| 1. |
- Bushnell, David L., et al.
(författare)
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90Y-edotreotide for metastatic carcinoid refractory to octreotide
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 28:10, s. 1652-1659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Metastatic carcinoid is an incurable malignancy whose symptoms, such as diarrhea and flushing, can be debilitating and occasionally life-threatening. Although symptom relief is available with octreotide, the disease eventually becomes refractory to octreotide, leaving no proven treatment options. The goal of this study was to evaluate the clinical effect of using (90)Y-edotreotide to treat symptomatic patients with carcinoid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients enrolled had metastatic carcinoid, at least one sign/symptom refractory to octreotide, and at least one measurable lesion. Study treatment consisted of three cycles of 4.4 GBq (120 mCi) (90)Y-edotreotide each, once every 6 weeks. RESULTS: Ninety patients were enrolled in the study. Using Southwest Oncology Group tumor response criteria, 67 (74.%) of 90 patients (95% CI, 65.4% to 83.4%) were objectively stable or responded. A statistically significant linear trend toward improvement was demonstrated across all 12 symptoms assessed. Median progression-free survival was significantly greater (P = .03) for the 38 patients who had durable diarrhea improvement than the 18 patients who did not (18.2 v 7.9 months, respectively). Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 96.7% (87 of 90) of patients. These AEs consisted primarily of reversible GI events (76 of 90), which could be caused in part by concomitant administration of amino acid solution given to reduce radiation exposure to the kidneys. There was one case each of grade 3 oliguria and grade 4 renal failure, each lasting 6 days. CONCLUSION: (90)Y-edotreotide treatment improved symptoms associated with malignant carcinoid among subjects with no treatment alternatives. Treatment was well-tolerated and had an acceptable expected AE profile.
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| 2. |
- de Boer, Wietse, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanism of antibacterial activity of the white-rot fungus Hypholoma fasciculare colonizing wood
- 2010
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Ingår i: Canadian journal of microbiology (Print). - : NRC Research Press. - 0008-4166 .- 1480-3275. ; 56:5, s. 380-388
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In a previous study it was shown that the number of wood-inhabiting bacteria was drastically reduced after colonization of beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood blocks by the white-rot fungus Hypholoma fasciculare, or sulfur tuft (Folman et al. 2008). Here we report on the mechanisms of this fungal-induced antibacterial activity. Hypholoma fasciculare was allowed to invade beech and pine (Pinus sylvestris) wood blocks that had been precolonized by microorganisms from forest soil. The changes in the number of bacteria, fungal biomass, and fungal-related wood properties were followed for 23 weeks. Colonization by the fungus resulted in a rapid and large reduction in the number of bacteria (colony-forming units), which was already apparent after 4 weeks of incubation. The reduction in the number of bacteria coincided with fungal-induced acidification in both beech and pine wood blocks. No evidence was found for the involvement of toxic secondary metabolites or reactive oxygen species in the reduction of the number of bacteria. Additional experiments showed that the dominant bacteria present in the wood blocks were not able to grow under the acidic conditions (pH 3.5) created by the fungus. Hence our research pointed at rapid acidification as the major factor causing reduction of wood-inhabiting bacteria upon colonization of wood by H. fasciculare.
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| 3. |
- Gustafsson, Sofia B, et al.
(författare)
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High tumour cannabinoid CB(1) receptor immunoreactivity negatively impacts disease-specific survival in stage II microsatellite stable colorectal cancer
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 6:8, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is good evidence in the literature that the cannabinoid system is disturbed in colorectal cancer. In the present study, we have investigated whether CB(1) receptor immunoreactive intensity (CB(1)IR intensity) is associated with disease severity and outcome. Methodology/Principal Findings: CB(1)IR was assessed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens collected with a consecutive intent during primary tumour surgical resection from a series of cases diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Tumour centre (n = 483) and invasive front (n = 486) CB(1)IR was scored from 0 (absent) to 3 (intense staining) and the data was analysed as a median split i.e. CB(1)IR <2 and >= 2. In microsatellite stable, but not microsatellite instable tumours (as adjudged on the basis of immunohistochemical determination of four mismatch repair proteins), there was a significant positive association of the tumour grade with the CB1IR intensity. The difference between the microsatellite stable and instable tumours for this association of CB(1)IR was related to the CpG island methylation status of the cases. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses indicated a significant contribution of CB(1)IR to disease-specific survival in the microsatellite stable tumours when adjusting for tumour stage. For the cases with stage II microsatellite stable tumours, there was a significant effect of both tumour centre and front CB(1)IR upon disease specific survival. The 5 year probabilities of event-free survival were: 8565 and 66+/-8%; tumour interior, 86+/-4% and 63+/-8% for the CB(1)IR<2 and CB(1)IR >= 2 groups, respectively. Conclusions/Significance: The level of CB(1) receptor expression in colorectal cancer is associated with the tumour grade in a manner dependent upon the degree of CpG hypermethylation. A high CB(1)IR is indicative of a poorer prognosis in stage II microsatellite stable tumour patients.
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| 4. |
- Gutke, Annelie, et al.
