| 31. |
- Ahlsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Is there a weekend effect in surgery for type A dissection? - Results from the NORCAAD database
- 2019
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Ingår i: Annals of Thoracic Surgery. - : Elsevier BV. - 1552-6259 .- 0003-4975. ; 108:3, s. 770-776
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection type A requires immediate surgery. In general surgery populations, patients operated during weekends have higher mortality rates compared to patients operated on weekdays. The weekend effect in aortic dissection type A has not been studied in detail.METHODS: The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) registry includes patients (N=1,159) who underwent type A dissection surgery at eight Nordic centers during 2005-2014. This study is based on data relating to surgery conducted during weekdays vs. weekends, and starting between 8 am and 8 pm ("daytime") vs. from 8 pm to 8 am ("nighttime"), as well as time from symptoms/admittance/diagnosis to surgery. The influence of timing of surgery on 30-day mortality was assessed using logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: The 30-day mortality was 18% (204/1,159), with no difference in mortality between surgery performed on weekdays (17%, 150/889) and on weekends (20%, 54/270, p=0.45), or during nighttime (19%, 87/467) vs. daytime (17%, 117/680, p=0.54). Time from symptoms to surgery (median 7.0 hours vs. 6.5 hours, p=0.31) did not differ between patients who survived and those dead at 30 days. Multivariable regression analysis of risk factors for 30-day mortality showed no weekend effect (OR 1.04 [0.67-1.60], p=0.875), but nighttime surgery was a risk factor (OR 2.43 [1.29-4.56], p=0.006).CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-day mortality in surgical repair of aortic dissection type A was not significantly affected by timing of surgery during weekends vs. weekdays. Nighttime surgery seems to predict increased 30-day mortality, after correction for other risk factors.
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| 32. |
- Al Nimer, Faiez, et al.
(författare)
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Lipocalin-2 is increased in progressive multiple sclerosis and inhibits remyelination
- 2016
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 2332-7812. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: We aimed to examine the regulation of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its potential functional relevance with regard to myelination and neurodegeneration. Methods: We determined LCN2 levels in 3 different studies: (1) in CSF and plasma from a case-control study comparing patients with MS (n = 147) with controls (n = 50) and patients with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 75) with patients with progressive MS (n = 72); (2) in CSF and brain tissue microdialysates from a case series of 7 patients with progressive MS; and (3) in CSF at baseline and 60 weeks after natalizumab treatment in a cohort study of 17 patients with progressive MS. Correlation to neurofilament light, a marker of neuroaxonal injury, was tested. The effect of LCN2 on myelination and neurodegeneration was studied in a rat in vitro neuroglial cell coculture model. Results: Intrathecal production of LCN2 was increased predominantly in patients with progressive MS (p < 0.005 vs relapsing-remitting MS) and displayed a positive correlation to neurofilament light (p = 0.005). Levels of LCN2 in brain microdialysates were severalfold higher than in the CSF, suggesting local production in progressive MS. Treatment with natalizumab in progressive MS reduced LCN2 levels an average of 13% (p < 0.0001). LCN2 was found to inhibit remyelination in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Conclusions: LCN2 production is predominantly increased in progressive MS. Although this moderate increase does not support the use of LCN2 as a biomarker, the correlation to neurofilament light and the inhibitory effect on remyelination suggest that LCN2 might contribute to neurodegeneration through myelination-dependent pathways.
