| 1. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(författare)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Thompson, Paul M., et al.
(författare)
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The ENIGMA Consortium : large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data
- 2014
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Ingår i: BRAIN IMAGING BEHAV. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1931-7557 .- 1931-7565. ; 8:2, s. 153-182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger numbers of subjects than any individual neuroimaging study has currently collected. ENIGMA's first project was a genome-wide association study identifying common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume or intracranial volume. Continuing work is exploring genetic associations with subcortical volumes (ENIGMA2) and white matter microstructure (ENIGMA-DTI). Working groups also focus on understanding how schizophrenia, bipolar illness, major depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect the brain. We review the current progress of the ENIGMA Consortium, along with challenges and unexpected discoveries made on the way.
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| 4. |
- Campa, Daniele, et al.
(författare)
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The INSIG2 rs7566605 polymorphism is not associated with body mass index and breast cancer risk
- 2010
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Ingår i: BMC Cancer. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2407. ; 10, s. 563-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The single nucleotide polymorphism rs7566605, located in the promoter of the INSIG2 gene, has been the subject of a strong scientific effort aimed to elucidate its possible association with body mass index (BMI). The first report showing that rs7566605 could be associated with body fatness was a genome-wide association study (GWAS) which used BMI as the primary phenotype. Many follow-up studies sought to validate the association of rs7566605 with various markers of obesity, with several publications reporting inconsistent findings. BMI is considered to be one of the measures of choice to evaluate body fatness and there is evidence that body fatness is related with an increased risk of breast cancer (BC).METHODS: we tested in a large-scale association study (3,973 women, including 1,269 invasive BC cases and 2,194 controls), nested within the EPIC cohort, the involvement of rs7566605 as predictor of BMI and BC risk.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In this study we were not able to find any statistically significant association between this SNP and BMI, nor did we find any significant association between the SNP and an increased risk of breast cancer overall and by subgroups of age, or menopausal status.
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| 5. |
- Clark, Andrew G., et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny
- 2007
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 450:7167, s. 203-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comparative analysis of multiple genomes in a phylogenetic framework dramatically improves the precision and sensitivity of evolutionary inference, producing more robust results than single-genome analyses can provide. The genomes of 12 Drosophila species, ten of which are presented here for the first time (sechellia, simulans, yakuba, erecta, ananassae, persimilis, willistoni, mojavensis, virilis and grimshawi), illustrate how rates and patterns of sequence divergence across taxa can illuminate evolutionary processes on a genomic scale. These genome sequences augment the formidable genetic tools that have made Drosophila melanogaster a pre-eminent model for animal genetics, and will further catalyse fundamental research on mechanisms of development, cell biology, genetics, disease, neurobiology, behaviour, physiology and evolution. Despite remarkable similarities among these Drosophila species, we identified many putatively non-neutral changes in protein-coding genes, non-coding RNA genes, and cis-regulatory regions. These may prove to underlie differences in the ecology and behaviour of these diverse species.
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| 6. |
- Huffman, Jennifer E., et al.
(författare)
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Modulation of Genetic Associations with Serum Urate Levels by Body-Mass-Index in Humans
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We tested for interactions between body mass index (BMI) and common genetic variants affecting serum urate levels, genome-wide, in up to 42569 participants. Both stratified genome-wide association (GWAS) analyses, in lean, overweight and obese individuals, and regression-type analyses in a non BMI-stratified overall sample were performed. The former did not uncover any novel locus with a major main effect, but supported modulation of effects for some known and potentially new urate loci. The latter highlighted a SNP at RBFOX3 reaching genome-wide significant level (effect size 0.014, 95% CI 0.008-0.02, P-inter= 2.6 x 10(-8)). Two top loci in interaction term analyses, RBFOX3 and ERO1LB-EDAR-ADD, also displayed suggestive differences in main effect size between the lean and obese strata. All top ranking loci for urate effect differences between BMI categories were novel and most had small magnitude but opposite direction effects between strata. They include the locus RBMS1-TANK (men, Pdifflean-overweight= 4.7 x 10(-8)), a region that has been associated with several obesity related traits, and TSPYL5 (men, Pdifflean-overweight= 9.1 x 10(-8)), regulating adipocytes-produced estradiol. The top-ranking known urate loci was ABCG2, the strongest known gout risk locus, with an effect halved in obese compared to lean men (Pdifflean-obese= 2 x 10(-4)). Finally, pathway analysis suggested a role for N-glycan biosynthesis as a prominent urate-associated pathway in the lean stratum. These results illustrate a potentially powerful way to monitor changes occurring in obesogenic environment.
