| 1. |
- Adhena, Mulata Hayelom, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic diversity and maternal origins of indigenous sheep populations in north Ethiopia
- 2024
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Ingår i: Small Ruminant Research. - 0921-4488. ; 239
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated maternal origin and haplotype variants in four sheep populations in the northern Ethiopian Tigray and Afar regions: Abergelle, Elle, Begait, and Tigray Highland. The research involved amplifying a 1088-bp mtDNA control region and sequencing 24 samples and examined haplotype diversity and maternal origins. The maternal origins were determined by using 517 bp of the mtDNA d-loop region, which was matched to globally defined reference sequences. The AMOVA analysis reveals 29.78 % variation in four populations with 13 mutational sites dividing haplogroups A and B. The presence of diverse maternal origins in those indigenous sheep populations is very crucial for future conservation and breeding efforts. To properly grasp their genetic potential, it will therefore be necessary to decipher the entire genome landscape of the indigenous sheep resources in Tigray regional state, the north Ethiopia.
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| 2. |
- af Geijerstam, Peder, Doktorand, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Orthostatic Hypotension and Cognitive Function in Individuals 85 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: Aging and Disease. - Fort Wortht, TX, United States : Buck Institute for Age Research. - 2152-5250.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is more common in the elderly, and associated with increased mortality. However, its implications in 85-year-olds are not known.Methods: In the prospective observational cohort study Elderly in Linköping Screening Assessment (ELSA 85), 496 individuals in Linköping, Sweden, were followed from age 85 years with cognitive assessments. Blood pressure (BP) was measured supine and after 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes of standing. Participants with a BP fall of ≥20 mmHg systolic or ≥10 mmHg diastolic after 1 or 3 minutes were classified as classical continuous or classical transient OH depending on whether the BP fall was sustained or not, at subsequent measurements. Those with a BP fall of the same magnitude, but only after 5 or 10 minutes were classified as delayed OH.Results: Of participants, 329 took part in BP measurements and were included. Of these, 156 (47.4%) had classical OH (113 [34.3%] continuous classical, 38 [11.6%] transient classical), and 15 (4.6%) had delayed OH. Cognitive assessments were not markedly different between groups. After 8.6 years, 195 (59.3%) of the participants had died, and delayed vs no OH was associated with twice the risk of all-cause mortality, HR 2.15 (95% CI 1.12-4.12). Transient classical OH was associated with reduced mortality, HR 0.58 (95% CI 0.33-0.99), but not after multiple adjustments, and continuous classical OH was not associated with mortality.Conclusion: OH may have different implications for morbidity and mortality in 85-year-olds compared with younger populations.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Dan, 1967-
(författare)
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Exploring Perceptions of Route Environments in Relation to Walking
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Every walk takes place in a route environment, which can play an important role in deterring or facilitating walking. The focus of this thesis is on the perceptions of environmental variables, and how they relate to appraisals of route environments as hindering – stimulating for walking and unsafe – safe for reasons of traffic, in two metropolitan environments. Another focus is to expand the state of knowledge concerning the criterion-related validity of the Active Commuting Route Environment Scale (ACRES).Methods: Commuting pedestrians in Greater Stockholm, Sweden, were recruited via advertisements. From the inner urban area there were 294 participants (77% women), aged 49.5 years, and from the suburban areas there were 233 participants (82% women), aged 50.0 years. 77 individuals walked in both areas. The participants evaluated their commuting route environments using the ACRES. Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to explore the relationships between the variables. Comparisons of environmental ratings between groups and settings were performed with t-tests. Studies 1 and 2 focused on the inner urban area and studies 3 and 4 on the suburban areas. Studies 1 and 3 focused exclusively on the relations between the four motorized traffic variables (vehicle speed, vehicle flow, noise, and exhaust fumes), and their relations to the outcome variables (hinders – stimulates walking and unsafe – safe traffic). Studies 2 and 4 utilised proxies from studies 1 and 3 and combined them with other environmental variables to further the understanding of route environmental variables in relation to walking.Results: In both areas, aesthetics and greenery were positively related to stimulating walking, whereas noise, a proxy for motorized traffic, was negatively related. Aesthetics was also positively related to unsafe – safe traffic in the inner urban area, whereas greenery had the corresponding role in suburbia. Another important finding was that greenery also influenced aesthetics positively in both areas. Thus, greenery had both a direct and an indirect positive effect. On the other hand, noise influenced aesthetics negatively in the inner urban area, whereas vehicle flow had the corresponding role in suburbia. A number of variables conjointly influenced the outcome unsafe – safe traffic negatively in both areas (speeds of motor vehicles, noise, conflicts, congestion: pedestrians, red lights, and course of the route). The route environment profiles differed distinctly between the two areas.Conclusions: Several route environmental variables appear to be particularly influential in relation to pedestrian commuting, e.g., aesthetics, greenery, and noise. An important finding is that both positive and negative interactions, between certain predictor variables, were disclosed. The contrasting route environment profiles in the different settings strengthen the criterion-related validity of the ACRES. The findings expands the state of knowledge concerning the relations between the environment and walking. If implemented, these findings can influence public health positively.
