| 1. |
- Pugliatti, M, et al.
(författare)
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A questionnaire for multinational case-control studies of environmental risk factors in multiple sclerosis (EnvIMS-Q)
- 2012
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Ingår i: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0001-6314 .- 1600-0404 .- 0065-1427 .- 1600-5449. ; 126:SI, s. 43-50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives - The increasing incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide, especially in women, points to the crucial role of environmental and lifestyle risk factors in determining the disease occurrence. An international multicentre case-control study of Environmental Risk Factors In Multiple Sclerosis (EnvIMS) has been launched in Norway, Sweden, Italy, Serbia and Canada, aimed to examine MS environmental risk factors in a large study population and disclose reciprocal interactions. To ensure equivalent methodology in detecting age-related past exposures in individuals with and without MS across the study sites, a new questionnaire (EnvIMS-Q) is presented. Materials and methods - EnvIMS-Q builds on previously developed guidelines for epidemiological studies in MS and is a 6-page self-administered postal questionnaire. Participants are de-identified through the use of a numerical code. Its content is identical for cases and controls including core and population-specific questions as proxies for vitamin D exposure (sun exposure, dietary habits and supplementation), childhood infections (including infectious mononucleosis) and cigarette smoking. Information on possible confounders or effect modifiers is also obtained. EnvIMS-Q was initially drafted in English and subsequently translated into Italian, Serbian, Norwegian, Swedish and French-Canadian. EnvIMS-Q has been tested for acceptability, feasibility and reliability. Results and Conclusions - EnvIMS-Q has shown cross-cultural feasibility, acceptability and reliability in both patients with MS and healthy subjects from all sites. EnvIMS-Q is an efficient tool to ensure proper assessment of age-specific exposure to environmental factors in large multinational population-based case-control studies of MS risk factors.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Joubert, M., et al.
(författare)
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'Pandem-icons' - exploring the characteristics of highly visible scientists during the Covid-19 pandemic
- 2023
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Ingår i: Jcom-Journal of Science Communication. - : Sissa Medialab Srl. - 1824-2049. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Covid-19 pandemic escalated demand for scientific explanations and guidance, creating opportunities for scientists to become publicly visible. In this study, we compared characteristics of visible scientists during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic (January to December 2020) across 16 countries. We find that the scientists who became visible largely matched socio-cultural criteria that have characterised visible scientists in the past (e.g., age, gender, credibility, public image, involvement in controversies). However, there were limited tendencies that scientists commented outside their areas of expertise. We conclude that the unusual circumstances created by Covid-19 did not change the phenomenon of visible scientists in significant ways.
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| 4. |
- Aamodt, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Blood neurofilament light concentration at admittance: a potential prognostic marker in COVID-19
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 268, s. 3574-3583
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To test the hypotheses that blood biomarkers for nervous system injury, serum concentrations of neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAp) can serve as biomarkers for disease severity in COVID-19 patients. Methods Forty-seven inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 had blood samples drawn on admission for assessing serum biomarkers of CNS injury by Single molecule array (Simoa), NfL and GFAp. Concentrations of NfL and GFAp were analyzed in relation to symptoms, clinical signs, inflammatory biomarkers and clinical outcomes. We used multivariate linear models to test for differences in biomarker concentrations in the subgroups, accounting for confounding effects. Results In total, 21% (n = 10) of the patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and the overall mortality rate was 13% (n = 6). Non-survivors had higher serum concentrations of NfL (p < 0.001) upon admission than patients who were discharged alive both in adjusted analyses (p = 2.6 x 10(-7)) and unadjusted analyses (p = 0.001). The concentrations of NfL in non-survivors increased over repeated measurements; whereas, the concentrations in survivors were stable. The GFAp concentration was also significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors (p = 0.02). Conclusion Increased concentrations of NfL and GFAp in COVID-19 patients on admission may indicate increased mortality risk. Measurement of blood biomarkers for nervous system injury can be useful to detect and monitor CNS injury in COVID-19.
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| 5. |
- Björnerås, C., et al.
