The physiological changes that occur during the pregnancy are known to affect women´s oral health. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to oral diseases when compared to non-pregnant. Better understanding of the relation between changing oral microbial milieu and risk of pregnancy complications and associated mechanisms could help to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. Thus, we aimed to investigate ...

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is a causal factor in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). The oncogenic potential is mediated through its viral oncoproteins large T-antigen (LT) and small T-antigen (sT). Cytokines produced by tumor cells play an important role in cancer pathogenesis, and viruses affect their expression. Therefore, we compared human cytokine and receptor transcript levels in virus ...

Aim: To describe newly graduated registered nurses’ (NGRNs’) experiences of encountering stress in emergency departments (EDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.<p><p> Design: A qualitative descriptive study. <p>Methods: Data from 14 in-depth interviews with NGRNs working in an ED for 3-36 months after graduation was analysed by the means of qualitative content analysis as described by Graneheim and ...

BACKGROUND: Although myocardial infarction (MI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are frequent comorbidities and share common cardiovascular risk factors, the direction and strength of the association of the risk factors with disease onset, subsequent disease incidence, and mortality are not completely understood.<p> <p>METHODS AND RESULTS: In pooled multivariable Cox regression analyses, we examined ...

Aims: This study aimed to explore the tension between local, regional, and national authorities evoked by some rural municipalities’ decisions to impose local infection-control measures during the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Methods: Eight municipal Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOs) participated in semi-structured interviews, and six crisis management teams participated ...

Prediction of eye and hair colour from DNA can be an important investigative tool in forensic cases if conventional DNA profiling fails to match DNA from any known suspects or cannot obtain a hit in a DNA database. The HIrisPlex model for simultaneous eye and hair colour predictions was developed for forensic usage. To genotype a DNA sample, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has brought new ...

Sexual incentive stimuli activate sexual motivation and heighten the level of general arousal. The sexual motive may induce the individual to approach the incentive, and eventually to initiate sexual acts. Both approach and the ensuing copulatory interaction further enhance general arousal. We present data from rodents and humans in support of these assertions. We then suggest that orgasm is ...

Background & Aims: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens provide a cure in >95% of patients with chronic HCV infection. However, in some patients in whom therapy fails, resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) can develop, limiting retreatment options and risking onward resistant virus transmission. In this study, we evaluated RAS prevalence and distribution, including novel NS5A RASs and ...

Background - There is evidence that brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) plays a protective role in the brain. Peripheral levels of BDNF correlate with its concentration in the brain. Previous studies have revealed lower serum BDNF levels in patients with mental illnesses. In most studies serum BDNF correlates negatively with psychiatric disorders and disease severity. Most studies in this field ...

Background - Dealing with the symptom burden of cancer diagnosis and treatment has led parents to seek different self-management strategies including Alternative and Complementary Medicine (CAM). The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis about the use and effect of CAM modalities to treat adverse effects of conventional cancer treatment among children and young ...