| 1. |
- Aad, G, et al.
(författare)
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- 2015
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 2. |
- Reinbold, C. S., et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of the Influence of microRNAs in Lithium Response in Bipolar Disorder
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychiatry. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-0640. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common, highly heritable neuropsychiatric disease characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Lithium is the best-established long-term treatment for BD, even though individual response is highly variable Evidence suggests that some of this variability has a genetic basis. This is supported by the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of lithium response to date conducted by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) Recently, we performed the first genome-wide analysis of the involvement of miRNAs in BD and identified nine BD associated miRNAs However, it is unknown whether these miRNAs are also associated with lithium response in BD. In the present study, we therefore tested whether common variants at these nine candidate miRNAs contribute to the variance in lithium response in BD. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed whether any other miRNA in the genome is implicated in the response to lithium. For this purpose, we performed gene-based tests for all known miRNA coding genes in the ConLiGen GWAS dataset (n = 2,563 patients) using a set-based testing approach adapted from the versatile gene based test for GWAS (VEGAS2). In the candidate approach, miR-499a showed a nominally significant association with lithium response, providing some evidence for involvement in both development and treatment of BD. In the genome-wide miRNA analysis, 71 miRNAs showed nominally significant associations with the dichotomous phenotype and 106 with the continuous trait for treatment response. A total of 15 miRNAs revealed nominal significance in both phenotypes with miR-633 showing the strongest association with the continuous trait (p = 9.80E-04) and miR-607 with the dichotomous phenotype (p = 5.79E-04). No association between miRNAs and treatment response to lithium in BD in either of the tested conditions withstood multiple testing correction. Given the limited power of our study, the investigation of miRNAs in larger GWAS samples of BD and lithium response is warranted.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Payler, S.J., et al.
(författare)
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Planetary science and exploration in the deep subsurface : results from the MINAR Program, Boulby Mine, UK
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Astrobiology. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1473-5504 .- 1475-3006. ; 16:2, s. 114-129
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The subsurface exploration of other planetary bodies can be used to unravel their geological history and assess their habitability. On Mars in particular, present-day habitable conditions may be restricted to the subsurface. Using a deep subsurface mine, we carried out a program of extraterrestrial analog research – MINe Analog Research (MINAR). MINAR aims to carry out the scientific study of the deep subsurface and test instrumentation designed for planetary surface exploration by investigating deep subsurface geology, whilst establishing the potential this technology has to be transferred into the mining industry. An integrated multi-instrument suite was used to investigate samples of representative evaporite minerals from a subsurface Permian evaporite sequence, in particular to assess mineral and elemental variations which provide small-scale regions of enhanced habitability. The instruments used were the Panoramic Camera emulator, Close-Up Imager, Raman spectrometer, Small Planetary Linear Impulse Tool, Ultrasonic drill and handheld X-ray diffraction (XRD). We present science results from the analog research and show that these instruments can be used to investigate in situ the geological context and mineralogical variations of a deep subsurface environment, and thus habitability, from millimetre to metre scales. We also show that these instruments are complementary. For example, the identification of primary evaporite minerals such as NaCl and KCl, which are difficult to detect by portable Raman spectrometers, can be accomplished with XRD. By contrast, Raman is highly effective at locating and detecting mineral inclusions in primary evaporite minerals. MINAR demonstrates the effective use of a deep subsurface environment for planetary instrument development, understanding the habitability of extreme deep subsurface environments on Earth and other planetary bodies, and advancing the use of space technology in economic mining. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Hagiwara, K, et al.
(författare)
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Review of particle physics
- 2002
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Ingår i: Physical Review D (Particles and Fields). - 0556-2821. ; 66:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This biennial Review summarizes much of Particle Physics Using data from previous editions, plus 2205 new measurements from 667 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons We also summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as Higgs bosons, heavy neutrinos, and supersymmetric particles All the particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables We also give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as the Standard Model, particle detectors, probability, and statistics This edition features expanded coverage of CP violation in B mesons and of neutrino oscillations For the first time we cover searches for evidence of extra dimensions (both in the particle listings and in a new review) Another new review is on Grand Unified Theories A booklet is available containing the Summary Tables and abbreviated versions of some of the other sections of this full Review All tables, listings, and reviews (and errata) are also available on the Particle Data Group website http //pdg 1b1 gov.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Waaijers, Susanne L., et al.
(författare)
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Persistence, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity of Halogen-Free Flame Retardants
- 2013
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Ingår i: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. - New York, NY : Springer. - 9781461447160 - 9781461447177 ; , s. 1-71
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polymers are synthetic organic materials having a high carbon and hydrogen content, which make them readily combustible. Polymers have many indoor uses and their flammability makes them a fire hazard. Therefore, flame retardants (FRs) are incorporated into these materials as a safety measure. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which accounted for about 21% of the total world market of FRs, have several unintended negative effects on the environment and human health. Hence, there is growing interest in finding appropriate alternative halogen-free flame retardants (HFFRs). Many of these HFFRs are marketed already, although their environ- mental behavior and toxicological properties are often only known to a limited extent, and their potential impact on the environment cannot yet be properly assessed. Therefore, we undertook this review to make an inventory of the available data that exists (up to September 2011) on the physical-chemical properties, pro- duction volumes, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (PBT) of a selection of HFFRs that are potential replacements for BFRs in polymers. Large data gaps were identified for the physical-chemical and the PBT properties of the reviewed HFFRs. Because these HFFRs are currently on the market, there is an urgent need to fill these data gaps. Enhanced transparency of methodology and data are needed to reevaluate certain test results that appear contradictory, and, if this does not provide new insights, further research should be performed. TPP has been studied quite extensively and it is clearly persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. So far, RDP and BDP have demonstrated low to high ecotoxicity and persistence. The compounds ATH and ZB exerted high toxicity to some species and ALPI appeared to be persistent and has low to moderate reported ecotoxicity. DOPO and MPP may be persistent, but this view is based merely on one or two studies, clearly indicating a lack of information. Many degradation studies have been performed on PER and show low persistence, with a few exceptions. Additionally, there is too l ittle information on the bioaccumulation potential of PER. APP mostly has low PBT properties; however, moderate ecotoxicity was reported in two studies. Mg(OH)₂, ZHS, and ZS do not show such remarkably high bioaccumulation or toxicity, but large data gaps exist for these compounds also. Nevertheless, we consider the latter compounds to be the most promising among alternative HFFRs. To assess whether the presently reviewed HFFRs are truly suitable alternatives, each compound should be examined individually by comparing its PBT values with those of the relevant halogenated flame retardant. Until more data are available, it remains impossible to accurately evaluate the risk of each of these compounds, including the ones that are already extensively marketed.
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| 12. |
- Wallen, K. E., et al.
