Malmö University
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A response to Populism? European Citizenship as a valid political instrument opposing populist challenges
No full textFactors associated with postoperative complications after orthognathic surgery - a National Swedish register-based cohort study
No full textPURPOSE: The aim of the study was to identify patient-specific and/or surgery-specific factors that may predict complications following orthognathic surgery, using data from the Swedish National Register of Orthognathic Surgery (NROK). METHODS: In this retrospective register-based cohort study, data from NROK (2017-2020) was analyzed to identify risk factors for complications following single-jaw maxilla surgery, mandibular surgery, and bimaxillary surgery. Outcome data on postoperative infection (POI), removal of osteosynthesis material, re-operation, and persistent neurosensory disturbance (NSD) were collected 12-months postoperatively. RESULTS: Among the 428 patients included in the study, 100 had single-jaw maxilla surgery, 130 had mandible surgery, and 198 had bimaxillary surgery. The site of surgery showed to be the main factor linked to postoperative complications after orthognathic surgery. Mandibular interventions and bimaxillary surgery increased the risk of POI, removal of osteosynthesis material and NSD more than three (3) times compared to maxillary surgery. For re-operation, there was no significant difference between the groups. Other factors associated with increased risk were overweight, age over forty, smoking, and no postoperative antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Mandibular and bimaxillary procedures are associated with increased postoperative complication rates. Age, BMI, smoking, and antibiotic use should be considered in preoperative planning and postoperative care
Socialization, citizenship and the electoral integration of refugees: evidence from Sweden
No full textThis article seeks to fill a research gap by analysing refugees’ voting behavior, using Sweden (known for high refugee immigration, relatively liberal enfranchisement rules, and comprehensive electoral data) as a case study. Relying on register data on turnout from Swedish municipal elections, the article sheds new light on how the political integration of refugees varies. We test theories of resocialization and examine the extent to which a refugee’s political integration is affected by the surrounding environment, focusing on the political culture of the areas surrounding their neighborhoods. The results show that two major factors strongly affect refugee turnout rates: the acquisition of citizenship, and the degree of diversity of nationality in the districts in which refugees live, based on different experiences of “bonding” and “bridging” with the surrounding environment
Primary caregivers' perceptions of challenges in dental and orthodontic care for children with Down syndrome
No full textIntroduction and aims Children with Down syndrome (DS) face increased oral health risks and barriers to dental care. Understanding caregivers’ perceptions about their child’s dental care is key to better outcomes. This study aimed to investigate primary caregivers’ perceptions of the dental and orthodontic care of children with DS, and the association with cooperation in encounters involving the child and dental professionals. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire completed by 77 primary caregivers, mostly mothers, of children with DS aged 6 to 17 years. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyse the data. Results Children with DS often needed support with toothbrushing, but were frequently reported as cooperative during home care and dental visits. Many children used alternative communication methods and had difficulty being understood. About half of the caregivers discussed their child’s needs with dental professionals in a premeeting. Fewer than half of the professionals were reported as communicating effectively with the children. Children who were perceived by their primary caregivers as cooperative during toothbrushing at home were significantly more likely to be cooperative during dental visits ( P < .05). Additionally, being referred for an orthodontic assessment was statistically associated with higher levels of cooperation during dental appointments, according to the primary caregivers ( P < .05). Conclusion Despite communication challenges, many children showed cooperation during home care and dental visits. Perceived cooperation during toothbrushing at home and being referred for an orthodontic assessment were associated with higher cooperation during dental appointments for children with DS. Enhancing dental professionals’ communication skills and using personalised care approaches may improve dental outcomes and experiences for children with DS. Clinical relevance These findings underscore the importance of tailored dental care approaches and improved communication techniques to foster active participation and better dental outcomes for children with DS
Structural, functional and biochemical characterisation of apolipoprotein(a)-containing low-density lipoproteins
