| 1. |
- Berndt, Sonja I., et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 11 new loci for anthropometric traits and provides insights into genetic architecture
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:5, s. 501-U69
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Approaches exploiting trait distribution extremes may be used to identify loci associated with common traits, but it is unknown whether these loci are generalizable to the broader population. In a genome-wide search for loci associated with the upper versus the lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as clinical classes of obesity, including up to 263,407 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 4 new loci (IGFBP4, H6PD, RSRC1 and PPP2R2A) influencing height detected in the distribution tails and 7 new loci (HNF4G, RPTOR, GNAT2, MRPS33P4, ADCY9, HS6ST3 and ZZZ3) for clinical classes of obesity. Further, we find a large overlap in genetic structure and the distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiological heterogeneity between obesity subgroups.
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| 2. |
- Shungin, Dmitry, et al.
(author)
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New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 187-378
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.
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| 3. |
- Korhonen, Emilia A., et al.
(author)
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Lymphangiogenesis requires Ang2/Tie/PI3K signaling for VEGFR3 cell-surface expression
- 2022
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In: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - : American Society for Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 132:15
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) induces lymphangiogenesis via VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR3), which is encoded by the most frequently mutated gene in human primary lymphedema. Angiopoietins (Angs) and their Tie receptors regulate lymphatic vessel development, and mutations of the ANGPT2 gene were recently found in human primary lymphedema. However, the mechanistic basis of Ang2 activity in lymphangiogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we used gene deletion, blocking Abs, transgene induction, and gene transfer to study how Ang2, its Tie2 receptor, and Tie1 regulate lymphatic vessels. We discovered that VEGF-C???induced Ang2 secretion from lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) was involved in full Akt activation downstream of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K). Neonatal deletion of genes encoding the Tie receptors or Ang2 in LECs, or administration of an Ang2-blocking Ab decreased VEGFR3 presentation on LECs and inhibited lymphangiogenesis. A similar effect was observed in LECs upon deletion of the PI3K catalytic p110?? subunit or with small -molecule inhibition of a constitutively active PI3K located downstream of Ang2. Deletion of Tie receptors or blockade of Ang2 decreased VEGF-C???induced lymphangiogenesis also in adult mice. Our results reveal an important crosstalk between the VEGF-C and Ang signaling pathways and suggest new avenues for therapeutic manipulation of lymphangiogenesis by targeting Ang2/Tie/PI3K signaling.
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| 4. |
- Locke, Adam E, et al.
(author)
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Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 197-401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.
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| 5. |
- Ried, Janina S., et al.
(author)
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A principal component meta-analysis on multiple anthropometric traits identifies novel loci for body shape
- 2016
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large consortia have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with anthropometric traits, one trait at a time. We examined whether genetic variants affect body shape as a composite phenotype that is represented by a combination of anthropometric traits. We developed an approach that calculates averaged PCs (AvPCs) representing body shape derived from six anthropometric traits (body mass index, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio). The first four AvPCs explain >99% of the variability, are heritable, and associate with cardiometabolic outcomes. We performed genome-wide association analyses for each body shape composite phenotype across 65 studies and meta-analysed summary statistics. We identify six novel loci: LEMD2 and CD47 for AvPC1, RPS6KA5/C14orf159 and GANAB for AvPC3, and ARL15 and ANP32 for AvPC4. Our findings highlight the value of using multiple traits to define complex phenotypes for discovery, which are not captured by single-trait analyses, and may shed light onto new pathways.