(författare)
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Integrating team science into interdisciplinary graduate education : an exploration of the SESYNC Graduate Pursuit
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-6483 .- 2190-6491. ; 9:2, s. 218-233
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Complex socio-environmental challenges require interdisciplinary, team-based research capacity. Graduate students are fundamental to building such capacity, yet formal opportunities for graduate students to develop these capacities and skills are uncommon. This paper presents an assessment of the Graduate Pursuit (GP) program, a formal interdisciplinary team science graduate research and training program administered by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the program’s first cohort revealed that participants became significantly more comfortable with interdisciplinary research and team science approaches, increased their capacity to work across disciplines, and were enabled to produce tangible research outcomes. Qualitative analysis of four themes—(1) discipline, specialization, and shared purpose, (2) interpersonal skills and personality, (3) communication and teamwork, and (4) perceived costs and benefits—encompass participants’ positive and negative experiences and support findings from past assessments. The findings also identify challenges and benefits related to individual personality traits and team personality orientation, the importance of perceiving a sense of autonomy and independence, and the benefit of graduate training programs independent of the university and graduate program environment.
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| 13. |
- Brack, W., et al.
(författare)
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Strengthen the European collaborative environmental research to meet European policy goals for achieving a sustainable, non-toxic environment
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Sciences Europe. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-4707 .- 2190-4715. ; 31:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To meet the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and the European Union (EU) strategy for a non-toxic environment, water resources and ecosystems management require cost-efficient solutions for prevailing complex contamination and multiple stressor exposures. For the protection of water resources under global change conditions, specific research needs for prediction, monitoring, assessment and abatement of multiple stressors emerge with respect to maintaining human needs, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Collaborative European research seems an ideal instrument to mobilize the required transdisciplinary scientific support and tackle the large-scale dimension and develop options required for implementation of European policies. Calls for research on minimizing society's chemical footprints in the water-food-energy-security nexus are required. European research should be complemented with targeted national scientific funding to address specific transformation pathways and support the evaluation, demonstration and implementation of novel approaches on regional scales. The foreseeable pressure developments due to demographic, economic and climate changes require solution-oriented thinking, focusing on the assessment of sustainable abatement options and transformation pathways rather than on status evaluation. Stakeholder involvement is a key success factor in collaborative projects as it allows capturing added value, to address other levels of complexity, and find smarter solutions by synthesizing scientific evidence, integrating governance issues, and addressing transition pathways. This increases the chances of closing the value chain by implementing novel solutions. For the water quality topic, the interacting European collaborative projects SOLUTIONS, MARS and GLOBAQUA and the NORMAN network provide best practice examples for successful applied collaborative research including multi-stakeholder involvement. They provided innovative conceptual, modelling and instrumental options for future monitoring and management of chemical mixtures and multiple stressors in European water resources. Advancement of EU water framework directive-related policies has therefore become an option. Bt Aachen Biol, Aachen, Germany.
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| 14. |
- Cousins, Katheryn A Q, et al.
(författare)
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ATN incorporating cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain detects frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
- 2021
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. - : Wiley. - 1552-5279. ; 17:5, s. 822-830
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ATN framework provides an in vivo diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of pathologic amyloid plaques (A), tangles (T), and neurodegeneration (N). ATN is rarely evaluated in pathologically confirmed patients and its poor sensitivity to suspected non-Alzheimer's pathophysiologies (SNAP), including frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), leads to misdiagnoses. We compared accuracy of ATN (ATNTAU ) using CSF total tau (t-tau) to a modified strategy (ATNNfL ) using CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL) in an autopsy cohort.ATNTAU and ATNNfL were trained in an independent sample and validated in autopsy-confirmed AD (n=67) and FTLD (n=27).ATNNfL more accurately identified FTLD as SNAP (sensitivity=0.93, specificity=0.94) than ATNTAU (sensitivity=0.44, specificity=0.97), even in cases with co-occurring AD and FTLD. ATNNfL misclassified fewer AD and FTLD as "Normal" (2%) than ATNTAU (14%).ATNNfL is a promising diagnostic strategy that may accurately identify both AD and FTLD, even when pathologies co-occur.
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| 15. |
- De Frenne, P, et al.
(författare)
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Significant effects of temperature on the reproductive output of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa L.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 259:4, s. 809-817
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate warming is already influencing plant migration in different parts of the world.Numerous modelshave been developed to forecast future plant distributions. Few studies, however, have investigated thepotential effect of warming on the reproductive output of plants. Understorey forest herbs in particular,have received little attention in the debate on climate change impacts.This study focuses on the effect of temperature on sexual reproductive output (number of seeds, seedmass, germination percentage and seedling mass) of Anemone nemorosa L., a model species for slowcolonizing herbaceous forest plants. We sampled seeds of A. nemorosa in populations along a 2400 kmlatitudinal gradient from northern France to northern Sweden during three growing seasons (2005, 2006and 2008). This study design allowed us to isolate the effects of accumulated temperature (GrowingDegree Hours; GDH) from latitude and the local abiotic and biotic environment. Germination and seedsowing trials were performed in incubators, a greenhouse and under field conditions in a forest. Finally,we disentangled correlations between the different reproductive traits of A. nemorosa along thelatitudinal gradient.We found a clear positive relationship between accumulated temperature and seed and seedlingtraits: reproductive output of A. nemorosa improved with increasing GDH along the latitudinal gradient.Seedmass and seedling mass, for instance, increased by 9.7% and 10.4%, respectively, for every 1000 8C hincrease in GDH.Wealso derived strong correlations between several seed and seedling traits both underfield conditions and in incubators. Our results indicate that seed mass, incubator-based germinationpercentage (Germ%Inc) and the output of germinable seeds (product of number of seeds and Germ%Incdivided by 100) from plants grown along a latitudinal gradient (i.e. at different temperature regimes)provide valuable proxies to parameterize key population processes in models.We conclude that (1) climate warming may have a pronounced positive impact on sexualreproduction of A. nemorosa and (2) climate models forecasting plant distributions would benefit fromincluding the temperature sensitivity of key seed traits and population processes.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Giovanoulis, Georgios, et al.
