| 1. |
- López-Isac, Elena, et al.
(author)
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Brief Report : IRF4 Newly Identified as a Common Susceptibility Locus for Systemic Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Cross-Disease Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies
- 2016
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In: Arthritis & Rheumatology. - : Wiley. - 2326-5191 .- 2326-5205. ; 68:9, s. 2338-2344
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are autoimmune diseases that have similar clinical and immunologic characteristics. To date, several shared SSc–RA genetic loci have been identified independently. The aim of the current study was to systematically search for new common SSc–RA loci through an interdisease meta–genome-wide association (meta-GWAS) strategy. Methods: The study was designed as a meta-analysis combining GWAS data sets of patients with SSc and patients with RA, using a strategy that allowed identification of loci with both same-direction and opposite-direction allelic effects. The top single-nucleotide polymorphisms were followed up in independent SSc and RA case–control cohorts. This allowed an increase in the sample size to a total of 8,830 patients with SSc, 16,870 patients with RA, and 43,393 healthy controls. Results: This cross-disease meta-analysis of the GWAS data sets identified several loci with nominal association signals (P < 5 × 10−6) that also showed evidence of association in the disease-specific GWAS scans. These loci included several genomic regions not previously reported as shared loci, as well as several risk factors that were previously found to be associated with both diseases. Follow-up analyses of the putatively new SSc–RA loci identified IRF4 as a shared risk factor for these 2 diseases (Pcombined = 3.29 × 10−12). Analysis of the biologic relevance of the known SSc–RA shared loci identified the type I interferon and interleukin-12 signaling pathways as the main common etiologic factors. Conclusion: This study identified a novel shared locus, IRF4, for the risk of SSc and RA, and highlighted the usefulness of a cross-disease GWAS meta-analysis strategy in the identification of common risk loci.
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| 2. |
- Carraminana, Albert, et al.
(author)
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Rationale and Study Design for an Individualized Perioperative Open Lung Ventilatory Strategy in Patients on One-Lung Ventilation (iPROVE-OLV)
- 2019
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In: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. - : W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC. - 1053-0770 .- 1532-8422. ; 33:9, s. 2492-2502
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim of this clinical trial is to examine whether it is possible to reduce postoperative complications using an individualized perioperative ventilatory strategy versus using a standard lung-protective ventilation strategy in patients scheduled for thoracic surgery requiring one-lung ventilation. Design: International, multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: A network of university hospitals. Participants: The study comprises 1,380 patients scheduled for thoracic surgery. Interventions: The individualized group will receive intraoperative recruitment maneuvers followed by individualized positive end-expiratory pressure (open lung approach) during the intraoperative period plus postoperative ventilatory support with high-flow nasal cannula, whereas the control group will be managed with conventional lung-protective ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Individual and total number of postoperative complications, including atelectasis, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pneumonia, acute lung injury; unplanned readmission and reintubation; length of stay and death in the critical care unit and in the hospital will be analyzed for both groups. The authors hypothesize that the intraoperative application of an open lung approach followed by an individual indication of high-flow nasal cannula in the postoperative period will reduce pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay in high-risk surgical patients. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
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| 3. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Long-range angular correlations on the near and away side in p-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV
- 2013
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In: Physics Letters. Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693. ; 719:1-3, s. 29-41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angular correlations between charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV for transverse momentum ranges within 0.5 < P-T,P-assoc < P-T,P-trig < 4 GeV/c. The correlations are measured over two units of pseudorapidity and full azimuthal angle in different intervals of event multiplicity, and expressed as associated yield per trigger particle. Two long-range ridge-like structures, one on the near side and one on the away side, are observed when the per-trigger yield obtained in low-multiplicity events is subtracted from the one in high-multiplicity events. The excess on the near-side is qualitatively similar to that recently reported by the CMS Collaboration, while the excess on the away-side is reported for the first time. The two-ridge structure projected onto azimuthal angle is quantified with the second and third Fourier coefficients as well as by near-side and away-side yields and widths. The yields on the near side and on the away side are equal within the uncertainties for all studied event multiplicity and p(T) bins, and the widths show no significant evolution with event multiplicity or p(T). These findings suggest that the near-side ridge is accompanied by an essentially identical away-side ridge. (c) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of prompt J/psi and beauty hadron production cross sections at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV
- 2012
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In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALICE experiment at the LHC has studied J/psi production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV through its electron pair decay on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity L-int = 5.6 nb(-1). The fraction of J/psi from the decay of long-lived beauty hadrons was determined for J/psi candidates with transverse momentum p(t) > 1,3 GeV/c and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section for prompt J/psi mesons, i.e. directly produced J/psi and prompt decays of heavier charmonium states such as the psi(2S) and chi(c) resonances, is sigma(prompt J/psi) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 8.3 +/- 0.8(stat.) +/- 1.1 (syst.)(-1.4)(+1.5) (syst. pol.) mu b. The cross section for the production of b-hadrons decaying to J/psi with p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c and vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 is a sigma(J/psi <- hB) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 1.46 +/- 0.38 (stat.)(-0.32)(+0.26) (syst.) mu b. The results are compared to QCD model predictions. The shape of the p(t) and y distributions of b-quarks predicted by perturbative QCD model calculations are used to extrapolate the measured cross section to derive the b (b) over bar pair total cross section and d sigma/dy at mid-rapidity.
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| 5. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC
- 2012
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In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
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| 6. |
- Blanco Blanco, Ignacio, et al.
(author)
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Intravenous Infusions of Purified Alpha-1 Antitripsyn Effectively Controls Symptoms and Reverts Muscle Biopsy Changes in an MZ Alpha-1 Antitripsyn Deficiency and Fibromyalgia Syndrome Patient
- 2010
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In: Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1540-7012 .- 1058-2452. ; 18:2, s. 167-172
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: An MZ phenotype alpha-1 antitrypsin [AAT] deficiency and fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] patient participated in a trial with AAT-intravenous augmentationtherapy [AAT-IV-AT] after failure of conventional therapeutic measures. Three quadricep biopsies were performed at different stages. The first one showed large aggregates of AAT and ubiquitin in myocytes and blood vessels, and moderate muscle atrophy, before AAT-IV-AT. The two remaining biopsies were performed while receiving AAT-IV-AT. Findings: Remarkably good clinical response and histological improvement in the follow-up biopsies. Conclusions: The clinical and histopathological efficacy of AAT-IV-AT evidenced in this patient should open new perspectives of research and management of AAT deficiency and FMS patients.
