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| 2. |
- Astvaldsdottir, A., et al.
(författare)
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Oral health and dental care of older persons-A systematic map of systematic reviews
- 2018
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Ingår i: Gerodontology. - : Wiley. - 0734-0664 .- 1741-2358. ; 35:4, s. 290-304
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To examine the current knowledge on oral health status and dental care of older persons through a systematic mapping of systematic reviews of low or moderate risk of bias. Background: Geriatric dentistry covers all aspects of oral health and oral care of older persons. Oral health is part of general health and contributes to a person's physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Methods: A literature search was performed in three different databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Library and Cinahl) within 12 domains: Dental caries, periodontitis, Orofacial pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, mucosal lesions, oral motor function, dry mouth, halitosis, interaction between oral status and other medical conditions, ability to interrelate and communicate, quality of life, ethics and organisation of dental care for older persons. Systematic reviews were identified and scrutinised, highlighting scientific knowledge and knowledge gaps. Results: We included 32 systematic reviews of which 14 were judged to be of low/moderate risk of bias. Most of the domains lack systematic reviews with low or moderate risk of bias. In two of the domains evidence was identified; in institutionalised people aged 65 or older, effective oral hygiene can prevent pneumonia. Furthermore, there is an evidence of a relationship between malnutrition (protein energy-related malnutrition, PEM) and poor appetite and edentulousness. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for further research and evidence-based knowledge within most domains in geriatric dentistry and in other fields related to oral health and dental care for older persons striving for multi-disciplinary research programmes.
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| 3. |
- Fernández-Ardèvol, M., et al.
(författare)
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Methodological Strategies to Understand Smartphone Practices for Social Connectedness in Later Life
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings 5th International Conference on Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population, ITAP 2019, held as part of the 21st International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI International 2019. - Cham : Springer Verlag. - 9783030220143 ; , s. 46-64
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digital practices in later life are not yet well understood. Therefore, this paper discusses the framework for a research design project that aims at tracing differences and similarities in how older adults use their smartphones in circumstances in and outside their homes in Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada. The research questions of this international research project focus on the extent to which digital mobile practices relate to perceived social connectedness among older adults aged 55–79 years old. While studies have shown that the subjective experience of ‘being connected’ supports continued wellbeing in later life, there remains an insufficient understanding of the processes through which digital mediated social interaction is effective for social connectedness. The analytical framework of the project prioritizes the co-constituency of (digital) technology and ageing, and takes digital practices in everyday life as its entry point. The main data collection tool will be the tracking of smartphone activity of 600 older adults (150 per country) during four weeks. An online survey and qualitative interviews will gather data about the meanings of the quantified digital practices, and how they shape (if they do) the participants’ connection to the world. This approach will allow us not only to get insight into what older adults say how they used their smartphone but also to gain insight into their real-life daily use. The assessment of the challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of the methods contributes towards an accurate and appropriate interpretation of empirical results and their implications.
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| 4. |
- Hagström, Emil, et al.
(författare)
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Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Predicts All-Cause Morbidity and Mortality in Stable Coronary Heart Disease
- 2017
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9147 .- 1530-8561. ; 63:1, s. 325-333
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Higher growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) concentrations are associated with cardiovascular (CV) and non-CV morbidity and mortality. However, information on associations between GDF-15 and the risk of specific CV and non-CV events in stable coronary heart disease (CHD) patients is limited.METHODS: In 14 577 patients with stable CHD participating in the Stabilization of Atherosclerotic Plaque by Initiation of Darapladib Therapy Trial (STABILITY), GDF-15 and other prognostic biomarkers (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T, cystatin C, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) were measured. In adjusted Cox regression models, the associations between GDF-15 and the composite CV end point [CV death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke], as well as other CV and non-CV events, were assessed.RESULTS: The median concentration (interquartile range) of GDF-15 at baseline was 1253 (915-1827) ng/L. The hazard ratio for the composite end point for the highest compared to the lowest quartile of GDF-15 was 1.8 (95% CI, 1.5-2.2); for CV death, 2.63 (1.9-3.6); for sudden death, 3.06 (1.9-4.8); for heart failure (HF) death, 4.3 (1.3-14); for cancer death, 2.5 (1.3-4.7); for hospitalization for HF, 5.8 (3.2-10); for MI 1.4 (95% CI, 1.1-1.9); and for stroke, 1.8 (95% CI, 1.1-2.8). After adjustment for other prognostic biomarkers, GDF-15 remained significantly associated with all outcomes except for MI.CONCLUSIONS: In stable CHD, GDF-15 was independently associated with CV, non-CV, and cancer mortality, as well as with MI and stroke. When also adjusting for other prognostic biomarkers, the associations to all fatal and nonfatal events were maintained except for MI. Information on GDF-15, therefore, might be helpful when assessing the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with stable CHD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00799903.