(författare)
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Multi-pathway human exposure assessment of phthalate esters and DINCH
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environment International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 112, s. 115-126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phthalate esters are substances mainly used as plasticizers in various applications. Some have been restricted and phased out due to their adverse health effects and ubiquitous presence, leading to the introduction of alternative plasticizers, such as DINCH. Using a comprehensive dataset from a Norwegian study population, human exposure to DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP, DEHP, DINP, DIDP, DPHP and DINCH was assessed by measuring their presence in external exposure media, allowing an estimation of the total intake, as well as the relative importance of different uptake pathways. Intake via different uptake routes, in particular inhalation, dermal absorption, and oral uptake was estimated and total intake based on all uptake pathways was compared to the calculated intake from biomonitoring data. Hand wipe results were used to determine dermal uptake and compared to other exposure sources such as air, dust and personal care products. Results showed that the calculated total intakes were similar, but slightly higher than those based on biomonitoring methods by 1.1 to 3 times (median), indicating a good understanding of important uptake pathways. The relative importance of different uptake pathways was comparable to other studies, where inhalation was important for lower molecular weight phthalates, and negligible for the higher molecular weight phthalates and DINCH. Dietary intake was the predominant exposure route for all analyzed substances. Dermal uptake based on hand wipes was much lower (median up to 2000 times) than the total dermal uptake via air, dust and personal care products. Still, dermal uptake is not a well-studied exposure pathway and several research gaps (e.g. absorption fractions) remain. Based on calculated intakes, the exposure for the Norwegian participants to the phthalates and DINCH was lower than health based limit values. Nevertheless, exposure to alternative plasticizers, such as DPHP and DINCH, is expected to increase in the future and continuous monitoring is required.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Ma, S., et al.
(författare)
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Plant-soil feedbacks of forest understorey plants transplanted in nonlocal soils along a latitudinal gradient
- 2019
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Ingår i: Plant Biology. - : Wiley. - 1435-8603 .- 1438-8677. ; 21:4, s. 677-687
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is driving movements of many plants beyond, as well as within, their current distributional ranges. Even migrant plants moving within their current range may experience different plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) because of divergent nonlocal biotic soil conditions. Yet, our understanding to what extent soil biotic conditions can affect the performance of within-range migrant plants is still very limited. We assessed the emergence and growth of migrant forest herbs (Milium effusum and Stachys sylvatica) using soils and seeds collected along a 1,700 km latitudinal gradient across Europe. Soil biota were manipulated through four soil treatments, i.e. unsterilized control soil (PSFUS), sterilized soil (PSFS), sterilized soil inoculated with unsterilized home soil (PSFS+HI) and sterilized soil inoculated with unsterilized foreign soil (PSFS+FI, expected to occur when both plants and soil biota track climate change). Compared to PSFS, PSFUS had negative effects on the growth but not emergence of both species, while PSFS+FI only affected S. sylvatica across all seed provenances. When considering seed origin, seedling emergence and growth responses to nonlocal soils depended on soil biotic conditions. Specifically, the home-away distance effect on seedling emergence differed between the four treatments, and significant responses to chemistry either disappeared (M. effusum) or changed (S. sylvatica) from PSFUS to PSFS. Soil biota emerge as an important driver of the estimated plant migration success. Our results of the effects of soil microorganisms on plant establishment provide relevant information for predictions of the distribution and dynamics of plant species in a changing climate.
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| 20. |
- Naidu, R., et al.
(författare)
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Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) : Current status and research needs
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Technology & Innovation. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-1864. ; 19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An expert workshop focusing on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was held in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in September 2019 following the 8th International Contaminated Site Remediation Conference — CleanUp 2019. The workshop was organised by the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and was chaired by Professor Ravi Naidu, CEO and Managing Director of CRC CARE and Director of the Global Centre for Environmental Remediation at the University of Newcastle, NSW. The purpose of the workshop, which was attended by more than 50 experts in the field of contaminated land assessment and management, was to discuss the current state of play and research needs relating to PFAS contaminated sites. This paper provides a summary of the discussions and conclusions and lists actions and needs that the expert group identified as critical for pursuing successful PFAS management and remedy approaches.This paper is intended to capture the shared information, comments, and current thinking related to PFAS challenges and research needs as identified by the group of expert participants; the write up is not intended to be a complete dissertation on the science and work that has been carried out. With a fast-evolving subject and increased government and public attention on PFAS presence in the environment, the group was convened with the objective of providing value in contributing to solutions to the PFAS challenges that are faced both in Australia and internationally. The text contained herein provides references to observations and methods that the experts drew on in their discussions and in support of their commentary; documentation of the original references was not provided, and the reader should consult the scientific literature if further information and confirmation of observations is required. Following a brief on the background to PFAS challenges, the paper focusses on research gaps identified by experts with focus on Australian soils and groundwater including climatic patterns, an overview of PFAS research in Australia with emphasis on:RegulatoryAnalytical considerationsEcological and Human Health RisksFate and TransportRemediation and Risk Management.
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| 21. |
- Ou, Anna H., et al.
(författare)
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Lithium response in bipolar disorder is associated with focal adhesion and PI3K-Akt networks: a multi-omics replication study
- 2024
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Ingår i: TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY. - 2158-3188. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lithium is the gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). However, its mechanism of action is incompletely understood, and prediction of treatment outcomes is limited. In our previous multi-omics study of the Pharmacogenomics of Bipolar Disorder (PGBD) sample combining transcriptomic and genomic data, we found that focal adhesion, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and PI3K-Akt signaling networks were associated with response to lithium. In this study, we replicated the results of our previous study using network propagation methods in a genome-wide association study of an independent sample of 2039 patients from the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) study. We identified functional enrichment in focal adhesion and PI3K-Akt pathways, but we did not find an association with the ECM pathway. Our results suggest that deficits in the neuronal growth cone and PI3K-Akt signaling, but not in ECM proteins, may influence response to lithium in BD.
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| 22. |
- Anderson, J. K., et al.
(författare)
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Grouping of PFAS for human health risk assessment : Findings from an independent panel of experts
- 2022
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Ingår i: Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0273-2300 .- 1096-0295. ; 134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An expert panel was convened to provide insight and guidance on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) grouping for the purposes of protecting human health from drinking water exposures, and how risks to PFAS mixtures should be assessed. These questions were addressed through multiple rounds of blind, independent responses to charge questions, and review and comments on co-panelists responses. The experts agreed that the lack of consistent interpretations of human health risk for well-studied PFAS and the lack of information for the vast majority of PFAS present significant challenges for any mixtures risk assessment approach. Most experts agreed that "all PFAS" should not be grouped together, persistence alone is not sufficient for grouping PFAS for the purposes of assessing human health risk, and that the definition of appropriate subgroups can only be defined on a case-by-case manner. Most panelists agreed that it is inappropriate to assume equal toxicity/potency across the diverse class of PFAS. A tiered approach combining multiple lines of evidence was presented as a possible viable means for addressing PFAS that lack analytical and/or toxicological studies. Most PFAS risk assessments will need to employ assumptions that are more likely to overestimate risk than to underestimate risk, given the choice of assumptions regarding dose-response model, uncertainty factors, and exposure information.