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| 7. |
- Singer, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Performance of the EORTC questionnaire for the assessment of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients EORTC QLQ-H&N35: a methodological review.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-2649. ; 22:8, s. 1927-1941
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: The EORTC QLQ-H&N35 (H&N35) is widely used to measure quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. The aims of this study were to obtain insight into a) the languages in which the H&N35 has been used and the psychometric properties in those languages, b) the study designs, and c) its acceptance by patients and investigators. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed searching for all original papers that had used at least one item of the H&N35. Identified papers were read and the information about methodological issues abstracted statistically analysed. RESULTS: A total of 136 papers were identified. The H&N35 was administered in 19 different languages in 27 countries. The study design was cross-sectional in the majority of studies (53%), prospective cohort studies (31%), phase-II-trials (7%), phase-III-trials (6%) and case-control studies (1%). The scales with the highest percentages of missing values were Sexuality (11.5%) and Speech (7%). The median Cronbach's alpha of the multi-item scales ranged from 0.61 (Senses) to 0.93 (Sexuality). Construct validity was rarely investigated. On average, 12 scales (range 0-18) of the instrument were used by the investigators. The scale most often used was swallowing (in 85% of studies) and least often used was Weight Gain (39%). CONCLUSION: The H&N35 is widely used throughout the world, mainly in observational studies, and has demonstrated robust psychometric features in different languages. However, some methodological problems reported imply that the instrument can be improved in some areas.
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| 8. |
- Campa, Daniele, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic variation in genes of the fatty acid synthesis pathway and breast cancer risk.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0167-6806 .- 1573-7217. ; 118:3, s. 565-574
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is the major enzyme of lipogenesis. It catalyzes the NADPH-dependent condensation of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA to produce palmitic acid. Transcription of the FAS gene is controlled synergistically by the transcription factors ChREBP (carbohydrate response element-binding protein), which is induced by glucose, and SREBP-1 (sterol response element-binding protein-1), which is stimulated by insulin through the PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathway. We investigated whether the genetic variability of the genes encoding for ChREBP, SREBP and FAS (respectively, MLXIPL, SREBF1 and FASN) is related to breast cancer risk and body-mass index (BMI) by studying 1,294 breast cancer cases and 2,452 controls from the European Prospective Investigation on Cancer (EPIC). We resequenced the FAS gene and combined information of SNPs found by resequencing and SNPs from public databases. Using a tagging approach and selecting 20 SNPs, we covered all the common genetic variation of these genes. In this study we were not able to find any statistically significant association between the SNPs in the FAS, ChREBP and SREPB-1 genes and an increased risk of breast cancer overall and by subgroups of age, menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use or BMI. On the other hand, we found that two SNPs in FASN were associated with BMI.
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| 9. |
- de Haan, Anke, et al.