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| 7. |
- Coates, Laura C., et al.
(author)
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The Phenotype of Axial Spondyloarthritis : Is It Dependent on HLA-B27 Status?
- 2021
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In: Arthritis care & research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2151-464X .- 2151-4658. ; 73:6, s. 856-860
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To describe the radiographic phenotype of axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) according to the presence of HLA-B27. Methods. An international collaboration compared the radiographic phenotype of axial SpA according to HLA-B27 status. Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were collected. Radiographs were read centrally, blinded to clinical details. The symmetry of the sacroiliac joints and lumbar syndesmophytes and the morphology of syndesmophytes (typical marginal versus atypical chunky), together with the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score and the Psoriatic Arthritis Spondylitis Radiographic Index, were recorded. Results. A total of 244 patients with PsA and 198 patients with AS were included. In PsA, 60 patients (25%) were HLA-B27 positive while in AS, 148 patients (75%) were HLA-B27 positive. Patients with HLA-B27 were younger and more often male and had a longer duration of disease. In multivariable logistic regression, HLA-B27 was significantly associated with syndesmophyte symmetry (odds ratio [OR] 3.02 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.38, 6.61]) and marginal syndesmophytes (OR 1.97 [95% CI 1.16, 3.36]) but not with sacroiliac symmetry. Mean radiographic scores were higher for patients with HLA-B27. Conclusion. Patients with axial SpA who are positive for HLA-B27 have more severe radiographic damage, more marginal syndesmophytes, and more frequent syndesmophyte symmetry compared to patients who are negative for HLA-B27.
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| 8. |
- Rodríguez-García, Carlota, et al.
(author)
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Efficacy of mepolizumab in usual clinical practice and characteristics of responders : Mepolizumab in usual clinical practice
- 2021
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In: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111. ; 187
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Severe eosinophilic asthma is a high-burden disease. Mepolizumab has been effective in several randomized clinical trials. However, such success might not be applicable to patients treated in usual clinical practice. The objectives of this article are to evaluate the efficacy of mepolizumab in severe uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma under usual clinical practice, and to determine characteristics associated with the response to this treatment. Methods: We have conducted a retrospective, multicentre study, including all adult patients with severe uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma in Galicia, Spain, on whom mepolizumab treatment was started before June 2020, at least 6 months before the time of inclusion, and had received at least one dose of the drug. Patient characteristics, clinical data, respiratory function and comorbidities were collected at baseline and at the 6-month-follow-up. Responders and super-responders were defined according to clinical response and requirement of systemic corticosteroids. Results: 122 patients (mean age 58 years old) were included. In the follow-up treatment 6 months later, 75.4% of the patients were well-controlled, displaying a significant reduction in blood eosinophil counts (p < 0.001), hospital admissions and disease exacerbations (p < 0.001), and had their systemic glucocorticosteroid dose significantly reduced (p < 0.001). The inhaled corticosteroid dose was also lowered (p < 0.01) after 6 months of treatment. Around two-thirds had a clinically significant increase in FEV1, 95% of the patients were considered responders and 43% super-responders. Conclusion: In routine clinical practice, mepolizumab is effective in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and it has a good safety profile.
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| 9. |
- Angelini, Federico, et al.
(author)
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Osteoarthritis endotype discovery via clustering of biochemical marker data
- 2022
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 81:5, s. 666-675
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) patient stratification is an important challenge to design tailored treatments and drive drug development. Biochemical markers reflecting joint tissue turnover were measured in the IMI-APPROACH cohort at baseline and analysed using a machine learning approach in order to study OA-dominant phenotypes driven by the endotype-related clusters and discover the driving features and their disease-context meaning. Method Data quality assessment was performed to design appropriate data preprocessing techniques. The k-means clustering algorithm was used to find dominant subgroups of patients based on the biochemical markers data. Classification models were trained to predict cluster membership, and Explainable AI techniques were used to interpret these to reveal the driving factors behind each cluster and identify phenotypes. Statistical analysis was performed to compare differences between clusters with respect to other markers in the IMI-APPROACH cohort and the longitudinal disease progression. Results Three dominant endotypes were found, associated with three phenotypes: C1) low tissue turnover (low repair and articular cartilage/subchondral bone turnover), C2) structural damage (high bone formation/resorption, cartilage degradation) and C3) systemic inflammation (joint tissue degradation, inflammation, cartilage degradation). The method achieved consistent results in the FNIH/OAI cohort. C1 had the highest proportion of non-progressors. C2 was mostly linked to longitudinal structural progression, and C3 was linked to sustained or progressive pain. Conclusions This work supports the existence of differential phenotypes in OA. The biomarker approach could potentially drive stratification for OA clinical trials and contribute to precision medicine strategies for OA progression in the future. Trial registration number NCT03883568.
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| 10. |
- Blanco, Gonzalo, et al.
(author)
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Karyotypic complexity rather than chromosome 8 abnormalities aggravates the outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with TP53 aberrations
- 2016
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In: Oncotarget. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1949-2553. ; 7:49, s. 80916-80924
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) harboring TP53 aberrations (TP53abs; chromosome 17p deletion and/or TP53 mutation) exhibit an unfavorable clinical outcome. Chromosome 8 abnormalities, namely losses of 8p (8p-) and gains of 8q (8q+) have been suggested to aggravate the outcome of patients with TP53abs. However, the reported series were small, thus hindering definitive conclusions. To gain insight into this issue, we assessed a series of 101 CLL patients harboring TP53 disruption. The frequency of 8p- and 8q+ was 14.7% and 17.8% respectively. Both were associated with a significantly (P < 0.05) higher incidence of a complex karyotype (CK, >= 3 abnormalities) detected by chromosome banding analysis (CBA) compared to cases with normal 8p (N-8p) and 8q (N-8q), respectively. In univariate analysis for 10- year overall survival (OS), 8p- (P = 0.002), 8q+ (P = 0.012) and CK (P = 0.009) were associated with shorter OS. However, in multivariate analysis only CK (HR = 2.47, P = 0.027) maintained independent significance, being associated with a dismal outcome regardless of chromosome 8 abnormalities. In conclusion, our results highlight the association of chromosome 8 abnormalities with CK amongst CLL patients with TP53abs, while also revealing that CK can further aggravate the prognosis of this aggressive subgroup.