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| 23. |
- Armitage, James M., 1974-
(författare)
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Modeling the global fate and transport of perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS)
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants that are widely distributed in the global environment. Despite the fact that these chemicals have been manufactured and used for over 50 years, there has been little scientific and regulatory interest until very recently. An important research priority over the past decade has been to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms and pathways explaining the presence of these compounds in remote regions. One explanation is related to the use and release of volatile precursor compounds which undergo atmospheric transport and are also susceptible to degradation to PFAS through gas phase reactions with radical species. The main purpose of this doctoral thesis was to investigate an alternative explanation, namely the long-range transport (LRT) of PFAS themselves, which have been released into the environment in substantial quantities during manufacturing and product use. Papers I – III explore the LRT potential of perfluorocarboxylic acids and perfluorocarboxylates and demonstrate that both oceanic and atmospheric transport are efficient pathways of dispersion from source to remote regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Oceanic transport of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was shown to be an important process in Paper IV as well. The role of precursor transport and degradation to PFOS was also examined in this paper. The most interesting aspect of the fate and transport of PFOS precursors is the rapid response in ambient concentrations exhibited by these compounds in the model simulations following production phase-out. Since precursor compounds are known to degrade to PFOS in vivo, the modeling results demonstrate that this exposure pathway is a plausible explanation for the declining trends in PFOS concentrations reported for marine mammals in some remote environments.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Arnot, Jon A., et al.
(författare)
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Toward a Consistent Evaluative Framework for POP Risk Characterization
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 45:1, s. 97-103
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of Annex E in the Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is to assess whether a chemical is likely, as a result of its long-range environmental transport, to lead to significant adverse human health or environmental effects, such that global action is warranted. To date, risk profiles for nominated POPs have not consistently selected assessment endpoints or completed mandated risk characterizations. An assessment endpoint hierarchy is proposed to facilitate risk characterization for the implementation of the SC. The framework is illustrated for a nominated POP, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), using three risk estimation methods. Based on current monitoring and toxicity data, the screening-level results indicate that humans and ecological receptors in remote regions such as the Arctic are unlikely to experience significant adverse effects (i.e., low risk) due to long-range environmental transport of HBCD. The results for birds are more uncertain than the results for fish and mammals due to the paucity of avian toxicity data. Risk characterization results for HBCD and for some listed POPs are compared to illustrate how the proposed methods can further assist decision-making and chemical management.
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| 26. |
- Beard, David J., et al.
(författare)
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Placebo comparator group selection and use in surgical trials : The aspire project including expert workshop
- 2021
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Ingår i: Health Technology Assessment. - 1366-5278. ; 25:53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The use of placebo comparisons for randomised trials assessing the efficacy of surgical interventions is increasingly being considered. However, a placebo control is a complex type of comparison group in the surgical setting and, although powerful, presents many challenges. Objectives: To provide a summary of knowledge on placebo controls in surgical trials and to summarise any recommendations for designers, evaluators and funders of placebo-controlled surgical trials. Design: To carry out a state-of-the-art workshop and produce a corresponding report involving key stakeholders throughout. Setting: A workshop to discuss and summarise the existing knowledge and to develop the new guidelines. Results: To assess what a placebo control entails and to assess the understanding of this tool in the context of surgery is considered, along with when placebo controls in surgery are acceptable (and when they are desirable). We have considered ethics arguments and regulatory requirements, how a placebo control should be designed, how to identify and mitigate risk for participants in these trials, and how such trials should be carried out and interpreted. The use of placebo controls is justified in randomised controlled trials of surgical interventions provided that there is a strong scientific and ethics rationale. Surgical placebos might be most appropriate when there is poor evidence for the efficacy of the procedure and a justified concern that results of a trial would be associated with a high risk of bias, particularly because of the placebo effect. Conclusions: The use of placebo controls is justified in randomised controlled trials of surgical interventions provided that there is a strong scientific and ethics rationale. Feasibility work is recommended to optimise the design and implementation of randomised controlled trials. An outline for best practice was produced in the form of the Applying Surgical Placebo in Randomised Evaluations (ASPIRE) guidelines for those considering the use of a placebo control in a surgical randomised controlled trial. Limitations: Although the workshop participants involved international members, the majority of participants were from the UK. Therefore, although every attempt was made to make the recommendations applicable to all health systems, the guidelines may, unconsciously, be particularly applicable to clinical practice in the UK NHS. Future work: Future work should evaluate the use of the ASPIRE guidelines in making decisions about the use of a placebo-controlled surgical trial. In addition, further work is required on the appropriate nomenclature to adopt in this space.
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| 27. |
- Cousins, Dylan S., et al.
(författare)
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Near-Infrared Spectroscopy can Predict Anatomical Abundance in Corn Stover
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-598X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feedstock heterogeneity is a key challenge impacting the deconstruction and conversion of herbaceous lignocellulosic biomass to biobased fuels, chemicals, and materials. Upstream processing to homogenize biomass feedstock streams into their anatomical components via air classification allows for a more tailored approach to subsequent mechanical and chemical processing. Here, we show that differing corn stover anatomical tissues respond differently to pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis and therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach to chemical processing biomass is inappropriate. To inform on-line downstream processing, a robust and high-throughput analytical technique is needed to quantitatively characterize the separated biomass. Predictive correlation of near-infrared spectra to biomass chemical composition is such a technique. Here, we demonstrate the capability of models developed using an “off-the-shelf,” industrially relevant spectrometer with limited spectral range to make strong predictions of both cell wall chemical composition and the relative abundance of anatomical components of the corn stover, the latter for the first time ever. Gaussian process regression (GPR) yields stronger correlations (average R2v = 88% for chemical composition and 95% for anatomical relative abundance) than the more commonly used partial least squares (PLS) regression (average R2v = 84% for chemical composition and 92% for anatomical relative abundance). In nearly all cases, both GPR and PLS outperform models generated using neural networks. These results highlight the potential for coupling NIRS with predictive models based on GPR due to the potential to yield more robust correlations.
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| 28. |
- Cousins, Dylan S., et al.
(författare)
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Particle classification by image analysis improves understanding of corn stover degradation mechanisms during deconstruction
- 2023
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Ingår i: Industrial crops and products (Print). - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0926-6690 .- 1872-633X. ; 193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biomass feedstock heterogeneity is a principal roadblock to implementation of the biorefinery concept. Even within an identical cultivar of corn stover, different bales contain not only varying abundance moisture, ash, glucan, and other chemical compounds, but also varying abundance of tissue anatomies (e.g., leaf, husk, cob, or stalk). These different anatomical components not only differ in their response to pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis to glucose, but also vary in their mechanical and conveyance properties. Although this heterogeneous nature of corn stover feedstock has been identified as a challenge, a fundamental knowledge gap of how these tissues behave during biorefining processing remains. In this work, we demonstrate the use of a commercial fiber image analyzer typically used for wood fiber characterization to monitor the particle size and shapes of non-woody feedstock during milling, pretreatment, and hydrolysis. Additionally, we present novel use of Gaussian process classification to distinguish bundle, parenchyma, and fiber particles to an accuracy of 96.4%. Quantitative probability distribution plots for characteristics such as length and roundness allow elucidation of particle morphology as pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis progress. In both stalk pith and stalk rind, particles peel into individual cells whose walls are subsequently fragmented during enzymatic hydrolysis.