(författare)
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Efficacy and moderators of efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapies with a trauma focus in children and adolescents: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised trials
- 2024
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Ingår i: The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. - 2352-4642. ; 8:1, s. 28-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Existing clinical trials of cognitive behavioural therapies with a trauma focus (CBTs-TF) are underpowered to examine key variables that might moderate treatment effects. We aimed to determine the efficacy of CBTs-TF for young people, relative to passive and active control conditions, and elucidate putative individual-level and treatment-level moderators. Methods: This was an individual participant data meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomised studies in young people aged 6−18 years exposed to trauma. We included studies identified by the latest UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines (completed on Jan 29, 2018) and updated their search. The search strategy included database searches restricted to publications between Jan 1, 2018, and Nov 12, 2019; grey literature search of trial registries ClinicalTrials.gov and ISRCTN; preprint archives PsyArXiv and bioRxiv; and use of social media and emails to key authors to identify any unpublished datasets. The primary outcome was post-traumatic stress symptoms after treatment (<1 month after the final session). Predominantly, one-stage random-effects models were fitted. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42019151954. Findings: We identified 38 studies; 25 studies provided individual participant data, comprising 1686 young people (mean age 13·65 years [SD 3·01]), with 802 receiving CBTs-TF and 884 a control condition. The risk-of-bias assessment indicated five studies as low risk and 20 studies with some concerns. Participants who received CBTs-TF had lower mean post-traumatic stress symptoms after treatment than those who received the control conditions, after adjusting for post-traumatic stress symptoms before treatment (b=−13·17, 95% CI −17·84 to −8·50, p<0·001, τ2=103·72). Moderation analysis indicated that this effect of CBTs-TF on post-traumatic stress symptoms post-treatment increased by 0·15 units (b=−0·15, 95% CI −0·29 to −0·01, p=0·041, τ2=0·03) for each unit increase in pre-treatment post-traumatic stress symptoms. Interpretation: This is the first individual participant data meta-analysis of young people exposed to trauma. Our findings support CBTs-TF as the first-line treatment, irrespective of age, gender, trauma characteristics, or carer involvement in treatment, with particular benefits for those with higher initial distress. Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation.
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| 10. |
- Dossus, Laure, et al.
(författare)
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Polymorphisms of genes coding for ghrelin and its receptor in relation to anthropometry, circulating levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3, and breast cancer risk a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)
- 2008
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Ingår i: Carcinogenesis. - : Oxford University Press. - 0143-3334 .- 1460-2180. ; 29:7, s. 1360-1366
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, has two major functions: the stimulation of the growth hormone production and the stimulation of food intake. Accumulating evidence also suggests a role of ghrelin in cancer development. We conducted a case-control study on 1359 breast cancer cases and 2389 matched controls, nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, to examine the association of common genetic variants in the genes coding for ghrelin (GHRL) and its receptor (GHSR) with anthropometric measures, circulating insulin growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 and breast cancer risk. Pair-wise tagging was used to select the 15 polymorphisms that represent the majority of common genetic variants across the GHRL and GHSR genes. A significant increase in breast cancer risk was observed in carriers of the GHRL rs171407-G allele (odds ratio: 1.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.0-1.4; P = 0.02). The GHRL single-nucleotide polymorphism rs375577 was associated with a 5% increase in IGF-I levels (P = 0.01). A number of GHRL and GHSR polymorphisms were associated with body mass index (BMI) and height (P between <0.01 and 0.04). The false-positive report probability (FPRP) approach suggests that these results are noteworthy (FPRP < 0.20). The results presented here add to a growing body of evidence that GHRL variations are associated with BMI. Furthermore, we have observed evidence for association of GHRL polymorphisms with circulating IGF-I levels and with breast cancer risk. These associations, however, might also be due to chance findings and further large studies are needed to confirm our results.
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| 11. |
- Fisher, Jeffrey W., et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of iodide deficiency in the lactating rat and pup using a biologically based dose-response model
- 2013
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Ingår i: Toxicological Sciences. - : Oxford University Press. - 1096-6080 .- 1096-0929. ; 132:1, s. 75-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A biologically based dose-response (BBDR) model for the hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid (HPT) axis in the lactating rat and nursing pup was developed to describe the perturbations caused by iodide deficiency on the HPT axis. Model calibrations, carried out by adjusting key model parameters, were used as a technique to evaluate HPT axis adaptations to dietary iodide intake in euthyroid (4.1-39 µg iodide/day) and iodide-deficient (0.31 and 1.2 µg iodide/day) conditions. Iodide-deficient conditions in both the dam and the pup were described with increased blood flow to the thyroid gland, TSH-mediated increase in thyroidal uptake of iodide and binding of iodide in the thyroid gland (organification), and, in general, reduced thyroid hormone production and metabolism. Alterations in thyroxine (T4) homeostasis were more apparent than for triiodothyronine (T3). Model-predicted average daily area-under-the-serum-concentration-curve (nM-day) values for T4 at steady state in the dam and pup decreased by 14-15% for the 1.2 µg iodide/day iodide-deficient diet and 42-52% for the 0.31 µg iodide/day iodide-deficient diet. In rat pups that were iodide deficient during gestation and lactation, these decreases in serum T4 levels were associated with declines in thyroid hormone in the fetal brain and a suppression of synaptic responses in the hippocampal region of the brain of the adult offspring (Gilbert et al. , 2013).