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| 11. |
- Candido-dos-Reis, Francisco J, et al.
(author)
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Germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 and ten-year survival for women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer
- 2015
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In: Clinical Cancer Research. - 1078-0432. ; 21:3, s. 7-652
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: To analyze the effect of germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 on mortality in patients with ovarian cancer up to 10 years after diagnosis.EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We used unpublished survival time data for 2,242 patients from two case-control studies and extended survival time data for 4,314 patients from previously reported studies. All participants had been screened for deleterious germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Survival time was analyzed for the combined data using Cox proportional hazard models with BRCA1 and BRCA2 as time-varying covariates. Competing risks were analyzed using Fine and Gray model.RESULTS: The combined 10-year overall survival rate was 30% [95% confidence interval (CI), 28%-31%] for non-carriers, 25% (95% CI, 22%-28%) for BRCA1 carriers, and 35% (95% CI, 30%-41%) for BRCA2 carriers. The HR for BRCA1 was 0.53 at time zero and increased over time becoming greater than one at 4.8 years. For BRCA2, the HR was 0.42 at time zero and increased over time (predicted to become greater than 1 at 10.5 years). The results were similar when restricted to 3,202 patients with high-grade serous tumors and to ovarian cancer-specific mortality.CONCLUSIONS: BRCA1/2 mutations are associated with better short-term survival, but this advantage decreases over time and in BRCA1 carriers is eventually reversed. This may have important implications for therapy of both primary and relapsed disease and for analysis of long-term survival in clinical trials of new agents, particularly those that are effective in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.
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| 12. |
- Dispenzieri, Angela, et al.
(author)
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Clinical and genetic profile of patients enrolled in the Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey (THAOS) : 14-year update
- 2022
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In: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1750-1172. ; 17:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR amyloidosis) is a rare, life-threatening disease caused by the accumulation of variant or wild-type (ATTRwt amyloidosis) transthyretin amyloid fibrils in the heart, peripheral nerves, and other tissues and organs.Methods: Established in 2007, the Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey (THAOS) is the largest ongoing, global, longitudinal observational study of patients with ATTR amyloidosis, including both inherited and wild-type disease, and asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic TTR mutations. This descriptive analysis examines baseline characteristics of symptomatic patients and asymptomatic gene carriers enrolled in THAOS since its inception in 2007 (data cutoff: August 1, 2021).Results: This analysis included 3779 symptomatic patients and 1830 asymptomatic gene carriers. Symptomatic patients were predominantly male (71.4%) and had a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of symptom onset of 56.3 (17.8) years. Val30Met was the most common genotype in symptomatic patients in South America (80.9%), Europe (55.4%), and Asia (50.5%), and more patients had early- versus late-onset disease in these regions. The majority of symptomatic patients in North America (58.8%) had ATTRwt amyloidosis. The overall distribution of phenotypes in symptomatic patients was predominantly cardiac (40.7%), predominantly neurologic (40.1%), mixed (16.6%), and no phenotype (2.5%). In asymptomatic gene carriers, mean (SD) age at enrollment was 42.4 (15.7) years, 42.4% were male, and 73.2% carried the Val30Met mutation.Conclusions: This 14-year global overview of THAOS in over 5000 patients represents the largest analysis of ATTR amyloidosis to date and highlights the genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00628745.
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| 13. |
- Evangelou, Evangelos, et al.
(author)
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A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies novel variants associated with osteoarthritis of the hip
- 2014
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 73:12, s. 2130-2136
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis with a clear genetic component. To identify novel loci associated with hip OA we performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on European subjects. Methods We performed a two-stage meta-analysis on more than 78 000 participants. In stage 1, we synthesised data from eight GWAS whereas data from 10 centres were used for 'in silico' or 'de novo' replication. Besides the main analysis, a stratified by sex analysis was performed to detect possible sex-specific signals. Meta-analysis was performed using inverse-variance fixed effects models. A random effects approach was also used. Results We accumulated 11 277 cases of radiographic and symptomatic hip OA. We prioritised eight single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) for follow-up in the discovery stage (4349 OA cases); five from the combined analysis, two male specific and one female specific. One locus, at 20q13, represented by rs6094710 (minor allele frequency (MAF) 4%) near the NCOA3 (nuclear receptor coactivator 3) gene, reached genome-wide significance level with p=7.9x10(-9) and OR=1.28 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.39) in the combined analysis of discovery (p= 5.6x10(-8)) and follow-up studies (p=7.3x10(-4)). We showed that this gene is expressed in articular cartilage and its expression was significantly reduced in OA-affected cartilage. Moreover, two loci remained suggestive associated; rs5009270 at 7q31 (MAF 30%, p=9.9x10(-7), OR=1.10) and rs3757837 at 7p13 (MAF 6%, p=2.2x10(-6), OR=1.27 in male specific analysis). Conclusions Novel genetic loci for hip OA were found in this meta-analysis of GWAS.
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| 14. |
- Fuentes, Manuel, et al.
(author)
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Exploring High-Throughput Immunoassays for Biomarker Validation in Rheumatic Diseases in the Context of the Human Proteome Project
- 2023
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In: Journal of Proteome Research. - : American Chemical Society. - 1535-3893 .- 1535-3907. ; 22:4, s. 1105-1115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rheumatic diseases are high prevalence pathologies with different etiology and evolution and low sensitivity in clinical diagnosis. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an early diagnosis method which allows personalized treatment, depending on the specific pathology. The biology/disease initiative, at Human Proteome Project, is an integrative approach to identify relevant proteins in the human proteome associated with pathologies. A previously reported literature data mining analysis, which identified proteins related to osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriatic arthritis (PSA) was used to establish a systematic prioritization of potential biomarkers candidates for further evaluation by functional proteomics studies. The aim was to study the protein profile of serum samples from patients with rheumatic diseases such as OA, RA, and PSA. To achieve this goal, customized antibody microarrays (containing 151 antibodies targeting 121 specific proteins) were used to identify biomarkers related to early and specific diagnosis in a screening of 960 serum samples (nondepleted) (OA, n = 480; RA, n = 192; PSA, n = 288). This functional proteomics screening has allowed the determination of a panel (30 serum proteins) as potential biomarkers for these rheumatic diseases, displaying receiver operating characteristics curves with area under the curve values of 80-90%.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Hilbert, Kevin, et al.
