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| 2. |
- Brock, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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The Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Is Associated with Systemic Neurodegeneration in Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Translational Vision Science & Technology. - : Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). - 2164-2591. ; 12:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To determine whether the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness can be used as an indicator for systemic neurodegeneration in diabetes.Methods: We used existing data from 38 adults with type 1 diabetes and established polyneuropathy. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values of four scanned quadrants (superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal) and the central foveal thickness were extracted directly from optical coherence tomography. Nerve conduction velocities were recorded using standardized neurophysiologic testing of the tibial and peroneal motor nerves and the radial and median sensory nerves, 24-hour electrocardiographic recordings were used to retrieve time- and frequency-derived measures of heart rate variability, and a pain catastrophizing scale was used to assess cognitive distortion.Results: When adjusted for hemoglobin A1c, the regional thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layers was (1) positively associated with peripheral nerve conduction velocities of the sensory and motor nerves (all P < 0.036), (2) negatively associated with time and frequency domains of heart rate variability (all P < 0.033), and (3) negatively associated to catastrophic thinking (all P < 0.038).Conclusions: Thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer was a robust indicator for clinically meaningful measures of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy and even for cognitive comorbidity.Translational Relevance: The findings indicate that the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer should be studied in adolescents and people with prediabetes to determine whether it is useful to predict the presence and severity of systemic neurodegeneration.
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| 3. |
- Westermann, Sebastian, et al.
(författare)
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The CryoGrid community model (version 1.0) - a multi-physics toolbox for climate-driven simulations in the terrestrial cryosphere
- 2023
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Ingår i: Geoscientific Model Development. - 1991-959X .- 1991-9603. ; 16, s. 2607-2647
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The CryoGrid community model is a flexible toolbox for simulating the ground thermal regime and the ice-water balance for permafrost and glaciers, extending a well-established suite of permafrost models (CryoGrid 1, 2, and 3). The CryoGrid community model can accommodate a wide variety of application scenarios, which is achieved by fully modular structures through object-oriented programming. Different model components, characterized by their process representations and parameterizations, are realized as classes (i.e., objects) in CryoGrid. Standardized communication protocols between these classes ensure that they can be stacked vertically. For example, the CryoGrid community model features several classes with different complexity for the seasonal snow cover, which can be flexibly combined with a range of classes representing subsurface materials, each with their own set of process representations (e.g., soil with and without water balance, glacier ice). We present the CryoGrid architecture as well as the model physics and defining equations for the different model classes, focusing on one-dimensional model configurations which can also interact with external heat and water reservoirs. We illustrate the wide variety of simulation capabilities for a site on Svalbard, with point-scale permafrost simulations using, e.g., different soil freezing characteristics, drainage regimes, and snow representations, as well as simulations for glacier mass balance and a shallow water body. The CryoGrid community model is not intended as a static model framework but aims to provide developers with a flexible platform for efficient model development. In this study, we document both basic and advanced model functionalities to provide a baseline for the future development of novel cryosphere models.
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| 4. |
- Zastruzny, Sebastian F., et al.
(författare)
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Accelerated permafrost thaw and increased drainage in the active layer : Responses from experimental surface alteration
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cold Regions Science and Technology. - 0165-232X. ; 212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Erosion and infrastructure in the Arctic can change the thickness of the active layer which can subsequently alternate the thermal-hydrological regime and change the drainage patterns on slopes. Previous studies have shown that drainage can either decrease due to the movement of water occurring in deeper soil layers with lower permeability or increase due to the formation of features like gullies and channels. In a field experiment conducted in Qaanaaq, Greenland, the surface topography was altered by adding 35 cm soil in one treatment, removing 33 cm in another, while an untreated plot measuring 10 × 10 m was maintained for comparison purposes. The temperature and water content of these plots were monitored in the three following years. Based on field measurements, a 1-dimensional model was set up in CoupModel to simulate the field experiment and quantify changes in the thickness of the saturated zone and drainage as a consequence of the treatment. Both field observations and simulations show that the addition and removal of soil changed the thickness of the saturated layer in the active layer, which changed the thermal properties in the soil and, thus, the response of thawing or recovery of permafrost. The simulations showed that during the summer depressions there were higher water contents, which accelerated warming of the soil and increased permafrost thawing of 35.7 cm in depth. In contrast, raising the soil surface aggregated only 19.8 cm of permafrost due to higher buffering from lower water contents. Changed active layer thickness altered the thickness of the saturated zone, leading to changed drainage patterns: In depressions, first drainage occurs three days earlier, and maximum daily drainage is increased by 154% as compared to ambient conditions. In contrast, raising the surface delayed the runoff from the plot by up to eight days, and decreased the maximum daily drainage to 72%. Effects of the treatment were most pronounced during the first year after the experiment, with diminishing effects during the consecutive year as the system equilibrated to the new state. Results from our study can advance our understanding of impacts of both natural and human-induced surface alterations on active layer thickening and water movement in permafrost-affected areas, which ultimately affect the entire ecosystem and the living conditions for local communities.