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| 12. |
- Fresard, Laure, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of rare-disease genes using blood transcriptome sequencing and large control cohorts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Medicine. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1078-8956 .- 1546-170X. ; 25:6, s. 911-919
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is estimated that 350 million individuals worldwide suffer from rare diseases, which are predominantly caused by mutation in a single gene(1). The current molecular diagnostic rate is estimated at 50%, with whole-exome sequencing (WES) among the most successful approaches(2-5). For patients in whom WES is uninformative, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has shown diagnostic utility in specific tissues and diseases(6-8). This includes muscle biopsies from patients with undiagnosed rare muscle disorders(6,9), and cultured fibroblasts from patients with mitochondrial disorders(7). However, for many individuals, biopsies are not performed for clinical care, and tissues are difficult to access. We sought to assess the utility of RNA-seq from blood as a diagnostic tool for rare diseases of different pathophysiologies. We generated whole-blood RNA-seq from 94 individuals with undiagnosed rare diseases spanning 16 diverse disease categories. We developed a robust approach to compare data from these individuals with large sets of RNA-seq data for controls (n = 1,594 unrelated controls and n = 49 family members) and demonstrated the impacts of expression, splicing, gene and variant filtering strategies on disease gene identification. Across our cohort, we observed that RNA-seq yields a 7.5% diagnostic rate, and an additional 16.7% with improved candidate gene resolution.
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| 13. |
- Ghafouri, Bijar, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish Chronic Pain Biobank : protocol for a multicentre registry and biomarker project
- 2022
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 12:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: About 20% of the adult population have chronic pain, often associated with psychological distress, sick leave and poor health. There are large variations in the clinical picture. A biopsychosocial approach is used in investigation and treatment. The concept of personalised medicine, that is, optimising medication types and dosages for individual patients based on biomarkers and other patient-related factors, has received increasing attention in different diseases but used less in chronic pain. This cooperative project from all Swedish University Hospitals will investigate whether there are changes in inflammation and metabolism patterns in saliva and blood in chronic pain patients and whether the changes correlate with clinical characteristics and rehabilitation outcomes.METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Patients at multidisciplinary pain centres at University Hospitals in Sweden who have chosen to participate in the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation and healthy sex-matched and age-matched individuals will be included in the study. Saliva and blood samples will be collected in addition to questionnaire data obtained from the register. From the samples, proteins, lipids, metabolites and micro-RNA will be analysed in relation to, for example, diagnosis, pain characteristics, psychological distress, body weight, pharmacological treatment and clinical rehabilitation results using advanced multivariate data analysis and bioinformatics.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr 2021-04929) and will be conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.The results will be published in open access scientific journals and in popular scientific relevant journals such as those from patient organisations. Data will be also presented in scientific meetings, meeting with healthcare organisations and disseminated in different lecturers at the clinics and universities.