(author)
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Cortical and Subcortical Brain Alterations in Specific Phobia and Its Animal and Blood-Injection-Injury Subtypes: A Mega-Analysis From the ENIGMA Anxiety Working Group.
- 2024
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In: The American Journal of Psychiatry. - 1535-7228.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Specific phobia is a common anxiety disorder, but the literature on associated brain structure alterations exhibits substantial gaps. The ENIGMA Anxiety Working Group examined brain structure differences between individuals with specific phobias and healthy control subjects as well as between the animal and blood-injection-injury (BII) subtypes of specific phobia. Additionally, the authors investigated associations of brain structure with symptom severity and age (youths vs. adults).Data sets from 31 original studies were combined to create a final sample with 1,452 participants with phobia and 2,991 healthy participants (62.7% female; ages 5-90). Imaging processing and quality control were performed using established ENIGMA protocols. Subcortical volumes as well as cortical surface area and thickness were examined in a preregistered analysis.Compared with the healthy control group, the phobia group showed mostly smaller subcortical volumes, mixed surface differences, and larger cortical thickness across a substantial number of regions. The phobia subgroups also showed differences, including, as hypothesized, larger medial orbitofrontal cortex thickness in BII phobia (N=182) compared with animal phobia (N=739). All findings were driven by adult participants; no significant results were observed in children and adolescents.Brain alterations associated with specific phobia exceeded those of other anxiety disorders in comparable analyses in extent and effect size and were not limited to reductions in brain structure. Moreover, phenomenological differences between phobia subgroups were reflected in diverging neural underpinnings, including brain areas related to fear processing and higher cognitive processes. The findings implicate brain structure alterations in specific phobia, although subcortical alterations in particular may also relate to broader internalizing psychopathology.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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| 19. |
- Leganés, Francisco, et al.
(author)
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Wide variation in the cyanobacterial complement of presumptive penicillin-binding proteins
- 2005
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In: Archives of Microbiology. - New York : Springer. - 0302-8933 .- 1432-072X. ; 184:4, s. 234-248
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A genomic analysis of putative penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) that are involved in the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall and are encoded in 12 cyanobacterial genomes was performed in order to help elucidate the role(s) of these proteins in peptidoglycan synthesis, especially during cyanobacterial cellular differentiation. The analysis suggested that the minimum set of PBPs needed to assemble the peptidoglycan layer in cyanobacteria probably does not exceed one bifunctional transpeptidase-transglycosylase Class A high-molecular-weight PBP; two Class B high-molecular-weight PBPs, one of them probably involved in cellular elongation and the other in septum formation; and one low-molecular-weight PBP. The low-molecular-weight PBPs of all of the cyanobacteria analyzed are putative endopeptidases and are encoded by fewer genes than in Escherichia coli. We show that in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, predicted proteins All2981 and Alr4579, like Alr5101, are Class A high-molecular-weight PBPs that are required for the functional differentiation of aerobically diazotrophic heterocysts, indicating that some members of this class of PBPs are required specifically for cellular developmental processes.
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| 20. |
- Lourido, Lucia, et al.
(author)
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Association of serum anti-centromere protein F antibodies with clinical response to infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis : A prospective study
- 2020
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In: Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism. - : Elsevier BV. - 0049-0172 .- 1532-866X. ; 50:5, s. 1101-1108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: One-third of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients demonstrate no clinical improvement after receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). The presence of serum autoantibodies is a hallmark in RA and may provide information on future response to treatment. The aim of this prospective study was to search for novel serum autoantibodies useful to predict clinical response to TNFi. Methods: The autoantibody repertoire was profiled on RA patients treated with TNFi as a first line of biologic therapy (N= 185), who were recruited in three independent cohorts. The presence and levels of autoantibodies in serum at baseline were analysed in association with the clinical response after 24 weeks follow-up. A multiplex bead array built using antigens selected from an initial untargeted screening was employed to identify the autoantibodies on a discovery cohort (N= 50) and to verify and validate the results on verification (N= 61) and validation (N= 74) cohorts. Non-parametric tests, meta-analysis and Receiver Operating Curves (ROC) were performed in order to assess the clinical relevance of the observed findings. Results: Novel autoantibodies were associated with the clinical response to TNFi, showing different reactivity profiles among the different TNFi. The baseline levels of IgG antibodies against Centromere protein F (CENPF), a protein related to cell proliferation, were significantly (p <0.05) increased in responders (N=111) to infliximab (IFX) compared to non-responders (N= 44). The addition of anti-CENPF antibodies to demographic and clinical variables (age, sex, DAS28-ESR) resulted in the best model to discriminate responders, showing an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.756 (95% CI [0.639-0.874], p = 0.001). A further meta-analysis demonstrated the significant association of anti-CENPF levels with the patient's subsequent response to IFX, showing a standardized mean difference (SMD) of-0.65 (95% CI [-1.02;-0.27], p = 0.018). Conclusions: Our study reveals for the first time the potential of circulating anti-CENPF antibodies to predict the clinical response to IFX before starting the treatment. This finding could be potentially useful to guide therapeutic decisions and may lead to further studies focusing on the role of CENPF on RA pathology. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 21. |
- Lourido, Lucia, et al.
(author)
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Discovery of circulating proteins associated to knee radiographic osteoarthritis
- 2017
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Currently there are no sufficiently sensitive biomarkers able to reflect changes in joint remodelling during osteoarthritis (OA). In this work, we took an affinity proteomic approach to profile serum samples for proteins that could serve as indicators for the diagnosis of radiographic knee OA. Antibody suspension bead arrays were applied to analyze serum samples from patients with OA (n = 273), control subjects (n = 76) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 244). For verification, a focused bead array was built and applied to an independent set of serum samples from patients with OA (n = 188), control individuals (n = 83) and RA (n = 168) patients. A linear regression analysis adjusting for sex, age and body mass index (BMI) revealed that three proteins were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in serum from OA patients compared to controls: C3, ITIH1 and S100A6. A panel consisting of these three proteins had an area under the curve of 0.82 for the classification of OA and control samples. Moreover, C3 and ITIH1 levels were also found to be significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in OA patients compared to RA patients. Upon validation in additional study sets, the alterations of these three candidate serum biomarker proteins could support the diagnosis of radiographic knee OA.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Lønnebotn, Marianne, et al.
