| 1. |
- Abramowicz, Marek A, 1945, et al.
(författare)
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A Galactic centre gravitational-wave Messenger
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our existence in the Universe resulted from a rare combination of circumstances. The same must hold for any highly developed extraterrestrial civilisation, and if they have ever existed in the Milky Way, they would likely be scattered over large distances in space and time. However, all technologically advanced species must be aware of the unique property of the galactic centre: it hosts Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the closest supermassive black hole to anyone in the Galaxy. A civilisation with sufficient technical know-how may have placed material in orbit around Sgr A* for research, energy extraction, and communication purposes. In either case, its orbital motion will necessarily be a source of gravitational waves. We show that a Jupiter-mass probe on the retrograde innermost stable circular orbit around Sgr A* emits, depending on the black hole spin, at a frequency of fGW = 0.63–1.07 mHz and with a power of PGW = 2.7 × 1036–2.0 × 1037 erg/s. We discuss that the energy output of a single star is sufficient to stabilise the location of an orbiting probe for a billion years against gravitational wave induced orbital decay. Placing and sustaining a device near Sgr A* is therefore astrophysically possible. Such a probe will emit an unambiguously artificial continuous gravitational wave signal that is observable with LISA-type detectors. © 2020, The Author(s).
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| 2. |
- Abzhandadze, Tamar, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Barriers to cognitive screening in acute stroke units
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cognitive impairment is common after stroke. However, not all patients with stroke undergo cognitive screening, despite recommendations. The aim of this retrospective, explorative study was to examine the barriers to cognitive screening in acute stroke units. Data were retrieved from two Swedish Stroke registries. The outcome variable was cognitive screening during the stay at acute stroke units. Forty-three candidate explanatory variables were considered for analysis, encompassing sociodemographic factors and stroke-related outcomes during the stay at acute stroke units. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator and decision-tree methods were used. Of the 1120 patients (56% male, mean age: 72 years, 50% with mild stroke), 44% did not undergo cognitive screening. Walking 10 m post-stroke was the most important attribute for decisions regarding cognitive screening. The classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the model were 70% (95% CI 63-75%), 71% (63-78%), and 67% (55-77%), respectively. Patient-related parameters that influenced cognitive screening with a valid and reliable screening instrument in acute stroke units included new stroke during the hospitalisation, aphasia at admission, mobility problems, impaired verbal output skills, and planned discharge to another care facility. The barriers to cognitive screening were both patient- and organisation-related, suggesting the need for patient-tailored cognitive screening tools as well as the implementation and systematic adherence to guidelines.
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| 3. |
- Abzhandadze, Tamar, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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NIHSS is not enough for cognitive screening in acute stroke: A cross-sectional, retrospective study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate whether the cognitive subscale of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Cog-4, can detect cognitive deficits in acute stroke. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study. The study sample consisted of people with stroke enrolled in an acute stroke unit. The index test Cog-4 was calculated based on admission NIHSS score. The reference standard instrument, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), was performed within 36–48 h of admission. Non-parametric statistics were used for data analyses. The study included 531 participants with a mean age of 69 years. The Cog-4 failed to identify cognitive deficits in 65%, 58%, and 53% of patients when the MoCA thresholds for impaired cognition were set at ≤25 p, ≤23 p, and ≤19 p, respectively, were chosen for impaired cognition. The agreement between the Cog-4 and the MoCA was poor; Cohen’s kappa was from −0.210 to −0.109, depending on the MoCA cut-offs. The sensitivity of the Cog-4 was 35%, 42% and 48% for the MoCA thresholds for impaired cognition ≤25, ≤23 and ≤19 points, respectively. The Cog-4 has a limited ability to identify cognitive deficits in acute stroke. More structured and comprehensive tests should be employed as diagnostic tools. © 2020, The Author(s).
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| 4. |
- Abzhandadze, Tamar, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Sick leave one year after COVID-19 infection: a nationwide cohort study during the first wave in Sweden.
