\n\nMethods: 162 German adolescents with CF (aged 12-17 years) and their parental caregivers (88.3% mothers) completed screening measures for anxiety and depression and described their mental healthcare utilization.\n\nResults: Compared to adolescent patients with CF, caregivers reported significantly Selleck Nutlin 3 more anxious and depressive symptoms. An association between adolescent and caregiver anxiety was found. Only a minority of affected patients and caregivers

received any form of specialist treatment for their mental health problems.\n\nConclusions: Screening for anxiety/depression and addressing mental health issues within the framework of a family perspective is recommended as an element of routine healthcare for adolescents with CF. (C) 2011 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Human catestatin CgA(352-372) (SL21) is an endogenous neuropeptide with multiple biological functions. The present study aimed to evaluate

the antioxidant, antibacterial, cytotoxic, and DNA damage protective effects of SL21 neuropeptide. SL21 neuropeptide generated from the C-terminus of ABT 263 chromogranin A (CgA) was synthesized by solid-phase method. Synthetic peptide was subjected to various in vitro antioxidant assays including the scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(+)), and hydroxyl free radicals, metal ion chelation, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and reducing power. Moreover, protective effect of SL21 on H2O2-induced DNA damage was analyzed using pTZ57/RT plasmid. Methylthiazoltetrazolium Cell Cycle inhibitor assay was also performed to study the cytotoxic effect of SL21 neuropeptide on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, antibacterial and hemolysis assays were conducted. The results demonstrated high activities of SL21 in scavenging free radicals (DPPH, ABTS(+), and hydroxyl), chelating of Cu2+/Fe2+ metal ions, reducing power, and inhibition

of lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. SL21 neuropeptide revealed a protective effect on DNA damage caused by hydroxyl radicals. Interestingly, the peptide exhibited no significant cytotoxicity towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, SL21 peptide displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa without any hemolytic activity on human red blood cells. Conclusively, the present study established SL21 (catestatin) as a novel antioxidative peptide that could further be investigated for its potential use as a pharmaceutical agent. Copyright (c) 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study points to novel functional npcRNA candidates potentially involved in various regulatory roles including the pathogenicity of S. typhi.”
“Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) group 4 (LEA4) proteins play an important role in the water stress tolerance of plants. Although they have been hypothesized to stabilize macromolecules in stressed cells,

the protective AG-881 purchase functions and mechanisms of LEA4 proteins are still not clear. In this study, the metal binding properties of two related soybean LEA4 proteins, GmPM1 and GmPM9, were tested using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC). The metal ions Fe(3+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) were observed to bind these two proteins, while Ca(2+), Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) did not. Results from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) indicated that the binding affinity of GmPM1 for Fe(3+) was stronger than that of GmPM9. Hydroxyl radicals generated by the Fe(3+)/H(2)O(2) system were scavenged by both GmPM1 and GmPM9 in the absence or the presence of high ionic conditions (100 mM NaCl), although the scavenging activity of GmPM1 was significantly greater than that of GmPM9. These CX-6258 price results suggest that GmPM1 and GmPM9 are metal-binding proteins which may function in reducing oxidative damage induced by abiotic stress in plants.”
“PURPOSE: To evaluate the technical feasibility, acute and late genitourinary (GU) toxicity, and gastrointestinal toxicity after high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy

in one fraction with transperineal hyaluronic acid injection into the perirectal fat to displace the rectal wall away from the radiation sources to decrease rectal toxicity.\n\nMETHODS AND MATERIALS: Between April 2008 and January 2010,40 consecutive patients were treated with favorable clinically localized prostate cancer; the median followup was 19 months (range, 8-32). No patients received external beam radiation,

and 35% received hormone therapy before brachytherapy. All patients received one implant and one fraction of HDR. Fraction dose was 19 Gy. Toxicity was reported according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Event, Version 4.0.\n\nRESULTS: All patients LY2603618 ic50 tolerated the implantation procedure very well with minimal discomfort. No intraoperative or perioperative complications occurred. Acute toxicity Grade 2 or more was not observed in any patients. No chronic toxicity has been observed after treatment. Logistic regression showed that the late Grade 1 GU toxicity was associated with D-90 (p = 0.050). The 32-month actuarial biochemical control was 100% and 88%, respectively (p = 0.06) for low- and intermediate-risk groups.\n\nCONCLUSIONS: This is the first published report of the use of HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy in one fraction for patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer. This protocol is feasible and very well tolerated with low GU morbidity, no gastrointestinal toxicity, and the same level of low-dose-rate biochemical control at 32 months.

