| 1. |
- Marklund, Emelie, et al.
(författare)
-
Serum-IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 after mild and severe COVID-19 infection and analysis of IgG non-responders.
- 2020
-
Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To accurately interpret COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys, knowledge of serum-IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 with a better understanding of patients who do not seroconvert, is imperative. This study aimed to describe serum-IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of patients with both severe and mild COVID-19, including extended studies of patients who remained seronegative more than 90 days post symptom onset.SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody levels were quantified using two clinically validated and widely used commercial serological assays (Architect, Abbott Laboratories and iFlash 1800, YHLO), detecting antibodies against the spike and nucleocapsid proteins.Forty-seven patients (mean age 49 years, 38% female) were included. All (15/15) patients with severe symptoms and 29/32 (90.6%) patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 developed SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies in serum. Time to seroconversion was significantly shorter (median 11 vs. 22 days, P = 0.04) in patients with severe compared to mild symptoms. Of the three patients without detectable IgG-responses after >90 days, all had detectable virus-neutralizing antibodies and in two, spike-protein receptor binding domain-specific IgG was detected with an in-house assay. Antibody titers were preserved during follow-up and all patients who seroconverted, irrespective of the severity of symptoms, still had detectable IgG levels >75 days post symptom onset.Patients with severe COVID-19 both seroconvert earlier and develop higher concentrations of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG than patients with mild symptoms. Of those patients who not develop detectable IgG antibodies, all have detectable virus-neutralizing antibodies, suggesting immunity. Our results showing that not all COVID-19 patients develop detectable IgG using two validated commercial clinical methods, even over time, are vital for the interpretation of COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys.
|
|
| 2. |
- Lundgren, Anna, 1974, et al.
(författare)
-
Plasmablasts in previously immunologically naive COVID-19 patients express markers indicating mucosal homing and secrete antibodies cross-reacting with SARS-CoV-2 variants and other beta-coronaviruses
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Immunology. - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 213:2, s. 173-89
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antigen-specific class-switched antibodies are detected at the same time or even before IgM in serum of non-vaccinated individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. These derive from the first wave of plasmablasts formed. Hence, the phenotype and specificity of plasmablasts can reveal information about early B-cell activation. Here we have analyzed B cells and plasmablasts circulating in blood of COVID-19 patients not previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during and after disease. We find that during infection with the original Wuhan strain, plasmablasts in blood produce IgA1, IgG1, and IgM, and that most express CCR10 and integrin beta 1, only some integrin beta 7, while the majority lack CCR9. Plasmablast-secreted antibodies are reactive to the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins of the Wuhan strain as well as later variants of concern, but also bind S proteins from endemic and non-circulating betacoronaviruses. In contrast, after recovery, antibodies produced from memory B cells target variants of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 but compared to previously non-infected individuals do not show increased binding to endemic coronaviruses. This suggests that the early antibody response to a large extent stems from pre-existing cross-reactive class-switched memory B cells, and that although newly formed memory cells target the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus the numbers of broadly cross-reactive memory B cells do not increase extensively. The observations give insight into the role of pre-existing memory B cells in early antibody responses to novel pathogens and may explain why class-switched antibodies are detected early in the serum of COVID-19 patients. During an infection, plasmablasts circulating in blood represent ongoing formation of antibody-producing cells from activated B cells. Here we study the early plasmablasts in previously naive COVID-19 patients arriving at hospital. We find extensive cross-reactivity to circulating and non-circulating beta-coronaviruses, that IgA1 responses dominate, and that the cells express markers suggesting mucosal homing.
|
|
| 3. |
- Marklund, Emelie, et al.
(författare)
-
Longitudinal Follow Up of Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Health Care Workers in Sweden With Several Different Commercial IgG-Assays, Measurement of Neutralizing Antibodies and CD4+ T-Cell Responses.