(author)
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Body silhouettes as a tool to reflect obesity in the past
- 2018
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Life course data on obesity may enrich the quality of epidemiologic studies analysing health consequences of obesity. However, achieving such data may require substantial resources. We investigated the use of body silhouettes in adults as a tool to reflect obesity in the past. We used large population-based samples to analyse to what extent self-reported body silhouettes correlated with the previously measured (9-23 years) body mass index (BMI) from both measured (European Community Respiratory Health Survey, N = 3 041) and selfreported (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe study, N = 3 410) height and weight. We calculated Spearman correlation between BMI and body silhouettes and ROC-curve analyses for identifying obesity (BMI >= 30) at ages 30 and 45 years. Spearman correlations between measured BMI age 30 (+/- 2y) or 45 (+/- 2y) and body silhouettes in women and men were between 0.62-0.66 and correlations for self-reported BMI were between 0.58-0.70. The area under the curve for identification of obesity at age 30 using body silhouettes vs previously measured BMI at age 30 (+/- 2y) was 0.92 (95% CI 0.87, 0.97) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.75, 0.95) in women and men, respectively; for previously self-reported BMI, 0.92 (95% CI 0.88, 0.95) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.85, 0.96). Our study suggests that body silhouettes are a useful epidemiological tool, enabling retrospective differentiation of obesity and non-obesity in adult women and men.
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| 25. |
- McNamee, Sara E., et al.
(author)
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Distribution, occurrence and biotoxin composition of the main shellfish toxin producing microalgae within European waters : A comparison of methods of analysis
- 2016
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In: Harmful Algae. - : Elsevier BV. - 1568-9883 .- 1878-1470. ; 55, s. 112-120
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a natural global phenomena emerging in severity and extent. Incidents have many economic, ecological and human health impacts. Monitoring and providing early warning of toxic HABs are critical for protecting public health. Current monitoring programmes include measuring the number of toxic phytoplankton cells in the water and biotoxin levels in shellfish tissue. As these efforts are demanding and labour intensive, methods which improve the efficiency are essential. This study compares the utilisation of a multitoxin surface plasmon resonance (multitoxin SPR) biosensor with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analytical methods such as high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for toxic HAB monitoring efforts in Europe. Seawater samples (n = 256) from European waters, collected 2009-2011, were analysed for biotoxins: saxitoxin and analogues, okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins 1/2 (VDU /DTX2) and domoic acid responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), respectively. Biotoxins were detected mainly in samples from Spain and Ireland. France and Norway appeared to have the lowest number of toxic samples. Both the multitoxin SPR biosensor and the RNA microarray were more sensitive at detecting toxic HABs than standard light microscopy phytoplankton monitoring. Correlations between each of the detection methods were performed with the overall agreement, based on statistical 2 x 2 comparison tables, between each testing platform ranging between 32% and 74% for all three toxin families illustrating that one individual testing method may not be an ideal solution. An efficient early warning monitoring system for the detection of toxic HABs could therefore be achieved by combining both the multitoxin SPR biosensor and RNA microarray. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 26. |
- Mendoza-Barbera, Elena, et al.
(author)
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Structural and functional analysis of APOA5 mutations identified in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia
- 2013
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In: Journal of Lipid Research. - 0022-2275 .- 1539-7262. ; 54:3, s. 649-661
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the diagnosis of three unrelated patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, three APOA5 mutations [p.(Ser232_Leu235)del,p.Leu253Pro,andp.Asp332ValfsX4] were found without evidence of concomitant LPL, APOC2, or GPIHBP1 mutations. The molecular mechanisms by which APOA5 mutations result in severe hypertriglyceridemia remain poorly understood, and the functional impairment/s induced by these specific mutations was not obvious. Therefore, we performed a thorough structural and functional analysis that included follow-up of patients and their closest relatives, measurement of apoA-V serum concentrations, and sequencing of the APOA5 gene in 200 nonhyperlipidemic controls. Further, we cloned, overexpressed, and purified both wild-type and mutant apoA-V variants and characterized their capacity to activate LPL. The interactions of recombinant wild-type and mutated apoA-V variants with liposomes of different composition, heparin, LRP1, sortilin, and SorLA/LR11 were also analyzed. Finally, to explore the possible structural consequences of these mutations, we developed a three-dimensional model of full-length, lipid-free human apoA-V. A complex, wide array of impairments was found in each of the three mutants, suggesting that the specific residues affected are critical structural determinants for apoA-V function in lipoprotein metabolism and, therefore, that these APOA5 mutations are a direct cause of hypertriglyceridemia.-Mendoza-Barbera, E., J. Julve, S. K. Nilsson, A. Lookene, J. M. Martin-Campos, R. Roig, A. M. Lechuga-Sancho, J. J. Sloan, P. Fuentes-Prior, and F. Blanco-Vaca. Structural and functional analysis of APOA5 mutations identified in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
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| 27. |
- Miguel-Blanco, Celia, et al.
(author)
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The antimalarial efficacy and mechanism of resistance of the novel chemotype DDD01034957
- 2021
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- New antimalarial therapeutics are needed to ensure that malaria cases continue to be driven down, as both emerging parasite resistance to frontline chemotherapies and mosquito resistance to current insecticides threaten control programmes. Plasmodium, the apicomplexan parasite responsible for malaria, causes disease pathology through repeated cycles of invasion and replication within host erythrocytes (the asexual cycle). Antimalarial drugs primarily target this cycle, seeking to reduce parasite burden within the host as fast as possible and to supress recrudescence for as long as possible. Intense phenotypic drug screening efforts have identified a number of promising new antimalarial molecules. Particularly important is the identification of compounds with new modes of action within the parasite to combat existing drug resistance and suitable for formulation of efficacious combination therapies. Here we detail the antimalarial properties of DDD01034957—a novel antimalarial molecule which is fast-acting and potent against drug resistant strains in vitro, shows activity in vivo, and possesses a resistance mechanism linked to the membrane transporter PfABCI3. These data support further medicinal chemistry lead-optimization of DDD01034957 as a novel antimalarial chemical class and provide new insights to further reduce in vivo metabolic clearance.