“
“In recent years, biosurveillance has become the buzzword under which a diverse set of ideas and activities regarding detecting and mitigating biological threats are incorporated depending on context and perspective. Increasingly, biosurveillance practice has become global and interdisciplinary, requiring information and resources across public health, One Health, and biothreat domains. Even within the scope of infectious disease surveillance, I-BET-762 supplier multiple systems, data sources, and tools are used with varying and often unknown effectiveness. Evaluating the impact and utility of state-of-the-art biosurveillance is, in part,

confounded by the complexity of the systems and the information derived from them. We present a novel approach conceptualizing biosurveillance from the perspective of the fundamental data streams that have been or could be used for biosurveillance and to systematically structure a framework that can LDC000067 ic50 be universally applicable

for use in evaluating and understanding a wide range of biosurveillance activities. Moreover, the Biosurveillance Data Stream Framework and associated definitions are proposed as a starting point to facilitate the development of a standardized lexicon for biosurveillance and characterization of currently used and newly emerging data streams. Criteria for building the data stream framework were developed from an examination of the literature, analysis of information on operational infectious disease biosurveillance systems, and consultation with experts in the area of biosurveillance. To demonstrate utility, the framework and definitions were used as the basis for a schema of a relational database for biosurveillance resources and in the development and use of a decision support tool for data stream evaluation.”
“Objective: The objective of the study was to quantitatively characterize peripheral tissue microvascular oxygenation during emergency department (ED) Ro 61-8048 supplier treatment of acute heart failure (HF).\n\nMethods: This prospective, observational study enrolled acutely decompensated HF patients presenting

to an urban ED and stable, asymptomatic HF patients evaluated in an outpatient cardiology clinic. Stable, pre-ED treatment, and post-ED treatment microvascular oxygen extraction ratios (OER(M)s) were calculated, defined as SaO(2) – StO(2)/0.8*SaO(2), where SaO(2) is pulse oximetry-derived arterial hemoglobin saturation and StO(2) is the tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation measured with differential absorption spectroscopy. The OER(M) measurements were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Pulse oximetry, patient demographics, HF etiology, serum B-type natriuretic peptide, and hemoglobin were measured along with a visual analogue scale to assess patient baseline characteristics and response to ED treatment (P < .05 was considered significant for all testing).\n\nResults: The OER(M) for the stable HF group (n = 45) was 0.65 (SE = 0.07).

These data indicate that there is very little gene flow among populations of B. perstellata and that it is important to protect as many Stem Cell Compound Library molecular weight populations as possible in order to conserve the genetic

diversity of this rare species.”
“The number of studies regarding the influence of genetic and environmental factors of ovine milk properties of non-dairy breeds is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of breed, beta-lactoglobulin variants and somatic cell count on the content of the principal milk ingredients and whey protein components. The study was carried out on 60 Polish Lowland and Polish Heath ewes, which come from the same flock and were kept under the same management

and feeding practise. Both these breeds did not differ in respect of the principal components of milk. The milk of the Lowland sheep was characterized by a higher beta-lactoglobulin/alpha-lactalbumin ratio compared to milk of Polish Heath breed. The beta-lactoglobulin variants have affected the content of casein and lactose, which was higher in the milk of ewes with the BB genotype. The increase in somatic cell count decreased total protein, casein and beta-lactoglobulin, and significantly increased the share of lactoferrin. The beta-lactoglobulin SC79 variants and somatic cell count mainly affected the components of the protein fraction of milk.”
“P>cAMP is an ancient second messenger, and is used by many organisms to regulate a wide range of cellular functions. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Adavosertib purchase complex bacteria are exceptional in that they have genes for at least 15 biochemically distinct adenylyl cyclases, the