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| 5. |
- Hultcrantz, Monica, et al.
(författare)
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The GRADE Working Group clarifies the construct of certainty of evidence
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. - : Pergamon Press. - 0895-4356 .- 1878-5921. ; 87, s. 4-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To clarify the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) definition of certainty of evidence and suggest possible approaches to rating certainty of the evidence for systematic reviews, health technology assessments, and guidelines. Study Design and Setting: This work was carried out by a project group within the GRADE Working Group, through brainstorming and iterative refinement of ideas, using input from workshops, presentations, and discussions at GRADE Working Group meetings to produce this document, which constitutes official GRADE guidance. Results: Certainty of evidence is best considered as the certainty that a true effect lies on one side of a specified threshold or within a chosen range. We define possible approaches for choosing threshold or range. For guidelines, what we call a fully contextualized approach requires simultaneously considering all critical outcomes and their relative value. Less-contextualized approaches, more appropriate for systematic reviews and health technology assessments, include using specified ranges of magnitude of effect, for example, ranges of what we might consider no effect, trivial, small, moderate, or large effects. Conclusion: It is desirable for systematic review authors, guideline panelists, and health technology assessors to specify the threshold or ranges they are using when rating the certainty in evidence. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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| 6. |
- Lim, Jang-Kwon, et al.
(författare)
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A theoretical and experimental comparison of 4H- and 6H-SiC MSM UV photodetectors
- 2012
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Ingår i: Silicon Carbide and Related Materials 2011. - : Trans Tech Publications Inc.. - 9783037854198 ; , s. 1207-1210
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports on fabrication and modeling of 4H- and 6H-SiC metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors (PDs). MSM PDs have been fabricated on 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC epitaxial layers, and their performance analyzed by MEDICI simulation and measurements. The simulations were also used to optimize the sensitivity by varying the width and spacing of the interdigitated electrodes. The fabricated PDs with 2 ÎŒm wide metal electrodes and 3 ÎŒm spacing between the electrodes exhibited, under UV illumination, a peak current to dark current ratio of 10 5 and 10 4 in 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC, respectively. The measured spectral responsivity of 6H-SiC PDs was higher compared to that of 4H-SiC PDs, with a cutoff at 407 nm compared to 384 nm in 4H-SiC PDs. Also the peak responsivity occurred at a shorter wavelength in 6H material. A high rejection ratio between the photocurrent and dark current was found in both cases. These experimental results were in agreement with simulation.
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| 7. |
- Vedin, Ola, et al.
(författare)
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Associations between tooth loss and prognostic biomarkers and the risk for cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary heart disease
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 245, s. 271-276
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:Underlying mechanisms behind the hypothesized relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) have been insufficiently explored. We evaluated associations between self-reported tooth loss-a marker of PD- and prognostic biomarkers in 15,456 (97%) patients with stable CHD in the global STABILITY trial.Methods and results:Baseline blood samples were obtained and patients reported their number of teeth according to the following tooth loss levels: "26-32 (All)" [lowest level], "20-25", "15-19", "1-14", and "No Teeth" [highest level]. Linear and Cox regression models assessed associations between tooth loss levels and biomarker levels, and the relationship between tooth loss levels and outcomes, respectively.After multivariable adjustment, the relative biomarker increase between the highest and the lowest tooth loss level was: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.29), interleukin 6 1.14 (1.10-1.18), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) activity 1.05 (1.03-1.06), growth differentiation factor 15 1.11 (1.08-1.14), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) 1.18 (1.11-1.25). No association was detected for high-sensitivity troponin T 1.02 (0.98-1.05). Some attenuation of the relationship between tooth loss and outcomes resulted from the addition of biomarkers to the multivariable analysis, of which NT-proBNP had the biggest impact.Conclusions:A graded and independent association between tooth loss and several prognostic biomarkers was observed, suggesting that tooth loss and its underlying mechanisms may be involved in multiple pathophysiological pathways also implicated in the development and prognosis of CHD. The association between tooth loss and cardiovascular death and stroke persisted despite comprehensive adjustment including prognostic biomarkers.