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| 4. |
- Bergqvist, Erik, 1977-
(författare)
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Navigating Methodological Challenges : A Quantitative Exploration of Students' Mathematics Self-Beliefs
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Mathematics self-beliefs influence students’ self-image, classroom behavior, engagement, and motivation. However, current research faces challenges due to overlapping constructs, which can lead to high correlations and ambiguous findings. For instance, while mathematics self-efficacy is often defined broadly in educational research, task-specific mathematics self-efficacy refers specifically to confidence in completing particular tasks. To enhance the credibility of predictions regarding mathematics achievement, it is crucial to distinguish between different types of general mathematics self-beliefs. This thesis aims to provide new insights into these beliefs by refining methodologies for their measurement.An exploratory factor analysis of upper-secondary student data, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative reasoning, revealed a clear distinction between mathematics self-concept and generalized mathematics self-efficacy beliefs. A key difference between these two constructs is that the latter significantly influences student engagement. Additionally, the identified factor structure included two constructs related to mathematics anxiety. One noteworthy finding is that the worries of providing incorrect answers in the classroom significantly contribute to gender differences and diminish students’ agentic engagement. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of removing variables with substantial intercorrelations from the analysis, provided this procedure is supported by qualitative reasoning. The findings of this thesis support a pragmatic approach to investigating mathematics self-beliefs, ultimately offering new insights into the significant role of autonomy-supportive teaching in shaping students’ general mathematics self-beliefs.
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| 5. |
- Bäckström, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Visuomotor integration in the development of action planning in children with autismspectrum disorder over the ages of 7-to 9-years-old
- 2024
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Ingår i: Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0012-1622 .- 1469-8749. ; 66:S2, s. 68-68
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently display atypical motor functioning. This longitudinal study investigated atypical visuomotor integration in the development of action planning as one possible source.Participants and Methods: Fourteen children with ASD and 17 typically developing (TD) controls participated three times over the ages 7 (T1) to 9 (T3) years. 3D kinematic registrations were made during performance of a manual sequential peg-rotation task with either visible or occluded goal-display condition before onset. Time, condition, and group differences were analyzed on onset-latency, part peak velocity in reach-to-grasp (PPV-RtG), remaining angle of peg-rotation at goal (p-RA), and fitting-duration.Results: Time-point generated significant (p < 0.05) main effects for all variables. Stratifying by condition revealed shorter latency (both groups), higher PPV-RtG (visual-condition TD-group), lower p-RA (visual-condition TD-group; occluded-condition ASD-group), and shorter fitting-duration (visual-condition TD-group; occluded-condition both groups) with increasing age. Group generated significant main effects for fitting-duration. Stratifying by condition revealed longer fitting-durations (both conditions), and increased p-RA (occluded-condition at T1; visible-condition at T3) in the ASD-group. Condition generated significant main effects for all variables except fitting-duration. Stratifying by group revealed shorter latency (both groups), higher PPV-RtG (TD-group at T3), and reduced p-RA (TD-group at T3) in the visual-condition.Conclusions: The results show different sensory-motor integration in the children with ASD, characterized by not benefitting from pre-existing visual information in action planning in accordance with their TD peers, particularly evident at 9 years. Our findings, based on longitudinal data, support suggestions that visuomotor integration underpinning action planning may operate differently in ASD.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- de Oliveira, Kelin Gonçalves, et al.