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| 6. |
- Ammenberg, Jonas, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Perspectives on biomethane as a transport fuel within acircular economy, energy, and environmental system
- 2021
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The literature indicates that the life cycle costs of biomethane fueled light vehicles may be 15 to 20% highe rthan for similar petrol and diesel fueled vehicles, while liquid biomethane fueled heavy duty trucks may have similar life cycle costs to diesel. However, such an analysis can be two dimensional and limited in the message it conveys. On one hand the acceptance of diesel fueled trucks and buses will be limited due to the climate emergency and air pollution and after 2030 diesel may not be the competition for biomethane anymore. On the otherhand, biomethane production is part of a larger circular economy, energy, and environmental system. It is verydifficult to divorce the energy vector, biomethane, from the system through which it is produced. In essence biomethane can be considered as one of the products or services of a broad biogas system.An advantage of biogas is that it can be produced from most wet organic wastes or by-products, includingfor food waste, animal by-products, (such as manure), agricultural residues, sewage sludge, industrial biowaste (such as from slaughterhouses and food and beverage processing industries). Biogas production is an element in the environmental management of such wastes; biogas plants can also deliver digestate, which contains most ofthe nutrients in the feedstock and can be an excellent biofertilizer. In addition, it is possible to utilize the carbon dioxide removed in upgrading biogas to biomethane as a product with added value. The resource of biomethane is very significant in considering the vast amounts of organic wastes landfilled around the world each year, that instead could be used to produce biogas, biofertilizers and food grade CO2 while improving the environment through reduced fugitive methane emissions and improved water quality. Furthermore, the application of biogas systems in bio-industrial contexts (such as paper mills, food production facilities, or other types of biorefineries) has huge potential to decarbonize industry while significantly increasing the resource of biomethane. Due to the multifunctionality of biomethane solutions, broad assessment methods are needed to grasp thewide spectrum of relevant factors when comparing different technologies:• Biomethane has a competitive performance compared with fossil fuels and other biofuels on a whole lifecycle analysis and is particularly suited to long distance heavy vehicles.• Biomethane from manure, residues, waste & catch crops is estimated to have low GHG emissions ascompared to other renewable fuels.• Biomethane may contribute to reduced air pollution in comparison with diesel, petrol, and other biofuels.• Biomethane can contribute to a substantial reduction in acidification compared with fossil fuels.• Biomethane may contribute to significantly reduced noise levels in comparison with diesel heavy goodsvehicles.• Well-designed and applied biogas systems may be essential to transform conventional farming to moresustainable farming and to organic farming.• Common types of biogas solutions provide essential sociotechnical systems services as components ofsystems for waste and (waste) water management.• Biogas solutions may importantly contribute to improved energy supply/security and flexibility.Natural gas systems should be a facilitator of the introduction of biomethane for transport, but the sustainability problems associated with natural gas negatively impact the view of biomethane. This is where arguments amongst the renewable sector actors can hinder progress. Biomethane and (power to methane) can utilize the existing gas grid and accelerate progress to decarbonization of the overall energy sector beyond just electricity and also to decarbonize chemical (such as ammonia and methanol) and steel production. This should be advantageous especially when realizing that more energy is procured from the natural gas grid than the electricity gridin the EU and the US; however, suggestions that biomethane is only greenwashing the natural gas industry, and in doing so extending the lifetime of natural gas, greatly impedes this progress.This report provides exemplars of very good biomethane based transport solutions, with a high technologicalreadiness level for all elements of the chain from production to vehicles. Transport biomethane sits well in the broad circular economy, energy, and environmental system providing services across a range of sectors including reduction in fugitive methane emissions from slurries, treatment of residues, environmental protection, provision of biofertiliser, provision of food grade CO2 and a fuel readily available for long distance heavy haulage. What we do not have is time to postpone the sustainable implementation of such circular economy biomethane systems as the climate emergency will not wait for absolutely perfect zero emission solutions; should they exist.
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| 7. |
- Hagman, Linda, 1991-
(author)
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Creating value from bio-residuals : Biogas solutions for biobased industries in Scandinavia
- 2022
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis focuses on biogas solutions for biobased industries as substrate management or energy providers. It investigates how such solutions are set up, what factors are important for their development, the effects on society and biobased industries, and the possibility of having biogas solutions as part of a sustainability strategy for biobased industries. The thesis has its scientific foundation in industrial ecology, the resource-efficient bioeconomy, and biogas solutions. The thesis is a synthesis of six appended papers focusing on value-creation, development, strategies, and the performance of biogas solutions in biobased industries.The results show that biobased industries can gain competitiveness, improved sustainability performance, and reduced costs through biogas solutions. The development of biogas solutions for biobased industries is improved through collaboration between actors where win-win solutions are identified, and resources are recovered locally. Biogas solutions will have an important role in recovering nutrients and improving resource efficiency of biobased industrial systems. This research contributes with the knowledge to implement more biogas solutions for biobased industries in different parts of the world by pointing out, additional values provided, factors to consider for the development, and the biobased industries’ strategic interest in biogas solutions.