enzymes that generate cAMP. cAMP-associated gene regulation within tubercle bacilli is required for their virulence, and secretion of cAMP produced by M. tuberculosis bacteria into host macrophages disrupts the host’s immune response to infection. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the means by which cAMP levels are controlled within mycobacteria, the importance of cAMP to M. tuberculosis during host infection, and the role of cAMP in mycobacterial gene regulation. Understanding the myriad aspects of cAMP signalling in tubercle bacilli will establish new paradigms for cAMP signalling, and may contribute to new approaches for prevention and/or treatment of tuberculosis disease.”
“Destruxin recovered from Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) is insecticidal in nature. In the present study, a marked increase in the levels of superoxide radical and NADPH dependent superoxide radical in the partially purified destruxin treated larvae of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) was observed in a dose and time dependent manner. The ESR spectrum of the hydroxyl radical in the treated S.

T-cell proliferation was determined

by the extent of carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dye dilution on culture day 5 of PBMCs in the presence of antigen (SEB, PPD, CMVpp65, URMC-099 GagA and GagD). Samples were analyzed on a FACS Calibur flow cytometer and flow data was analyzed using FlowJo and GraphPad.\n\nResults: Overall, CD4 T-cell proliferation on stimulation with SEB, PPD, CMVpp65, Gag A and Gag D. antigens, was lower among suboptimal than optimal responders; this was significant for SEB (CD4+ p=0.003; CD8+p=0.048) and PPD antigens (CD8+ p=0.038). Among suboptimal responders, T-cell proliferation decreased with increasing immune activation (Negative correlation; slope = -0.13 +/–0.11) but not among optimal responders.\n\nConclusion: T-cell immune activation and exhaustion were associated with poor proliferation among suboptimal responders to HAART despite sustained viral suppression. We recommend studies to further selleck chemicals understand the mechanisms leading to impaired T-cell function among suboptimal

responders as well as the potential role of immune modulation in optimizing CD4 count and functional recovery after HAART.”
“Study design: A prospective study. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of the surgery to reconstruct thoracic breathing in patients with high cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). Setting: China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China. Methods: The posterior ribs (from the fifth to the eighth) were suspended on the inferior angle of the scapula on each side using titanium

cables, as well as muscles and myofascial tissue in the subscapular area. After the surgery, the patients were trained for synchronous contraction of the trapezius and diaphragm muscles, and electromyography (EMG) was performed to evaluate the synchronization. The clinical symptoms and pulmonary function were assessed within 1 week before surgery and at 2, 12 and 24 postoperative weeks. Results: Six patients with complete high CSCI received rib suspension surgery 84 +/- 26.7 days after spinal cord injury. Before the surgery, all of the patients presented with weakened cough, retention of respiratory JQ1 mouse secretions and dyspnea, while these symptoms alleviated postoperatively. The vital capacity (VC) was enhanced to be 1680 +/- 282 ml at 2 weeks after the surgery, compared with 1085 +/- 92 ml (P = 0.013). The EMG showed a synchronous muscle electrical activity between the trapezius muscles and diaphragm during deep breaths. Conclusion: The rib suspension surgery partially restored the thoracic breathing of the patients with high CSCI, thereby improving VC, cough and expectoration.”
“Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of long scleral tunnel technique used in Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation in preventing tube exposure through conjunctiva.