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| 29. |
- Cousins, Dylan S., et al.
(författare)
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Predictive models enhance feedstock quality of corn stover via air classification
- 2024
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Ingår i: Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. - : Springer Nature. - 2190-6815 .- 2190-6823. ; 14:13, s. 13833-13845
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feedstock heterogeneity is a fundamental obstacle to cost-competitive biobased products. Agricultural products like corn stover have anatomical components that vary in their chemical composition, mechanical properties, structure, and response to chemical and biological treatments. A technique that can enrich streams in select anatomical fractions would allow a tailored deconstruction approach to increase overall process efficiency. Air classification can be leveraged for such refining; however, fundamental characterization and understanding of the particle properties that underly the physics of air classification are only modestly documented. Here, we determine fundamental particle properties including mass-to-area ratio, drag coefficient, and partition velocity that describe how anatomical tissues of corn stover behave during air classification. Mass-to-area ratios of anatomical tissues vary by nearly two orders of magnitude from 2.3 mg/mm2 for cob to 0.04 mg/mm2 for leaf. Drag coefficients of longer, fibrous materials (i.e., rind, husk, and sheath) are shown to correlate with particle area (p-value < 0.001) whereas granular tissues (i.e., cob, pith, and leaf) correlate better with mass-to-area ratio (p-values < 0.001). When compared to experimental observations, a simulated two-stage air classification and size reduction scenario predicts the overall partitioning of anatomical tissues within 15% for pith, husk, rind, and cob tissues. The model predicts an air-classified fraction preferentially enriched in cob (purity = 20%), rind (purity = 74%), and pith (purity = 4.5%) with a mass yield of 47%. Empirical relations for these properties can be used to predict the partitioning of corn stover during air classification based on anatomical type and size.
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| 30. |
- Cousins, Ian T., et al.
(författare)
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The precautionary principle and chemicals management : The example of perfluoroalkyl acids in groundwater
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environment International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 94, s. 331-340
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Already in the late 1990s microgram-per-liter levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were measured in water samples from areas where fire-fighting foams were used or spilled. Despite these early warnings, the problems of groundwater, and thus drinking water, contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) including PFOS are only beginning to be addressed. It is clear that this PFAS contamination is poorly reversible and that the societal costs of clean-up will be high. This inability to reverse exposure in a reasonable timeframe is a major motivation for application of the precautionary principle in chemicals management. We conclude that exposure can be poorly reversible; 1) due to slow elimination kinetics in organisms, or 2) due to poorly reversible environmental contamination that leads to continuous exposure. In the second case, which is relevant for contaminated groundwater, the reversibility of exposure is not related to the magnitude of a chemical's bioaccumulation potential. We argue therefore that all PFASs entering groundwater, irrespective of their perfluoroalkyl chain length and bioaccumulation potential, will result in poorly reversible exposures and risks as well as further clean-up costs for society. To protect groundwater resources for future generations, society should consider a precautionary approach to chemicals management and prevent the use and release of highly persistent and mobile chemicals such as PFASs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 31. |
- De Frenne, P., et al.
(författare)
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A latitudinal gradient in seed nutrients of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa
- 2011
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Ingår i: Plant Biology. - : Wiley. - 1435-8603 .- 1438-8677. ; 13:3, s. 493-501
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nutrient concentration in seeds determines many aspects of potential success of the sexual reproductive phase of plants, including the seed predation probability, efficiency of seed dispersal and seedling performance. Despite considerable research interest in latitudinal gradients of foliar nutrients, a similar gradient for seeds remains unexplored. We investigated a potential latitudinal gradient in seed nutrient concentrations within the widespread European understorey forest herb Anemone nemorosa L. We sampled seeds of A. nemorosa in 15 populations along a 1900-km long latitudinal gradient at three to seven seed collection dates post-anthesis and investigated the relative effects of growing degree-hours > 5 degrees C, soil characteristics and latitude on seed nutrient concentrations. Seed nitrogen, nitrogen:phosphorus ratio and calcium concentration decreased towards northern latitudes, while carbon:nitrogen ratios increased. When taking differences in growing degree-hours and measured soil characteristics into account and only considering the most mature seeds, the latitudinal decline remained particularly significant for seed nitrogen concentration. We argue that the decline in seed nitrogen concentration can be attributed to northward decreasing seed provisioning due to lower soil nitrogen availability or greater investment in clonal reproduction. This pattern may have large implications for the reproductive performance of this forest herb as the degree of seed provisioning ultimately co-determines seedling survival and reproductive success.
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| 32. |
- Dominguez Perez, Sophia, et al.
(författare)
-
Neuropsychological and Neuroanatomical Features of Patients with Behavioral/Dysexecutive Variant Alzheimer's Disease (AD) : A Comparison to Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Amnestic AD Groups
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - 1387-2877. ; 89:2, s. 641-658
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: An understudied variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the behavioral/dysexecutive variant of AD (bvAD), is associated with progressive personality, behavior, and/or executive dysfunction and frontal atrophy. Objective: This study characterizes the neuropsychological and neuroanatomical features associated with bvAD by comparing it to behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), amnestic AD (aAD), and subjects with normal cognition. Methods: Subjects included 16 bvAD, 67 bvFTD, 18 aAD patients, and 26 healthy controls. Neuropsychological assessment and MRI data were compared between these groups. Results: Compared to bvFTD, bvAD showed more significant visuospatial impairments (Rey Figure copy and recall), more irritability (Neuropsychological Inventory), and equivalent verbal memory (Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test). Compared to aAD, bvAD indicated more executive dysfunction (F-letter fluency) and better visuospatial performance. Neuroimaging analysis found that bvAD showed cortical thinning relative to bvFTD posteriorly in left temporal-occipital regions; bvFTD had cortical thinning relative to bvAD in left inferior frontal cortex. bvAD had cortical thinning relative to aAD in prefrontal and anterior temporal regions. All patient groups had lower volumes than controls in both anterior and posterior hippocampus. However, bvAD patients had higher average volume than aAD patients in posterior hippocampus and higher volume than bvFTD patients in anterior hippocampus after adjustment for age and intracranial volume. Conclusion: Findings demonstrated that underlying pathology mediates disease presentation in bvAD and bvFTD.
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| 33. |
- du Cros, P, et al.
