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Understanding the complex 3D tumor microenvironment is important in cancer research. This microenvironment can be modelled in vitro by culturing multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS). Key challenges when using MCTS in applications such as high-throughput drug screening are overcoming imaging and analytical issues encountered during functional and structural investigations. To address these challenges, we use an ultrasonic standing wave (USW) based MCTS culture platform for parallel formation, staining and imaging of 100 whole MCTS. A protein repellent amphiphilic polymer coating enables flexible production of high quality and unanchored MCTS. This enables high-content multimode analysis based on flow cytometry and in situ optical microscopy. We use HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma, A498 and ACHN renal carcinoma, and LUTC-2 thyroid carcinoma cell lines to demonstrate (i) the importance of the ultrasound-coating combination, (ii) bright field image based automatic characterization of MTCS, (iii) detailed deep tissue confocal imaging of whole MCTS mounted in a refractive index matching solution, and (iv) single cell functional analysis through flow cytometry of single cell suspensions of disintegrated MTCS. The USW MCTS culture platform is customizable and holds great potential for detailed multimode MCTS analysis in a high-content manner.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health problem. Interprofessional collaboration and health promotion interventions such as exercise training, education, and behaviour change are cost effective, have a good effect on health status, and are recommended in COPD treatment guidelines. There is a gap between the guidelines and the healthcare available to people with COPD. The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of what shapes the provision of primary care services to people with COPD and what healthcare is offered to them from the perspective of healthcare professionals and managers. Methods: The study was conducted in primary care in a Swedish county council during January to June 2015. A qualitatively driven mixed methods design was applied. Qualitative and quantitative findings were merged into a joint analysis. Interviews for the qualitative component were performed with healthcare professionals (n = 14) from two primary care centres and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Two questionnaires were used for the quantitative component; one was answered by senior managers or COPD nurses at primary care centres (n = 26) in the county council and the other was answered by healthcare professionals (n = 18) at two primary care centres. The questionnaire data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Results: The analysis gave rise to the overarching theme building COPD care on shaky ground. This represents professionals driven to build a supportive COPD care on 'shaky' organisational ground in a fragmented and non-compliant healthcare organisation. The shaky ground is further represented by uninformed patients with a complex disease, which is surrounded with shame. The professionals are autonomous and pragmatic, used to taking responsibility for their work, and with limited involvement of the management. They wish to provide high quality COPD care with interprofessional collaboration, but they lack competence and a

Filiació URV: SI, Aims: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) is a rare life-threatening condition characterized by markedly elevated circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and accelerated, premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Given recent insights into the heterogeneity of genetic defects and clinical phenotype of HoFH, and the availability of new therapeutic options, this Consensus Panel on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) critically reviewed available data with the aim of providing clinical guidance for the recognition and management of HoFH. Methods and results: Early diagnosis ofHoFHand prompt initiation of diet and lipid-lowering therapy are critical. Genetic testing may provide a definitive diagnosis, but if unavailable, markedly elevated LDL-C levels together with cutaneous or tendon xanthomas before 10 years, or untreated elevated LDL-C levels consistent with heterozygous FH in both parents, are suggestive of HoFH.We recommend that patients with suspected HoFH are promptly referred to specialist centres for a comprehensiveACVDevaluation and clinical management. Lifestyle intervention and maximal statin therapy are the mainstays of treatment, ideally started in the first year of life or at an initial diagnosis, often with ezetimibe and other lipid-modifying therapy. As patients rarely achieve LDL-C targets, adjunctive lipoprotein apheresis is recommended where available, preferably started by age 5 and no later than 8 years. The number of therapeutic approaches has increased following approval of lomitapide and mipomersen for HoFH. Given the severity of ACVD, we recommend regular follow-up, including Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of the heart and aorta

In the present paper we combine for the first time kHz- and MHz-frequency ultrasonic actuation for on-chip size-based isolation, up-concentration and lysis of cells. As proof of concept, we demonstrate MHz-frequency ultrasonic isolation and trapping of ∼10-μm (RH-30) cancer cells from ∼5-μm RBCs, and we investigate the kHz-frequency ultrasonic lysis effect on isolated cancer cells., QC 20200921