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| 8. |
- Hellamand, Pasoon, et al.
(author)
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Sex Differences in the Effectiveness of First-Line Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Psoriatic Arthritis: Results From the European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network
- 2024
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In: ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY. - 2326-5191 .- 2326-5205.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Women with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may have reduced tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) effectiveness compared to men. We examined sex differences in treatment response and retention rates during 24 months of follow-up among patients with PsA initiating their first TNFi. Methods: Data from patients with PsA across 13 European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network registries starting their first TNFi were pooled. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between sex and treatment response using low disease activity (LDA) according to the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP) (<3.2) at six months as the primary outcome. Analyses were adjusted for age, country, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment, and TNFi start year. Retention rates were explored using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Results: We analyzed the treatment response of 7,679 patients with PsA (50% women) with available data on LDA at six months. At baseline, women and men had similar characteristics, including mean DAS28-CRP (women vs men, 4.4 [SD 1.2] vs 4.2 [SD 1.2]), though patient-reported outcome measures were worse in women. At six months, 64% of women and 78% of men had LDA (relative risk [RR] 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-0.84). This difference was similar after adjustment (RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.81-0.85). TNFi retention rates were evaluated in 17,842 patients with PsA. Women had significantly lower retention rates than men at all time points (women 79%, 64%, and 50% vs men 88%, 77%, and 64% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively). Conclusion: Despite comparable disease characteristics at baseline, women with PsA have reduced treatment response and retention rates to their first TNFi, highlighting the need to consider sex differences in PsA research and management.
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| 9. |
- Joshi, Peter K, et al.
(author)
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Directional dominance on stature and cognition in diverse human populations
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 523:7561, s. 459-462
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders, and Darwin was one of the first to recognize that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness that is common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power. Here we use runs of homozygosity to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts, and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in one second, general cognitive ability and educational attainment (P < 1 × 10(-300), 2.1 × 10(-6), 2.5 × 10(-10) and 1.8 × 10(-10), respectively). In each case, increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months' less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing evidence that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been.
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| 10. |
- Lu, Yingchang, et al.
(author)
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New loci for body fat percentage reveal link between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease risk
- 2016
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of adiposity and its links to cardiometabolic disease risk, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of body fat percentage (BF%) in up to 100,716 individuals. Twelve loci reached genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10(-8)), of which eight were previously associated with increased overall adiposity (BMI, BF%) and four (in or near COBLL1/GRB14, IGF2BP1, PLA2G6, CRTC1) were novel associations with BF%. Seven loci showed a larger effect on BF% than on BMI, suggestive of a primary association with adiposity, while five loci showed larger effects on BMI than on BF%, suggesting association with both fat and lean mass. In particular, the loci more strongly associated with BF% showed distinct cross-phenotype association signatures with a range of cardiometabolic traits revealing new insights in the link between adiposity and disease risk.
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| 11. |
- Metsäniitty, Marjut, et al.
(author)
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Extracellular vesicles from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans exhibit potential antitumorigenic effects in oral cancer : a comparative in vitro study
- 2024
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In: Archives of Microbiology. - : Springer Nature. - 0302-8933 .- 1432-072X. ; 206:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an opportunistic Gram-negative periodontopathogen strongly associated with periodontitis and infective endocarditis. Recent evidence suggests that periodontopathogens can influence the initiation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Herein we aimed to investigate the effect of A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on OSCC cell behavior compared with EVs from periodontopathogens known to associate with carcinogenesis. EVs were isolated from: A. actinomycetemcomitans and its mutant strains lacking the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Fusobacterium nucleatum; and Parvimonas micra. The effect of EVs on primary and metastatic OSCC cells was assessed using cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and tubulogenesis assays. A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived EVs reduced the metastatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, tubulogenesis, and increased apoptosis, mostly in CDT- and LPS O-antigen-dependent manner. EVs from F. nucleatum impaired the metastatic cancer cell proliferation and induced the apoptosis rates in all OSCC cell lines. EVs enhanced cancer cell migration regardless of bacterial species. In sum, this is the first study demonstrating the influence of A. actinomycetemcomitans-derived EVs on oral cancer in comparison with other periodontopathogens. Our findings revealed a potential antitumorigenic effect of these EVs on metastatic OSCC cells, which warrants further in vivo investigations.
