, chlorophyllin (CHL), ellagic acid (EA), epigallocathechingallate (EGCG) and benzylisothiocyanate (BITC), against potent mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon diol epoxides (PAH-DE) derived from benzo[a]pyrene (BP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP), and benzo[c]phenanthrene (BPh) known to be deposited on crops from polluted ambient air or formed during food processing. As fjord-region PAH-DE are more toxic and mutagenic than bay-region PAH-DE, we adjusted the concentrations of PAH-DE to induce approximately the same levels of adducts. The studies were performed using an assay indicating toxicity in terms of reduced cell proliferation together with the V79 Hprt assay for monitoring mutant frequencies. CHL significantly increased the survival and showed a protective effect against the mutagenicity of all PAH-DE. A significant protective effect of EA was found towards the mutagenicity of BPDE, DBPDE and BPhDE and with EGCG for BPDE and BPhDE. BITC had a slight positive effect on the mutagenicity of DBADE and BPhDE. Taken together, a novel and unexpected finding was that the antimutagenic activity could differ as much as by a factor of 7 towards four carcinogenic PAH metabolites being relatively similar in structure and genotoxic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. This study aimed to determine the incidence of complications of diagnostic coronary angiography that was not followed by percutaneous coronary interventions and to compare differences in complication rates between patients with or without previous coronary artery by-pass surgery. Design. We evaluated major complications due to diagnostic coronary angiography by merging the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR), the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry and the National Population Registry. Results. A total of 1 115 complications were recorded (2.2%). There was a higher incidence of any complications in patients with a previous coronary by-pass surgery in uni-variable analysis (2.7% vs. 2.1%, p=0.003) but not in multi-variable analysis after adjustment for differences in background and procedural factors. Neurological complications were not common (0.20%) but after adjustment for differences in background and procedural factors, the risk of neurological complications was nearly three times higher in patients with a previous CABG compared to patients without previous CABG, odds ratio 2.89 (95% CI 1.68–4.97). Conclusion. Neurological complications are significantly more common in patients with previous by-pass surgery. Considering the risk for neurological complications the risk-benefit ratio may be higher when compared with patients without previous by-pass surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess risk prediction by different biomarkers in patients with an ongoing non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and after clinical stabilization. Background: Different biomarkers reflect different aspects of the pathobiology in NSTE-ACS. However, there is little information regarding their relative prognostic value during the time course of disease. Methods: The N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured at randomization and after 6 weeks and 6 months in 877 NSTE-ACS patients included in the FRISC (FRagmin and fast revascularization during InStability in Coronary artery disease) II trial. The biomarkers'' prognostic value during 5-year follow-up was evaluated by Cox regression models, calculation of the c-statistics, and estimation of the net reclassification improvement (NRI). Results: Among the biomarkers measured at randomization, NT-proBNP was the strongest predictor for mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 to 2.1; p < 0.001). Even during follow-up, NT-proBNP demonstrated the strongest association to the composite end point of death/myocardial infarction (adjusted HR at 6 weeks: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.3 to 1.7; p < 0.001; adjusted HR at 6 months: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2 to 1.7; p = 0.001). Even CRP was independently predictive at 6 months for the composite end point (adjusted HR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1 to 1.5; p = 0.003). Only 6-week results of NT-proBNP provided significant incremental prognostic value to established risk indicators regarding the composite end point (c-statistics 0.69 [p = 0.03]; NRI 0.11 [p = 0.03]). Conclusions: The NT-proBNP is an independent risk predictor in patients with ongoing NSTE-ACS and after clinical stabilization. The CRP exhibits increasing predictive value at later measurements. However, only NT-proBNP provided incremental prognostic value and might therefore be considered as a complement for early follow-up controls after NSTE-ACS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate restenosis rate of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM) in a real-world setting. Background: DES seem less effective in patients with DM. Methods: The SCAAR (Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry) includes all patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Sweden. From April 1, 2004, to April 20, 2008, all restenoses detected at a subsequent angiography and all DES types implanted at more than 500 occasions were assessed using Cox regression. Results: Four DES types qualified for inclusion. In total, 35,478 DES were implanted at 22,962 procedures in 19,004 patients and 1,807 restenoses were reported over a mean 29 months follow-up. In the entire population, the restenosis rate per stent was 3.5% after 1 year and 4.9% after 2 years. The adjusted risk of restenosis was higher in patients with DM compared with that in patients without DM (relative risk [RR]: 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10 to 1.37). In patients with DM, restenosis was twice as frequent with the zotarolimus-eluting Endeavor stent (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota) compared with that in the other DES types. The Endeavor stent and the sirolimus-eluting Cypher stent (Cordis, Johnson & Johnson, Miami, Florida) had higher restenosis rates in patients with DM compared with those in patients without DM (RR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.29 to 2.43 and RR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.51). Restenosis rate with the paclitaxel-eluting Taxus Express and Liberté (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts) stents was unrelated to DM. Mortality did not differ between different DES. Conclusions: Restenosis rate with DES was higher in patients with DM compared with that in patients without DM. There seem to be important differences between different brands of DES. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) regularly accounts for severe and often lethal outbreaks among livestock and humans in Africa. Safe and effective veterinarian and human vaccines are highly needed. We present evidence that administration of RVF virus-like particles (VLPs) induces protective immunity in mice. In an accompanying paper, (Habjan, M., Penski, N., Wagner, V., Spiegel, M., Överby, A.K., Kochs, G., Huiskonen, J., Weber, F., 2009. Efficient production of Rift Valley fever virus-like particles: the antiviral protein MxA can inhibit primary transcription of Bunyaviruses. Virology 385, 400–408) we report the production of these VLPs in mammalian cells. After three subsequent immunizations with 1×106 VLPs/dose, high titers of virus-neutralizing antibodies were detected; 11 out of 12 mice were protected from challenge and only 1 out of 12 mice survived infection in the control groups. VLP vaccination efficiently suppressed replication of the challenge virus, whereas in the control animals high RNA levels and increasing antibody titers against the nucleocapsid protein indicated extensive viral replication. Our study demonstrates that the RVF VLPs are highly immunogenic and confer protection against RVFV infection in mice. In the test groups, the vaccinated mice did not exhibit any side effects, and the lack of anti-nucleocapsid protein antibodies serologically distinguished vaccinated animals from experimentally infected animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mutations induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are expected to be produced when error-prone DNA replication occurs across unrepaired DNA lesions formed by reactive PAH metabolites such as diol epoxides. The mutagenicity of the two PAH-diol epoxides (+)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) and (±)-anti-11,12-dihydroxy-13,14-epoxy-11,12,13,14-tetrahydrodibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBPDE) was compared in nucleotide excision repair (NER) proficient and deficient hamster cell lines. We applied the 32P-postlabelling assay to analyze adduct levels and the hprt gene mutation assay for monitoring mutations. It was found that the mutagenicity per target dose was 4 times higher for DBPDE compared to BPDE in NER proficient cells while in NER deficient cells, the mutagenicity per target dose was 1.4 times higher for BPDE. In order to investigate to what extent the mutagenicity of the different adducts in NER proficient cells was influenced by repair or replication bypass, we measured the overall NER incision rate, the rate of adduct removal, the rate of replication bypass and the frequency of induced recombination in the hprt gene. The results suggest that NER of BPDE lesions are 5 times more efficient than for DBPDE lesions, in NER proficient cells. However, DBPDE adducts block replication more efficiently and also induce 6 times more recombination events in the hprt gene than adducts of BPDE, suggesting that DBPDE adducts are, to a larger extent, bypassed by homologous recombination. The results obtained here indicate that the mutagenicity of PAH is influenced not only by NER, but also by replication bypass fidelity. This has been postulated earlier based on results using in vitro enzyme assays, but is now also being recognized in terms of forward mutations in intact mammalian cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an important viral zoonosis in Africa affecting animals and humans. Since no protective vaccines or effective treatments are available for human use, accurate and reliable diagnostic methods are essential for surveillance of the disease in order to implement adequate public health actions. To study the kinetics of the RVF Virus (RVFV) infection, a SYBR Green-based quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay was developed. By using primers targeting the S-segment of RVFV, the detection limit of this assay was estimated to 30 RNA templates. Blood and organs of experimentally infected mice were sampled at different time points and RVFV RNA was quantified. High amounts of RVFV RNA were found in blood, brain, and liver samples shortly after infection with a 1–4 days post infection window for viral RNA detection. Mice developed symptoms after the appearance of serum antibodies, indicating that the host response plays an important role in the outcome of the disease. The RVFV quantitative RT-PCR proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool during the first days of infection, before detectable antibody levels and visual symptoms of RVF were observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Recent reports have indicated that there may be an increased risk of late stent thrombosis with the use of drug-eluting stents, as compared with bare-metal stents. Methods We evaluated 6033 patients treated with drug-eluting stents and 13,738 patients treated with bare-metal stents in 2003 and 2004, using data from the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry. The outcome analysis covering a period of up to 3 years was based on 1424 deaths and 2463 myocardial infarctions and was adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics. Results The two study groups did not differ significantly in the composite of death and myocardial infarction during 3 years of follow-up. At 6 months, there was a trend toward a lower unadjusted event rate in patients with drug-eluting stents than in those with bare-metal stents, with 13.4 fewer such events per 1000 patients. However, after 6 months, patients with drug-eluting stents had a significantly higher event rate, with 12.7 more events per 1000 patients per year (adjusted relative risk, 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.37). At 3 years, mortality was significantly higher in patients with drug-eluting stents (adjusted relative risk, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.35), and from 6 months to 3 years, the adjusted relative risk for death in this group was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.11 to 1.57). Conclusions Drug-eluting stents were associated with an increased rate of death, as compared with bare-metal stents. This trend appeared after 6 months, when the risk of death was 0.5 percentage point higher and a composite of death or myocardial infarction was 0.5 to 1.0 percentage point higher per year. The long-term safety of drug-eluting stents needs to be ascertained in large, randomized trials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]