| 1. |
- Hosie, S., et al.
(författare)
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Gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients and mice expressing the autism-associated R451C mutation in neuroligin-3
- 2019
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Ingår i: Autism Research. - : Wiley. - 1939-3792 .- 1939-3806. ; 12:7, s. 1043-1056
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gastrointestinal (GI) problems constitute an important comorbidity in many patients with autism. Multiple mutations in the neuroligin family of synaptic adhesion molecules are implicated in autism, however whether they are expressed and impact GI function via changes in the enteric nervous system is unknown. We report the GI symptoms of two brothers with autism and an R451C mutation in Nlgn3 encoding the synaptic adhesion protein, neuroligin-3. We confirm the presence of an array of synaptic genes in the murine GI tract and investigate the impact of impaired synaptic protein expression in mice carrying the human neuroligin-3 R451C missense mutation (NL3(R451C)). Assessing in vivo gut dysfunction, we report faster small intestinal transit in NL3(R451C) compared to wild-type mice. Using an ex vivo colonic motility assay, we show increased sensitivity to GABA(A) receptor modulation in NL3(R451C) mice, a well-established Central Nervous System (CNS) feature associated with this mutation. We further show increased numbers of small intestine myenteric neurons in NL3(R451C) mice. Although we observed altered sensitivity to GABA(A) receptor modulators in the colon, there was no change in colonic neuronal numbers including the number of GABA-immunoreactive myenteric neurons. We further identified altered fecal microbial communities in NL3(R451C) mice. These results suggest that the R451C mutation affects small intestinal and colonic function and alter neuronal numbers in the small intestine as well as impact fecal microbes. Our findings identify a novel GI phenotype associated with the R451C mutation and highlight NL3(R451C) mice as a useful preclinical model of GI dysfunction in autism. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1043-1056. (c) 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary People with autism commonly experience gastrointestinal problems, however the cause is unknown. We report gut symptoms in patients with the autism-associated R451C mutation encoding the neuroligin-3 protein. We show that many of the genes implicated in autism are expressed in mouse gut. The neuroligin-3 R451C mutation alters the enteric nervous system, causes gastrointestinal dysfunction, and disrupts gut microbe populations in mice. Gut dysfunction in autism could be due to mutations that affect neuronal communication.
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| 2. |
- Modigh, C M, et al.
(författare)
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Time to pregnancy among partners of men exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate
- 2002
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140. ; 28:6, s. 418-428
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives This study assessed paternal occupational exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in association with reduced fertility. Methods Men working in three plants with DEHP exposure were studied retrospectively. Male and female employees and their partners were invited to participate if they had reported a pregnancy or an attempt to achieve a pregnancy. Postal questionnaires and telephone interviews were used to collect additional data from the men and women, respectively. Information on time to pregnancy was eligible for 326 pregnancies fathered by 193 men. Male exposure to DEHP during every month of their time to pregnancy was classified into one of three exposure categories. The exposure ranged from <0.1 to 2.1 mg/ml(3). The fathers of only four pregnancies had DEHP exposure of >0.5 mg/m(3) during the time to pregnancy. The pregnancies of employed women with unexposed partners or pregnancies of employed men unexposed during the time to pregnancy formed the reference group. Results The fecundability ratio for time to pregnancy was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (95% Cl) 0.84-1.351 for those with low exposure and 0.97 (95% CI 0.70-1.33) for the highly exposed after adjustment for the father's age, mother's age, and length of recall. When the analyses were restricted to first pregnancy, the fecundability ratio was 1.13 (95% Cl 0.83-1.56) for low exposure and 1.02 (95% Cl 0.66-1.59) for high exposure. Conclusions Time to pregnancy is not prolonged among couples with paternal exposure to DEHP at a mean exposure level of <0.5 mg/ml.
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| 3. |
- Axén, I., et al.