One way that this might occur is through

peripheral effects of androgens, particularly LDC000067 on skeletal muscles that control complex movements and postures of the body and its limbs. However, the specific contribution of peripheral androgen-muscle interactions to the performance of elaborate behavioral displays in the natural world has never been examined. We study this issue in one of the only natural physiological models of animal acrobatics: the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus). In this tropical bird, males compete with each other and court females by producing firecracker-like wing-snaps and by rapidly dancing among saplings over the forest floor. To test how activation of peripheral androgen receptors (AR) influences this display, we treat reproductively active adult male birds with the peripherally selective antiandrogen bicalutamide (BICAL) and observe the effects of this

manipulation on male display performance. We not only validate the peripheral specificity of BICAL in this species, but we also show that BICAL treatment reduces the frequency with which adult male birds perform their acrobatic display maneuvers and disrupts the overall structure and fine-scale patterning of these birds’ main complex wing-snap sonation. In addition, this manipulation has no effect on the behavioral metrics associated with male motivation to display. Together, our findings help differentiate the various effects of peripheral and central AR on the performance 10058-F4 in vitro of a complex sociosexual behavioral AZD2014 chemical structure phenotype by indicating that peripheral AR can optimize the motor skills necessary for the production of an elaborate animal display.”
“Trivalent

inorganic arsenite [iAs(III)] is known to alter the expression of a number of genes associated with transcription and cell proliferation, which was thought to be one of the possible mechanisms of arsenical carcinogenesis. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying iAs(III) induction of changes in gene expression are not fully understood. Here we examine the role of histone H3 phosphorylation at serine 10 (Ser10) in gene regulation when the cells were treated with iAs(III). Among the 34 genes tested, iAs(III) induced mRNA expression of JUN, FOS, EGR1, HMOX1, HSPA1A, IL8, GADD45A, GADD45B and GADD153. Phosphorylation of histone H3 Ser10 was induced by iAs(III) in interphase cells, and was effectively blocked by the ERKs pathway inhibitor (U0126). U0126 treatment significantly reduced constitutive mRNA expression of FOS and EGR1, and dramatically suppressed the induction of FOS, EGR1 and IL8 mRNA in iAs(III)-treated cells. The other genes, which were induced by iAs(III), were not affected by U0126 treatment.

The mutant enzyme had K (m) for pyruvate fourfold higher than the wild type enzyme, and K (i) (app) for sulfonylureas some 30-fold higher. The A29 V mutation in the ALS resulted in the resistance ML323 of P.

aeruginosa to sulfonylurea herbicides but not to imidazolinone herbicides.”
“The finite life of non-rechargeable batteries powering implantable pulse generators (IPG) necessitates their periodic replacement. Children receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) may require frequent battery changes over their treatment lifetime.\n\nWe aimed to determine the battery life of IPGs used in pallidal DBS for the treatment of dystonia in children and young people.\n\nWe make use of a review of case notes of all children and young people undergoing DBS surgery at our institution from June 2005 to May 2010.\n\nA total

of 54 children and young people underwent surgery on at least one occasion, with a total of 76 IPGs implanted. Replacement IPGs due to battery failure were required in 15 out of 54 (27.8%). The average time to battery failure was 24.5 +/- 2.9 months (95% confidence interval), with a range of 13-39 months. Battery life was significantly longer in primary compared to subsequent IPGs. No difference in longevity was seen between different IPG devices.\n\nIPG MK-2206 order battery life may be short in children and young people receiving treatment for dystonia. These findings highlight the potential benefits of the recently introduced rechargeable neurostimulators.”
“Serratia marcescens

GEI strain was isolated from the gut of the workers of Chinese honey bee Apis cerana and evaluated in the laboratory for the control of Varroa destructor, a parasite of western honey bee A. mellifera. The supernatant and the collected proteins by ammonium sulfate from the bacterial cultures showed a strong miticidal effect on Nocodazole in vitro the female mites, with 100% mite mortality in 5 days. Heat (100 C for 10 min) and proteinase K treatment of the collected proteins destroyed the miticidal activity. The improved miticial activity of this bacterial strain on chitin medium indicated the involvement of chitinases. The expressed chitinases ChiA, ChiB and ChiC1 from S. marcescens GEI by recombinant Escherichia coil showed pathogenicity against the mites in the laboratory. These chitinases were active in a broad pH range (5-9) and the optimum temperatures were between 60 and 75 C. Synergistic effects of ChiA and ChiB on the miticidal activity against V. destructor were observed. The workers of both honey bee species were not sensitive to the spraying and feeding chitinases. These results provided alternative control strategies for Varroa mites, by formulating chitinase agents and by constructing transgenetic honey bees. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: Spasticity after stroke may be associated with worse functional outcome.