No full textAtherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases and remains a global health challenge. Low-density lipoproteins are crucial in atherogenesis, with plasma levels as significant independent predictors of the condition. Lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), is an LDL variant considered a stand-alone atherosclerosis predictor. Although structurally similar in composition to LDL, Lp(a) contains an additional protein, apolipoprotein(a), covalently linked to apolipoprotein-B100 via a disulfide bond. This distinguishing protein is believed to confer Lp(a) its distinctive properties, including marked heterogeneity. While many studies have structurally characterised LDL particles, Lp(a) remains understudied. In this study, we isolated LDL particles from serum of normolipidemic, healthy individuals with either low or high Lp(a) levels. Our study provides biochemical, structural and functional characterisation of low and high Lp(a)-total LDL fractions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that high Lp(a) LDL exhibited a reduced ability to remove lipids from model membranes compared to low Lp(a) LDL. However, this functional difference could not be sufficiently associated with structural differences in total LDL fractions, as determined by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), except for a significant difference in the particles' core-to-shell scattering mass (SM) ratio. Western blot analysis further revealed a higher abundance of Lp(a) in a small-dense subfraction, LDL6, leading us to hypothesise that structural differences might be more evident in these subfractions than in total fractions. Supporting this hypothesis, SAXS measurements on LDL6 subfractions from two subjects, with low and high Lp(a), revealed an increased protein shell thickness in high Lp(a) LDL6, a feature not directly observed in total fractions. Our data thus suggests a key role of LDL6 in LDL dysfunction
Structure and morphology of vesicular dispersions based on novel glycophospholipids with various monosaccharide head groups
No full textGlycophospholipids combine the structural versatility of phospholipids and carbohydrates, but their potential as excipients and performance in other related applications remains largely unexplored due to their low natural abundance. We have synthesized four novel phosphatidyl saccharide conjugates with different carbohydrate head groups; glucose, galactose, fructose and xylose by using a Phospholipase D catalysed transphosphatidylation reaction. The combination of Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM) data allowed us to characterize the dispersed glycophospholipid vesicles in excess water and under physiologically relevant solution conditions in terms of their morphology and structure. The different carbohydrate head group generated a large variability of the vesicle structures. Lipids conjugated with glucose and fructose self-assembled into unilamellar vesicles whereas galactose and xylose conjugated lipids formed multilamellar structures. Phosphatidylgalactose conjugated lipids formed a high number of stacked bilayers, while the phosphatidylxylose equivalent assembled into aggregates with only a few bilayers. These results highlight how carbohydrate hydroxyl spatial arrangements strongly influence lipid packing and self-assembly. The versatility of this glycophospholipid platform offers opportunities to generate biocompatible and biodegradable phospholipid excipients with properties that can be tailored for specific applications
Label-free and real-time synchronized monitoring of extracellular matrix proteolysis using quartz crystal microbalance and nanoplasmonic sensing with morphological validation by atomic force microscopy
No full textAim: Understanding the interactions between extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and proteases is essential for elucidating the mechanisms of ECM remodeling in both health and disease. The integration of real-time, label-free, and surface-sensitive techniques based on distinct physical principles enables detailed characterization of protease activity at the ECM substrate-liquid interface. Based on these kinds of techniques, this study focuses on investigating the dynamic interactions between protein adlayers and proteases, offering new insights into complex ECM remodeling processes. Experiments: The adsorption behavior and resulting adlayer properties of collagen and elastin, used as ECM model substrates, and the proteolytic activity of collagenase and elastase, were studied using synchronized quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Changes in adsorbed mass, viscoelastic properties, and near-surface dielectric environment were monitored via shifts in frequency (Δf), energy dissipation (ΔD), and plasmon resonance peak (∆λ), respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to validate film morphology and mechanical alterations before and after proteolytic digestion. Findings: While the QCM-D/LSPR signals both detect mass uptake during protein adsorption and mass loss during proteolysis, synchronized measurements, complemented with AFM imaging, reveal more complex responses arising from the differing surface sensitivities of the techniques. Our integrated analysis show substantial differences in adlayer morphology and proteolytic degradation. Collagen forms a vertically heterogeneous adlayer with a dense near-surface layer and a highly viscoelastic outer layer of protruding fibrils (Δf ≈ −100 to −240 Hz, ΔD ≈ 40–70 ppm, and ∆λ ≈ 0.7 nm), whereas elastin adsorbs as a thinner, more rigid film (Δf ≈ −36 to −40 Hz, ΔD ≈ 2–3 ppm, and ∆λ ≈ 0.4 nm). Real-time monitoring reveals that collagenase primarily degrades the protruding collagen fibrils, significantly affecting all QCM-D and LSPR signals—particularly showing a clear overtone dependence in ΔD and Δf shifts—while elastase digestion of elastin occurs without overtone dependence and results in more pronounced changes in Δf and ∆λ, with comparatively low effect on ΔD. Cross-reactivity experiments confirm substrate specificity; however, both proteases show non-specific activity. Inhibition studies demonstrate that QCM-D can detect both true enzymatic inactivity and substrate-inhibitor interactions that mimic inhibition in conventional assays, for example by physically adsorbing to the substrate and thereby shielding it from proteolysis