(författare)
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Standards for clinical trials for treating TB
- 2023
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Ingår i: The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. - 1815-7920. ; 27:12, s. 885-898
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Giovanoulis, Georgios, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of exposure to phthalate esters and DINCH in urine and nails from a Norwegian study population
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Environmental Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0013-9351 .- 1096-0953. ; 151, s. 80-90
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phthalate esters (PEs) and 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) used as additives in numerous consumer products are continuously released into the environment, leading to subsequent human exposure which might cause adverse health effects. The human biomonitoring approach allows the detection of PEs and DINCH in specific populations, by taking into account all possible routes of exposure (e.g. inhalation, transdermal and oral) and all relevant sources (e.g. air, dust, personal care products, diet). We have investigated the presence of nine PE and two DINCH metabolites and their exposure determinants in 61 adult residents of the Oslo area (Norway). Three urine spots and fingernails were collected from each participant according to established sampling protocols. Metabolite analysis was performed by LC-MS/MS. Metabolite levels in urine were used to back-calculate the total exposure to their corresponding parent compound. The primary monoesters, such as monomethyl phthalate (MMP, geometric mean 89.7 ng/g), monoethyl phthalate (MEP, 104.8 ng/g) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP, 893 ng/g) were observed in higher levels in nails, whereas the secondary bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and DINCH oxidative metabolites were more abundant in urine (detection frequency 84-100%). The estimated daily intakes of PEs and DINCH for this Norwegian population did not exceed the established tolerable daily intake and reference doses, and the cumulative risk assessment for combined exposure to plasticizers with similar toxic endpoints indicated no health concerns for the selected population. We found a moderate positive correlation between MEP levels in 3 urine spots and nails (range: 0.56-0.68). Higher frequency of personal care products use was associated with greater MEP concentrations in both urine and nail samples. Increased age, smoking, wearing plastic gloves during house cleaning, consuming food with plastic packaging and eating with hands were associated with higher levels in urine and nails for some of the metabolites. In contrast, frequent hair and hand washing was associated with lower urinary levels of monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5-OH-MEHP), respectively.
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| 36. |
- Johnson, Mark S., et al.
(författare)
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Estimating Environmental Hazard and Risks from Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) : Outcome of a SETAC Focused Topic Meeting
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 40:3, s. 543-549
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of highly fluorinated synthetic chemicals that were originally developed for uses as surfactants and surface protectors. Increasingly, specific substances of this class are being found in environmental media (e.g., surface water, soils, sediments, food sources), and concerns regarding exposure to humans and environmental receptors have been described by the public, legislators, and the general population. Data suggest that some PFAS (such as certain of the long-chain ones) bioaccumulate and have long biological half-lives, particularly in humans. Toxicity data in various organisms are variable as are their toxicokinetics. A Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Focused Topic Meeting and workshop entitled Environmental Risk Assessment of PFAS convened during 12 to 15 August, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina (USA) and brought together experts from around the globe to highlight recent advances in research pertinent to evaluating environmental and human health risks from exposures. The objectives of the Focused Topic Meeting and workshop were: 1) to review new and emerging information on PFAS chemical classification and grouping, environmental chemistry, detection technology, fate and transport, exposure potential, human health toxicity, and ecological toxicity; and 2) to harness the expertise of attendees to discuss and formulate a roadmap to prioritize the study of specific PFAS with the goal of developing a risk assessment approach that considers mechanistic (including computational) data for extrapolating exposure and data across different species/scenarios and compounds within environmental exposure pathways. We present the key issues that were discussed.
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| 37. |
- Land, J. S., et al.
(författare)
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Origin of red beds and paleosols in the Palaeoproterozoic Transvaal and Olifansthoek Supergroups of South Africa: provenance versus metasomatic controls
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Geological Journal. - : Wiley. - 0072-1050. ; 53:1, s. 191-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Palaeoproterozoic Transvaal and Olifantshoek Supergroups of South Africa contain some of the earliest hematite-rich sedimentary rocks (red-beds) and paleosols on record. The origin of these rocks has been variously attributed to surface processes under an oxygenated atmosphere that post-dated the ca. 2.3Ga Great Oxidation Event (GOE). Interpretations of their geochemical signatures, however, have been inconclusive with respect to the causes of the apparent K-enrichment that these rocks record. Here, we re-visit the basal Mapedi Formation of the Olifantshoek Supergroup and the unconformably underlying Drakenstein palaeo-weathering profile that develops against the Ongeluk Formation of the upper Transvaal Supergroup, and present new petrographic and geochemical data in an attempt to constrain the burial metasomatic history of these rocks. Apart from the strong hematitic nature and K-metasomatic overprint seen in both the Mapedi Formation and Ongeluk paleosol, a curious and hitherto unexplored enrichment in high-field strength elements (HFSEs: Ti, Nb, Y, Zr, REE, etc.) by several orders of magnitude higher than average shale characterizes the lower part of the Mapedi Formation as examined here. We show that such enrichments cannot be explained by normal source-to sink weathering processes, unless an unlikely provenance of special geochemical composition (i.e. alkali igneous rocks) is to be invoked. We conclude that the HFSE enrichment, K-metasomatism and evidently transgressive Fe-oxidation effects in the Mapedi shales can only be accounted for via post-depositional fluid-rock interaction, possibly involving F-bearing diagenetic brines. This opens the distinct possibility that such fluids may have also been implicated in alteration processes, enhanced Fe mobility and development of epigenetic hematitic iron-ores as seen at the Transvaal-Olifantshoek unconformity on regional scales. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 38. |
- Léger, Anaïs, et al.
(författare)
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AMR-Intervene : a social-ecological framework to capture the diversity of actions to tackle antimicrobial resistance from a One Health perspective
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-7453 .- 1460-2091. ; 76:1, s. 1-21
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires coordinated actions by and across different sectors. Increasing attention at the global and national Levels has Led to different strategies to tackle the challenge. The diversity of possible actions to address AMR is currently not well understood from a One Health perspective. AMR-Intervene, an interdisciplinary social-ecological framework, describes interventions to tackle AMR in terms of six components: (i) core information about the publication; (ii) social system; (iii) bio-ecological system; (iv) triggers and goals; (v) implementation and governance; and (vi) assessment. AMR-Intervene provides a broadly applicable framework, which can inform the design, implementation, assessment and reporting of interventions to tackle AMR and, in turn, enable faster uptake of successful interventions to build societal resilience to AMR.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Lindborg, Regina, et al.
(författare)
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Offra inte Sveriges betesmarker
- 2019
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Ingår i: Svenska Dagbladet. ; :18 februari 2019
-
Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Ambitionen att minska köttkonsumtionen är lovvärd men riskerar att slå hårt mot den biologiska mångfalden och ekosystemtjänster. Om våra naturbetesmarker försvinner kan vi inte leva upp till FN:s internationella hållbarhetsmål och våra egna svenska miljömål som vi förbundit oss att jobba mot.