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| 33. |
- Aldaeus, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of pulp with high enzymatic hydrolyzability
- 2014
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Ingår i: 13th European Workshop on Lignocellulosics and Pulp (EWLP 2014) book of abstracts.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Conversion of biomass to biofuels is currently an area that attracts large interest, and lignocellulosic biomass offers the abundance and environmental attributes that can potentially support large-scale biofuel production as an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuel.In a recent project, Innventia has developed wood based pulps optimized for conversion to biofuels. These novel pulps were produced to target a high level of enzymatic hydrolyzability. To assess the hydrolyzability of these pulps, a laboratory protocol has been established usingan enzyme mixture containing Celluclast 1.5L and Novozyme 188 with an activity of 10 FPU/g pulp (Andersen 2007). Results obtained using this protocol are assumed to be relevant for industrial conditions. In addition to assessment of the produced pulps, the results havebeen compared to commercial cellulose substrates and pulps of a variety of grades.Furthermore, supramolecular properties – specific surface area and average pore size – were determined by an in-house method utilizing solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (Larsson et al. 2013). Kappa numbers, limiting viscosities, ISO-brightness and carbohydrate compositions were determined using standard methods. Molecular mass distributions of cellulose tricarbanilates were determined by size exclusion chromatography with tetrahydrofuran mobile phase (Drechsler et al. 2000).The presentation will discuss the influence of chemical, macromolecular and supramolecular properties of commercial and novel pulp grades on the enzymatic hydrolyzability. Theprotocol used to assess of enzymatic hydrolyzability will be proposed as a benchmark test.
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| 34. |
- Aldaeus, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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The supramolecular structure of cellulose-rich wood and wheat straw pulps can be a determinative factor for enzymatic hydrolysability
- 2016
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Ingår i: The 7th Workshop on cellulose, regenerated cellulose and cellulose derivatives. ; , s. 39-39
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Conversion of biomass to biofuels and other products is a research area that is currently attracting a great amount of interest, particularly because such production may be envisaged as a key part of any bio-based economy. Lignocellulosic biomass is abundant and sustainable, and can therefore potentially support large-scale production of biofuel as an alternative to petroleum-based fuel.The enzymatic hydrolysability of three industrial pulps, five lab made pulps, and one microcrystalline cellulose powder was assessed using commercial cellulolytic enzymes. To gain insight into the factors that influence the hydrolysability, a thorough characterization of the samples was done, including their chemical properties (cellulose content, hemicellulose content, lignin content, and kappa number), their macromolecular properties (peak molar mass, number-average molar mass, weight-average molar mass, polydispersity, and limiting viscosity) and their supramolecular properties (fibre saturation point, specific surface area, average pore size, and crystallinity). The hydrolysability was assessed by determination of initial conversion rate and final conversion yield, with conversion yield defined as the amount of glucose in solution per unit of glucose in the substrate. Multivariate data analysis revealed that for the investigated samples the conversion of cellulose to glucose was mainly dependent on the supramolecular properties, such as specific surface area and average pore size. The molar mass distribution, the crystallinity, and the lignin content of the pulps had no significant effect on the hydrolysability of the investigated samples.In addition, experiments were carried out aiming at identifying suitable conditions for pre-treatment of wheat straw, for the purpose of making cellulose rich pulps with improved enzymatic reactivity. Two sets of conditions for pre-treatment of wheat straw were identified; a combination of low temperature alkaline washing and acid pre-hydrolysis, or high temperature acid pre-hydrolysis. Both bleached wheat straw pulps showed similar enzymatic reactivity. However, the enzymatic reactivity of both bleached wheat straw pulps was found to be significantly less than what has been achieved for wood pulps. A probable explanation for the low enzymatic reactivity of the bleached wheat straw pulp can be the small pore size, limiting the access for enzymes to the cellulose surfaces in the fibre wall interior.Text, figures and tables in an extended abstract (< 4 pages with title and references).