(författare)
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Frequently repeated measurements-our experience of collecting data with SMS
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Medical Research Methodology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2288. ; 20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: As technology is advancing, so are the possibilities for new data collection methods in research, potentially improving data quality and validity of the results. In Sweden, a system using frequent repeated data collection using text messages, SMS Track, has been used in clinical research for more than a decade. In this paper, compliance with repeated text message questions was examined across five different studies, i.e. if compliance was 1: associated with study-specific factors (age or gender of the subjects, the condition, its' severity or course, i.e. improvement, relapse or steady state) and/or. 2: associated with the methodology itself (the question being asked, the frequency and number of questions, duration of data collection, initial compliance or the management of the system). Methods: Descriptive comparisons were done across five studies. Three studies were collecting weekly responses over at least 52 weeks ("Weekly studies") and were used to investigate the effect of age, sex and pain severity on compliance, the effect of early compliance for late compliance, and finally the early occurrence of two successive weeks with non-compliance. Result: Compliance was excellent across all five studies, and only influenced somewhat by age, sex and pain-level. The factor "study" remained significant in the final model thus the observed differences may be a result of the conditions studied but does not seem to be attributable to severity or development of these conditions. Number and frequency of questions did not influence compliance, nor did study duration. Conclusions: Compliance was excellent in the included studies and was not affected by population factors. However, differences in compliance were observed that cannot be easily explained and warrant further investigation. In particular, the nature of the variables or the management of the study are potential areas for further investigations.
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| 4. |
- Bosmans, Kim, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of insecurity among non-standard workers across different welfare states : A qualitative cross-country study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0277-9536 .- 1873-5347. ; 327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent decades, economic crises and political reforms focused on employment flexibilization have increased the use of non-standard employment (NSE). National political and economic contexts determine how employers interact with labour and how the state interacts with labour markets and manages social welfare policies. These factors influence the prevalence of NSE and the level of employment insecurity it creates, but the extent to which a country’s policy context mitigates the health influences of NSE is unclear. This study describes how workers experience insecurities created by NSE, and how this influences their health and well-being, in countries with different welfare states: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Interviews with 250 workers in NSE were analysed using a multiple-case study approach. Workers in all countries experienced multiple insecurities (e.g., income and employment insecurity) and relational tension with employers/clients, with negative health and well-being influences, in ways that were shaped by social inequalities (e.g., related to family support or immigration status). Welfare state differences were reflected in the level of workers’ exclusion from social protections, the time scale of their insecurity (threatening daily survival or longer-term life planning), and their ability to derive a sense of control from NSE. Workers in Belgium, Sweden, and Spain, countries with more generous welfare states, navigated these insecurities with greater success and with less influence on health and well-being. Findings contribute to our understanding of the health and well-being influences of NSE across different welfare regimes and suggest the need in all six countries for stronger state responses to NSE. Increased investment in universal and more equal rights and benefits in NSE could reduce the widening gap between standard and NSE.
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| 5. |
- Matilla-Santander, N., et al.
(författare)
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COVID-19 and Precarious Employment : Consequences of the Evolving Crisis
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Health Services. - : Sage Publications. - 0020-7314 .- 1541-4469. ; 5:2, s. 226-228
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The world of work is facing an ongoing pandemic and an economic downturn with severe effects worldwide. Workers trapped in precarious employment (PE), both formal and informal, are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we call attention to at least 5 critical ways that the consequences of the crisis among workers in PE will be felt globally: (a) PE will increase, (b) workers in PE will become more precarious, (c) workers in PE will face unemployment without being officially laid off, (d) workers in PE will be exposed to serious stressors and dramatic life changes that may lead to a rise in diseases of despair, and (e) PE might be a factor in deterring the control of or in generating new COVID-19 outbreaks. We conclude that what we really need is a new social contract, where the work of all workers is recognized and protected with adequate job contracts, employment security, and social protection in a new economy, both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
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| 6. |
- Matilla-Santander, Nuria, et al.