Level of evidence: Level III, Diagnostic Study. (C) 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees.”
“The click here limitations of genome-wide association (GWA) studies that focus on the phenotypic influence of common genetic variants have motivated human geneticists to consider the contribution of rare variants to phenotypic expression. The increasing availability of high-throughput sequencing technologies has enabled studies of rare variants but these methods will not be sufficient for their success as appropriate analytical

methods are also needed. We consider data analysis approaches to testing associations between a phenotype and collections of rare variants in a defined genomic region or set Apoptosis Compound Library price of regions. Ultimately, although a wide variety of analytical approaches exist, more work is needed to refine them and determine their properties and power in different contexts.”
“Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a tumour of glandular cells responsible for 10% of salivary gland neoplasms. It has a high rate of perineural spread but limited involvement of regional lymphatics even in late stage disease. Early survival is typically good (60-90%) although long term survival is poor with spread to distant sites in 40-60% of cases. The authors performed a retrospective review of clinical and pathological records

for 24 patients managed by their institution over a 22-year period. The overall 5,10 and 20-year survival rates in this study were 92%, 72% and 54%, respectively. Perineural invasion was seen in 63% and close or positive margins seen in 64% of all primary resection specimens although survival was not associated with any clinical factor other than the initial size of lesion. Most patients presented complaining

of a lump, whilst a burning neuralgia-type pain was find more the second most common symptom. The study confirms the conclusion of previous studies that tumour size at diagnosis is the most important predictor of outcome.”
“To describe the “three-portal technique for anatomical ACL single- or double-bundle reconstruction” and the arthroscopic viewing improvement provided by this technique.\n\nA “high” anterolateral portal was placed 1 cm lateral to the patellar tendon and the most inferior portion of the portal at the level of the inferior pole of the patella. A “central” portal was placed using a spinal needle under arthroscopic visualization following the orientation of the previous ACL fibers. An accessory medial portal was also placed using a spinal needle respecting a 2-mm distance to the medial femoral condyle.\n\nThe “high” anterolateral portal permitted a broad and unobstructed view of the ACL tibial attachment. The “central” portal allowed a straightforward view of the ACL femoral remnant and bony landmarks in the intercondylar notch.

We previously reported that the high mobility group A2 (HMGA2) gene is required for TGF-beta to elicit

EMT in mammary epithelial cells. In the present study we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which HMGA2 induces EMT. We found that HMGA2 regulates expression of many important repressors of E-cadherin. Among these, we analyzed in detail the zinc-finger transcription factor SNAIL1, which plays key roles in tumor progression and EMT. We demonstrate that HMGA2 directly binds to the SNAIL1 promoter and acts as a transcriptional regulator of SNAIL1 expression. Furthermore, we observed that HMGA2 cooperates with the TGF-beta/Smad find more pathway in regulating SNAIL1 gene expression. The mechanism behind this cooperation involves physical

interaction between these factors, leading to an increased binding of Smads to the SNAIL1 promoter. SNAIL1 seems to play the role of a master effector downstream of HMGA2 for induction of EMT, as SNAIL1 knock-down partially reverts HMGA2-induced loss of epithelial Selleckchem HIF inhibitor differentiation. The data propose that HMGA2 acts in a gene-specific manner to orchestrate the transcriptional network necessary for the EMT program.”
“As a kind of E3 ligase, the product of FBXL4 gene belongs to a member of FBLs which is the biggest eukaryotic subfamily of F-BOX proteins, it can recognize some substrate through particular protein-protein interaction domains. To investigate its functions, the polymorphism and association analysis was analyzed. The partial cDNA of porcine FBXL4 with 2384 bp long was first cloned; the deduced protein comprises a conserved F-BOX domain at position from the 277th to 332nd amino acid. The phylogenetic tree indicated porcine www.selleckchem.com/products/fg-4592.html FBXL4 has the closest genetic relationship with