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| 35. |
- Alégroth, Emil, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Practitioners' best practices to Adopt, Use or Abandon Model-based Testing with Graphical models for Software-intensive Systems
- 2022
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Ingår i: Empirical Software Engineering. - : SPRINGER. - 1382-3256 .- 1573-7616. ; 27:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Model-based testing (MBT) has been extensively researched for software-intensive systems but, despite the academic interest, adoption of the technique in industry has been sparse. This phenomenon has been observed by our industrial partners for MBT with graphical models. They perceive one cause to be a lack of evidence-based MBT guidelines that, in addition to technical guidelines, also take non-technical aspects into account. This hypothesis is supported by a lack of such guidelines in the literature. Objective: The objective of this study is to elicit, and synthesize, MBT experts' best practices for MBT with graphical models. The results aim to give guidance to practitioners and aspire to give researchers new insights to inspire future research. Method: An interview survey is conducted using deep, semi-structured, interviews with an international sample of 17 MBT experts, in different roles, from software industry. Interview results are synthesised through semantic equivalence analysis and verified by MBT experts from industrial practice. Results: 13 synthesised conclusions are drawn from which 23 best-practice guidelines are derived for the adoption, use and abandonment of the technique. In addition, observations and expert insights are discussed that help explain the lack of wide-spread adoption of MBT with graphical models in industrial practice. Conclusions: Several technical aspects of MBT are covered by the results as well as conclusions that cover process- and organizational factors. These factors relate to the mindset, knowledge, organization, mandate and resources that enable the technique to be used effectively within an organization. The guidelines presented in this work complement existing knowledge and, as a primary objective, provide guidance for industrial practitioners to better succeed with MBT with graphical models.
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| 36. |
- Alping, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer Risk for Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Rituximab in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
- 2020
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Ingår i: Annals of Neurology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0364-5134 .- 1531-8249. ; 87:5, s. 688-699
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Novel, highly effective disease-modifying therapies have revolutionized multiple sclerosis (MS) care. However, evidence from large comparative studies on important safety outcomes, such as cancer, is still lacking.METHODS: In this nationwide register-based cohort study, we linked data from the Swedish MS register to the Swedish Cancer Register and other national health care and census registers. We included 4,187 first-ever initiations of rituximab, 1,620 of fingolimod, and 1,670 of natalizumab in 6,136 MS patients matched for age, sex, and location to 37,801 non-MS general population subjects. Primary outcome was time to first invasive cancer.RESULTS: We identified 78 invasive cancers among treated patients: rituximab 33 (incidence rate [IR] per 10,000 person-years = 34.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 23.7-48.3), fingolimod 28 (IR = 44.0, 95% CI = 29.2-63.5), and natalizumab 17 (IR = 26.0, 95% CI = 15.1-41.6). The general population IR was 31.0 (95% CI = 27.8-34.4). Adjusting for baseline characteristics, we found no difference in risk of invasive cancer between rituximab, natalizumab, and the general population but a possibly higher risk with fingolimod compared to the general population (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.98-2.38) and rituximab (HR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.00-2.84).INTERPRETATION: In this first large comparative study of 3 highly effective MS disease-modifying therapies, no increased risk of invasive cancer was seen with rituximab and natalizumab, compared to the general population. However, there was a borderline-significant increased risk with fingolimod, compared to both the general population and rituximab. It was not possible to attribute this increased risk to any specific type of cancer, and further studies are warranted to validate these findings.
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| 37. |
- Alping, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Register Further Improving a Resource for Pharmacoepidemiologic Evaluations
- 2019
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Ingår i: Epidemiology. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1044-3983 .- 1531-5487. ; 30:2, s. 230-233
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Register is a national register monitoring treatment and clinical course for all Swedish multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, with high coverage and close integration with the clinic. Despite its great value for epidemiologic research, it has not previously been validated. In this brief report, we summarize a large validation of >3,000 patients in the register using clinical chart review in the context of the COMBAT-MS study. While further improving the data quality for a central cohort of patients available for future epidemiologic research, this study also allowed us to estimate the accuracy and completeness of the register data.
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| 38. |
- Ambrosi, Aurelie, et al.
