More than half of the population with HIV in the world live in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV-associated chronic lung disease is the most prevalent comorbidity among children and adolescents with HIV in this region. The pathogenesis is multifactorial and thought to be a result of chronic immune activation and repeated lung injury. CD4+ T-cells are the main target for HIV infection. As the majority of CD4+ ...

When comparing groups in the society, one can observed systematic differences in health. The higher the education the group has, the higher the proportion of the group’s member have good health. These differences are known as social inequality in health. Information concerning an individual’s socioeconomic status is often collected through self-administrated questionnaires within epidemiological ...

<p><i>Introduction</i> Hypertension and kidney damage are reciprocally related. Current blood and urine tests cannot reliably detect early kidney damage from hypertension, hindering timely prevention. A biomarker that captures kidney damage due to hypertension at an early stage might improve risk stratification and treatment. The primary objective of this project was to investigate how biomarkers ...

The liver is a major organ in the body's defense against blood-borne pathogens. It acts as a filter for the blood and is a central site for immune responses, and a central hub for various metabolic processes. Within the liver, an extensive network of small blood vessels, the hepatic sinusoids, are key sites for the exchange of nutrients and waste products between the blood circulation and the liver ...

Bacteria can adapt to various environments because they efficiently sense and respond to external cues. This is exemplified by antibiotic resistance, a leading cause for death on a global scale. Antibiotics exert a selection pressure on bacteria, where improper use can inadvertently select for antibiotic resistance. Dissemination of antibiotic resistance throughout bacterial populations can occur ...

<p><i>Background:</i> For athletes, it is imperative that energy intake adequately addresses the total energy requirements inherent to their specific sport. Low energy availability, which is the failure to provide the body with adequate energy to sustain physiological homeostasis, may potentially result in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). This is a syndrome that can have detrimental health ...

The thesis explores how case characteristics impact decision-making in the Norwegian child welfare service. The following decisions were studied: i) the initial screening decision, ii) the extent of an investigation, and iii) the dismissal of cases when the family refuse interventions. Previous research has identified differences in case trajectory between agencies. The impact of case characteristics ...

<p><i>Background:</i> Norms are necessary for interpreting neuropsychological test scores. In Norway and Sweden, there is a lack of local norms on neuropsychological tests. Consequently, Scandinavians are frequently norm-referenced to participants from North America tested decades prior. However, factors such as time of assessment, language, population differences in average performance on cognitive ...

Summary In the last century, there has been a dramatic increase in chemical production and number and diversity of chemicals produced. Especially, organofluorine chemistry has increased its importance due to applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, refrigerant gases and in consumer products and industry with fluoropolymers and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are receiving ...

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease and is characterised by insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion, resulting in hyperglycaemia. The prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 10.5% in 2021, globally. T2DM is associated with several complications, including cardiovascular complications, degradation of nerve fibres and eyesight, and impaired kidney function, especially ...