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| 8. |
- Wallentin, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A(2) Activity Is a Marker of Risk But Not a Useful Target for Treatment in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association. - 2047-9980 .- 2047-9980. ; 5:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background - We evaluated lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) activity in patients with stable coronary heart disease before and during treatment with darapladib, a selective Lp-PLA(2) inhibitor, in relation to outcomes and the effects of darapladib in the STABILITY trial.Methods and Results - Plasma Lp-PLA(2) activity was determined at baseline (n=14 500); at 1 month (n=13 709); serially (n=100) at 3, 6, and 18 months; and at the end of treatment. Adjusted Cox regression models evaluated associations between Lp-PLA(2) activity levels and outcomes. At baseline, the median Lp-PLA(2) level was 172.4 mu mol/min per liter (interquartile range 143.1-204.2 mu mol/min per liter). Comparing the highest and lowest Lp-PLA(2) quartile groups, the hazard ratios were 1.50 (95% CI 1.23-1.82) for the primary composite end point (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke), 1.95 (95% CI 1.29-2.93) for hospitalization for heart failure, 1.42 (1.07-1.89) for cardiovascular death, and 1.37 (1.03-1.81) for myocardial infarction after adjustment for baseline characteristics, standard laboratory variables, and other prognostic biomarkers. Treatment with darapladib led to a approximate to 65% persistent reduction in median Lp-PLA(2) activity. There were no associations between on-treatment Lp-PLA(2) activity or changes of Lp-PLA(2) activity and outcomes, and there were no significant interactions between baseline and on-treatment Lp-PLA(2) activity or changes in Lp-PLA(2) activity levels and the effects of darapladib on outcomes.Conclusions - Although high Lp-PLA(2) activity was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events, pharmacological lowering of Lp-PLA(2) activity by approximate to 65% did not significantly reduce cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary heart disease, regardless of the baseline level or the magnitude of change of Lp-PLA(2) activity.
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| 9. |
- Almuzzaini, Bader, et al.
(författare)
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In beta-actin knockouts, epigenetic reprogramming and rDNA transcription inactivation lead to growth and proliferation defects
- 2016
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Ingår i: The FASEB Journal. - 0892-6638 .- 1530-6860. ; 30:8, s. 2860-2873
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Actin and nuclear myosin 1 (NM1) are regulators of transcription and chromatin organization. Using a genome-wide approach, we report here that beta-actin binds intergenic and genic regions across the mammalian genome, associated with both protein-coding and rRNA genes. Within the rDNA, the distribution of beta-actin correlated with NM1 and the other subunits of the B-WICH complex, WSTF and SNF2h. In beta-actin(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), we found that rRNA synthesis levels decreased concomitantly with drops in RNA polymerase I (Pol I) and NM1 occupancies across the rRNA gene. Reintroduction of wild-type beta-actin, in contrast to mutated forms with polymerization defects, efficiently rescued rRNA synthesis underscoring the direct role for a polymerization-competent form of beta-actin in Pol I transcription. The rRNA synthesis defects in the beta-actin(-/-) MEFs are a consequence of epigenetic reprogramming with up-regulation of the repressive mark H3K4me1 (mono-methylation of lys4 on histone H3) and enhanced chromatin compaction at promoter-proximal enhancer (T0 sequence), which disturb binding of the transcription factor TTF1. We propose a novel genome-wide mechanism where the polymerase-associated beta-actin synergizes with NM1 to coordinate permissive chromatin with Pol I transcription, cell growth, and proliferation.
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| 10. |
- Almuzzaini, Bader, et al.
(författare)
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Nuclear myosin 1 contributes to a chromatin landscape compatible with RNA polymerase II transcription activation
- 2015
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Ingår i: BMC Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1741-7007. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Nuclear myosin 1c (NM1) is emerging as a regulator of transcription and chromatin organization. Results: Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq) in combination with molecular analyses, we investigated the global association of NM1 with the mammalian genome. Analysis of the ChIP-Seq data demonstrates that NM1 binds across the entire mammalian genome with occupancy peaks correlating with distributions of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) and active epigenetic marks at class II gene promoters. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts subjected to RNAi mediated NM1 gene silencing, we show that NM1 synergizes with polymerase-associated actin to maintain active Pol II at the promoter. NM1 also co-localizes with the nucleosome remodeler SNF2h at class II promoters where they assemble together with WSTF as part of the B-WICH complex. A high resolution micrococcal nuclease (MNase) assay and quantitative real time PCR shows that this mechanism is required for local chromatin remodeling. Following B-WICH assembly, NM1 mediates physical recruitment of the histone acetyl transferase PCAF and the histone methyl transferase Set1/Ash2 to maintain and preserve H3K9acetylation and H3K4trimethylation for active transcription. Conclusions: We propose a novel genome-wide mechanism where myosin synergizes with Pol II-associated actin to link the polymerase machinery with permissive chromatin for transcription activation.
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