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| 5. |
- Frederiksen, Line Elmerdahl, et al.
(författare)
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Psychiatric disorders in childhood cancer survivors in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden : a register-based cohort study from the SALiCCS research programme
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Lancet Psychiatry. - 2215-0366 .- 2215-0374. ; 69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment-induced somatic late effects can affect the long-term mental health of survivors. We aimed to explore whether childhood cancer survivors are at higher risk of psychiatric disorders later in life than their siblings and the general population. Methods: In this register-based cohort study (part of the Socioeconomic Consequences in Adult Life after Childhood Cancer [SALiCCS] research programme), we included 5-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed before 20 years of age between Jan 1, 1974 and Dec 31, 2011, in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. In Denmark and Sweden, 94·7% of individuals were born in a Nordic country (ie, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden); similar information was not available in Finland. Data on ethnicity were not collected. Survivors were compared with their siblings and randomly selected individuals from the general population who were matched to the survivors by year of birth, sex, and geographical region. We followed up our study population from 5 years after the childhood cancer diagnosis or corresponding calendar date for matched individuals (the index date) until Aug 11, 2017, and assessed information on hospital contacts for any and specific psychiatric disorders. For siblings, the index date was defined as 5 years from the date on which they were of the same age as their sibling survivor when diagnosed with cancer. Findings: The study population included 18 621 childhood cancer survivors (9934 [53·3%] males and 8687 [46·7%] females), 24 775 siblings (12 594 [50·8%] males and 12 181 [49·2%] females), and 88 630 matched individuals (47 300 [53·4%] males and 41 330 [46·6%] females). The cumulative incidence proportion of having had a psychiatric hospital contact by 30 years of age between Jan 1, 1979, and Aug 11, 2017, was 15·9% (95% CI 15·3–16·5) for childhood cancer survivors, 14·0% (13·5–14·5) for siblings, and 12·7% (12·4–12·9) for matched individuals. Despite a small absolute difference, survivors were at higher relative risk of any psychiatric hospital contact than their siblings (1·39, 1·31–1·48) and matched individuals (hazard ratio 1·34, 95% CI 1·28–1·39). The higher risk persisted at the age of 50 years. Survivors had a higher burden of recurrent psychiatric hospital contacts and had more hospital contacts for different psychiatric disorders than their siblings and the matched individuals. Interpretation: Childhood cancer survivors are at higher long-term risk of psychiatric disorders than their siblings and matched individuals from the general population. To improve mental health and the overall quality of life after childhood cancer, survivorship care should include a focus on early signs of mental health problems, especially among high-risk groups of survivors. Funding: NordForsk, Aarhus University, Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, Danish Health Foundation, and Swiss National Science Foundation.
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| 6. |
- Skogberg, Olle, et al.
(författare)
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Pain Tolerance in Chronic Pain Patients Seems to be More Associated with Physical Activity than with Depression and Anxiety
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine. - : Foundation for Rehabilitation Information. - 1650-1977 .- 1651-2081. ; 54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore the associations between habitual self-reported physical activity, pain sensitivity and patient-reported outcomes (including pain intensity) in patients with chronic pain. Design: Cross-sectional, experimental study. Subjects: Patients (n = 78), age range 18-65 years, with different chronic pain conditions (> 3 months) were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 98). Methods: Multivariate correlations between selfreported physical activity, pressure pain sensitivity, and patient-reported outcome measures were assessed. Results: Lower perceived health status (p <0.001, Cohens d =2.34), higher levels of depression (p< 0.001, Cohens d = 1.77), and lower pain tolerance threshold (p < 0.001, Cohens d = 1.66) were the most prominent variables discriminating patients from controls. In patients, bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that higher pressure pain tolerance was associated with male sex, lower pain intensity and fewer painful regions, higher self-efficacy and more self-reported physical activity, but not with lower levels of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Pain tolerance thresholds, as well as degree of depression and perceived health status discriminated between patients and controls, and there was an association between pain tolerance thresholds and level of self-reported physical activity in patients. This study highlights the importance of further research into how increased physical activity may improve pain sensitivity in patients with chronic pain.
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| 7. |
- Gonzalez-Franquesa, Alba, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of thymosin β4 as a human exerkine and growth factor
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6143 .- 1522-1563. ; 321:5, s. 770-778
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ secreting exercise-induced factors (exerkines), which play a pivotal role in interorgan cross talk. Using mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics, we characterized the secretome and identified thymosin b4 (TMSB4X) as the most upregulated secreted protein in the media of contracting C2C12 myotubes. TMSB4X was also acutely increased in the plasma of exercising humans irrespective of the insulin resistance condition or exercise mode. Treatment of mice with TMSB4X did not ameliorate the metabolic disruptions associated with diet induced-obesity, nor did it enhance muscle regeneration in vivo. However, TMSB4X increased osteoblast proliferation and neurite outgrowth, consistent with its WADA classification as a prohibited growth factor. Therefore, we report TMSB4X as a human exerkine with a potential role in cellular cross talk.
