| 1. |
- Josefsson, Sarah, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Structure-related distribution of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB in a river-sea system
- 2011
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 83:2, s. 85-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Water concentrations of PCDD/Fs, HCB, and non-ortho, mono-ortho, and non-dioxin-like PCBs were measured four times during 1 year in a coastal area of the Baltic Sea, to investigate background levels and distribution behaviour. Sampling sites included two rivers, an estuary, and the sea. Particulate and apparently dissolved concentrations were determined using active sampling (filters + PUFs), while freely dissolved concentrations were determined using passive sampling (POM-samplers). The distribution between particulate + colloidal and freely dissolved phases, in the form of TOC-normalized distribution ratios (K-roc), was found to be near or at equilibrium. The observed Kroc were not significantly different between sampling sites or seasons. For PCDD/Fs, the concentrations were significantly correlated to suspended particulate matter (SPM), while no correlation to organic carbon (TOC) was observed. In the estuary and the sea, PCB concentrations were correlated to TOC. The sorption of various congeners to SPM and TOC appeared to be related to both hydrophobicity and 3D-structure. The PCDD/F concentration in the sea decreased to one third in May, likely connected to the increased vertical flux of particles during the spring bloom.
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| 2. |
- Karlsson, Magnus, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Application of a mass-balance model to predict PCDD/F turnover in a Baltic coastal estuary
- 2010
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Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; 88:2, s. 209-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A dynamical, process-based mass-balance model was applied to quantify the transports of polychlorinated-p-dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) to, within and from the Kallrigafjarden Bay, a coastal estuary in the Baltic Sea, and to predict the PCDD/F levels in the water and sediments of the bay. Before the modelling, a one-year sampling programme was implemented in 2007-2008 to measure the flows of PCDD/Fs in tributaries entering the system, the fluxes from the adjacent sea and the levels in water, sediment and fish within the estuary. The collected data set was used as input data to the model and for validation purposes. The model was originally developed and tested for suspended particulate matter and phosphorus in Baltic coastal areas. In this work, it was run monthly without any tuning of the original model variables. The simulation results compared favourably with the field measurements of levels of 15 PCDD/F congeners in the water and sediments of the bay. The dominating fluxes of PCDD/Fs were the exchange with the adjacent sea, followed by riverine input, atmospheric deposition and sediment burial. Although the sediment-water exchange was of minor importance for the overall mass-balance due to the rapid water turnover and limited areas favourable for the long-term deposition of fine sedimentary matter, sensitivity analyses indicated that the model's predictive capability was improved with about 5% by taking the sediment burial and release into account.
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| 3. |
- Abreu, Ilka, et al.
(författare)
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UHPLC-ESI/TOFMS Determination of Salicylate-like Phenolic Gycosides in Populus tremula Leaves
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Chemical Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0098-0331 .- 1573-1561. ; 37:8, s. 857-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Associations of salicylate-like phenolic glycosides (PGs) with biological activity have been reported in Salix and Populus trees, but only for a few compounds, and in relation to a limited number of herbivores. By considering the full diversity of PGs, we may improve our ability to recognize genotypes or chemotype groups and enhance our understanding of their ecological function. Here, we present a fast and efficient general method for salicylate determination in leaves of Eurasian aspen that uses ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI/TOFMS). The time required for the liquid chromatography separations was 13.5 min per sample, compared to around 60 min per sample for most HPLC protocols. In leaf samples from identical P. tremula genotypes with diverse propagation and treatment histories, we identified nine PGs. We found the compound-specific mass chromatograms to be more informative than the UV-visible chromatograms for compound identification and when quantitating samples with large variability in PG content. Signature compounds previously reported for P. tremoloides (tremulacin, tremuloidin, salicin, and salicortin) always were present, and five PGs (2'-O-cinnamoyl-salicortin, 2'-O-acetyl-salicortin, 2'-O-acetyl-salicin, acetyl-tremulacin, and salicyloyl-salicin) were detected for the first time in P. tremula. By using information about the formic acid adduct that appeared for PGs in the LTQ-Orbitrap MS environment, novel compounds like acetyl-tremulacin could be tentatively identified without the use of standards. The novel PGs were consistently either present in genotypes regardless of propagation and damage treatment or were not detectable. In some genotypes, concentrations of 2'-O-acetyl-salicortin and 2'-O-cinnamoyl-salicortin were similar to levels of biologically active PGs in other Salicaceous trees. Our study suggests that we may expect a wide variation in PG content in aspen populations which is of interest both for studies of interactions with herbivores and for mapping population structure.
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| 4. |
- Jonsson, Micael, et al.