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| 14. |
- Hayeshi, Rose, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of drug transporter gene expression and functionality in Caco-2 cells from 10 different laboratories
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 0928-0987 .- 1879-0720. ; 35:5, s. 383-396
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Caco-2 cells, widely used to study carrier mediated uptake and efflux mechanisms, are known to have different properties when cultured under different conditions. In this study, Caco-2 cells from 10 different laboratories were compared in terms of mRNA expression levels of 72 drug and nutrient transporters, and 17 other target genes, including drug metabolising enzymes, using real-time PCR. The rank order of the top five expressed genes was: HPT1>GLUT3>GLUT5>GST1A>OATP-B. Rank correlation showed that for most of the samples, the gene ranking was not significantly different. Functionality of transporters and the permeability of passive transport markers metoprolol (transcellular) and atenolol (paracellular) were also compared. MDR1 and PepT1 function was investigated using talinolol and Gly-Sar transport, respectively. Sulfobromophthalein (BSP) was used as a marker for MRP2 and OATP-B functionality. Atenolol permeability was more variable across laboratories than metoprolol permeability. Talinolol efflux was observed by all the laboratories, whereas only five laboratories observed significant apical uptake of Gly-Sar. Three laboratories observed significant efflux of BSP. MDR1 expression significantly correlated to the efflux ratio and net active efflux of talinolol. PepT1 mRNA levels showed significant correlation to the uptake ratio and net active uptake of Gly-Sar. MRP2 and OATP-B showed no correlation to BSP transport parameters. Heterogeneity in transporter activity may thus be due to differences in transporter expression as shown for PepT1 and MDR1 which in turn is determined by the culture conditions. Absolute expression of genes was variable indicating that small differences in culture conditions have a significant impact on gene expression, although the overall expression patterns were similar.
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| 15. |
- Heid, Iris M, et al.
(författare)
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Meta-analysis identifies 13 new loci associated with waist-hip ratio and reveals sexual dimorphism in the genetic basis of fat distribution
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 42:11, s. 949-960
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a measure of body fat distribution and a predictor of metabolic consequences independent of overall adiposity. WHR is heritable, but few genetic variants influencing this trait have been identified. We conducted a meta-analysis of 32 genome-wide association studies for WHR adjusted for body mass index (comprising up to 77,167 participants), following up 16 loci in an additional 29 studies (comprising up to 113,636 subjects). We identified 13 new loci in or near RSPO3, VEGFA, TBX15-WARS2, NFE2L3, GRB14, DNM3-PIGC, ITPR2-SSPN, LY86, HOXC13, ADAMTS9, ZNRF3-KREMEN1, NISCH-STAB1 and CPEB4 (P = 1.9 × 10⁻⁹ to P = 1.8 × 10⁻⁴⁰) and the known signal at LYPLAL1. Seven of these loci exhibited marked sexual dimorphism, all with a stronger effect on WHR in women than men (P for sex difference = 1.9 × 10⁻³ to P = 1.2 × 10⁻¹³). These findings provide evidence for multiple loci that modulate body fat distribution independent of overall adiposity and reveal strong gene-by-sex interactions.
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| 16. |
- Jenab, Mazda, et al.
(författare)
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Vitamin D receptor and Calcium sensing receptor Polymorphisms and the risk of Colorectal Cancer in European populations
- 2009
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 18, s. 2485-2491
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased levels of vitamin D and calcium may play a protective role in colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. It has been suggested that these effects may be mediated by genetic variants of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the calcium sensing receptor (CASR). However, current epidemiologic evidence from European populations for a role of these genes in CRC risk is scarce. In addition, it is not clear whether these genes may modulate CRC risk independently or by interaction with blood vitamin D concentration and level of dietary calcium intake. A case-control study was conducted nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. CRC cases (1,248) were identified and matched to 1,248 control subjects. Genotyping for the VDR (BsmI: rs1544410; Fok1: rs2228570) and CASR (rs1801725) genes was done by Taqman, and serum vitamin D (25OHD) concentrations were measured. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the incidence rate ratio (RR). Compared with the wild-type bb, the BB genotype of the VDR BsmI polymorphism was associated with a reduced risk of CRC [RR, 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59-0.98). The association was observed for colon cancer (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.45-0.95) but not rectal cancer (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.62-1.49). The Fok1 and CASR genotypes were not associated with CRC risk in this study. No interactions were noted for any of the polymorphisms with serum 25OHD concentration or level of dietary calcium. These results confirm a role for the BsmI polymorphism of the VDR gene in CRC risk, independent of serum 25OHD concentration and dietary calcium intake. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(9):2485-91).