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| 28. |
- Paz-González, Rocío, et al.
(author)
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Proteomic profiling of human menisci from mild joint degeneration and end-stage osteoarthritis versus healthy controls
- 2023
-
In: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open. - 2665-9131. ; 5:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To gain new insight into the molecular changes of the meniscus by comparing the proteome profiles of healthy controls with mild degeneration and end-stage osteoarthritis (OA). Method: We obtained tissue plugs from lateral and medial menisci of 37 individuals (central part of the posterior horn) classified as healthy (n = 12), mild signs of joint damage (n = 13) and end-stage OA (n = 12). The protein profile was analysed by nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using data-independent acquisition and quantified by Spectronaut. Linear-mixed effects modelling was applied to extract the between-group comparisons. Results: A similar protein profile was observed for the mild group as compared to healthy controls while the most different group was end-stage OA mainly for the medial compartment. When a pattern of gradual change in protein levels from healthy to end-stage OA was required, a 42-proteins panel was identified, suggesting a potential role in OA development. The levels of QSOX1 were lower and G6PD higher in the mild group following the proposed protein abundance pattern. Qualitative protein changes suggest lower levels of CYTL1 as a potential biomarker of early joint degradation. Conclusion: For future targeted proteomic approaches, we propose a candidate panel of 42 proteins based on gradually altered meniscal posterior horn protein abundance patterns associated with joint degradation.
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| 29. |
- Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Andres, et al.
(author)
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Influence of Flap Prefabrication on Seeding of Subcutaneously Injected Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Microvascular Beds in Rats
- 2014
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In: Annals of Plastic Surgery. - 0148-7043 .- 1536-3708. ; 73:2, s. 234-238
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: In this article, the authors investigated whether the prefabrication of an autologous pedicled flap by isolation from the surrounding with artificial skin substitutes would increase mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) seeding. Methods: Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from human umbilical cords and were cultured and characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Oxacarbocyanine and its green fluorescence emission were used to label the MSCs population. Sixteen adult Wistar rats were randomized in 4 groups (n = 4 animals per group). In group 1, a prefabricated groin flap (GF) with skin substitutes was harvested without cell injection; in group 2, 1 million MSCs were injected subcutaneously in the area corresponding to the GF without flap harvesting; in Group 3, a prefabricated GF with skin substitutes was harvested and 1 million MSCs were injected subcutaneously; and in Group 4, a prefabricated GF with skin substitutes was harvested and 2 million MSCs were injected subcutaneously. All procedures were performed bilaterally in each animal. Animals were sacrificed 2 weeks after the surgery. Flap viability was then assessed by clinical inspection and histology, and seeding of MSCs was observed. Results: All flaps survived 2 weeks after the surgery. Oxacarbocyanine-labeled cells were found in all prefabricated flaps injected (Groups 3 and 4) in higher number in comparison with the group where subcutaneous injection without flap harvesting was performed (Group 2). This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Prefabricated skin flaps with skin substitutes may provide a useful vehicle for the implantation of MSCs to serve as an autologous microvascular bioscaffold.
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| 30. |
- Ruiz-Romero, Cristina, et al.
(author)
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Mining the Proteome Associated with Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases
- 2019
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In: Journal of Proteome Research. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1535-3893 .- 1535-3907. ; 18:12, s. 4231-4239
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A steady increase in the incidence of osteoarthritis and other rheumatic diseases has been observed in recent decades, including autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathies, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and Sjogren's syndrome. Rheumatic and autoimmune diseases (RADs) are characterized by the inflammation of joints, muscles, or other connective tissues. In addition to often experiencing debilitating mobility and pain, RAD patients are also at a higher risk of suffering comorbidities such as cardiovascular or infectious events. Given the socioeconomic impact of RADs, broad research efforts have been dedicated to these diseases worldwide. In the present work, we applied literature mining platforms to identify "popular" proteins closely related to RADs. The platform is based on publicly available literature. The results not only will enable the systematic prioritization of candidates to perform targeted proteomics studies but also may lead to a greater insight into the key pathogenic processes of these disorders.
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| 31. |
- Santos, Antonio J., et al.
(author)
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Simultaneous Optical and Electrical Characterization of GaN Nanowire Arrays by Means of Vis-IR Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
- 2020
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 124:2, s. 1535-1543
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report an original and straightforward method for both optical and electrical characterization of vertical GaN nanowire arrays epitaxially grown on silicon through visible-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry methods. For the initial purpose of adding new inputs to the ellipsometry model, focused ion-beam tomography experiments were conducted to extract porosity/depth profiles of these systems. To reproduce the optical free-carrier behavior in the infrared, the ellipsometric data acquired were fitted to an anisotropic Bruggeman model including Tauc-Lorentz and Drude oscillators, which enabled the determination of carrier density and in-grain mobility. The nice agreement of these results with those obtained by combining Hall effect measurements, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy studies supported the validity of the proposed method, opening new horizons in the characterization of nanowire-based semiconducting layers.
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| 32. |
- Sierra-Sanchez, Alvaro, et al.
(author)
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Screening and Validation of Novel Biomarkers in Osteoarticular Pathologies by Comprehensive Combination of Protein Array Technologies
- 2017
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In: Journal of Proteome Research. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1535-3893 .- 1535-3907. ; 16:5, s. 1890-1899
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent articular diseases. The identification of proteins closely associated with the diagnosis, progression, prognosis, and treatment response is dramatically required for this pathology. In this work, differential serum protein profiles have been identified in OA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by antibody arrays containing 151 antibodies against 121 antigens in a cohort of 36 samples. Then the identified differential serum protein profiles have been validated in a larger cohort of 282 samples. The overall immunoreactivity is higher in the pathological situations in comparison with the controls. Several proteins have been identified as biomarker candidates for OA and RA. Most of these biomarker candidates are proteins related to inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, or bone and extracellular matrix formation, degradation, or remodeling.
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| 33. |
- Triebner, Kai, et al.