(författare)
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Direct and indirect effects of area, energy and habitat heterogeneity on breeding bird communities
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699. ; 38:6, s. 1186-1196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim To compare the ability of island biogeography theory, niche theory and species–energy theory to explain patterns of species richness and density for breeding bird communities across islands with contrasting characteristics.Location Thirty forested islands in two freshwater lakes in the boreal forest zone of northern Sweden (65°55′ N to 66°09′ N; 17°43′ E to 17°55′ E).Methods We performed bird censuses on 30 lake islands that have each previously been well characterized in terms of size, isolation, habitat heterogeneity (plant diversity and forest age), net primary productivity (NPP), and invertebrate prey abundance. To test the relative abilities of island biogeography theory, niche theory and species–energy theory to describe bird community patterns, we used both traditional statistical approaches (linear and multiple regressions) and structural equation modelling (SEM; in which both direct and indirect influences can be quantified).Results Using regression-based approaches, area and bird abundance were the two most important predictors of bird species richness. However, when the data were analysed by SEM, area was not found to exert a direct effect on bird species richness. Instead, terrestrial prey abundance was the strongest predictor of bird abundance, and bird abundance in combination with NPP was the best predictor of bird species richness. Area was only of indirect importance through its positive effect on terrestrial prey abundance, but habitat heterogeneity and spatial subsidies (emerging aquatic insects) also showed important indirect influences. Thus, our results provided the strongest support for species–energy theory.Main conclusions Our results suggest that, by using statistical approaches that allow for analyses of both direct and indirect influences, a seemingly direct influence of area on species richness can be explained by greater energy availability on larger islands. As such, animal community patterns that seem to be in line with island biogeography theory may be primarily driven by energy availability. Our results also point to the need to consider several aspects of habitat quality (e.g. heterogeneity, NPP, prey availability and spatial subsidies) for successful management of breeding bird diversity at local spatial scales and in fragmented or insular habitats.
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| 5. |
- Klaminder, Jonatan, et al.
(författare)
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Carbon mineralization and pyrite oxidation in groundwater : Importance for silicate weathering in boreal forest soils and stream base-flow chemistry
- 2011
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Ingår i: Applied Geochemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0883-2927 .- 1872-9134. ; 26:3, s. 319-324
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- What role does mineralized organic C and sulfide oxidation play in weathering of silicate minerals in deep groundwater aquifers? In this study, how H(2)CO(3), produced as a result of mineralization of organic matter during groundwater transport, affects silicate weathering in the saturated zone of the mineral soil along a 70 m-long boreal hillslope is demonstrated. Stream water measurements of base cations and delta(18)O are included to determine the importance of the deep groundwater system for downstream surface water. The results suggest that H2CO3 generated from organic compounds being mineralized during the lateral transport stimulates weathering at depths between 0.5 and 3 m in the soil. This finding is indicated by progressively increasing concentrations of base cations-, silica- and inorganic C (IC) in the groundwater along the hillslope that co-occur with decreasing organic C (OC) concentrations. Protons derived from sulfide oxidation appear to be an additional driver of the weathering process as indicated by a buildup of SO(4)(2-) in the groundwater during lateral transport and a delta(34)S parts per thousand value of +0.26-3.76 parts per thousand in the deep groundwater indicating S inputs from pyrite. The two identified active acids in the deep groundwater are likely to control the base-flow chemistry of streams draining larger catchments (>1 km(2)) as evident by delta(18)O signatures and base cation concentrations that overlap with that of the groundwater.
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| 6. |
- Lind, Peter A, et al.
(författare)
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Compensatory gene amplification restores fitness after inter-species gene replacements
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 75:5, s. 1078-1089
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genes introduced by gene replacements and other types of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) represent a significant presence in many archaeal and eubacterial genomes. Most alien genes are likely to be neutral or deleterious upon arrival and their long-term persistence may require a mechanism that improves their selective contribution. To examine the fate of inter-species gene replacements, we exchanged three native S. typhimurium genes encoding ribosomal proteins with orthologues from various other microbes. The results show that replacement of each of these three genes reduces fitness to such an extent that it would provide an effective barrier against inter-species gene replacements in eubacterial populations. However, these fitness defects could be partially ameliorated by gene amplification that augmented the dosage of the heterologous proteins. This suggests that suboptimal expression is a common fitness constraint for inter-species gene replacements, with fitness costs conferred by either a lower expression level of the alien protein compared with the native protein or a requirement for an increased amount of the alien protein to maintain proper function. Our findings can explain the observation that duplicated genes are over-represented among horizontally transferred genes, and suggest a potential coupling between compensatory gene amplification after HGT and the evolution of new genes.