(författare)
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ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LUMBOPELVIC PAIN, DISABILITY AND SICK LEAVE DURING PREGNANCY - A COMPARISON OF THREE SCANDINAVIAN COHORTS
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Foundation for Rehabilitation Information. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 46:5, s. 468-474
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore the association between disability and sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain in pregnant women in 3 cohorts in Sweden and Norway and to explore possible factors of importance to sick leave. A further aim was to compare the prevalence of sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain. Design/subjects: Pregnant women (n=898) from two cohorts in Sweden and one in Norway answered to questionnaires in gestational weeks 10-24; two of the cohorts additionally in weeks 28-38. Methods: Logistic regression models were performed with sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain as dependent factor. Disability, pain, age, parity, cohort, civilian status, and occupational classification were independents factors. Results: In gestational weeks 10-24 the regression model included 895 cases; 38 on sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain. Disability, pain and cohort affiliation were associated with sick leave. In weeks 28-38, disability, pain and occupation classification were the significant factors. The prevalence of lumbopelvic pain was higher in Norway than in Sweden (65%, vs 58% and 44%; pless than0.001). Conclusion: Disability, pain intensity and occupation were associated to sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain. Yet, there were significant variations between associated factors among the cohorts, suggesting that other factors than workability and the social security system are also of importance.
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| 5. |
- Johansson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Spectroscopic Measurement of Cartilage Thickness in Arthroscopy: Ex Vivo Validation in Human Knee Condyles
- 2012
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Ingår i: Arthroscopy. - : WB Saunders. - 0749-8063 .- 1526-3231. ; 28:10, s. 1513-1523
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of articular cartilage thickness measurement when implementing a new technology based on spectroscopic measurement into an arthroscopic camera. Methods: Cartilage thickness was studied by ex vivo arthroscopy at a number of sites (N = 113) in human knee joint osteoarthritic femoral condyles and tibial plateaus, removed from 7 patients undergoing total knee replacement. The arthroscopic image spectral data at each site were used to estimate cartilage thickness. Arthroscopically derived thickness values were compared with reference cartilage thickness as measured by 3 different methods: needle penetration, spiral computed tomography scanning, and geometric measurement after sample slicing. Results: The lowest mean error (0.28 to 0.30 mm) in the regression between arthroscopic and reference cartilage thickness was seen for reference cartilage thickness less than 1.5 mm. Corresponding values for cartilage thickness less than 2.0 and 2.5 mm were 0.32 to 0.40 mm and 0.37 to 0.47 mm, respectively. Cartilage thickness images-created by pixel-by-pixel regression model calculations applied to the arthroscopic images-were derived to demonstrate the clinical use of a camera implementation. Conclusions: On the basis of this investigation on osteoarthritic material, when one is implementing the spectroscopic method for estimating cartilage thickness into an arthroscopic camera, errors in the range of 0.28 to 0.30 mm are expected. This implementation does not, however, influence the fact that the spectral method performs less well in the cartilage thickness region from 1.5 to 2.5 mm and cannot assess cartilage thicker than 2.5 mm. Clinical Relevance: Imaging cartilage thickness directly in the arthroscopic camera video stream could serve as an interesting image tool for in vivo cartilage quality assessment, in connection with cartilage diagnosis, repair, and follow-up.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Maycraft Kall, Wendy Katherine, 1962-
(författare)
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The Governance Gap : Central–local steering & mental health reform in Britain and Sweden
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Why do governments choose certain types of governance strategies to steer the lower level agencies such as municipalities, health services and other welfare agencies? This is a problem facing many governments in the era of public management reforms, where policies are decided at national level while service responsibilities are decentralised and implemented by lower levels. Thus the main mechanism for governments to influence the implementation of these national reforms is through its choice of strategies and instruments to fill the governance gap between national policy-making and local government. The steering strategy selection is analysed in a comparative case study of the mental health reforms in Britain and Sweden. It is argued that despite the apparent similarities in the reforms, Britain chose hard governance and steering strategies, while Sweden chose soft. Thus the theoretical discourse of policy instrument choice is linked to the discourse of hard and soft governance. A Triad of Influences are identified and investigated. Firstly, Administrative Traditions, is based on ideas that historical, institutional and constitutional legacies can form path dependencies. Secondly, Professions implementing welfare policies may influence government steering strategies, either through granted freedoms as trusted partners of the state, or utilised in order to achieve state objectives. Thirdly, Policy Framing may influence the way policy-makers construct a causal story relating to perceptions of the policy problem, which in turn creates preferences for certain types of steering based on norms and values of the policy-makers’ care ideology. The study shows that administrative traditions are an important influence on steering choice for the mental health reforms. However, in contrast to earlier research, the study revealed that administrative and institutional explanations do not account for all choices made by the governments. In particular, the care ideology used by politicians to frame the need for policy action also influences steering choices and instruments. The perspective of professions gave mixed results at municipal level and may require more theoretical development, or the mixed results may be linked to municipal social work’s low status as a weak profession that resulted in limited influence.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Pinto, H., et al.
(författare)
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First-principles studies of the effect of (001) surface terminations on the electronic properties of the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond
- 2012
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Ingår i: Physical Review B. Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. - 1098-0121 .- 1550-235X. ; 86:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Density functional calculations have been carried out on (001)-orientated slabs of diamond with different surface terminations. A negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy defect (NV-) is placed in the middle of the slab approximately 1 nm from each surface and the effect of the surface on the internal optical transition in NV- investigated. The calculations show that the chemical nature of the surface is important. We find that although the clean surface does not lead to charge transfer between the defect and the surface, there is a splitting of the empty excited state, the final state in optical absorption, arising from a strong hybridization of the surface and defect bands. This leads to a broadening of the 1.945-eV transition of the NV- defect. OH- and F-terminated surfaces have no surface states in the band gap and again charge transfer between the defect and surface does not occur. The splitting of the e levels responsible for the optical transitions for OH or F termination is similar to that found in periodic boundary condition simulations for bulk diamond where the defects are separated by 1 nm, and thus the calculations show that hydroxylated or fluorinated surfaces give favorable optical properties.
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| 10. |
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