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among health care workers (HCWs) is a concern, but studies that conclusively determine whether HCWs are over-represented remain limited. Furthermore, methods used to confirm past infection vary and the immunological response after mild COVID-19 is still not well defined.314 HCWs were recruited from a Swedish Infectious Diseases clinic caring for COVID-19 patients. IgG antibodies were measured using two commercial assays (Abbot Architect nucleocapsid (N)-assay and YHLO iFlash-1800 N and spike (S)-assays) at five time-points, from March 2020 to January 2021, covering two pandemic waves. Seroprevalence was assessed in matched blood donors at three time-points. More extensive analyses were performed in 190 HCWs in September/October 2020, including two additional IgG-assays (DiaSorin LiaisonXL S1/S2 and Abbot Architect receptor-binding domain (RBD)-assays), neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), and CD4+ T-cell reactivity using an in-house developed in vitro whole-blood assay based on flow cytometric detection of activated cells after stimulation with Spike S1-subunit or Spike, Membrane and Nucleocapsid (SMN) overlapping peptide pools.Seroprevalence was higher among HCWs compared to sex and age-matched blood donors at all time-points. Seropositivity increased from 6.4% to 16.3% among HCWs between May 2020 and January 2021, compared to 3.6% to 11.9% among blood donors. We found significant correlations and high levels of agreement between NAbs and all four commercial IgG-assays. At 200-300 days post PCR-verified infection, there was a wide variation in sensitivity between the commercial IgG-assays, ranging from <30% in the N-assay to >90% in the RBD-assay. There was only moderate agreement between NAbs and CD4+ T-cell reactivity to S1 or SMN. Pre-existing CD4+ T-cell reactivity was present in similar proportions among HCW who subsequently became infected and those that did not.HCWs in COVID-19 patient care in Sweden have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a higher rate compared to blood donors. We demonstrate substantial variation between different IgG-assays and propose that multiple serological targets should be used to verify past infection. Our data suggest that CD4+ T-cell reactivity is not a suitable measure of past infection and does not reliably indicate protection from infection in naive individuals.
|
|
| 4. |
- Elma, Eylem, et al.
(författare)
-
Post-bleaching alterations in coral reef communities
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Marine Pollution Bulletin. - : Elsevier BV. - 0025-326X .- 1879-3363. ; 186
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We explored the extent of post-bleaching impacts, caused by the 2014-2016 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, on benthic community structure (BCS) and herbivores (fish and sea urchins) on seven fringing reefs, with differing protection levels, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Results showed post-bleaching alterations in BCS, with up to 68 % coral mortality and up to 48 % increase in turf algae cover in all reef sites. Herbivorous fish biomass increased after bleaching and was correlated with turf algae increase in some reefs, while the opposite was found for sea urchin densities, with significant declines and complete absence. The severity of the impact varied across individual reefs, with larger impact on the protected reefs, compared to the unprotected reefs. Our study provides a highly relevant reference point to guide future research and contributes to our understanding of post-bleaching impacts, trends, and evaluation of coral reef health and resilience in the region.
|
|
| 5. |
- Gericke, Martin, et al.
(författare)
-
The European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE) research roadmap 2040: Advanced strategies for exploiting the vast potential of polysaccharides as renewable bioresources
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Carbohydrate Polymers. - : Elsevier BV. - 0144-8617 .- 1879-1344. ; 326
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polysaccharides are among the most abundant bioresources on earth and consequently need to play a pivotal role when addressing existential scientific challenges like climate change and the shift from fossil-based to sustainable biobased materials. The Research Roadmap 2040 of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE) provides an expert's view on how future research and development strategies need to evolve to fully exploit the vast potential of polysaccharides as renewable bioresources. It is addressed to academic researchers, companies, as well as policymakers and covers five strategic areas that are of great importance in the context of polysaccharide related research: (I) Materials & Engineering, (II) Food & Nutrition, (III) Biomedical Applications, (IV) Chemistry, Biology & Physics, and (V) Skills & Education. Each section summarizes the state of research, identifies challenges that are currently faced, project achievements and developments that are expected in the upcoming 20 years, and finally provides outlines on how future research activities need to evolve.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Nyström, Magnus, 1967-
(författare)
-
Coral reefs in a human-dominated environment : implications of altered disturbance regimes and reduced resilience
- 2001
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Coral reefs are facing an "Anthropocene " era where humans have advanced from a minor species with limited influence on coral reefs to a major source of disturbance. Disturbance arriving from human influences may not only interact with each other, but also with natural disturbance regimes, leading to synergistic effects. Several studies have addressed the influence of natural disturbance regimes on coral reefs. However, experimental studies on disturbance complexity and physiological responses of corals to sublethal stresses, anthropogenic in particular, are surprisingly few. This thesis investigates the effects on corals exposed to single and multiple stress and highlights human influences on the interaction between altered disturbance regimes and ecological resilience. The first three studies have an ecophysiological approach showing that a stressor that do not affect corals when arriving as a single parameter can have a substantial effect when occurring in combination (simultaneously or sequentially) with other stressors. The studies also show that, in the short-term, antagonistic effects may occur.Interacting disturbance regimes can result in ecological surprises, such as phase shifts. A common manifestation of such phase shifts in coral reefs is the shift from coral to algal dominance where overfishing, mass mortality of herbivorous organisms, and eutrophication seem to be some of the major driving forces. This thesis also explores the dual and interactive role of marine protected areas and physical reduction of macroalgae as potential management strategies in reefs that have undergone a phase shift. However, results show that herbivorous fishes are not able to keep algae growth in check after the algae once are removed which might indicate that under prevailing conditions the phase shift might be irreversible.Instead of focusing on recovery of certain species and populations of species within disturbed sites of individual reefs, this thesis also address spatial resilience i.e. the dynamic capacity of a reef matrix to reorganize and maintain ecosystem function following disturbance. The final two papers begin an identification of spatial sources of resilience in dynamic seascapes where the interplay between altered disturbance regimes and ecological resilience is highlighted. Managing for resilience in dynamic seascapes enhances the likelihood of conserving coral reefs and provides insurance to society by sustaining essential ecosystem services.