(author)
-
Exogenous female sex steroids may reduce lung ageing after menopause : A 20-year follow-up study of a general population sample (ECRHS)
- 2019
-
In: Maturitas. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0378-5122 .- 1873-4111. ; 120, s. 29-34
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Menopause involves hypoestrogenism, which is associated with numerous detrimental effects, including on respiratory health. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often used to improve symptoms of menopause. The effects of HRT on lung function decline, hence lung ageing, have not yet been investigated despite the recognized effects of HRT on other health outcomes. Study design: The population-based multi-centre European Community Respiratory Health Survey provided complete data for 275 oral HRT users at two time points, who were matched with 383 nonusers and analysed with a two-level linear mixed effects regression model. Main outcome measures: We studied whether HRT use was associated with the annual decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Results: Lung function of women using oral HRT for more than five years declined less rapidly than that of nonusers. The adjusted difference in FVC decline was 5.6 mL/y (95%CI: 1.8 to 9.3, p = 0.01) for women who had taken HRT for six to ten years and 8.9 mL/y (3.5 to 14.2, p = 0.003) for those who had taken it for more than ten years. The adjusted difference in FEV1 decline was 4.4 mL/y (0.9 to 8.0, p = 0.02) with treatment from six to ten years and 5.3 mL/y (0.4 to 10.2, p = 0.048) with treatment for over ten years. Conclusions: In this longitudinal population-based study, the decline in lung function was less rapid in women who used HRT, following a dose-response pattern, and consistent when adjusting for potential confounding factors. This may signify that female sex hormones are of importance for lung ageing.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Triebner, Kai, et al.
(author)
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Residential surrounding greenspace and age at menopause : A 20-year European study (ECRHS)
- 2019
-
In: Environment International. - : Elsevier. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 132
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Menopause is associated with a number of adverse health effects and its timing has been reported to be influenced by several lifestyle factors. Whether greenspace exposure is associated with age at menopause has not yet been investigated.OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether residential surrounding greenspace is associated with age at menopause and thus reproductive aging.METHODS: This longitudinal study was based on the 20-year follow-up of 1955 aging women from a large, population-based European cohort (ECRHS). Residential surrounding greenspace was abstracted as the average of satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) across a circular buffer of 300 m around the residential addresses of each participant during the course of the study. We applied mixed effects Cox models with centre as random effect, menopause as the survival object, age as time indicator and residential surrounding greenspace as time-varying predictor. All models were adjusted for smoking habit, body mass index, parity, age at menarche, ever-use of contraception and age at completed full-time education as socio-economic proxy.RESULTS: An increase of one interquartile range of residential surrounding greenspace was associated with a 13% lower risk of being menopausal (Hazard Ratio: 0.87, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.79-0.95). Correspondingly the predicted median age at menopause was 1.4 years older in the highest compared to the lowest NDVI quartile. Results remained stable after additional adjustment for air pollution and traffic related noise amongst others.CONCLUSIONS: Living in greener neighbourhoods is associated with older age at menopause and might slow reproductive aging. These are novel findings with broad implications. Further studies are needed to see whether our findings can be replicated in different populations and to explore the potential mechanisms underlying this association.
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| 36. |
- Velasquez, Juan, 1963, et al.
(author)
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Stoppa rasism och brott mot demokratin i Abya Yala
- 2019
-
In: Dagens ETC. - 1652-8980. ; :2019-11-23
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Stoppa rasism och brott mot demokratin i Abya Yala Vi lever i en värld där människors närvaro i varandras liv och vardag alltmer går bortom nationsgränser. Denna tid påminner oss om att vi som människor är involverade i sociala relationer och utbyten som sträcker sig över hela planeten. Med den insikten växer också vårt ansvar för att dessa relationer ska byggas vidare på rättvisa grunder för att den välfärd och rättvisa som än så länge privilegierade grupper åtnjuter ska kunna gälla alla. SVERIGES RELATION med Latinamerika och Karibien, som vi nu fortsättningsvis kommer att kalla för Abya Yala har en lång historia som knyter an till den europeiska kolonialismen. Vi vill uppmärksamma att denna 500-åriga koloniala historia inte lätt kan lyftas bort, då regionen varit och är viktig exportör av råvaror till de industrialiserade områdena i världen. Abya Yala råkar ha en stor biologisk mångfald vilket gör dessa territorier åtråvärda för transnationella intressen. Samtidigt som dess demokratiska institutioner kämpar ständigt för att dels frigöra sig från det koloniala arvet och dels bemöta enorma sociala ojämlikheter. I kölvattnen av det kalla kriget genomgick Abya Yala en tid av militärdiktaturer och auktoritära regimer. De flesta flyktingar som fick asyl i Sverige flydde från brutala övergrepp på mänskliga, sociala, kulturella och ekonomiska rättigheter. Hela kontinentens gemensamma erfarenheten av att underkastas auktoritära regimer har fyllt oss med trauman, men också av en längtan efter demokratisering, som också successivt började byggas upp. SEDAN MITTEN AV 1980-talet antog flera länder nya grundlagar för att förebygga en återgång till auktoritarianism. I takt med att ursprungsfolk, etniska minoriteter och underrepresenterade grupper har fört en kamp för mänskliga, medborgerliga och territoriella rättigheter har regionen för första gången börjat röra sig bortom kolonialt präglade samhällssystem och privilegier – som historiskt först har tillkommit vita kolonialherrar, sedan vita kvinnor, för att genom antikolonial mobilisering börja gälla även marginaliserade sociala och etniska grupper – och inlemma rättigheter för naturen. Något som tagit form ibland annat erkännande av naturen eller ekosystem som juridiska subjekt. Idag, i samband med klimatkrisen är det mer än någonsin nödvändigt att inse det akuta behovet av en rad omställningar för att rädda livet på vår planet. Inför detta har ursprungsfolken från Anderna till låglandets stora savanner och regnskogar visat sätt att formulera politiska frågor med utgångspunkt i människors relationer till naturen. Parallellt med detta ser vi med oro en snabb ökning av systematiska mord mot ursprungsfolk, feminister, journalister, människorätts- och miljöaktivister