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| 12. |
- Michelsen, Brigitte, et al.
(author)
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Real-World Six- and Twelve-Month Drug Retention, Remission, and Response Rates of Secukinumab in 2,017 Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis in Thirteen European Countries
- 2022
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In: Arthritis Care and Research. - : Wiley. - 2151-464X .- 2151-4658. ; 74:7, s. 1205-1218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: There is a lack of real-life studies on interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibition in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We assessed real-life 6- and 12-month effectiveness (i.e., retention, remission, low disease activity [LDA], and response rates) of the IL-17 inhibitor secukinumab in PsA patients overall and across 1) number of prior biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), 2) years since diagnosis, and 3) European registries. Methods: Thirteen quality registries in rheumatology participating in the European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network provided longitudinal, observational data collected as part of routine care for secondary use. Data were pooled and analyzed with Kaplan-Meier plots, log rank tests, Cox regression, and multiple linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 2,017 PsA patients started treatment with secukinumab between 2015 and 2018. Overall secukinumab retention rates were 86% and 76% after 6 and 12 months, respectively. Crude (LUNDEX adjusted) 6-month remission/LDA (LDA including remission) rates for the 28-joint Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis, the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the C-reactive protein level, and the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) were 13%/46% (11%/39%), 36%/55% (30%/46%), and 13%/56% (11%/47%), and 12-month rates were 11%/46% (7%/31%), 39%/56% (26%/38%), and 16%/62% (10%/41%), respectively. Clinical Disease Activity Index remission/LDA rates were similar to the SDAI rates. Six-month American College of Rheumatology 20%/50%/70% improvement criteria responses were 34%/19%/11% (29%/16%/9%); 12-month rates were 37%/21%/11% (24%/14%/7%). Secukinumab effectiveness was significantly better for b/tsDMARD-naive patients, similar across time since diagnosis (<2/2–4/>4 years), and varied significantly across the European registries. Conclusion: In this large real-world study on secukinumab treatment in PsA, 6- and 12-month effectiveness was comparable to that in previous observational studies of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Retention, remission, LDA, and response rates were significantly better for b/tsDMARD-naive patients, were independent of time since diagnosis, and varied significantly across the European countries.
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| 13. |
- Ornbjerg, Lykke Midtboll, et al.
(author)
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One-Third of European Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis Reach Pain Remission With Routine Care Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Treatment
- 2023
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In: JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY. - : The Journal of Rheumatology. - 0315-162X .- 1499-2752. ; 50:8, s. 1009-1019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To investigate the distribution of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) initiating a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor ( TNFi), to assess the proportion reaching PRO "remission" across registries and treatment series, and to compare patients registered to fulfill the modified New York (mNY) criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) vs patients with nonradiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA). Methods. Fifteen European registries contributed PRO scores for pain, fatigue, patient global assessment (PtGA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) from 19,498 patients with axSpA. Changes in PROs and PRO remission rates (definitions: <= 20 mm for pain, fatigue, PtGA, BASDAI, and BASFI; <= 0.5 for HAQ) were calculated at 6, 12, and 24 months of treatment. Results. Heterogeneity in baseline characteristics and outcomes between registries were observed. In pooled data, 6 months after the start of a first TNFi, pain score was reduced by approximately 60% (median at baseline/6/12/24 months: 65/25/20/20 mm) in patients on treatment. Similar patterns were observed for fatigue (68/32/30/25 mm), PtGA (66/29/21/20 mm), BASDAI (58/26/21/19 mm), BASFI (46/20/16/16 mm), and HAQ (0.8/0.4/0.2/0.2). Patients with AS (n = 3281) had a slightly better response than patients with nr-axSpA (n = 993). The Lund Efficacy Index (LUNDEX)-adjusted remission rates at 6 months for pain/fatigue/PtGA/BASDAI/BASFI/HAQ were 39%/30%/38%/34%/35%/48% for the AS cohort and 30%/21%/26%/24%/33%/47% for the nr-axSpA cohort. Better PRO responses were seen with a first TNFi compared to a second and third TNFi. Conclusion. Patients with axSpA starting a TNFi achieved high PRO remission rates, most pronounced in those fulfilling the mNY criteria and for the first TNFi.