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - 2045-2322. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aimed to investigate the patterns of sick leave, as well as factors associated with sick leave due to COVID-19 during one year after the COVID-19 diagnosis, and sex-related aspects on sick leave. This nationwide study involved 11,902 individuals who received sickness benefits for COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Data from three Swedish registries were analyzed for sick leave that commenced between March 1 and August 31, 2020, with a follow-up period of 12 months. Sick leave due to COVID-19 was counted as the number of days with sickness benefits and required to include at least one registered COVID-19 diagnosis. The median duration of sick leave was 35 days, and 347 (2.9%) individuals continued their sick leave during the entire follow-up period. Furthermore, 1 year later, the cumulative incidence of sick leave was slightly higher in males (3.5%) compared to females (2.7%). Older age, being single with no children, diagnosed with the virus, medium income level, history of sick leave, and need for inpatient care were significantly associated with a higher duration of sick leave due to COVID-19, both in the total population and when stratified by sex. These results indicated that three out of 100 (3%) patients were still on sick leave 1 year after their COVID-19 diagnosis. Aspects regarding the importance of sick leave duration differed between males and females and comprised sociodemographic characteristics and need for inpatient care. The results indicated the complexity of sick leave due to COVID-19.
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| 5. |
- Abzhandadze, Tamar, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Transforming self-reported outcomes from a stroke register to the modified Rankin Scale: a cross-sectional, explorative study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim was to create an algorithm to transform self-reported outcomes from a stroke register to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Two stroke registers were used: the Vaststroke, a local register in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the Riksstroke, a Swedish national register. The reference variable, mRS (from Vaststroke), was mapped with seven self-reported questions from Riksstroke. The transformation algorithm was created as a result of manual mapping performed by healthcare professionals. A supervised machine learning method-decision tree-was used to further evaluate the transformation algorithm. Of 1145 patients, 54% were male, the mean age was 71 y. The mRS grades 0, 1 and 2 could not be distinguished as a result of manual mapping or by using the decision tree analysis. Thus, these grades were merged. With manual mapping, 78% of the patients were correctly classified, and the level of agreement was almost perfect, weighted Kappa (K-w) was 0.81. With the decision tree, 80% of the patients were correctly classified, and substantial agreement was achieved, K-w=0.67. The self-reported outcomes from a stroke register can be transformed to the mRS. A mRS algorithm based on manual mapping might be useful for researchers using self-reported questionnaire data.
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| 6. |
- Ackerley, Rochelle, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Emotions alter muscle proprioceptive coding of movements in humans
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Emotions can evoke strong reactions that have profound influences, from gross changes in our internal environment to small fluctuations in facial muscles, and reveal our feelings overtly. Muscles contain proprioceptive afferents, informing us about our movements and regulating motor activities. Their firing reflects changes in muscle length, yet their sensitivity can be modified by the fusimotor system, as found in animals. In humans, the sensitivity of muscle afferents is modulated by cognitive processes, such as attention; however, it is unknown if emotional processes can modulate muscle feedback. Presently, we explored whether muscle afferent sensitivity adapts to the emotional situation. We recorded from single muscle afferents in the leg, using microneurography, and moved the ankle joint of participants, while they listened to evocative classical music to induce sad, neutral, or happy emotions, or sat passively (no music). We further monitored their physiological responses using skin conductance, heart rate, and electromyography measures. We found that muscle afferent firing was modified by the emotional context, especially for sad emotions, where the muscle spindle dynamic response increased. We suggest that this allows us to prime movements, where the emotional state prepares the body for consequent behaviour-appropriate reactions.
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| 7. |
- Adamczyk, Barbara, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Sample handling of gastric tissue and O-glycan alterations in paired gastric cancer and non-tumorigenic tissues
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sample collection, handling and storage are the most critical steps for ensuring the highest preservation of specimens. Pre-analytical variability can influence the results as protein signatures alter rapidly after tissue excision or during long-term storage. Hence, we evaluated current state-of-the-art biobank preservation methods from a glycomics perspective and analyzed O-glycan alterations occurring in the gastric cancer tissues. Paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples were obtained from six patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Collected samples (n = 24) were either snap-frozen or heat stabilized and then homogenized. Glycans were released from extracted glycoproteins and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. In total, the relative abundance of 83 O-glycans and 17 derived structural features were used for comparison. There was no statistically significant difference found in variables between snap frozen and heat-stabilized samples, which indicated the two preservation methods were comparable. The data also showed significant changes between normal and cancerous tissue. In addition to a shift from high sialylation in the cancer area towards blood group ABO in the normal area, we also detected that the LacdiNAc epitope (N, N'-diacetyllactosamine) was significantly decreased in cancer samples. The O-glycan alterations that are presented here may provide predictive power for the detection and prognosis of gastric cancer.
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| 8. |
- Adel Fahmideh, Maral, et al.