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| 17. |
- Keetz, Lasse T., et al.
(författare)
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Climate–ecosystem modelling made easy : The Land Sites Platform
- 2023
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - 1354-1013. ; 29:15, s. 4440-4452
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) provide a state-of-the-art process-based approach to study the complex interplay between vegetation and its physical environment. For example, they help to predict how terrestrial plants interact with climate, soils, disturbance and competition for resources. We argue that there is untapped potential for the use of DGVMs in ecological and ecophysiological research. One fundamental barrier to realize this potential is that many researchers with relevant expertize (ecology, plant physiology, soil science, etc.) lack access to the technical resources or awareness of the research potential of DGVMs. Here we present the Land Sites Platform (LSP): new software that facilitates single-site simulations with the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator, an advanced DGVM coupled with the Community Land Model. The LSP includes a Graphical User Interface and an Application Programming Interface, which improve the user experience and lower the technical thresholds for installing these model architectures and setting up model experiments. The software is distributed via version-controlled containers; researchers and students can run simulations directly on their personal computers or servers, with relatively low hardware requirements, and on different operating systems. Version 1.0 of the LSP supports site-level simulations. We provide input data for 20 established geo-ecological observation sites in Norway and workflows to add generic sites from public global datasets. The LSP makes standard model experiments with default data easily achievable (e.g., for educational or introductory purposes) while retaining flexibility for more advanced scientific uses. We further provide tools to visualize the model input and output, including simple examples to relate predictions to local observations. The LSP improves access to land surface and DGVM modelling as a building block of community cyberinfrastructure that may inspire new avenues for mechanistic ecosystem research across disciplines.
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| 18. |
- Mallick, Kaniska, et al.
(författare)
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A Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC) for surface energy balance fluxes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Remote Sensing of Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0034-4257. ; 141:5, s. 243-261
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of Penman-Monteith (PM) equation in thermal remote sensing based surface energy balance modeling is not prevalent due to the unavailability of any direct method to integrate thermal data into the PM equation and due to the lack of physical models expressing the surface (or stomatal) and boundary layer conductances (g(S) and g(B)) as a function of surface temperature. Here we demonstrate a new method that physically integrates the radiometric surface temperature (T-S) into the PM equation for estimating the terrestrial surface energy balance fluxes (sensible heat, H and latent heat, lambda E). The method combines satellite T-S data with standard energy balance closure models in order to derive a hybrid closure that does not require the specification of surface to atmosphere conductance terms. We call this the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC), which is formed by the simultaneous solution of four state equations. Taking advantage of the psychrometric relationship between temperature and vapor pressure, the present method also estimates the near surface moisture availability (M) from T-S, air temperature (T-A) and relative humidity (R-H), thereby being capable of decomposing lambda E into evaporation (lambda E-E) and transpiration (lambda E-T). STIC is driven with T-S, T-A, R-H, net radiation (R-N), and ground heat flux (G). T-S measurements from both MODIS Terra (MOD11A2) and Aqua (MYD11A2) were used in conjunction with FLUXNET R-N, G, T-A, R-H, lambda E and H measurements corresponding to the MODIS equatorial crossing time. The performance of STIC has been evaluated in comparison to the eddy covariance measurements of lambda E and H at 30 sites that cover a broad range of biomes and climates. We found a RMSE of 37.79 (11%) (with MODIS Terra T-S) and 44.27 W m(-2) (15%) (with MODIS Aqua T-S) in lambda E estimates, while the RMSE was 37.74(9%) (with Terra) and 44.72 W m(-2) (8%) (with Aqua) in H. STIC could efficiently capture the lambda E dynamics during the dry down period in the semi-arid landscapes where lambda E is strongly governed by the subsurface soil moisture and where the majority of other lambda E models generally show poor results. Sensitivity analysis revealed a high sensitivity of both the fluxes to the uncertainties in T-S. A realistic response and modest relationship was also found when partitioned lambda E components (lambda E-E and lambda E-T) were compared to the observed soil moisture and rainfall. This is the first study to report the physical integration of T-S into the PM equation and finding analytical solution of the physical (g(B)) and physiological conductances (g(S)). The performance of STIC over diverse biomes and climates points to its potential to benefit future NASA and NOAA missions having thermal sensors, such as HyspIRI, GeoSTAR and GOES-R for mapping multi-scale lambda E and drought. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 19. |
- Pathak, Chandra Shakher, et al.
