Personality, Culture and Innovation A National Level Analysis

This study investigates the relationship between personality factors, cultural practices, and innovativeness at the national level.  It is shown that the relationship between the nationally aggregated personality factors of openness to experience and agreeableness and national innovation is mediated by the national cultural practice dimensions of future orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, performance orientation, and uncertainty avoidance

A novel combined Structured Illumination and Single Molecule Localization Microscope and its application to Retinal Structures

Fluorescence microscopy methods have become an major imaging tool in biomedical lifescience. However, each method only addresses specific questions due to intrinsic limitations. A new, fully automated and user-friendly 'Combo'-microscope setup has been developed, which combines the two advanced high-resolution methods Structured Illumination and Localization Microscopy into one imaging system. As both methods complement one another, the 'Combo'-microscope will greatly extend the range of application in biomedical research. Moreover, artifacts, introduced in the course of the imaging and/or reconstruction processes, can be revealed and potential mis-interpretation of super-resolution data is limited. This work was motivated by the age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease, which is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. Autofluorescent particles within age-related deposits (drusen) beneath the retinal pigment epithelium are studied on advanced resolution level. Furthermore, the newly built microscope is used for a dual-mode dual-color three-dimensional visualization of the axon initial segment, a crucial region for signal transduction in vision, of retinal ganglion cells. Finally, an in vitro study comparing the pharmaceuticals currently used for AMD-treatment is outlined

Treatment pattern and results in an outpatient population with type 2 diabetes in Iceland

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenAims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major health problem all over the world. The prevalence of the disease is increasing markedly. Healthcare cost associated with type 2 diabetes is high and the long-term diabetic complications account for the greatest proportion of direct cost. Effective control of blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure can delay the development of complications. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors, treatment pattern and results in an Icelandic outpatient population with type 2 diabetes. Our results were compared especially with results from Sweden. Material and methods: Charts were reviewed for all patients (906) with type 2 diabetes that attended the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic at the University Hospital of Iceland in the year 2001. Information about clinical characteristics for the year 2002 were prospectively reviewed for the 380 patients from the year before and for 121 newly diagnosed patients. Clinical characteristics included were age, sex, diabetes duration, glycemic control (HbA1c), office blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, use of lipid- and blood pressure lowering drugs, diabetes treatment and diabetic retinopathy. Results: Mean age was 66 +/-13.1 (SD) years and the mean age at diagnosis was 57 +/-13.1 (SD) years. Sixty percent were men. The mean body mass index was 29.7 kg/m(2). About 85% of patients had body mass index >25 which is much higher than in 1987 when this proportion was about 67.3%. Mean HbA1c was 7.02 the year 2001 and 6.94% in 2002. The mean cholesterol level was 5.44 mmol/L, HDL 1,22 mmol/L and LDL 3.17 mmol/L in 2002 and 27% were taking lipid lowering drugs in 2002. More patients (61%) reached the blood pressure goal 140/80 mmHg during 2002 than the year before (55%). Sixty five percent were using oral hypoglycemic agents and 17,4% insulin alone. Prevalence of smoking was 13% and of retinopathy 17.1%. Conclusions: The mean body mass index has been increasing in Iceland as in other western countries. In our survey the mean glycosylated hemoglobin of 7% is somewhat lower than in comparable European surveys, indicating a better glycemic control here. However our survey and comparable surveys indicate that treatment of dyslipidemia and blood pressure has to be more aggressive.Markmið: Sykursýki og fylgikvillar hennar eru vaxandi vandamál um allan heim. Kostnaður vegna sjúkdómsins er mikill og stærsti hlutinn er vegna fylgi­kvilla. Góð meðferð blóðsykurs, blóðþrýstings og blóðfitu dregur verulega úr fylgikvillum. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að skoða meðferðar­form, árangur meðferðar og áhættuþætti meðal sjúk­linga með sykursýki tegund 2 í eftirliti á sérhæfðri göngu­deild ásamt samanburði við niðurstöður frá Svíþjóð. Efniviður og aðferðir: Rannsóknin var tvískipt. Afturvirk skráning sjúklinga með sykursýki tegund 2 (906) í eftirliti árið 2001 og jafnhliða framvirk skráning upplýsinga frá sjúklingum (501) árið 2002 í eftirliti á Göngudeild sykursjúkra á Landspítala Hringbraut. Árið 2001 voru 94 (10,4%) nýgreindir en 121 (24,2%) árið 2002. Upplýsingar um 380 sjúklinga voru skráðar bæði árin. Eftirfarandi var skráð: greiningarár, aldur við grein­ingu, þyngdarstuðull (BMI), sykurbundinn blóð­rauði (HbA1c), blóðfitu- og blóðþrýstingsgildi, notkun blóð­fitu- og blóðþrýstingslækkandi lyfja, sykursýkisbreytingar í augnbotnum ásamt sykursýkismeðferð. Niðurstöður: Fleiri karlar (60%) voru í rannsóknarhópnum. Meðalaldur var 66 ár og meðaldur við greiningu 57 ár. Meðalþyngdarstuðull var 29,7 kg/m2 . Um 85% sjúklinganna voru með þyngdarstuðull >25 sem er talsverð aukning frá árinu 1987 en þá var samsvarandi hlutfall 67,3%. Færri konur en karlar náðu viðmiðunarmörkum á þyngdarstuðli samkvæmt alþjóðlegum skilmerkjum. Á blóðsykurlækkandi töflum eingöngu voru 66,5%, en 18,4% voru á insúlínmeðferð. Meðal HbA1c var 7,02% árið 2001 og 6,94% árið 2002. Meðalgildi blóðfitu voru: kólesteról 5,44 mmól /l, HDL 1,22 mmól /L og LDL 3,17 mmól/L árið 2002. Á blóðfitulækkandi lyfjum voru 27% árið 2002. Fleiri (61%) náðu blóðþrýstingsmarkmiðum ?140/80 mmHg árið 2002 en 2001 (55%). Af hópnum reyktu 13% og 17,1% voru með augnbotnabreytingar. Ályktanir: Meðalþyngdarstuðull hefur farið hækkandi hér eins og í öðrum vestrænum löndum. Meðal HbA1c var um eða undir 7,0% sem er lægra en í svipuðum rannsóknum í öðrum Evrópulöndum og bendir til betri blóðsykurstjórnunar hér. Fleiri ná settum blóðþrýstingsgildum árið 2002 en bæta má blóðþrýstingsstjórnun enn betur. Rannsókn okkar svo og erlendar rannsóknir sýna að blóðfitur eru vanmeðhöndlaðar hjá sykursjúkum

