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- Garrard, S. L., et al.
(författare)
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Biological impacts of ocean acidification: a postgraduate perspective on research priorities
- 2013
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Ingår i: Marine Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0025-3162 .- 1432-1793. ; 160:8, s. 1789-1805
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research into the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on marine organisms has greatly increased during the past decade, as realization of the potential dramatic impacts has grown. Studies have revealed the multifarious responses of organisms to OA conditions, indicating a high level of intra- and interspecific variation in species' ability to accommodate these alterations. If we are to provide policy makers with sound, scientific input regarding the expected consequences of OA, we need a broader understanding of these predicted changes. As a group of 20 multi-disciplinary postgraduate students from around the globe, with a study focus on OA, we are a strong representation of 'next generation' scientists in this field. In this unique cumulative paper, we review knowledge gaps in terms of assessing the biological impacts of OA, outlining directions for future research.
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| 2. |
- Eardley, S., et al.
(författare)
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A pilot feasibility study of a questionnaire to determine European union-wide CAM use
- 2012
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Ingår i: Forschende Komplementarmedizin. - : S. Karger AG. - 1661-4119. ; 19:6, s. 302-310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: No questionnaire specifically measuring the core components of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use has been validated for use across European Union (EU) countries. We aimed to determine the face validity, acceptability and the participants' comprehension of a pre-existing questionnaire designed to measure 'CAM use', to provide a comparative, standardised questionnaire for use by health care providers, policy makers and purchasers throughout Europe. Methods: Established procedures were employed to translate the questionnaire into 4 EU languages. The translated questionnaires were piloted on 50 healthy adults from each country who may never have used CAM. 10 participants per country also took part in audio-recorded think aloud interviews about the questionnaire. The interviews were transcribed and analysed in the language in which they were conducted; findings were summarised in English. Questionnaire data were pooled across countries, and patterns of completion and missing data were analysed. Results: The questionnaire was translated into Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Romanian. The mean age of the participants was 43.6 years. 34% were male, 87.4% were either light or heavy CAM users, and 12.6% were non-users. Qualitative analysis identified common problems across countries including a 'hard-to-read' layout, misunderstood terminology and uncertainty in choosing response options. Quantitative analysis confirmed that a substantial minority of respondents failed to follow questionnaire instructions and that some questions had substantial rates of missing data. Conclusions: The I-CAM-Q has low face validity and low acceptability, and is likely to produce biased estimates of CAM use if applied in England, Romania, Italy, The Netherlands or Spain. Further work is required to develop the layout, terms, some response options and instructions for completion before it can be used across the EU. © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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| 4. |
- Kroes, JA, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of real-world mepolizumab use in severe asthma across Europe: the SHARP experience with privacy-preserving federated analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: ERJ open research. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 2312-0541. ; 9:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An objective of the Severe Heterogeneous Asthma Registry, Patient-centered (SHARP) is to produce real-world evidence on a pan-European scale by linking non-standardized, patient-level registry-data. Mepolizumab has shown clinical efficacy in RCTs and prospective real-world studies and could therefore serve as a proof of principle for this novel approach.AimTo harmonize data from 10 national severe asthma registries and characterize patients receiving mepolizumab, assess its effectiveness on annual exacerbations and maintenance oral glucocorticoid (OCS) use, and evaluate treatment patterns.MethodsIn this observational cohort study, registry data (5871 patients) were extracted for harmonization. Where harmonization was possible, patients who initiated mepolizumab between 1-1-2016 and 31-12-2021 were examined. Changes of a 12 (range 11–18) months period in frequent (≥2) exacerbations, maintenance OCS use and dose were analyzed in a privacy-preserving manner using meta-analysis of generalized estimating equation parameters. Periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed separately.ResultsIn 912 patients who fulfilled selection criteria mepolizumab significantly reduced frequent exacerbations (OR;95%CI: 0.18;0.13–0.25), maintenance OCS use (OR;95%CI: 0.75;0.61–0.92) and dose (mean; 95%CI: −3.93 mg·day−1; −5.24–2.62) in the Pre-Pandemic group, with similar trends in the Pandemic group. Marked heterogeneity was observed between registries in patient characteristics and mepolizumab treatment patterns.ConclusionsBy harmonizing patient-level registry data and applying federated analysis, SHARP demonstrated the real-wold effectiveness of mepolizumab on asthma exacerbations and maintenance OCS use in severe asthma patients across Europe, consistent with previous evidence. This paves the way for future pan-European real-world severe asthma studies using patient-level data in a privacy-proof manner.
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| 6. |
- Zilius, M., et al.
(författare)
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Role of crab holobionts in benthic N cycling in mangroves with different trophic status
- 2023
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Ingår i: Marine Ecology Progress Series. - 0171-8630. ; 712, s. 87-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbial dinitrogen (N-2) fixation and intense bioturbation by macrofauna can contribute to reduce nitrogen (N) limitation in mangrove systems. In particular, crabs are important ecosystem engineers that rework sediments, redistribute organic matter, accelerate nutrient cycling and shape microbial communities in mangrove sediments. Hosting functionally diverse microbial communities, crabs form a discrete ecological unit (a holobiont). In this study, we report rates of respiration, inorganic N fluxes, net N-2 fixation, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) measured in the fiddler crab Leptuca thayeri and sesarmid crab Armases rubripes holobionts, which are dominant in oligotrophic and eutrophic mangrove systems of southeast Brazil, respectively. We measured lower biomass-specific rates of respiration and ammonium (NH4+) production for the larger L. thayeri compared to A. rubripes, with very different molar ratios of O-2 respiration to NH4+ production (152:1 vs. 20:1, respectively). This suggests a size-metabolism relationship, different food quality or different coupling of N excretion and assimilation by the crab holobionts in the 2 systems. Both crab holobionts contributed to net denitrification and DNRA, with faster N cycling in A. rubripes in the eutrophic system. Net N-2 fixation was also detected, with nearly 4-fold higher rates in A. rubripes compared to L. thayeri. Overall, our results illustrate active and complex N cycling associated with the 2 dominant crab holobionts and highlight their potential and overlooked role as important conduits of fixed N, which may double N-2 fixation rates in the mangrove's rhizosphere.
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