(författare)
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PTB7 as an Ink-Additive for Spin-Coated Versus Inkjet-Printed Perovskite Solar Cells
- 2022
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0962. ; 5:4, s. 4085-4095
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the fabrication and optimization of Cs0.05FA0.79MA0.16Pb(Br0.17I0.83)3 perovskite solar cells from inks containing the polymer PTB7 as an additive, comparing spin-coating and inkjet printing as deposition methods. Spin-coated devices exhibited a maximum power conversion efficiency of 17.75% but showed little difference between samples with and without the polymer ink additive. For inkjet-printed devices, the combined optimization of printing parameters and the amount of the polymer additive in the precursor ink enabled a perovskite layer with increased quality. In comparison, devices with added PTB7 improved the power conversion efficiency to 10.35% as compared to 8.0% for cells prepared without the polymer additive. The effect is attributed to the modified crystallization dynamics of the perovskite layer by the PTB7 addition after inkjet printing and improved quality of the resulting perovskite layers. We found that the effect of the polymer additive on film formation in spin-coated samples was obscured when using an antisolvent drip, but the incorporation of PTB7 has a positive effect on the opto-electronic quality of thin films, indicated by the increased grain size and the photoluminescence quantum yield. Our results emphasize the technological potential of polymer additives in perovskite precursor inks when using scalable manufacturing processes, such as inkjet printing, where the control and induction of controlled crystallization are more difficult to implement by additional quenching steps.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Pihl, E., et al.
(författare)
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Ten new insights in climate science 2020- A horizon scan
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Sustainability. - : Cambridge University Press. - 2059-4798.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-technical summary We summarize some of the past year's most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding of Earth's sensitivity to carbon dioxide, finds that permafrost thaw could release more carbon emissions than expected and that the uptake of carbon in tropical ecosystems is weakening. Adverse impacts on human society include increasing water shortages and impacts on mental health. Options for solutions emerge from rethinking economic models, rights-based litigation, strengthened governance systems and a new social contract. The disruption caused by COVID-19 could be seized as an opportunity for positive change, directing economic stimulus towards sustainable investments. Technical summary A synthesis is made of ten fields within climate science where there have been significant advances since mid-2019, through an expert elicitation process with broad disciplinary scope. Findings include: (1) a better understanding of equilibrium climate sensitivity; (2) abrupt thaw as an accelerator of carbon release from permafrost; (3) changes to global and regional land carbon sinks; (4) impacts of climate change on water crises, including equity perspectives; (5) adverse effects on mental health from climate change; (6) immediate effects on climate of the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements for recovery packages to deliver on the Paris Agreement; (7) suggested long-term changes to governance and a social contract to address climate change, learning from the current pandemic, (8) updated positive cost-benefit ratio and new perspectives on the potential for green growth in the short- A nd long-term perspective; (9) urban electrification as a strategy to move towards low-carbon energy systems and (10) rights-based litigation as an increasingly important method to address climate change, with recent clarifications on the legal standing and representation of future generations. Social media summary Stronger permafrost thaw, COVID-19 effects and growing mental health impacts among highlights of latest climate science.
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| 22. |
- Speliotes, Elizabeth K., et al.
(författare)
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Association analyses of 249,796 individuals reveal 18 new loci associated with body mass index
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 42:11, s. 937-948
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Obesity is globally prevalent and highly heritable, but its underlying genetic factors remain largely elusive. To identify genetic loci for obesity susceptibility, we examined associations between body mass index and ~2.8 million SNPs in up to 123,865 individuals with targeted follow up of 42 SNPs in up to 125,931 additional individuals. We confirmed 14 known obesity susceptibility loci and identified 18 new loci associated with body mass index (P < 5 × 10−8), one of which includes a copy number variant near GPRC5B. Some loci (at MC4R, POMC, SH2B1 and BDNF) map near key hypothalamic regulators of energy balance, and one of these loci is near GIPR, an incretin receptor. Furthermore, genes in other newly associated loci may provide new insights into human body weight regulation.
