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- Angiolillo, Fabio, 1994, et al.
(författare)
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State of the world 2023: democracy winning and losing at the ballot : State of the world 2023
- 2024
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Ingår i: Democratization. - 1351-0347.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents trends in democracy, autocracy, and regime transformation using the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset version 14. We offer five main findings. First, the average level of democracy as measured by the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) continues to decline and has reached the 1985-level when looking at the population-weighted averages. Second, 42 countries are in ongoing episodes of autocratization, and 18 countries are in ongoing episodes of democratization in 2023. Third, we are the first to show that out of the 42 autocratizing countries, 19 are “Bell-turn” autocratizers, while nine out of the 18 democratizers are “U-turns.” Fourth, we unpack the familiar analysis of the three waves of autocratization and democratization by dividing these into the newly discovered stand-alone episodes of autocratization versus Bell-turn episodes, as well as stand-alone episodes of democratization versus U-turn episodes. This analysis suggests that regime volatility has increased in recent years, as a larger share of both autocratization and democratization are made up of Bell-turns and U-turns, respectively. Fifth, out of the 60 countries holding national elections this year, 31 countries are in some degree of decline in democracy, while only three are improving on democracy.
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- Axell, Emil, et al.
(författare)
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The role of shear forces in primary and secondary nucleation of amyloid fibrils
- 2024
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 1091-6490. ; 121:25, s. 2322572121-2322572121
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shear forces affect self-assembly processes ranging from crystallization to fiber formation. Here, the effect of mild agitation on amyloid fibril formation was explored for four peptides and investigated in detail for Aβ42, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. To gain mechanistic insights into the effect of mild agitation, nonseeded and seeded aggregation reactions were set up at various peptide concentrations with and without an inhibitor. First, an effect on fibril fragmentation was excluded by comparing the monomer-concentration dependence of aggregation kinetics under idle and agitated conditions. Second, using a secondary nucleation inhibitor, Brichos, the agitation effect on primary nucleation was decoupled from secondary nucleation. Third, an effect on secondary nucleation was established in the absence of inhibitor. Fourth, an effect on elongation was excluded by comparing the seeding potency of fibrils formed under idle or agitated conditions. We find that both primary and secondary nucleation steps are accelerated by gentle agitation. The increased shear forces facilitate both the detachment of newly formed aggregates from catalytic surfaces and the rate at which molecules are transported in the bulk solution to encounter nucleation sites on the fibril and other surfaces. Ultrastructural evidence obtained with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and free-flow electrophoresis in microfluidics devices imply that agitation speeds up the detachment of nucleated species from the fibril surface. Our findings shed light on the aggregation mechanism and the role of detachment for efficient secondary nucleation. The results inform on how to modulate the relative importance of different microscopic steps in drug discovery and investigations.
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- Backman, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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All-cause and cause-specific mortality by spirometric pattern and sex - a population-based cohort study
- 2024
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Ingår i: THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN RESPIRATORY DISEASE. - : Sage Publications. - 1753-4658 .- 1753-4666. ; 18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Chronic airway obstruction (CAO) and restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) are associated with mortality, but sex-specific patterns of all-cause and specific causes of death have hardly been evaluated. Objectives: To study the possible sex-dependent differences of all-cause mortality and patterns of cause-specific mortality among men and women with CAO and RSP, respectively, to that of normal lung function (NLF). Design: Population-based prospective cohort study. Methods: Individuals with CAO [FEV1/vital capacity (VC) < 0.70], RSP [FEV1/VC >= 0.70 and forced vital capacity (FVC) < 80% predicted] and NLF (FEV1/VC >= 0.70 and FVC >= 80% predicted) were identified within the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) studies in 2002-2004. Mortality data were collected through April 2016, totally covering 19,000 patient-years. Cox regression and Fine-Gray regression accounting for competing risks were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age, body mass index, sex, smoking habits and pack-years. Results: The adjusted hazard for all-cause mortality was higher in CAO and RSP than in NLF (HR, 95% CI; 1.69, 1.31-2.02 and 1.24, 1.06-1.71), and the higher hazards were driven by males. CAO had a higher hazard of respiratory and cardiovascular death than NLF (2.68, 1.05-6.82 and 1.40, 1.04-1.90). The hazard of respiratory death was significant in women (3.41, 1.05-11.07) while the hazard of cardiovascular death was significant in men (1.49, 1.01-2.22). In RSP, the higher hazard for respiratory death remained after adjustment (2.68, 1.05-6.82) but not for cardiovascular death (1.11, 0.74-1.66), with a similar pattern in both sexes. Conclusion: The higher hazard for all-cause mortality in CAO and RSP than in NLF was male driven. CAO was associated with respiratory death in women and cardiovascular death in men, while RSP is associated with respiratory death, similarly in both sexes.