bovine FBXL4 than other selected animal species. Ten tissue expression level of porcine FBXL4 mRNA fluctuated remarkably in a large range by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. For two identified SNPs, the genotyping analysis of Tail showed TT genotype owned dominance in introduced Landrace pig and miniature Guizhou and Wuzhishan breeds, but CC genotype was more than two other genotypes in miniature Laiwu breed. While in another genotyping analysis of BsaJI, CC genotype was obviously more than other genotypes in two kinds of Chinese miniature pig breeds and introduced Landrace pig breeds. Furthermore, the association analysis with immune traits and blood parameters revealed that SNP Tail was significantly associated with the lymphocyte percentage (P = 0.0166) and the antibody levels for pseudorabies virus vaccination (P = 0.0001) of neonate piglets at 0 day. Meanwhile, SNP BsaJI was significantly associated with lymphocyte percentage of individuals at 32 days (P = 0.0351), neutrophil percentage (P = 0.0005), the absolute lymphocyte count (P = 0.0458), and the mixed cells (P = 0.0010) of neonate piglets at 0 day.

The in vitro drug release was found to be enhanced with SMPs prepared using higher concentrations of Crysmeb. These results indicate that SMPs formed from chitosan chlorhydrate and Crysmeb are promising submicron carriers for

enhancing the dissolution of meloxicam and aceclofenac.”
“Low-dose cyclophosphamide (CP) therapy induces immunogenic tumor cell death and decreases regulatory T cell (Treg) numbers in mice with transplantable tumors. Using the ret transgenic murine melanoma model that resembles human melanoma, we detected no beneficial antitumor effects with such treatment, despite a decrease in Tregs. On the contrary, low-dose CP enhanced the production of chronic inflammatory mediators in melanoma lesions associated with increased accumulation of Gr1(+)CD11b(+) myeloid-derived selleck screening library suppressor cells (MDSCs), which exhibit elevated suppressive activity and nitric oxide (NO) production as well as inhibition of T-cell proliferation. Moreover, the frequencies of CD8(+)T cells in the tumors and their ability to produce

perforin were decreased. To study whether the observed CP-induced MDSC expansion and activation also occurs under chronic inflammatory tumor-free conditions, mice exhibiting chronic inflammation were treated with CP. Similar to tumor-bearing mice, CP-treated inflamed mice displayed elevated levels of MDSCs with enhanced production of NO, reactive oxygen species, and a suppressed MK-2206 in vivo in vivo natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity indicating CP effects on the host

immune system independent of the tumor. We suggest that melanoma therapy with low-dose CP could be efficient only when combined with the neutralization of MDSC immunosuppressive function and chronic inflammatory microenvironment.”
“Objectives: We investigated the incidence of thrombo-embolectomy in upper-limb and prognosis with respect to arm amputation, stroke and death.\n\nMethods: We performed a national cohort study of individuals, aged 40-99 years, and undergoing first-time thrombo-embolectomy in the brachial, ulnar or radial artery in Denmark from 1990 to 2002. The data were retrieved from the National Vascular Registry and from the National Registry of Patients and the Civil Registration System. Patients were followed HDAC inhibitor review until 2006 to ascertain the occurrence of amputation and stroke and until 2007 with respect to death.\n\nResults: In total, 1377 incident cases of thrombo-embolectomy were registered, comprising 504 (36.6%) males with a mean age of 72.0 (standard deviation (SD) 12.4) years and 873 (63.4%) females with a mean age of 77.2 (SD 11.7) years. Incidence was 3.3 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.1-3.7) for males and 5.2 (95% CI: 4.9-5.6) for females per 100000 person-years. After thrombo-embolectomy, upper-limb amputation was performed in 11 (incidence 2.2%; 95% CI: 1.2-3.4) males and 31(3.6%; 95% CI: 2.5-4.9) females. Age- and sex-specific risk of stroke was 2-16 times higher, and risk of death 3-11 times higher, than in the general population.