University of Iceland

About: University of Iceland is a education organization based out in Reykjavik, Suðurnes, Iceland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Genome-wide association study. The organization has 5423 authors who have published 16199 publications receiving 694762 citations. The organization is also known as: Háskóli Íslands.

Family members of cancer patients: Needs, quality of life and symptoms of anxiety and depression

Abstract: Background. Family members of cancer patient's have multiple needs, many of which are not adequately met. Unmet needs may affect psychological distress and quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to assess needs and unmet needs, QOL, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the relationship between those variables in a large sample of family members of cancer patients in different phases of illness. Material and methods. Of 332 family members invited to participate, 330 accepted and 223 (67%) completed a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Data was collected with the Family Inventory of Needs (FIN), Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results. Of 20 needs assessed the mean (SD) number of important needs and unmet needs was 16.4 ± 4.3 and 6.2 ± 5.6, respectively. Twelve important needs were unmet in 40–56% of the sample. The mean number of unmet needs was significantly higher among women than men, other relatives than spouses, younger famil...

Quality of life in 6497 Nordic patients with psoriasis

Abstract: SummaryBackground Disease-specific psoriasis-related quality of life (QOL) measures have recently been developed and used in several hospital-based investigations. However, little is known about the impact of psoriasis on QOL in people with psoriasis who are not referred by dermatologists. Objectives The purpose of the study was to investigate psoriasis-related QOL in a large sample of members of the psoriasis associations from the Nordic countries, and to compare the results with those from psoriasis patients recruited from Nordic dermatologists or Nordic University clinics. Patients and methods A total of 5795 association members and 702 patients rated their psoriasis severity and completed the Psoriasis Disability Index and the Psoriasis Life Stress Index. Results Patients reported greater disease severity and greater impairment of QOL than members of associations, and Norwegian participants reported greater disease severity and greater impairment of QOL than participants from the remaining Nordic countries. Older and married participants reported less impairment of QOL than younger participants and those living alone. When controlling for the influence of these and other demographic and socio-economic factors, self-reported severity emerged as the most significant predictor of psoriasis-related QOL, explaining 32–26% of the variation in QOL scores, with the remaining factors only accounting for 4–5% of the variation. Although correlated with self-reported severity, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores were not a significant predictor of QOL in the patient sample. Conclusions Though self-reported severity may be the most important predictor, further research is needed to determine factors explaining the remaining variance in psoriasis-related QOL.

Campylobacter spp. in Icelandic poultry operations and human disease.

Abstract: We describe the observed relationship of campylobacter in poultry operations to human cases in a closed environment. During 1999 in Iceland, domestic cases of campylobacteriosis reached peak levels at 116/100,000 and in 2000 dropped to 33/100,000. Approximately 62% of broiler carcass rinses were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. in 1999. During 2000, only 15% of the broiler flocks tested Campylobacter spp. positive. In 2000, carcasses from flocks which tested positive on the farms at 4 weeks of age were subsequently frozen prior to distribution. We suggest that public education, enhanced on-farm biological security measures, carcass freezing and other unidentified factors, such as variations in weather, contributed to the large reduction in poultry-borne campylobacteriosis. There is no immediate basis for assigning credit to any specific intervention. We continue to seek additional information to understand the decline in campylobacteriosis and to create a risk assessment model for Campylobacter spp. transmission through this well defined system.

A systematic review of the survival and complication rates of zirconia-ceramic and metal-ceramic single crowns.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES The aim of the present systematic review was to analyze the survival and complication rates of zirconia-based and metal-ceramic implant-supported single crowns (SCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS An electronic MEDLINE search complemented by manual searching was conducted to identify randomized controlled clinical trials, prospective cohort and retrospective case series on implant-supported SCs with a mean follow-up time of at least 3 years. Patients had to have been clinically examined at the follow-up visit. Assessment of the identified studies and data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. Failure and complication rates were analyzed using robust Poisson's regression models to obtain summary estimates of 5-year proportions. RESULTS The search provided 5,263 titles and 455 abstracts, full-text analysis was performed for 240 articles, resulting in 35 included studies on implant-supported crowns. Meta-analysis revealed an estimated 5-year survival rate of 98.3% (95% CI: 96.8-99.1) for metal-ceramic implant supported SCs (n = 4,363) compared to 97.6% (95% CI: 94.3-99.0) for zirconia implant supported SCs (n = 912). About 86.7% (95% CI: 80.7-91.0) of the metal-ceramic SCs (n = 1,300) experienced no biological/technical complications over the entire observation period. The corresponding rate for zirconia SCs (n = 76) was 83.8% (95% CI: 61.6-93.8). The biologic outcomes of the two types of crowns were similar; yet, zirconia SCs exhibited less aesthetic complications than metal-ceramics. The 5-year incidence of chipping of the veneering ceramic was similar between the material groups (2.9% metal-ceramic, 2.8% zirconia-ceramic). Significantly (p = 0.001), more zirconia-ceramic implant SCs failed due to material fractures (2.1% vs. 0.2% metal-ceramic implant SCs). No studies on newer types of monolithic zirconia SCs fulfilled the simple inclusion criteria of 3 years follow-up time and clinical examination of the present systematic review. CONCLUSION Zirconia-ceramic implant-supported SCs are a valid treatment alternative to metal-ceramic SCs, with similar incidence of biological complications and less aesthetic problems. The amount of ceramic chipping was similar between the material groups; yet, significantly more zirconia crowns failed due to material fractures.

Mitochondrial Cytochrome b DNA Variation in the High-Fecundity Atlantic Cod: Trans-Atlantic Clines and Shallow Gene Genealogy

Abstract: An analysis of sequence variation of 250 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 1278 Atlantic cod Gadus morhua ranging from Newfoundland to the Baltic shows four high-frequency (>8%) haplotypes and a number of rare and singleton haplotypes. Variation is primarily synonymous mutations. Natural selection acting directly on these variants is either absent or very weak. Common haplotypes show regular trans-Atlantic clines in frequencies and each of them reaches its highest frequency in a particular country. A shallow multifurcating constellation gene genealogy implies young age and recent turnover of polymorphism. Haplotypes characterizing populations at opposite ends of the geographic distribution in Newfoundland and the Baltic are mutationally closest together. The haplotypes are young and have risen rapidly in frequency. Observed differentiation among countries is due primarily to clinal variation. Hypotheses of historical isolation and polymorphisms balanced by local selection and gene flow are unlikely. Instead the results are explained by demic selection of mitochondria carried by highly fit females winning reproductive sweepstakes. By inference the Atlantic cod, a very high-fecundity vertebrate, is characterized by a high variance of offspring number and strong natural selection that leads to very low effective to actual population sizes.