(författare)
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A Weighted Genetic Risk Score of Adult Glioma Susceptibility Loci Associated with Pediatric Brain Tumor Risk.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic risk score (GRS) is used to demonstrate the genetic variants contributing to the polygenic architecture of complex diseases. By using a GRS, we have investigated the additive impact of the known adult glioma susceptibility loci on the pediatric brain tumor (PBT) risk and assessed the proportion of PBT heritability attributable to these susceptibility loci. A GRS was generated for PBTs based on the alleles and associated effect sizes derived from a previously published genome-wide association study on adult glioma. The GRS was calculated in CEFALO, a population-based case-control study of brain tumors in children and adolescents including saliva DNA of 245 cases and 489 controls. The unconditional logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between standardized GRS and risk of PBTs. To measure the variance explained by the effect of GRS, Nagelkerke pseudo-R2 was calculated. The GRS for adult brain tumors was associated with an increased risk of PBTs (OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.06-1.49], p = 0.009) and 0.3% of the variance in PBTs could be explained by the effect of GRS on the liability scale. This study provides evidence that heritable risks of PBTs are in-part attributable to some common genetic variants associated with adult glioma.
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| 9. |
- Ademar, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Acamprosate reduces ethanol intake in the rat by a combined action of different drug components
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - 2045-2322. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alcohol misuse accounts for a sizeable proportion of the global burden of disease, and Campral (R) (acamprosate; calcium-bis-(N-acetylhomotaurinate)) is widely used as relapse prevention therapy. The mechanism underlying its effect has in some studies been attributed to the calcium moiety and not to the N-acetylhomotaurine part of the compound. We recently suggested that the dopamine elevating effect of acamprosate is mediated both by N-acetylhomotaurine and calcium in a glycine receptor dependent manner. Here we aimed to explore, by means of in vivo microdialysis, if our previous study using local administration was functionally relevant and if systemic administration of the sodium salt of N-acetylhomotaurine (sodium acamprosate; 200 mg/kg, i.p.) enhanced the effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2; 73.5 mg/kg, i.p.) on nucleus accumbens (nAc) dopamine and/or taurine levels in male Wistar rats. In addition, we investigated the impact of regular acamprosate and the combination of CaCl(2 )and N-acetylhomotaurine on the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE). Finally, we assessed if N-acetylhomotaurine potentiates the ethanol-intake reducing effect of CaCl(2 )in a two-bottle choice voluntary ethanol consumption model followed by an ADE paradigm. Systemic administration of regular acamprosate, sodium acamprosate and CaCl(2 )all trended to increase nAc dopamine whereas the combination of CaCl(2)and sodium acamprosate produced a significant increase. Sodium acamprosate elevated extracellular taurine levels without additional effects of CaCl2. Ethanol intake was significantly reduced by systemic administration of CaCl(2 )without additional effects of the combination of CaCl(2 )and sodium acamprosate. Both acamprosate and CaCl(2 )combined with sodium acamprosate blocked the ADE following acute treatment. The data presented suggest that CaCl(2 )and N-acetylhomotaurine act in concert on a neurochemical level, but calcium appears to have the predominant effect on ethanol intake.
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| 10. |
- Aguilar-Pimentel, Juan Antonio, et al.
(författare)
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Increased estrogen to androgen ratio enhances immunoglobulin levels and impairs B cell function in male mice.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sex steroids, such as estrogens and androgens, are important regulators of the humoral immune response. Studies in female mice have demonstrated that alteration of circulating estrogen concentration regulates antibody-mediated immunity. As males have normally little endogenous estrogen, we hypothesized that in males high estrogens and low androgens affect the immune system and enhance the allergic inflammatory response. Here, we studied transgenic male mice expressing human aromatase (AROM+). These animals have a high circulating estrogen to androgen ratio (E/A), causing female traits such as gynecomastia. We found that AROM+ male mice had significantly higher plasma immunoglobulin levels, particularly IgE. Flow cytometry analyses of splenocytes revealed changes in mature/immature B cell ratio together with a transcriptional upregulation of the Igh locus. Furthermore, higher proliferation rate and increased IgE synthesis after IgE class-switching was found. Subsequently, we utilized an ovalbumin airway challenge model to test the allergic response in AROM+ male mice. In line with above observations, an increase in IgE levels was measured, albeit no impact on immune cell infiltration into the lungs was detected. Together, our findings suggest that high circulating E/A in males significantly alters B cell function without any significant enhancement in allergic inflammation.
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