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| 41. |
- Lindim, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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Exposure and ecotoxicological risk assessment of mixtures of top prescribed pharmaceuticals in Swedish freshwaters
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 220, s. 344-352
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Surface water concentrations of 54 pharmaceuticals were predicted for seven major Swedish rivers and the Stockholm City area basins using the STREAM-EU model. These surface water concentrations were used to predict the ecotoxicological impact resulting from the exposure of aquatic organisms to this mixture of 54 pharmaceuticals. STREAM-EU model results indicated that <10 substances were present at median annual water concentrations greater than 10 with highest concentrations occurring mostly in the more densely populated area of the capital city, Stockholm. There was considerable spatial and temporal variability in the model predictions (1-3 orders of magnitude) due to natural variability (e.g. hydrology, temperature), variations in emissions and uncertainty sources. Local mixture ecotoxicological pressures based on acute EC50 data as well as on chronic NOEC data, expressed as multi-substance potentially affected fraction of species (msPAF), were quantified in 114 separate locations in the water bodies. It was estimated that 5% of the exposed aquatic species would experience exposure at or above their acute EC50 concentrations (so-called acute hazardous concentration for 5% of species, or aHC5) at only 7% of the locations analyzed (8 out of 114 locations). For the evaluation based on chronic NOEC concentrations, the chronic HC5 (cHC5) is exceeded at 27% of the locations. The acute mixture toxic pressure was estimated to be predominantly caused by only three substances in all waterbodies: Furosemide, Tramadol and Ibuprofen. A similar evaluation of chronic toxic pressure evaluation logically demonstrates that more substances play a significant role in causing a higher chronic toxic pressure at more sites as compared to the acute toxic pressure evaluation. In addition to the three substances contributing most to acute effects, the chronic effects are predominantly caused by another five substances: paracetamol, diclofenac, ethinylestradiol, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. This study provides regulatory authorities and companies responsible for water quality valuable information for targeting remediation measures and monitoring on a substance and location basis.
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| 42. |
- Lindim, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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Model-predicted occurrence of multiple pharmaceuticals in Swedish surface waters and their flushing to the Baltic Seat
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 223, s. 595-604
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An exposure assessment for multiple pharmaceuticals in Swedish surface waters was made using the STREAM-EU model. Results indicate that Metformin (27 ton/y), Paracetamol (6.9 ton/y) and Ibuprofen (2.33 ton/y) were the drugs with higher amounts reaching the Baltic Sea in 2011. 35 of the studied substances had more than 1 kg/y of predicted flush to the sea. Exposure potential given by the ratio amount of the drug exported to the sea/amount emitted to the environment was higher than 50% for 7 drugs (Piperacillin, Lorazepam, Metformin, Hydroxycarbamide, Hydrochlorothiazide, Furosemide and Cetirizine), implying that a high proportion of them will reach the sea, and below 10% for 27 drugs, implying high catchment attenuation. Exposure potentials were found to be dependent of persistency and hydrophobicity of the drugs. Chemicals with Log D > 2 had exposure potentials <10% regardless of their persistence. Chemicals with Log D < 2 had exposure potentials >35% with higher ratios typically achieved for longer half-lives. For Stockholm urban area, 17 of the 54 pharmaceuticals studied had calculated concentrations higher than 10 ng/L. Model agreement with monitored values had an r(2) = 0.62 for predicted concentrations and an r2 = 0.95 for predicted disposed amounts to sea.
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| 43. |
- MacDougall, Andrew S., et al.
(författare)
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The Neolithic Plant Invasion Hypothesis : the role of preadaptation and disturbance in grassland invasion
- 2018
-
Ingår i: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 220:1, s. 94-103
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- A long-standing hypothesis is that many European plants invade temperate grasslands globally because they are introduced simultaneously with pastoralism and cultivation, to which they are 'preadapted' after millennia of exposure dating to the Neolithic era ('Neolithic Plant Invasion Hypothesis' (NPIH)). These 'preadaptations' are predicted to maximize their performance relative to native species lacking this adaptive history. Here, we discuss the explanatory relevance of the NPIH, clarifying the importance of evolutionary context vs other mechanisms driving invasion. The NPIH makes intuitive sense given established connections between invasion and agricultural-based perturbation. However, tests are often incomplete given the need for performance contrasts between home and away ranges, while controlling for other mechanisms. We emphasize six NPIH-based predictions, centring on trait similarity of invaders between home vs away populations, and differing perturbation responses by invading and native plants. Although no research has integrated all six predictions, we highlight studies suggesting preadaptation influences on invasion. Given that many European grasslands are creations of human activity from the past, current invasions by these flora may represent the continuation of processes dating to the Neolithic. Ironically, European Neolithic-derived grasslands are becoming rarer, reflecting changes in management and illustrating the importance of human influences on these species.
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| 44. |
- MacLeod, Matthew, et al.
(författare)
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Identifying Chemicals That Are Planetary Boundary Threats
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 48:19, s. 11057-11063
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rockstrom et al. proposed a set of planetary boundaries that delimit a safe operating space for humanity Many of the planetary boundaries that have so far been identified are determined by chemical agents. Other chemical pollution-related planetary boundaries likely exist, but are currently unknown. A chemical posed an unknown planetary boundary threat if it simultaneously fulfills three conditions (1) it has an unknown disruptive effect on a vital Earth system process; (2) the disruptive effect is not discovered until it is a problem at the global scale, and (3) the effect is not readily reversible. In this paper, we outline scenarios in which chemical could fulfill each of the three conditions, then use the scenarios as the basis to define chemical profiles that fit each scenario. The chemical profiles are defined in terms of the nature of the effect of the chemical and the nature of exposure of the environment to the chemical. Priortization of chemicals in commerce against some of the profiles appears feasible, but there are considerable uncertainites and scientific challenges that must be addressed. Most challenging is prioritizing chemicals for the potential to have a currently unknown effect on a vital. Earth system process. We conclude that the most effective strategy currently available to identify chemicals that are planetary boundary threats is prioritization against profiles defined in terms of environmental exposure combined with monitoring and study of the biogeochemical process that underlie vital Earth system processes to identify currently unknown disruptive effects.
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Persson, Linn, et al.
(författare)
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Confronting Unknown Planetary Boundary Threats from Chemical Pollution
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:22, s. 12619-12622
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rockström et al. proposed a set of planetary boundaries that delimitate a “safe operating space for humanity”. One of the planetary boundaries is determined by “chemical pollution”, however no clear definition was provided. Here, we propose that there is no single chemical pollution planetary boundary, but rather that many planetary boundary issues governed by chemical pollution exist. We identify three conditions that must be simultaneously met for chemical pollution to pose a planetary boundary threat. We then discuss approaches to identify chemicals that could fulfill those conditions, and outline a proactive hazard identification strategy that considers long-range transport and the reversibility of chemical pollution.
