Background: Elevated white blood cell (WBC) count is associated with risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients initiating chemotherapy. It is not known whether the risk of VTE by WBC count in cancer patients is causal or merely a consequence of the malignant disease. To address this question, we studied the association between WBC count, measured prior to cancer development, and ...

<br>Sanfu acupoint herbal patching (SAHP) is a unique traditional Chinese medicine therapy, which has become popular for preventing acute attack of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in many regions of mainland China. However, the knowledge about its users is lacking, especially the characteristics of the users and their experience and perspectives.</br> <br>To ...

Background<p> <p>It is widely recognized that individuals’ health and educational attainments, commonly referred to as their human capital, are important determinants for their labour market participation (LMP). What is less recognised is the influence of individuals’ latent resilience traits on their ability to sustain LMP after experiencing an adversity such as a health shock.<p> Aim<p> We ...

Objectives - Develop and validate a WHO Standards-based online questionnaire to measure the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth from the health workers’ perspective.<p> <p>Design - Mixed-methods study.<p> <p>Setting - Six countries of the WHO European Region.<p> <p>Participants and methods - The questionnaire is based on lessons learnt in previous ...

In nutrigenomics, gene expression profiling is used to investigate transcriptional mechanisms associated with nutrients and diet. Blood samples collected in the framework of dietary interventions and epidemiological studies allow the use of humans as the model system, as opposed to using cell lines or animal models. Here, we review recent publications in the field of gene expression profiling, based ...

Alpine skiing, both recreational and competitive, is associated with high rates of injury. Numerous studies have shown that occupational exposure to whole-body vibrations is strongly related to lower back pain and some suggest that, in particular, vibrations of lower frequencies could lead to overuse injuries of the back in connection with alpine ski racing. However, it is not yet known which ...

Emamectin benzoate (EMB) is an antisea lice chemical widely used in the aquaculture that may also unintentionally affect nontarget crustaceans in the environment. Although the adverse effects of this compound are well documented in various species, the full modes of action (MoAs) are still not well characterized. The current study was therefore conducted to characterize the MoAs of EMB and link ...

When response rates on student evaluation of teaching (SET) are low, the results cannot be interpreted as reliable and therefore not be used as intended. The low response rates, followed by departments inability to properly interpret responses from the students who do participate is a big problem. Where does the motivation to participate break down, and where and how does it make sense for the ...

Established as a collection of scholars protecting their shared interests, higher education has become a driving force of economic development accountable to the government and society. However, changes in higher education have been accompanied by multiple challenges, including funding and quality assessment. This dissertation addresses one of these challenges facing academic institutions, academic ...

Background: Skilled attendants during labor, delivery, and in the early postpartum period, can prevent up to 75% or more of maternal death. However, in many developing countries, very few mothers make at least one antenatal visit and even less receive delivery care from skilled professionals. The present study reports findings from a region where key challenges related to transportation and ...