från bonde- och afrodiasporiska samhällen. Från Chile, Ecuador, Peru och Colombia, till Brasilien, Argentina, Venezuela, Honduras och Haiti nås vi av dessa nyheter. UNDER DE SENASTE veckorna har vi sett även hur systematiska brott mot mänskliga rättigheter blivit norm i Chile, och dessförinnan i Ecuador, när befolkningen reste sig mot ekonomiska åtstramningar inspirerade av nyliberala dogmer. Parallellt med dessa pågår en liknande resning på Haiti, som passerar i stort sett obemärkt förbi i alla svenska medier. Situationen i Chile tyder på att en återgång till diktaturstyre är på väg, vilket det chilenska folket bemöter med krav på att en ny grundlag ska författas demokratiskt. Men det mest oroande är hur vågen av systematiska brott mot mänskligheten och demokratin har nått Bolivia genom en statskupp med starka inslag av bibeltrogen högerextremism, nyliberal dogmatism samt en extremt öppen rasism mot ursprungsfolk. Vi anser att Sverige inte skall ställa sig passivt inför en återgång till koloniala och rasistiska diktaturer som sätter demokratin på undantag över stora delar av Abya Yala. Därför vill vi mana både mediesfär och regering att agera med kraft mot den farliga politiska utvecklingen. Vi uppmanar SVT och SR att informera om det som händer i hela regionen utförligt, sakligt, opartiskt och oberoende. Hittills har public service svikit sitt specifika uppdrag som tydligt har formulerats av regeringen. VI UPPMANAR DEN svenska regeringen att uppdatera sin utrikespolitik gentemot regionen. Mot bakgrund av den rasism, de brott mot mänskligheten och de odemokratiska metoder som används för att iscensätta statskupper i regionen, som är fallet nu i Bolivia, har det varit oerhört provocerande att höra utrikesministern Ann Lindes uttalanden, där hon inte har tagit avstånd från några av dessa diktatoriska processer. Vi uppmanar slutligen Sveriges riksdagspartier att också ta sitt ansvar och göra allt som står i deras makt för att nå partierna i Abya Yala-regionen med uppmaning att upphöra med sin snabbt eskalerande rasism, brott mot mänskligheten och handlingar som underminerar det demokratiska utvecklingen i de respektive länderna. JUAN VELASQUEZ universitetslektor, Göteborgs universitet DIANA MULINARI professor, Lunds universitet YLVA HABEL universitetslektor, Södertörns högskola CARMEN BLANCO VALER folkhögskolelärare Färnebo fhsk. JAIME GOMEZ MR- och fredsaktivist FRANCISCO CONTRERAS sociolog ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ ARRIAGADA f.d. politisk fånge, fil.dok NICHOLAS SMITH universitetslektor, Södertörns högskola LEANDRO SCHCLAREK MULINARI doktorand, Stockholms universitet LENA SAWYER universitetslektor, Göteborgs universitet LORENA DELGADO VARAS Riksdagsledamot (V) IRENE MOLINA, professor, Uppsala universitet MAY-BRITT ÖHMAN, Fil.Dr, Uppsala universitet
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| 37. |
- Vialas, Vital, et al.
(author)
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A multicentric study to evaluate the use of relative retention times in targeted proteomics
- 2017
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In: Journal of Proteomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1874-3919. ; 152, s. 138-149
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the maturity reached by targeted proteomic strategies, reliable and standardized protocols are urgently needed to enhance reproducibility among different laboratories and analytical platforms, facilitating a more widespread use in biomedical research. To achieve this goal, the use of dimensionless relative retention times (iRT), defined on the basis of peptide standard retention times (RT), has lately emerged as a powerful tool. The robustness, reproducibility and utility of this strategy were examined for the first time in a multicentric setting, involving 28 laboratories that included 24 of the Spanish network of proteomics laboratories (ProteoRed-ISCIII). According to the results obtained in this study, dimensionless retention time values (iRTs) demonstrated to be a useful tool for transferring and sharing peptide retention times across different chromatographic set-ups both intra- and inter-laboratories. iRT values also showed very low variability over long time periods. Furthermore, parallel quantitative analyses showed a high reproducibility despite the variety of experimental strategies used, either MRM (multiple reaction monitoring) or pseudoMRM, and the diversity of analytical platforms employed. Biological significance From the very beginning of proteomics as an analytical science there has been a growing interest in developing standardized methods and experimental procedures in order to ensure the highest quality and reproducibility of the results. In this regard, the recent (2012) introduction of the dimensionless retention time concept has been a significant advance. In our multicentric (28 laboratories) study we explore the usefulness of this concept in the context of a targeted proteomics experiment, demonstrating that dimensionless retention time values is a useful tool for transferring and sharing peptide retention times across different chromatographic set-ups.
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| 38. |
- Villar, Jesus, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of PaO2/FiO(2) for stratification of patients with moderate and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome
- 2015
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In: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 5:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: A recent update of the definition of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) proposed an empirical classification based on ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO(2)) at ARDS onset. Since the proposal did not mandate PaO2/FiO(2) calculation under standardised ventilator settings (SVS), we hypothesised that a stratification based on baseline PaO2/FiO(2) would not provide accurate assessment of lung injury severity. Design: A prospective, multicentre, observational study. Setting: A network of teaching hospitals. Participants: 478 patients with eligible criteria for moderate (100300). Primary and secondary outcomes: Group severity and hospital mortality. Results: At ARDS onset, 173 patients had a PaO2/FiO(2)<= 100 but only 38.7% met criteria for severe ARDS at 24 h under SVS. When assessed under SVS, 61.3% of patients with severe ARDS were reclassified as moderate, mild and non-ARDS, while lung severity and hospital mortality changed markedly with every PaO2/FiO(2) category (p<0.000001). Our model of risk stratification outperformed the stratification using baseline PaO2/FiO(2) and non-standardised PaO2/FiO(2) at 24 h, when analysed by the predictive receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve: area under the ROC curve for stratification at baseline was 0.583 (95% CI 0.525 to 0.636), 0.605 (95% CI 0.552 to 0.658) at 24 h without SVS and 0.693 (95% CI 0.645 to 0.742) at 24 h under SVS (p<0.000001). Conclusions: Our findings support the need for patient assessment under SVS at 24 h after ARDS onset to assess disease severity, and have implications for the diagnosis and management of ARDS patients.
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