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| 7. |
- Valanne, Susanna, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-Wide RNA Interference in Drosophila Cells Identifies G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 as a Conserved Regulator of NF-kappa B Signaling
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 184:11, s. 6188-6198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Because NF-kappa B signaling pathways are highly conserved in evolution, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster provides a good model to study these cascades. We carried out an RNA interference (RNAi)-based genome-wide in vitro reporter assay screen in Drosophila for components of NF-kappa B pathways. We analyzed 16,025 dsRNA-treatments and identified 10 novel NF-kappa B regulators. Of these, nine dsRNA-treatments affect primarily the Toll pathway. G protein-coupled receptor kinase (Gprk) 2, CG15737/Toll pathway activation mediating protein, and u-shaped were required for normal Drosomycin response in vivo. Interaction studies revealed that Gprk2 interacts with the Drosophila I kappa B homolog Cactus, but is not required in Cactus degradation, indicating a novel mechanism for NF-kappa B regulation. Morpholino silencing of the zebrafish ortholog of Gprk2 in fish embryos caused impaired cytokine expression after Escherichia coli infection, indicating a conserved role in NF-kappa B signaling. Moreover, small interfering RNA silencing of the human ortholog GRK5 in HeLa cells impaired NF-kappa B reporter activity. Gprk2 RNAi flies are susceptible to infection with Enterococcus faecalis and Gprk2 RNAi rescues Toll(10b)-induced blood cell activation in Drosophila larvae in vivo. We conclude that Gprk2/GRK5 has an evolutionarily conserved role in regulating NF-kappa B signaling. The Journal of Immunology, 2010, 184: 6188-6198.
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| 8. |
- Vrede, Tobias, et al.
(författare)
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Ecological stoichiometry of Eurasian perch : intraspecific variation due to size, habitat and diet
- 2011
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Ingår i: Oikos. - : Wiley. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 120:6, s. 886-896
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The turnover and distribution of energy and nutrients in food webs is influenced by consumer stoichiometry. Although the stoichiometry of heterotrophs is generally considered to vary only little, there may be intraspecific variation due to factors such as habitat, resources, ontogeny and size. We examined intraspecific variation in Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis stoichiometry, a common species that exhibits habitat and resource specialization, ontogenetic niche shifts and a large size range. This study investigated the elemental stoichiometry of a wide size range of perch from littoral and pelagic habitats. The mean C:N:P stoichiometry of whole perch was 37:9:1 (molar ratios). However, %C, %P, C:N, C:P and N:P varied with size, morphology, habitat and diet category. These factors together explained 24–40% of the variation in C:N:P stoichiometry. In contrast, perch stoichiometry was not related to diet stoichiometry, suggesting that the former is homeostatically regulated. The results suggest that the high P content of perch may result in stoichiometric constraints on the growth of non-piscivorous perch, and that piscivory is an efficient strategy for acquiring P. Resource polymorphism, individual diet specialization and intraspecific size variation are widespread among animals. Thus changes in stoichiometry with size, habitat, morphology and resource use, and therefore also stoichiometric demands, are probably common.
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| 9. |
- Axner, Ove, et al.
(författare)
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Unraveling the secrets of bacterial adhesion organelles using single-molecule force spectroscopy
- 2010
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Ingår i: Single molecule spectroscopy in chemistry, physics and biology. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer. - 9783642025969 ; , s. 337-362
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many types of bacterium express micrometer-long attachment organelles (so-called pili) whose role is to mediate adhesion to host tissue. Until recently, little was known about their function in the adhesion process. Force-measuring optical tweezers (FMOT) have since then been used to unravel the biomechanical properties of various types of pili, primarily those from uropathogenic E. coli, in particular their force-vs.-elongation response, but lately also some properties of the adhesin situated at the distal end of the pilus. This knowledge provides an understanding of how piliated bacteria can sustain external shear forces caused by rinsing processes, e.g., urine flow. It has been found that many types of pilus exhibit unique and complex force-vs.-elongation responses. It has been conjectured that their dissimilar properties impose significant differences in their ability to sustain external forces and that different types of pilus therefore have dissimilar predisposition to withstand different types of rinsing conditions. An understanding of these properties is of high importance since it can serve as a basis for finding new means to combat bacterial adhesion, including that caused by antibiotic-resistance bacteria. This work presents a review of the current status of the assessment of biophysical properties of individual pili on single bacteria exposed to strain/stress, primarily by the FMOT technique. It also addresses, for the first time, how the elongation and retraction properties of the rod couple to the adhesive properties of the tip adhesin.
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| 10. |
- Braga Goncalves, Ines, et al.
(författare)
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Reproductive compensation in broad-nosed pipefish females
- 2010
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 277:1687, s. 1581-1587
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The differential allocation hypothesis assumes that animals should weigh costs and benefits of investing into reproduction with a current mate against the expected quality of future mates, and predicts that they should invest more into reproduction when pairing with a high-quality mate. In the broad-nosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle), males care for the embryos in a brood pouch and females compete for access to male mating partners. Both sexes prefer mating with large partners. In the present study, we show that the same female provides both large and small mating partners with eggs of similar size, weight and lipid content when mated to two males in succession. Importantly, however, eggs provided to small males (less preferred) had higher egg protein content (11% more) than those provided to large males (preferred). Thus, contrary to the differential allocation hypothesis, eggs did not contain more resources when females mated with a larger male. Instead, the pattern observed in our results is consistent with a compensatory reproductive strategy.
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