| 1. |
- Allard, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Rasbiologiskt språkbruk i statens rättsprocess mot sameby : DN Debatt 2015-06-11
- 2015
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Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Statens hantering av forskningsresultat i rättsprocessen med Girjas sameby utgör ett hot mot Sverige som rättsstat och kunskapsnation. Åratal av svensk och internationell forskning underkänns och man använder ett språkbruk som skulle kunna vara hämtat från rasbiologins tid. Nu måste staten ta sitt ansvar och börja agera som en demokratisk rättsstat, skriver 59 forskare.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, Patrik, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidsbilder för samhällsbyggnad
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Framtidsbilder för samhällsbyggnad 2020De kommande 15 åren står institutionen för Bygg- och miljöteknik inför stora förändringar. Därför har institutionen initierat projektet Framtidsbilder 2020 där man engagerat en framtidspanel bestående av elva yngre disputerade forskare. Arbetet inleddes med ett breddgruppsmöte där 110 personer representerande institutionens personal och studenter deltog. Vid mötet identifierades ett antal trender och osäkra utvecklingar som påverkar framtiden inom samhällsbyggnadsområdet. Deltagarna bidrog också med idéer till en önskvärd utveckling, vilket har sammanställts och utgör grunden till en gemensam önskvärd framtid/vision för institutionen. Materialet från breddgruppsmötet har bearbetats av Framtidspanelen och resulterat i fyra scenarier som beskriver hur samhällsbyggnadsområdet kan se ut år 2020. Syftet med framtidsbilderna är att de ska vara vägledande för institutionens beslut och förhållningssätt under de kommande åren.Fyra scenarierTurning TorsoSamhället präglas av en ekonomi som är på uppgång, och av ett nytänkande och öppet samhälle. Materiell status och individualism är viktigt. Detta leder till en hög arbetsbelastning samt krav på exklusiva varor av hög kvali-tet. Det finns en stor medvetenhet om miljöpåverkan och klimatförändringar och lösningarna för att klara energiförsörjningen är innovativa.Eco-metropolenDet sveper en grön våg genom dagens samhälle. Under de senaste 15 åren har vi insett att jorden skall vara en bebolig plats även åt dem som kommer efter oss. Vi söker ständigt efter nya, mer förfinade metoder att tillvarata de resurser vi har. Samhället och individen är i balans. Ekonomin är god och vi är miljömedvetna, trygga och integrerade. Nytänkande premieras och icke- materialistiska värderingar står högt i kurs. Vi tänker individuellt, men agerar mer än gärna för kollektivets bästa. Utbildning är gratis TrädgårdsstadenEtt samhälle där vi lärt oss hantera stress, men känner oss otrygga och helst umgås i slutna sociala sammanhang. Vi bor enkelt inne i stan, eller gärna på landsbygden nära storstäderna. Minskade behov av högutbildade i samhället gör att vi har svårt att rekrytera studenter till teknikutbildningar. Det traditionella tankesättet leder till kulturkrockar med företag och personer från andra länder.Gated communitiesFörsämrad ekonomi och ökad egoism har lett fram till ett stressat, otryggt och segregerat samhälle. Accelererande klimatförändringar och ökad miljö-påverkan skrämmer oss, men trots det åtgärdar vi inte problemen, utan koncentrerar oss på konsekvenserna. Arbetslöshet i samhällsbyggnadssek-torn leder till sänkt status för samhällsbyggaren. Vi har därför svårt att rekrytera studenter, och även forskningen har låg status.