(författare)
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Decoding of the surfaceome and endocytome in primary glioblastoma cells identifies potential target antigens in the hypoxic tumor niche
- 2024
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Ingår i: Acta Neuropathologica Communications. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2051-5960. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immunotherapies with antibody-drug-conjugates (ADC) and CAR-T cells, targeted at tumor surface antigens (surfaceome), currently revolutionize clinical oncology. However, target identification warrants a better understanding of the surfaceome and how it is modulated by the tumor microenvironment. Here, we decode the surfaceome and endocytome and its remodeling by hypoxic stress in glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults. We employed a comprehensive approach for global and dynamic profiling of the surfaceome and endocytosed (endocytome) proteins and their regulation by hypoxia in patient-derived GBM cultures. We found a heterogeneous surface-endocytome profile and a divergent response to hypoxia across GBM cultures. We provide a quantitative ranking of more than 600 surface resident and endocytosed proteins, and their regulation by hypoxia, serving as a resource to the cancer research community. As proof-of-concept, the established target antigen CD44 was identified as a commonly and abundantly expressed surface protein with high endocytic activity. Among hypoxia induced proteins, we reveal CXADR, CD47, CD81, BSG, and FXYD6 as potential targets of the stressed GBM niche. We could validate these findings by immunofluorescence analyses in patient tumors and by increased expression in the hypoxic core of GBM spheroids. Selected candidates were finally confronted by treatment studies, showing their high capacity for internalization and ADC delivery. Importantly, we highlight the limited correlation between transcriptomics and proteomics, emphasizing the critical role of membrane protein enrichment strategies and quantitative mass spectrometry. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the surface-endocytome and its remodeling by hypoxia in GBM as a resource for exploration of targets for immunotherapeutic approaches in GBM.
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| 8. |
- Domellöf, Erik, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Brain activations during execution and observation of visually guided sequential manual movements in autism and in typical development: A study protocol
- 2024
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 19:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Motor issues are frequently observed accompanying core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Impaired motor behavior has also been linked to cognitive and social abnormalities, and problems with predictive ability have been suggested to play an important, possibly shared, part across all these domains. Brain imaging of sensory-motor behavior is a promising method for characterizing the neurobiological foundation for this proposed key trait. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) developmental study, involving children/youth with ASD, typically developing (TD) children/youth, and neurotypical adults, will investigate brain activations during execution and observation of a visually guided, goal-directed sequential (two-step) manual task. Neural processing related to both execution and observation of the task, as well as activation patterns during the preparation stage before execution/observation will be investigated. Main regions of interest include frontoparietal and occipitotemporal cortical areas, the human mirror neuron system (MNS), and the cerebellum.
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| 9. |
- Dong, Huan-Ji, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of proactive healthcare on pain, physical and activities of daily living functioning in vulnerable older adults with chronic pain: a pragmatic clinical trial with one- and two-year follow-up
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Geriatric Medicine. - : SPRINGER. - 1878-7649 .- 1878-7657.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose To investigate the changes in pain, physical and activities of daily living (ADL) functioning in vulnerable older adults with chronic pain after proactive primary care intervention. Methods This study was embedded in a prospective, pragmatic, matched-control multicenter trial at 19 primary care practices in Sweden, with proactive medical and social care (Intervention Group, IG, n = 134) in comparison with usual care (Control Group, CG, n = 121). Patients with chronic pain, defined as pain experienced longer than 3 months, were included in this subgroup analysis. Data on pain aspects, physical and ADL functioning were collected in the questionnaires at baseline, one- and two-year follow-up (FU-1 and FU-2). Data on prescribed pain medications was collected by local health authorities. Results Mean age was 83.0 +/- 4.7 years with almost equal representation of both genders. From baseline until FU-2, there were no significant within-group or between-group changes in pain intensity. Small adjustments of pain medication prescriptions were made in both groups. Compared to FU-1, the functional changes were more measurable at FU-2 as fewer participants had impaired physical functioning in IG (48.4%) in comparison to CG (62.6%, p = 0.027, Effect Size phi = 0.14). Higher scores of ADL-staircase (more dependent) were found in both groups (p < 0.01, Effect Size r = 0.24 in CG and r = 0.16 in IG). Conclusion Vulnerable older adults with chronic pain seemed to remain physical and ADL functioning after proactive primary care intervention, but they may need tailored strategies of pain management to improve therapeutic effects.
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| 10. |
- Eklund, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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The physical environment matters: room effects on online purchase decisions
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - 1664-1078. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: People as individual consumers are regularly targeted in sustainability campaigns or communications with the hope of enhancing sustainable behavior at an individual level, with subsequent sustainability transformation at a larger societal scale. However, psychological motivation is complex and campaigns need to be based on an understanding for what individual, and contextual, factors support or hinder sustainable behavioral choices.Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, participants made hypothetical online purchases in each of three rooms designed to evoke associations to hedonic, gain, and normative goal frames. Participants were shown a campaign message intended to prime sustainable textile consumption prior to the purchase. For each product (t-shirt or bananas) hedonic (comfort/look), gain (price), and normative (organic/ fairtrade) attributes were varied in an online choice experiment.Results: Preferences for the normative attribute of t-shirts increased in the normative room compared to the room with gain associations. No effect of the rooms with hedonic or gain priming was observed on the choice.Discussion: The study supports the hypothesis that the physical room can enhance goal frame activation and behavioral choice but concludes that such priming effect is sensitive to specificity of the prime.
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