(författare)
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Trajectories of precarious employment and the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke among middle-aged workers in Sweden : A register-based cohort study
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Lancet Regional Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7762. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The aim is to identify trajectories of precarious employment (PE) over time in Sweden to examine associations of these with the subsequent risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke.Methods This is a nation-wide register-based cohort study of 1,583,957 individuals aged 40 to 61 years old residing in Sweden between 2003-2007. Trajectories of PE as a multidimensional construct and single PE components (contractual employment relationship, temporariness, income levels, multiple job holding, probability of coverage by collective agreements) were identified for 2003-2007 by means of group-based model trajectories. Risk Ratios (RR) for MI and stroke according to PE trajectories were calculated by means of generalized linear models with binomial family.Findings Adjusted estimates showed that constant PE and borderline PE trajectories increased the risk of MI (RR: 1.08, CI95%:1.05-1.11 and RR:1.13, CI95%: 1.07-1.20 respectively) and stroke (RR:1.14, CI95%: 1.10-1.18 and HR:1.24, CI95%: 1.16-1.33 respectively) among men. A higher risk of stroke in men was found for the following unidimensional trajectories: former agency employees (RR:1.32, CI95%:1.04-1.68); moving from high to a low probability of having collective agreements (RR: 1.10, CI95%:1.01-1.20). Having constant low or very low income was associated to an increased risk of MI and Stroke for both men and women.Interpretation The study findings provide evidence that PE increases the risk of stroke and possibly MI. It highlights the importance of being covered by collective bargaining agreements, being directly employed and having sufficient income levels over time.
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| 7. |
- Schröter, Barbara, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the role of boundary work in a social-ecological synthesis initiative
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-6483 .- 2190-6491. ; 13:2, s. 330-343
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental studies faces the challenge of communicating across disciplines to reach a common understanding of scientific problems and solutions in a changing world. One way to address current pressing environmental challenges is to employ a boundary work approach that uses activities across borders of separated field of research. But how can this look like in practice? In this research brief, we self-evaluated the boundary work approach in a synthesis group on socio-ecological systems, based on an online survey with participants. Here, we discuss how boundary work can be used to integrate the knowledge from natural and social scientists both working on social-ecological systems. We found participants were selected to be acted as boundary spanners and were willing to cooperate for solving multidisciplinary issues regarding the understanding, management, and maintenance of ecosystem services. A social-ecological network analysis framework served as a boundary concept and object for communication and knowledge integration. Being familiar with a joint boundary concept like ecosystem services prior to the working group event supported the communication of participants. These results indicate that synthesis initiatives could strategically leverage boundary work through the careful selection of members, with the inclusion of boundary spanners, as well as prior joint identification of boundary concepts and objects.
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| 8. |
- Veress, Bela, et al.
(författare)
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Duodenal intraepithelial lymphocyte-count revisited
- 2004
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 39:2, s. 138-144
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the duodenum was determined 30 years ago, the suggested normal upper limit being 40 lymphocytes per 100 epithelial cells. Methods: Duodenal mucosa was analysed from 18 healthy individuals and 56 consecutive patients biopsied because of epigastralgia (17 cases), diarrhoea (10 cases), oesophagitis (10 cases), iron-deficiency (9 cases) and B12-deficiency (10 cases) showing normal histology, along with 10 cases of active coeliac disease. The biopsies were fixed in 4% formalin overnight and embedded in paraffin. Three micrometre thick sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and CD3. At least 300 epithelial cells were counted, the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes was given as the mean/100 epithelial cells. Extensive statistical analyses were performed. Results: In the healthy individuals the mean number (s) of intraepithelial lymphocytes/100 epithelial cells was 10.8 (2.6) and 13.2 (3.8) in H&E and CD3 stained sections, respectively. The upper limit of the confidence interval for CD3 staining was 29. There was no significant difference between normal individuals and the clinical groups, with the exception of coeliac disease. Conclusion: Two-step analysis of intraepithelial lymphocyte-determination is suggested: (a) semi-quantitative estimate on H&E-stained sections (normal ratio of 1:5 between lymphocytes and enterocytes, upper normal limit 20 lymphocytes) and (b) CD3-staining and counting if intraepithelial lymphocytosis is suspected. The upper normal range of intraepithelial lymphocytes is set at 25 CD3+ lymphocytes/100 epithelial cells. Values between 25 and 29 are regarded as 'borderline' and 30 or more represent pathologic intraepithelial lymphocytosis in the duodenum.
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