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| 23. |
- Thompson, Deborah J, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic predisposition to mosaic Y chromosome loss in blood
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 575, s. 652-657
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in circulating white blood cells is the most common form of clonal mosaicism1-5, yet our knowledge of the causes and consequences of this is limited. Here, using a computational approach, we estimate that 20% of the male population represented in the UK Biobank study (n = 205,011) has detectable LOY. We identify 156 autosomal genetic determinants of LOY, which we replicate in 757,114 men of European and Japanese ancestry. These loci highlight genes that are involved in cell-cycle regulation and cancer susceptibility, as well as somatic drivers of tumour growth and targets of cancer therapy. We demonstrate that genetic susceptibility to LOY is associated with non-haematological effects on health in both men and women, which supports the hypothesis that clonal haematopoiesis is a biomarker of genomic instability in other tissues. Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies dysregulated expression of autosomal genes in leukocytes with LOY and provides insights into why clonal expansion of these cells may occur. Collectively, these data highlight the value of studying clonal mosaicism to uncover fundamental mechanisms that underlie cancer and other ageing-related diseases.
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| 24. |
- Waehrens, Eva Ejlersen, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Differences between questionnaire- and interview-based measures of activities of daily living (ADL) ability and their association with observed ADL ability in women with rheumatoid arthritis, knee osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia
- 2012
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0300-9742 .- 1502-7732. ; 41:2, s. 95-102
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Although self-report based on questionnaire is the common method to obtain information about activities of daily living (ADL) ability in rheumatic diseases, little is known about the relationship between measures of ADL ability based on questionnaire, interview, and observation. The present study examined whether measures of self-reported ADL ability based on questionnaire and interview yielded different results, determined whether the magnitude of the difference varied among women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), knee osteoarthritis (OA), and fibromyalgia (FM), and investigated the relationships between self-reported and observed ADL ability.Method: The 47 ADL tasks of the ADL taxonomy were used to evaluate self-reported ADL ability based on questionnaire (ADL-Q) and interview (ADL-I), and the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) was used to obtain measures of observed ADL ability.Results: Participants across diagnostic groups reported significantly more ADL ability based on the ADL-Q than on the ADL-I. Moderate correlations were found between the ADL-Q and ADL-I ability measures. Although low to moderate correlations were seen between measures based on the AMPS ADL motor scale and the ADL-Q and ADL-I, respectively, correlations between measures based on AMPS ADL process scale and ADL-Q and ADL-I were generally low. Overall, there was no difference in how the measures based on the two modes of self-report related to the observed ADL ability measures.Conclusion: Measures of self-reported ADL ability based on either questionnaire or interview have limited relationship to each other or to observed performance of ADL tasks.
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| 25. |
- Waehrens, Eva Ejlersen, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Improving quality of ADL performance after rehabilitation among people with acquired brain injury
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1103-8128 .- 1651-2014. ; 14:4, s. 250-257
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to evaluate whether people with brain injury show improvements in quality of performance of activities of daily living (ADL) after rehabilitation. A retrospective pre- and post-test design with no control group was used. Subjects received interdisciplinary rehabilitation consisting of restorative and compensatory strategies. Thirty-six adults with moderate to severe disability following acquired brain injury were evaluated using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), an observational evaluation of the quality of ADL task performance. Paired t-tests revealed significant increase in ADL ability after intervention; effect sizes were medium. Improvements occurred across ages, within all diagnostic groups, and with no relation to time post-injury. It was concluded that people with moderate to severe disability following acquired brain injury improved in ADL ability after participating in an intensive, interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Although lack of a control group prevented a conclusively conclusion that the changes were due to the intervention provided, the fact that the subjects had shown slow spontaneous recovery and minimal improvements before the study was implemented supports the likelihood that their gains were largely the result of the intervention.
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