Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite a high prevalence of smoking and respiratory symptoms, two recent population-based studies in Russia found a relatively low prevalence of obstructive lung function. Here, we investigated the prevalence of both obstructive lung disease and respiratory symptoms in a population-based ...

Background: Wound healing problems following abdominoplasty may be a result of impaired tissue perfusion. This study evaluated the impact a standard abdominoplasty may have on abdominal skin perfusion.<p> <p>Methods: A standard abdominoplasty was performed in 16 patients. Dynamic infrared thermography (DIRT) using a mild and a stronger cold challenge was performed pre-, intra-, and postoperatively ...

In many trawl fisheries, codend size selectivity is supplemented by adding selection devices to the gear. In the Barents Sea gadoid fishery, combining diamond mesh codends with sorting grids is compulsory. However, the use of grids increases the costs and complexity of the gear, causing discontent among fishermen and prompting researchers to seek alternative solutions. Lastridge ropes are ropes ...

<p><i>Introduction</i> The number of gynaecological cancer survivors is increasing and there is a need for a more sustainable model of follow-up care. Today’s follow-up model is time-consuming and patients have reported unmet needs regarding information about their cancer and strategies for managing the consequences of treatment. The main aim of this study is to assess health-related empowerment—in ...

Competition is assumed to shape niche widths, affecting species survival and coexistence. Expectedly, high interspecific competition will reduce population niche widths, whereas high intraspecific competition will do the opposite. Here we test in situ how intra- and interspecific competition affects trophic resource use and the individual and population niche widths of two lacustrine fish species, ...

Introduction. Moraxella bovoculi is frequently isolated from the eyes of cattle with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK; pinkeye). As with M. bovis, which has been causally linked to IBK, M. bovoculi expresses an RTX (repeats in the structural toxin) cytotoxin that is related to M. bovis cytotoxin. Pilin, another pathogenic factor in M. bovis, is required for corneal attachment. Seven ...

The long-term evolutionary impacts of whole-genome duplication (WGD) are strongly influenced by the ensuing rediploidization process. Following autopolyploidization, rediploidization involves a transition from tetraploid to diploid meiotic pairing, allowing duplicated genes (ohnologs) to diverge genetically and functionally. Our understanding of autopolyploid rediploidization has been informed ...

Arctic sea ice contains a substantial amount of living biota of which part is lost through melt and export out of the Arctic Ocean every year. It is unclear how populations can be maintained within the Arctic Ocean. A representative ice inhabitant, the amphipod Apherusa glacialis was previously assumed to spend its entire life in the sea ice habitat, hence being dependent on sea ice to complete ...

Objectives: To assess the association between gentamicin exposure and subclinical signs of nephrotoxicity in school children who were exposed to a high-dose gentamicin regimen in the neonatal period.<p> <p>Methods: Children receiving three or more doses (6 mg/kg) of gentamicin as neonates were invited to a follow-up in school age. We evaluated potential signs of subclinical nephrotoxicity with ...

The levels of sickness absenteeism in Norway are extraordinarily high. One of three employees reports that work is partly or fully the reason why they are absent. Regardless of a clear and explicit political goal to reduce sickness absence, previous reforms in Norway have not had much success. In this dissertation, we collected self-report data from thousands of jobholders and performed cross-sectional ...