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) excitation of an acoustic field in a trapezoidal glass microfluidic channel for particle manipulation in continuous flow has been demonstrated. A unidirectional interdigital transducer (IDT) on a Y-cut Z-propagation lithium niobate (LiNbO3) substrate was used to excite a surface acoustic wave at approximately 35 MHz. An SU8 layer was used for adhesive bonding of the superstrate glass layer and the substrate piezoelectric layer. This work extends the use of SAWs for acoustic manipulation to also include glass channels in addition to prior work with mainly poly-di-methyl-siloxane channels. Efficient alignment of 1.9 mu m polystyrene particles to narrow nodal regions was successfully demonstrated. In addition, particle alignment with only one IDT active was realized. A finite element method simulation was used to visualize the acoustic field generated in the channel and the possibility of 2D alignment into small nodal regions was demonstrated.

I snart hundrede år har fysioterapeuter arbejdet på at mindske risikoen for postoperative lungekomplikationer hos patienter, der skal opereres i brystkassen og abdominalregionen. Klinisk erfaring viser, at lungefysioterapi er vigtig, men hvad ved vi i dag om effekten af forskellige former for behandling? Hvilke indsatsområder skal man i første omgang vælge? Forfatterne til denne artikel har udarbejdet retningslinjer for lungefysioterapi til patienter, som gennemgår abdominal- og thoraxkirurgi. Målet med arbejdet med retningslinjerne har været at udrede og sammensætte eksisterende evidens for lungefysioterapeutiske behandlingsmetoder i forbindelse med abdominal- og thoraxkirurgiske indgreb. Den samlede evidens i kombination med ekspertgruppens kommentarer har ført til anbefalinger for den kliniske behandling. Disse anbefalinger er målrettet fysioterapeuter i den kliniske praksis, som arbejder med abdominal - og thoraxkirurgiske patienter. Sigtet er, at den aktuelle og systematisk indsamlede viden vil bidrage til diskussioner på de forskellige arbejdspladser, og at anbefalingerne for behandling vil blive tilpasset de lokale forhold. Denne artikel sammenfatter retningslinjerne, som er publiceret på fysioterapiforbundets (Legitimerede Sjukgymnasters) hjemmeside under profession. De kliniske retningslinjer omfatter desuden en komplet referenceliste.

Auger decay from the C Is con-ionized state of CO has been studied with vibrational resolution both at the C Is shape resonance and far above. Variations in the vibrational intensity distribution with photon energy are observed. This observation is explai, Addresses: Sundin S, Univ Uppsala, Dept Phys, Box 530, S-75121 Uppsala, Sweden. Univ Uppsala, Dept Phys, S-75121 Uppsala, Sweden. Univ Lund, Inst Phys, Dept Synchrotron Radiat Res, S-22100 Lund, Sweden. Tartu State Univ, Inst Phys, EE-2400 Tartu, Estonia.

The carbon Is photoelectron spectrum of gas-phase ethylene has been measured with high resolution in order to study changes in vibrational structure arising from core photoionization through a continuum resonance. By evaluating the changes in vibrational, Addresses: Sorensen SL, Univ Lund, Inst Phys, Dept Synchrotron Radiat Red, Box 118, S-22100 Lund, Sweden. Univ Lund, Inst Phys, Dept Synchrotron Radiat Red, S-22100 Lund, Sweden. Univ Uppsala, Dept Phys, S-75121 Uppsala, Sweden. Univ Coll Gavle Sandviken

In a previous study, the deformation field measurement method on wood during drying was described. This paper discusses the deformation field measurement results during drying to 8.2% moisture content on the radial and tangential surfaces. It also attempts to explain the observations by an approximate expression based on earlywood-latewood interaction theory. The deformation on the radial surface varied between -0.7% and 7.5%. The actual measurements on the radial surfaces support previous work. Deformation measurements on the tangential surfaces were between -0.5% and 9.0%. Although the investigations were carried out on gross wood specimens, the results provide an insight into the extent to which local density variation within the early- and latewood layers may influence the magnitude of surface deformation.