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| 3. |
- Gårdebjer, Sofie, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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An overview of the transport of liquid molecules through structured polymer films, barriers and composites - Experiments correlated to structure-based simulations
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0001-8686. ; 256, s. 48-64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Films engineered to control the transport of liquids are widely used through society. Examples include barriers in packaging, wound care products, and controlled release coatings in pharmaceutics. When observed at the macroscopic scale such films commonly appear homogeneous, however, a closer look reveals a complex nano and microstructure that together with the chemical properties of the different domains control the transport properties. In this review we compare and discuss macroscopic transport properties, measured using the straightforward, yet highly powerful technique "modified Ussing chambers", also denoted side-by-side diffusion cells, for a wide range of structured polymer films and composites. We also discuss and compare the macroscopic observations and conclusions on materials properties with that of lattice Boltzmann simulations of transport properties based on underlying material structure and chemistry. The survey of the field: (i) highlights the use and power of modified Ussing Chambers for determining liquid transport properties of polymer films, (ii) demonstrates the predictability in both directions between macroscopic observations of transport using modified Ussing chambers and structure-based simulations, and (iii) provides experimental and theoretical insights regarding the transport-determining properties of structured polymer films and composites. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Hopkins, Francis R., et al.
(författare)
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Major alterations to monocyte and dendritic cell subsets lasting more than 6 months after hospitalization for COVID-19
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: After more than two years the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to burden healthcare systems and economies worldwide, and it is evident that the effects on the immune system can persist for months post-infection. The activity of myeloid cells such as monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) is essential for correct mobilization of the innate and adaptive responses to a pathogen. Impaired levels and responses of monocytes and DC to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is likely to be a driving force behind the immune dysregulation that characterizes severe COVID-19.Methods: Here, we followed a cohort of COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the early waves of the pandemic for 6-7 months. The levels and phenotypes of circulating monocyte and DC subsets were assessed to determine both the early and long-term effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.Results: We found increased monocyte levels that persisted for 6-7 months, mostly attributed to elevated levels of classical monocytes. Myeloid derived suppressor cells were also elevated over this period. While most DC subsets recovered from an initial decrease, we found elevated levels of cDC2/cDC3 at the 6-7 month timepoint. Analysis of functional markers on monocytes and DC revealed sustained reduction in program death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression but increased CD86 expression across almost all cell types examined. Finally, C-reactive protein (CRP) correlated positively to the levels of intermediate monocytes and negatively to the recovery of DC subsets.Conclusion: By exploring the myeloid compartments, we show here that alterations in the immune landscape remain more than 6 months after severe COVID-19, which could be indicative of ongoing healing and/or persistence of viral antigens.
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| 9. |
- Abuzeid, Nadir, et al.
(författare)
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Antimycobacterial activity of selected medicinal plants traditionally used in Sudan to treat infectious diseases
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Ethnopharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0378-8741 .- 1872-7573. ; 157, s. 134-139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ethnopharmacological relevance: The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis underscores the need for continuous development of new and efficient methods to determine the susceptibility of isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the search for novel antimycobacterial agents. Natural products constitute an important source of new drugs, and design and implementation of antimycobacterial susceptibility testing methods are necessary to evaluate the different extracts and compounds. In this study we have explored the antimycobacterial properties of 50 ethanolic extracts from different parts of 46 selected medicinal plants traditionally used in Sudan to treat infectious diseases. Materials and methods: Plants were harvested and ethanolic extracts were prepared. For selected extracts, fractionation with hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents was undertaken. A luminometry-based assay was used for determination of mycobacterial growth in broth cultures and inside primary human macrophages in the presence or absence of plant extracts and fractions of extracts. Cytotoxicity was also assessed for active fractions of plant extracts. Results: Of the tested extracts, three exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on an avirulent strain of Mycobacterium tubercluosis (H37Ra) at the initial screening doses (125 and 6.25 mu g/ml). These were bark and leaf extracts of Khaya senegalensis and the leaf extract of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Further fractions of these plant extracts were prepared with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, ethanol and water, and the activity of these extracts was retained in hydrophobic fractions. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the chloroform fraction of Khaya senegalensis bark was non-toxic to human monocyte-derived macrophages and other cell types at the concentrations used and hence, further analysis, including assessment of IC50 and intracellular activity was done with this fraction. Conclusion: These results encourage further investigations to identify the active compound(s) within the chloroform fraction of Khaya senegalensis bark. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Anna-Maria, 1990-
(författare)
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV coinfection : Effects on innate immunity and strategies to boost the immune response
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tuberculosis (TB) still remains a big threat today, being the leading cause of death by a single infectious agent. The TB epidemic is fueled by HIV along with the increasing drug-resistance which prolongs the already long treatment duration and decreases the success rate for curing TB. In most cases an infection results in latency but HIV patients have a 20-30 times higher risk of developing active TB. There are around 36.9 million people living with HIV globally, with the highest burden in Africa. Although there are effective treatments against the disease, there is no cure for AIDS and the availability of the lifelong treatment is limited in low-income countries were the burden is highest. HIV infection causes an immunodeficiency characterized by the progressive loss of CD4 T cells which increases the risk of opportunistic infections, and infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB. Mtb spreads through aerosols from one person with active tuberculosis to a healthy person. Upon inhalation the bacteria are phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages that secrete cytokines and chemokines to recruit more cells, such as dendritic cells, macrophages and lymphocytes, leading to the formation of a granuloma. During a single TB infection the bacteria are usually contained within the granuloma, but HIV can disrupt the stable granuloma, causing a rupture and dissemination of Mtb. This inflammatory site is also beneficial to HIV since it promotes replication of the virus within infected cells. HIV and Mtb are two successful intracellular pathogens able to avoid immune defense mechanisms both of the innate and adaptive immunity in order to persist and replicate. Their virulence factors can manipulate or inhibit cell signaling, phagosome maturation, autophagy, ROS production, apoptosis and antigen presentation, to promote survival. Boosting of immune defenses with host-directed therapies (HDT) has been proposed as a treatment strategy against TB, either alone or adjunctive to the current regimen.In this thesis, ways to boost the innate immune responses in Mtb and HIV coinfected macrophages were investigated, along with studies of the effect of HIV on Mtb antigen presentation in coinfected dendritic cells. The initial hypothesis was that autophagy induction through inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) could suppress Mtb growth in HIV coinfected macrophages. However, during a low grade infection, autophagy induction increased Mtb replication due to a decreased autophagic flux and acidification of Mtb phagosomes. A general autophagic flux was induced, although not localized to the Mtb phagosomes, thus not inducing a xenophagy (autophagy of intracellular pathogens). Other ways of inducing autophagy or boosting the response in coinfected macrophages might be more beneficial and therefore the effect of efferocytosis was investigated. Uptake of apoptotic neutrophils by coinfected macrophages did not induce autophagy but enhanced the control of Mtb by other means. Upon efferocytosis, the macrophages acquired active myeloperoxidase (MPO) from the neutrophils that suppressed Mtb growth. The coinfected macrophages also produced more ROS after efferocytosis. The inhibition of Mtb growth could thus be mediated by MPO and the increased ROS production either directly or indirectly.The possibility to boost the innate immunity could prove to be important during an HIV coinfection, when the adaptive immunity is deficient. In addition to the well-known decline in CD4 T cells during the course of HIV progression, we found that HIV infection of dendritic cells inhibited antigen presentation by suppressing the expression of HLA-DR and co-stimulatory molecules on coinfected dendritic cells. Furthermore, HIV reduced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed antigen processing through inhibition of autophagy. This impaired antigen presentation in coinfected dendritic cells resulted in a decreased activation and response of Mtb-specific CD4 T cells.In conclusion, this thesis shows how HIV can manipulate antigen presentation in Mtb coinfected dendritic cells and subsequently inhibit the adaptive immune response. It also contributes to insights on how efferocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils can boost the innate immune responses during coinfection. Lastly, autophagy induction through mTOR inhibition does not enhance protection against TB. Induction of autophagy should therefore be handled with care, particularly during HIV coinfection.
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