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| 47. |
- Pistocchi, Alberto, et al.
(författare)
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European scale assessment of the potential of ozonation and activated carbon treatment to reduce micropollutant emissions with wastewater
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 848
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Micropollutants (MPs) in wastewater pose a growing concern for their potential adverse effects on the receiving aquatic environment, and some countries have started requiring that wastewater treatment plants remove them to a certain extent. Broad spectrum advanced treatment processes, such as ozonation, activated carbon or their combination, are expected to yield a significant reduction in the toxicity of effluents. Here we quantify the reduction of effluent toxicity potentially achieved by implementing these advanced treatment solutions in a selection of European wastewater treatment plants. To this end, we refer to a list of “total pollution proxy substances” (TPPS) composed of 1337 chemicals commonly found in wastewater effluents according to a compilation of datasets of measured concentrations. We consider these substances as an approximation of the “chemical universe” impinging on the European wastewater system. We evaluate the fate of the TPPS in conventional and advanced treatment plants using a compilation of experimental physicochemical properties that describe their sorption, volatilization and biodegradation during activated sludge treatment, as well as known removal efficiency in ozonation and activated carbon treatment, while filling the gaps through in silico prediction models.We estimate that the discharge of micropollutants with wastewater effluents in the European Union has a cumulative MP toxicity to the environment equal to the discharge of untreated wastewater of ca. 160 million population equivalents (PE), i.e. about 30 % of the generated wastewater in the EU. If all plants above a capacity of 100,000 PE were equipped with advanced treatment, we show that this load would be reduced to about 95 million PE. In addition, implementing advanced treatment in wastewater plants above 10,000 PE discharging to water bodies with an average dilution ratio smaller than 10 would yield a widespread improvement in terms of exposure of freshwater ecosystems to micropollutants, almost halving the part of the stream network exposed to the highest toxic risks.Our analysis provides background for a cost-effectiveness appraisal of advanced treatment “at the end of the pipe”, which could lead to optimized interventions. This should not be regarded as a stand-alone solution, but as a complement to policies for the control of emissions at the source for the most problematic MPs.
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| 48. |
- Reth, Margot, et al.
(författare)
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Water-to-air transfer of perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates in a sea spray simulator
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Chemistry. - 1448-2517 .- 1449-8979. ; 8:4, s. 381-388
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One hypothesis for the origin of perfluorinated alkyl acids, their salts and conjugate bases (here collectively termed PFAAs) in the atmosphere is transfer from the surface ocean by sea spray, the mechanistic explanation being that the surface active properties of PFAAs result in their enrichment on the surface of bursting bubbles. The water-to-air transfer of C(6)-C(14) perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) and C(6), C(8) and C(10) perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) was studied in a laboratory scale sea spray simulator containing tap water spiked with PFCAs and PFSAs. The sequestration of the PFAAs out of bulk water and to the air-water surface was shown to increase exponentially with the length of the perfluorinated alkyl chain. Volatilisation of the PFAAs from an aqueous solution in the absence of spray resulted in less than 1% transfer to the atmosphere during the experiment. In the presence of spray the transfer rate from water to air increased by up to 1360 times. The enhancement was dependent on the PFAA chain length, with the C(6) carboxylate showing an enhancement of a factor of 37, the C(7) carboxylate an enhancement of 320, whereas for all remaining PFAAs the enhancement exceeded 450 with the exception of the C(14) carboxylate (106).
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| 49. |
- Ritscher, Amélie, et al.
(författare)
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Zurich Statement on Future Actions on Per - and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 126:8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that contain at least one perfluoroalkyl moiety, -CnF2n-. To date, over 4,000 unique PFASs have been used in technical applications and consumer products, and some of them have been detected globally in human and wildlife biomonitoring studies. Because of their extraordinary persistence, human and environmental exposure to PFASs will be a long-term source of concern. Some PFASs such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been investigated extensively and thus regulated, but for many other PFASs, knowledge about their current uses and hazards is still very limited or missing entirely. To address this problem and prepare an action plan for the assessment and management of PFASs in the coming years, a group of more than 50 international scientists and regulators held a two-day workshop in November, 2017. The group identified both the respective needs of and common goals shared by the scientific and the policy communities, made recommendations for cooperative actions, and outlined how the science-policy interface regarding PFASs can be strengthened using new approaches for assessing and managing highly persistent chemicals such as PFASs.
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| 50. |
- Scott, J., et al.
(författare)
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Prospective cohort study of early biosignatures of response to lithium in bipolar-I-disorders: overview of the H2020-funded R-LiNK initiative
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Bipolar Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2194-7511. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Lithium is recommended as a first line treatment for bipolar disorders. However, only 30% of patients show an optimal outcome and variability in lithium response and tolerability is poorly understood. It remains difficult for clinicians to reliably predict which patients will benefit without recourse to a lengthy treatment trial. Greater precision in the early identification of individuals who are likely to respond to lithium is a significant unmet clinical need. Structure The H2020-funded Response to Lithium Network (R-LiNK; ) will undertake a prospective cohort study of over 300 individuals with bipolar-I-disorder who have agreed to commence a trial of lithium treatment following a recommendation by their treating clinician. The study aims to examine the early prediction of lithium response, non-response and tolerability by combining systematic clinical syndrome subtyping with examination of multi-modal biomarkers (or biosignatures), including omics, neuroimaging, and actigraphy, etc. Individuals will be followed up for 24 months and an independent panel will assess and classify each participants' response to lithium according to predefined criteria that consider evidence of relapse, recurrence, remission, changes in illness activity or treatment failure (e.g. stopping lithium; new prescriptions of other mood stabilizers) and exposure to lithium. Novel elements of this study include the recruitment of a large, multinational, clinically representative sample specifically for the purpose of studying candidate biomarkers and biosignatures; the application of lithium-7 magnetic resonance imaging to explore the distribution of lithium in the brain; development of a digital phenotype (using actigraphy and ecological momentary assessment) to monitor daily variability in symptoms; and economic modelling of the cost-effectiveness of introducing biomarker tests for the customisation of lithium treatment into clinical practice. Also, study participants with sub-optimal medication adherence will be offered brief interventions (which can be delivered via a clinician or smartphone app) to enhance treatment engagement and to minimize confounding of lithium non-response with non-adherence. Conclusions The paper outlines the rationale, design and methodology of the first study being undertaken by the newly established R-LiNK collaboration and describes how the project may help to refine the clinical response phenotype and could translate into the personalization of lithium treatment.
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