(författare)
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Development of heart block in children of SSA/SSB-autoantibody-positive women is associated with maternal age and displays a season-of-birth pattern
- 2012
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - London : BMJ Publishing Group. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 71:3, s. 334-340
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective Congenital heart block may develop in the fetuses of Ro/SSA-positive and La/SSB-positive mothers. Recurrence rates of only 10-20% despite persisting maternal antibodies indicate that additional factors are critical for the establishment of heart block. The authors investigated the influence of other maternal and fetal factors on heart block development in a Swedish population-based cohort. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods The influence of fetal gender, maternal age, parity and time of birth on heart block development was analysed in 145 families, including Ro/La-positive (n=190) and Ro/La-negative (n=165) pregnancies. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults There was a recurrence rate of 12.1% in Ro/La-positive women, and no recurrence in Ro/La-negative women. Fetal gender and parity did not influence the development of heart block in either group. Maternal age in Ro/La-positive pregnancies with a child affected by heart block was, however, significantly higher than in pregnancies resulting in babies without heart block (pandlt;0.05). Seasonal timing of pregnancy influenced the outcome. Gestational susceptibility weeks 18-24 occurring during January-March correlated with a higher proportion of children with heart block and lower vitamin D levels during the same period in a representative sample of Swedish women and a corresponding higher proportion of children with heart block born in the summer (pandlt;0.02). Maternal age or seasonal timing of pregnancy did not affect the outcome in Ro/La-negative pregnancies. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusion This study identifies maternal age and seasonal timing of pregnancy as novel risk factors for heart block development in children of Ro/La-positive women. These observations may be useful for counselling when pregnancy is considered.
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| 39. |
- Anderson, Leif G., et al.
(författare)
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The effect of the Siberian tundra on the environment of the shelf seas and the Arctic Ocean
- 1999
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Ingår i: Ambio. - 0044-7447. ; 28:3, s. 270-280
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Tundra Ecology -94 expedition investigated inflow of inorganic and organic carbon to the shelf seas by river runoff, and its transformation by biochemical processes in seawater and sediment. In addition, anthropogenic radionuclides, 137Cs, 90Sr, and 239,240Pu, were studied in water and sediments. The distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon indicates that the majority of the Ob and Yenisey discharges flow into the Laptev Sea before entering the central Arctic Ocean. The sediment study shows that there is a marked difference in benthic oxygen uptake, efflux of dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrients between localities. 137Cs activity from the Chernobyl accident is 30% in the Barents, Kara, and Laptev Seas. 137Cs increased from 5-8 Bq m-3 in Barents Sea, 5-13 Bq m-3 in the Kara Sea to 8-15 Bq m-3 in the Laptev Sea, but with locally low concentrations at the river mouths. Corresponding values for 90Sr were 2.5, 3, and 4 Bq m-3, respectively.
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| 40. |
- Andersson, B E, et al.
(författare)
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Three-dimensional outgrowth of a wood-rotting fungus added to a contaminated soil from a former gasworks site
- 2001
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Ingår i: Bioresource Technology. - 1873-2976. ; 78:1, s. 37-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The capability of wood-rotting fungi (WRF) to colonise contaminated soil is an important fungal characteristic in the development of WRF-based soil bioremediation, it is also important to have methods that monitor the presence of the WRF in the soil. In this lab-scale study, it was shown that it was possible to re-capture, localise and identify a brown-rot fungus, Antrodia vaillantii, after it has been inoculated into, and grown in, a contaminated soil from a former gasworks site. The three-dimensional outgrowth of A. vaillantii was monitored by allowing it to grow into fungicide-treated wood baits, temporarily placed in the soil. After two weeks, the baits were withdrawn from the soil and surface sterilised with hydrogen peroxide to favour fungi growing inside baits, i.e., A. vaillantii. After subsequent plating of baits on selective agar medium the presence of A. vaillantii was confirmed with PCR/RFLP. A. vaillantii was found to be viable throughout the 54 days long study and exhibited a surface growth pattern similar to other well-known cord-forming basidiomycetes. Firstly, the upper part of the soil closest to the place of inoculation was colonised, however, over a period of time, the area of colonisation spread deeper into the soil. The detection method employed in the current study gave a conservative estimate of the fungal proliferation and did not require extensive sampling. Its use could be applicable in both applied research, such as soil bioremediation, and in pure microbial ecology studies.
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