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| 8. |
- Gove, Dianne, et al.
(författare)
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The challenges of achieving timely diagnosis and culturally appropriate care of people with dementia from minority ethnic groups in Europe
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. - : Wiley. - 0885-6230 .- 1099-1166. ; 36:12, s. 1823-1828
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In a just society, everyone should have equal access to healthcare in terms of prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and care. Europe is a multicultural society made up of people who identify with a wide range of ethnic groups. Many older people from minority ethnic groups also have a direct migration background. Several studies have shown that there is a lack of equity in relation to dementia diagnoses and care because equal opportunities do not necessarily translate into equal outcomes. An expert ethics working group led by Alzheimer Europe has produced an extensive report on this issue, a policy brief and a guide for health and social care workers. In this brief summary, the authors/members of the expert working group present some of the key challenges and recommendations for healthcare clinicians striving to provide timely diagnosis and good quality care and treatment to people with dementia from all ethnic groups.
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| 9. |
- Licht, Sofie de Fine, et al.
(författare)
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Temporal changes in the probability of live birth among female survivors of childhood cancer : A population-based Adult Life After Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia (ALiCCS) study in five nordic countries
- 2021
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Ingår i: Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0008-543X .- 1097-0142. ; 127:20, s. 3881-3892
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: During the past 4 decades, there has been a growing focus on preserving the fertility of patients with childhood cancer; however, no large studies have been conducted of live births across treatment decades during this period. Therefore, the authors estimated the potential birth deficit in female childhood cancer survivors and the probability of live births. METHODS: In total, 8886 women were identified in the 5 Nordic cancer registries in whom a childhood cancer had been diagnosed during 1954 through 2006. A population comparison cohort of 62,903 women was randomly selected from the central population registries matched by age and country. All women were followed for live births recorded in medical birth registries. The cumulative probability and the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of a live birth were calculated by maternal age across treatment decades. RESULTS: The probability of a live birth increased with treatment decade, and, at age 30 years, the rate for survivors most recently diagnosed was close to the rate among the general population (1954-1969: RR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.54-0.78]; 1970s: RR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.60-0.74]; 1980s: RR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.64-0.74]; 1990s: RR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.87-0.95]; 2000s: RR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.91-0.97]). CONCLUSIONS: Female childhood cancer survivors had a lower probability of a live birth than women in the general population, although, in survivors diagnosed after 1989, the probability was close to that of the general population. Because the pattern of live births differs by cancer type, continuous efforts must be made to preserve fertility, counsel survivors, and refer them rapidly to fertility treatment if necessary. LAY SUMMARY: The purpose of this study was to compare the probability of giving birth to a liveborn child in female survivors of childhood cancer with that of women in the general population. Survivors of childhood cancer had a lower probability of live births than women in the general population, although survivors diagnosed after 1989 had a probability close to that of the general population. Continuing focus on how to preserve the potential for fertility among female patients with childhood cancer during treatment is important to increase their chances of having a child.
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| 10. |
- Christensen, Steffan Wittrup McPhee, et al.
(författare)
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Head repositioning accuracy is influenced by experimental neck pain in those most accurate but not when adding a cognitive task
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Pain. - : Walter de Gruyter. - 1877-8860 .- 1877-8879. ; 20:1, s. 191-203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aimsNeck pain can impair perception of cervical movement, but how this is affected by attention is unknown. In this study, the effects of experimental neck pain on head repositioning accuracy during standardized head movements were investigated.MethodsExperimental neck pain was induced by injecting hypertonic saline into the right splenius capitis muscle in 28 healthy participants (12 women). Isotonic saline was used as control. Participants were blindfolded while performing standardized head movements from neutral (start) to either right-rotation, left-rotation, flexion or extension, then back to neutral (end). Movements were triplicated for each direction, separated by 5-s, and performed with or without a cognitive task at baseline, immediately after the injection, and 5-min after pain disappeared. Repositioning accuracy was assessed by 3-dimensional recordings of head movement and defined as the difference between start and end position. Participants were grouped into most/least accurate based on a median split of head repositioning accuracy for each movement direction at baseline without the cognitive task.ResultsThe most accurate group got less accurate following hypertonic injection during right-rotation without a cognitive task, compared with the least accurate group and the isotonic condition (p < 0.01). No group difference was found when testing head repositioning accuracy while the participants where distracted by the cognitive task.ConclusionsExperimental neck pain alters head repositioning accuracy in healthy participants, but only in those who are most accurate at baseline. Interestingly, this impairment was no longer present when a cognitive task was added to the head repositioning accuracy test.ImplicationsThe results adds to our understanding of what factor may influence the head repositioning accuracy test when used in clinical practice and thereby how the results should be interpreted.
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