|
|
| 8. |
- Sengpiel, Verena, 1977, et al.
(författare)
-
Confirmed reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 during a pregnancy: A case report.
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Clinical case reports. - : Wiley. - 2050-0904. ; 10:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pregnancy might impact immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination. We describe the first case of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 during a pregnancy. While the mother lacked detectable antibodies 2months after the first infection, both mother and baby had IgG antibodies at delivery. Infection did not cause any adverse pregnancy outcome.
|
|
| 9. |
- Søgaard Jørgensen, Peter, et al.
(författare)
-
Evolution of the polycrisis : Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - 0962-8436 .- 1471-2970. ; 379:1893
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping. We identify 14 traps and categorize them as either global, technology or structural traps. An assessment reveals that 12 traps (86%) could be in an advanced phase of trapping with high risk of hard-to-reverse lock-ins and growing risks of negative impacts on human well-being. Ten traps (71%) currently see growing trends in their indicators. Revealing the systemic nature of the polycrisis, we assess that Anthropocene traps often interact reinforcingly (45% of pairwise interactions), and rarely in a dampening fashion (3%). We end by discussing capacities that will be important for navigating these systemic challenges in pursuit of global sustainability. Doing so, we introduce evolvability as a unifying concept for such research between the sustainability and evolutionary sciences.
|
|
| 10. |
- Tran, Van Chinh, 1990-
(författare)
-
Wood Templated Organic Electronics
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In today’s digital era, electronics are integral to most activities in our daily lives, offering swift and global communication, powerful data processing tools, and advanced sensor devices. However, there are drawbacks to the exponentially growing demand for electronics, such as the depletion of fossil resources, and the complexities surrounding recycling electronic waste (E-waste). As we gradually step into the era of sustainability, it is necessary to explore alternative resources and develop greener electronic technologies. For this purpose, organic electronics (OE) has emerged as an interesting alternative, owning to its potential for low-energy fabrication and use of organic materials composed of Earth-abundant elements.The term "organic electronics" has been used widely to refer to electrical devices crafted from organic materials, typically semiconducting polymers (sCPs). This arises from the fact that most developed OE devices such as solar cells, transistors, supercapacitors, and batteries are centered around such materials. Along with the development of different semiconducting polymer varieties, materials from various natural resources have also been explored for devices’ electrodes, binders, and electrolytes. Among them, materials from the forest have emerged as abundant, renewable, and valuable options. For many years, wood has been tailored and utilized as a device template, while its components including cellulose fibrils and lignin have been widely used as structural or active components in OE. Lignin has now become an important electrode and electrolyte active material in energy storage devices.This thesis presents new approaches and findings in the utilization of wood and lignin as active components in different OE applications. The thesis centers around two primary themes, in which the first involves the development and utilization of conductive wood (CW), containing lignin, and lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) for supercapacitors and battery applications. The second theme focuses on developing and employing conductive wood as an active electrode in the creation of a wood electrochemical transistor. Within the first theme, I have uncovered the potential of storing electricity in wood utilizing its redox-active component, native lignin. The discovery is reinforced by the successful employment of LNPs as active materials in an organic battery. Within the second theme, I have demonstrated the world's first wooden transistor, characterized its electronic performance, and discussed the pretreatment procedure of the wood substrate that is necessary for achieving a working device. This thesis is anticipated to contribute to new and valuable knowledge for encouraging the development of low-cost and sustainable OE in the future.
|
|