From text to meaning : Semantic interpretation of non-standardized metadata in piping and instrumentation diagrams
No full textThe extraction of structured metadata from Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) is a major bottleneck for digitalization in the process industries. Existing methods, based on Optical Character Recognition (OCR), stop at raw text extraction, failing to interpret critical engineering information encoded within variable-format identifiers like pipeline numbers. This paper bridges this semantic gap by introducing a system for the format-aware interpretation of P&ID pipeline metadata. Our hybrid system architecture integrates deep learning for text recognition with domain interpretation rules that allow the system to adapt to new project formats without model retraining. These rules perform validation, error correction, and semantic mapping of raw text to structured data. We validated our system on a challenging dataset of real-world P&IDs from four distinct industrial projects, each with a unique and complex pipeline number format. Our method achieved 91.1% end-to-end accuracy, demonstrating a significant leap in performance over standard OCR tools, which proved insufficient for the task. This work presents a robust solution that unlocks valuable data from non-standardized engineering documents, providing a practical pathway for creating reliable digital twins and supporting plant lifecycle management in the chemical engineering sector
Two-step digestion pathways of hydrogels from pea proteins
No full textHypothesis: Digestion pathways of plant proteins are of high relevance to optimize bioavailability and allergenicity profiles of sustainable and vegan food products. Understanding the structural breakdown of solid food presents a particular challenge, due to the complexity to realize a good model system suitable for comprehensive multi-technique characterization under realistic conditions. Experiments: We used a microfluidic chip to study the structural evolution during in-vitro digestion of solid gels from pea proteins. The gel structure was probed in-situ combining confocal microscopy, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering using the same experimental platform. SDS-PAGE analysis was performed on related solution and gel samples subjected to different digestion times. Findings: Combining multiple techniques we reach a multi-scale picture of gel digestion, revealing the breakdown of a more homogeneous gel into more open connected domains with hierarchical internal structures. SDS-PAGE outlines effects of processing on resulting digestion pathways. As central result, we observe a clear two-step digestion process across techniques, switching at about 8-10 min from the initial response to long-term digestion. Overall, the presented methodology holds promise for detailed structural information in future studies aimed at developing new foods with optimized mechanical, nutritional value, and reduced allergenicity
Self-Management Therapies for Temporomandibular Disorders : Evidence From Systematic Reviews
No full textObjectives: Chronic pain in the orofacial region affects 10%–15% of the general population. It is most often related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD): pain in the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joints. Managing chronic pain conditions requires a biopsychosocial, evidence‐based and patient‐centred approach. Accordingly, self‐management has been advocated for TMD. This umbrella review aimed to evaluate existing evidence in systematic reviews (SRs) on self‐management therapy for TMD. Methods: The review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA and PRIOR guidelines, with a pre‐registered protocol (PROSPERO CRD42021276856). PubMed, Scopus, LILACS and the Cochrane Library were searched until December 1st 2023 to identify SRs that evaluated self‐management for TMD. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, performed full‐text assessments, extracted all data and performed risk of bias assessment with AMSTAR 2. Results: A total of 1740 studies were identified. After title and abstract screening, 399 studies underwent full‐text assessment and 11 SRs comprising 49 unique primary studies were included. Of these, six SRs reported favorable results for self‐management for TMD, whereas five reported insufficient evidence either for or against the use of self‐management compared to other interventions. The overlap of primary studies between the SRs was 53%, and the main evidence gaps were related to quality of life and adverse effects outcomes. The methodological shortcomings of the SRs primarily stem from insufficient primary‐study design criteria or not providing references for excluded studies. Conclusions: Existing evidence generally suggests beneficial effects from self‐management strategies such as patient education, behavioural therapy and jaw exercises