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- Backman, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Level of Education Modifies Asthma Mortality in Norway and Sweden. The Nordic EpiLung Study
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF ASTHMA AND ALLERGY. - : Dove Medical Press. - 1178-6965. ; 17, s. 209-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Aim: The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), asthma and mortality is complex and multifaceted, and it is not established if educational level modifies the association between asthma and mortality. The aim was to study the association between asthma and mortality in Sweden and Norway and to what extent educational level modifies this association. Participants and Methods: Within the Nordic EpiLung Study, >56,000 individuals aged 30-69 years participated in population -based surveys on asthma and associated risk factors in Sweden and Norway during 2005-2007. Data on educational level and 10-year all -cause mortality were linked by national authorities. The fraction of mortality risk attributable to asthma was calculated, and Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for mortality related to asthma, stratified by educational level. Results: In total, 5.5% of all deaths was attributed to asthma. When adjusted for potential confounders, the HR for mortality related to asthma was 1.71 (95% CI 1.52-1.93). Those with primary level of education had higher hazard of all -cause death related to asthma than those with tertiary level (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.48-2.18, vs HR 1.39, 95% CI 0.99-1.95). Conclusion: Asthma was associated with an overall 71% increased all -cause mortality and 5.5% of deaths can be attributed to asthma. Educational levels modified the risk of mortality associated with asthma, with the highest risk among those with primary education.
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- Backman, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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The interplay between obesity and blood neutrophils in adult-onset asthma
- 2024
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Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 222
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Highlights:Severe obesity strongly associates to blood neutrophils in adult-onset asthma.B-neutrophils may partly mediate associations between obesity and asthma control.Clinical evaluation of adult-onset asthma should include assessing B-neutrophils.
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- Bjornsdottir, Erla, et al.
(författare)
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Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness : a European population-based study
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 14:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between physical activity over a 10-year period and current symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness and estimated sleep duration in adults aged 39-67.DESIGN: Population-based, multicentre cohort study. SETTING: 21 centres in nine European countries.METHODS: Included were 4339 participants in the third follow-up to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS III), who answered questions on physical activity at baseline (ECRHS II) and questions on physical activity, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness at 10-year follow-up (ECRHS III). Participants who reported that they exercised with a frequency of at least two or more times a week, for 1 hour/week or more, were classified as being physically active. Changes in activity status were categorised into four groups: persistently non-active; became inactive; became active; and persistently active.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Insomnia, sleep time and daytime sleepiness in relation to physical activity.RESULTS: Altogether, 37% of participants were persistently non-active, 25% were persistently active, 20% became inactive and 18% became active from baseline to follow-up. Participants who were persistently active were less likely to report difficulties initiating sleep (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.78), a short sleep duration of ≤6 hours/night (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85) and a long sleep of ≥9 hours/night (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84) than persistently non-active subjects after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and study centre. Daytime sleepiness and difficulties maintaining sleep were not related to physical activity status.CONCLUSION: Physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations, both long and short.
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- Bjornsdottir, Erla, et al.
(författare)
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Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMJ OPEN. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 14:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives To explore the relationship between physical activity over a 10-year period and current symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness and estimated sleep duration in adults aged 39-67. Design Population-based, multicentre cohort study. Setting 21 centres in nine European countries. Methods Included were 4339 participants in the third follow-up to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS III), who answered questions on physical activity at baseline (ECRHS II) and questions on physical activity, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness at 10-year follow-up (ECRHS III). Participants who reported that they exercised with a frequency of at least two or more times a week, for 1 hour/week or more, were classified as being physically active. Changes in activity status were categorised into four groups: persistently non-active; became inactive; became active; and persistently active. Main outcome measures Insomnia, sleep time and daytime sleepiness in relation to physical activity. Results Altogether, 37% of participants were persistently non-active, 25% were persistently active, 20% became inactive and 18% became active from baseline to follow-up. Participants who were persistently active were less likely to report difficulties initiating sleep (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.78), a short sleep duration of <= 6 hours/night (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85) and a long sleep of >= 9 hours/night (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84) than persistently non-active subjects after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and study centre. Daytime sleepiness and difficulties maintaining sleep were not related to physical activity status. Conclusion Physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations, both long and short.
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