Autofluorescence imaging of human RPE cell granules using structured illumination microscopy

ABSTRACT Background/aims To characterise single autofluorescent (AF) granules in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells using structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Methods Morphological characteristics and autofluorescence behaviour of lipofuscin (LF) and melanolipofuscin (MLF) granules of macular RPE cells (66-year-old donor) were examined with SIM using three different laser light excitation wavelengths (488, 568 and 647 nm). High-resolution images were reconstructed and exported to Matlab R2009a (The Mathworks Inc, Natick, MA, USA) to determine accurate size and emission intensities of LF and MLF granules. Results SIM doubles lateral resolution compared with conventionally used wide-field microscopy and allows visualisation of intracellular structures down to 110 nm lateral resolution. AF patterns were examined in 133 LF and 27 MLF granules. LF granules (9686220 nm) were significantly smaller in diameter than MLF granules (10976110 nm; p<0.001). LF granules showed an inhomogeneous intragranular pattern, and the average intensity negatively correlated with the size of these granules when excited at 647 nm. The autofluorescence of MLF granules was more homogeneous, but shifted towards higher excitation wavelengths in the centre of the granules. Conclusion SIM is a useful tool for examining AF signals within single LF and MLF granules in RPE cells. This allows new insights into RPE autofluorescence patterns

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis resistant to conventional treatments: long-term results of a case series in Japan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is no confirmed strategy for treating painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) with unclear etiology. Therefore, a pilot study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in treatment-resistant PBS/IC patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HBO treatment (2.0 ATA for 60 minutes/day × 5 days/week for 2 or 4 weeks) was performed on 11 patients with severe symptoms that had not been improved by previous therapy regimens between December 2004 and July 2009.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven of the 11 patients demonstrated persistent improvement in symptoms during the 12 months after HBO treatment. These responders demonstrated a decrease in the pelvic pain scale and urgency scale from 7.7 ± 1.0 and, 6.6 ± 0.9 to 3.4 ± 2.5 and 4.3 ± 2.4 after 12 months, respectively (p < 0.05). The total score of the interstitial cystitis symptom index and 24-hour urinary frequency demonstrated a significant sustained decrease from the baseline. Two responders, who received an additional course of HBO 12 and 13 months after initial treatment, respectively, did not suffer impairment for more than two years. There was one case of transient eustachian tube dysfunction and three cases of reversible exudative otitis media as a consequence of HBO treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HBO is a potent treatment for PBS/IC patients resistant to conventional therapy. It was well tolerated and provided maintained amelioration of pain, urgency and urinary frequency for at least 12 months.</p

4D Super-Resolution Microscopy with Conventional Fluorophores and Single Wavelength Excitation in Optically Thick Cells and Tissues

Optical super-resolution imaging of fluorescently stained biological samples is rapidly becoming an important tool to investigate protein distribution at the molecular scale. It is therefore important to develop practical super-resolution methods that allow capturing the full three-dimensional nature of biological systems and also can visualize multiple protein species in the same sample

National Culture, Heterogeneity and Innovation : New Insights into the Relationship between the GLOBE Dimensions and National Level Innovation

This paper shows at the country level that three cultural dimensions (uncertainty avoidance, in-group collectivism, and human orientation) are crucial for innovative outcomes in 55 countries. Furthermore we show that countries with high levels of national innovation (e.g., Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden) also tend to exhibit higher heterogeneity in cultural practices compared to countries with lower levels of national innovation (e.g., Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Thailand)