(författare)
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Widespread Increases in Iron Concentration in European and North American Freshwaters
- 2017
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Ingår i: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. - 0886-6236 .- 1944-9224. ; 31:10, s. 1488-1500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent reports of increasing iron (Fe) concentrations in freshwaters are of concern, given the fundamental role of Fe in biogeochemical processes. Still, little is known about the frequency and geographical distribution of Fe trends or about the underlying drivers. We analyzed temporal trends of Fe concentrations across 340 water bodies distributed over 10 countries in northern Europe and North America in order to gain a clearer understanding of where, to what extent, and why Fe concentrations are on the rise. We found that Fe concentrations have significantly increased in 28% of sites, and decreased in 4%, with most positive trends located in northern Europe. Regions with rising Fe concentrations tend to coincide with those with organic carbon (OC) increases. Fe and OC increases may not be directly mechanistically linked, but may nevertheless be responding to common regional-scale drivers such as declining sulfur deposition or hydrological changes. A role of hydrological factors was supported by covarying trends in Fe and dissolved silica, as these elements tend to stem from similar soil depths. A positive relationship between Fe increases and conifer cover suggests that changing land use and expanded forestry could have contributed to enhanced Fe export, although increases were also observed in nonforested areas. We conclude that the phenomenon of increasing Fe concentrations is widespread, especially in northern Europe, with potentially significant implications for wider ecosystem biogeochemistry, and for the current browning of freshwaters.
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| 6. |
- Lundström, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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Advances in understanding the podzolization process resulting from a multidisciplinary study of three coniferous forest soils in the Nordic Countries
- 2000
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 94:04-feb, s. 335-353
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Geochemical, mineralogical, micromorphological, microbiological, hydrochemical and hpdrological joint investigations were performed at two coniferous podzolic sites in the north of Sweden and at one in the south of Finland. Mycorrhizal fungi were found to create numerous pens (3-10-mu m diameter) in many weatherable mineral grains in the eluvial (E) horizon. During the growing season, identified low molecular weight (LMW) organic acids such as citric, shikimic, oxalic and fumaric acids comprised 0.5-5% of the DOC and 0.5-15% of the total acidity in soil solutions. Between 20% and 40% of the dissolved Al was bound to the identified LMW organic acids. Mineral dissolution via complexing LMW acids, probably exuded in part by the mycorrhiza hyphae, is likely to be a major weathering process in podzols. We found no evidence for a decreasing C/metal ratio of the migrating organo-metal complexes that could explain the precipitation of secondary Fe and AL in the illuvial (B) horizon. Instead, microbial degradation of organic ligands resulting in the release of ionic,Al and Fe to the soil solution may he an important process facilitating the formation of solid Al-SI-OH and Fe-OH phases in the podzol B horizon. However, within the B horizon transport as proto-imogilite (PI) sols might be possible. In the B horizon, the extractable,Al and Fe was predominantly inorganic. The large specific surface area (SSA) removable by oxalate extraction, the high point of zero charge salt effect (PZSE), the low cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the high sulphate exchange capacity (SEC), painted to the presence of short-range ordered variable charge phases. Imogolite type material (ITM) was indeed identified in all B horizons by IR spectroscopy and crystalline imogolite was found in the deep B horizon of one profile. Mossbauer spectroscopy indicated that Fe in the form of ferrihydrite was formed by intergrowth with an Al-Si-OH phase. The high amounts of Fe and Al transported from the O to the E horizon indicate that there could be an upward transport of these elements before they are leached to the B horizon. We hypothesize that the LMW Al complexes an transported by hyphae to the mor (O) layer, partly released and subsequently complexed by high molecular weight (HMW) acids.
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| 7. |
- Lynge, E, et al.
(författare)
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Risk of cancer and exposure to gasoline vapors
- 1997
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Ingår i: American journal of epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 145:5, s. 449-458
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 10. |
- Bjørnevik, Kjetil, et al.
(författare)
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Negative interaction between smoking and EBV in the risk of multiple sclerosis : The EnvIMS study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Multiple Sclerosis Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 1352-4585 .- 1477-0970. ; 23:7, s. 1018-1024
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Results from previous studies on a possible interaction between smoking and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) are conflicting.OBJECTIVES: To examine the interaction between smoking and infectious mononucleosis (IM) in the risk of MS.METHODS: Within the case-control study on Environmental Factors In Multiple Sclerosis (EnvIMS), 1904 MS patients and 3694 population-based frequency-matched healthy controls from Norway, Italy, and Sweden reported on prior exposure to smoking and history of IM. We examined the interaction between the two exposures on the additive and multiplicative scale.RESULTS: Smoking and IM were each found to be associated with an increased MS risk in all three countries, and there was a negative multiplicative interaction between the two exposures in each country separately as well as in the pooled analysis (p = 0.001). Among those who reported IM, there was no increased risk associated with smoking (odds ratio (OR): 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-1.37). The direction of the estimated interactions on the additive scale was consistent with a negative interaction in all three countries (relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI): -0.98, 95% CI: -2.05-0.15, p = 0.09).CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate competing antagonism, where the two exposures compete to affect the outcome.
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