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| 14. |
- Saeid, Soudabeh, et al.
(author)
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Advanced Oxidation Process for Degradation of Carbamazepine from Aqueous Solution : Influence of Metal Modified Microporous, Mesoporous Catalysts on the Ozonation Process
- 2020
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In: Catalysts. - : MDPI. - 2073-4344. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Carbamazepine (CBZ), a widely used pharmaceutical compound, is one of the most detected drugs in surface waters. The purpose of this work was to identify an active and durable catalyst, which, in combination with an ozonation process, could be used to remove CBZ and its degradation products. It was found that the CBZ was completely transformed after ozonation within the first minutes of the treatment. However, the resulting degradation products, 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-4-hydro-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2-one (BQM) and 1-(2-benzaldehyde)-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2,4-dione (BQD), were more resistant during the ozonation process. The formation and degradation of these products were studied in more detail and a thorough catalytic screening was conducted to reveal the reaction kinetics of both the CBZ and its degradation products. The work was performed by non-catalytic ozonation and with six different heterogeneous catalysts (Pt-MCM-41-IS, Ru-MCM-41-IS, Pd-H-Y-12-EIM, Pt-H-Y-12-EIM, Pd-H-Beta-300-EIM and Cu-MCM-41-A-EIM) operating at two temperatures 20 °C and 50 °C. The influence of temperature on degradation kinetics of CBZ, BQM and BQD was studied. The results exhibited a notable difference in the catalytic behavior by varying temperature. The higher reactor temperature (50 °C) showed a higher activity of the catalysts but a lower concentration of dissolved ozone. Most of the catalysts exhibited higher removal rate for BQM and BQD compared to non-catalytic experiments in both temperatures. The Pd-H-Y-12-EIM catalyst illustrated a higher degradation rate of by-products at 50 °C compared to other catalysts.
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| 15. |
- Saeid, Soudabeh, et al.
(author)
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Pt Modified Heterogeneous Catalysts Combined with Ozonation for the Removal of Diclofenac from Aqueous Solutions and the Fate of by-Products
- 2020
-
In: Catalysts. - : MDPI. - 2073-4344. ; 10:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The degradation of the pharmaceutical compound diclofenac in an aqueous solution was studied with an advanced oxidation method, catalytic ozonation. Diclofenac was destroyed in a few minutes by ozonation but several long-lasting degradation by-products were formed. For this reason, the combination of heterogeneous catalysts and ozonation was applied to eliminate them completely. The kinetics of the diclofenac degradation and the formation of by-products were thoroughly investigated. Loading of Pt on the catalysts resulted in an improvement of the activity. The Mesoporous Molecular Sieves (MCM) were one of the promising catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, six heterogeneous catalysts were screened, primarily MCM-22-100 catalysts with different Pt concentrations loaded via the evaporation-impregnation (EIM) method, and they were applied on the degradation of diclofenac. It was found that the presence of Pt improved the degradation of diclofenac and gave lower concentrations of by-products. The 2 wt % Pt-H-MCM-22-100-EIM demonstrated the highest degradation rate compared to the proton form, 1% or 5 wt % Pt concentration, i.e., an optimum was found in between. Pt-H-Y-12-IE and Pt-γ-Al2O3 (UOP)-IMP catalysts were applied and compared with the MCM-22 structure. Upon use of both of these catalysts, an improvement in the degradation of diclofenac and by-products was observed, and the 2 wt % Pt-H-MCM-22-100-EIM illustrated the maximum activity. All important characterization methods were applied to understand the behavior of the catalysts (X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen physisorption, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray micro-analyses, pyridine adsorption-desorption with FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Finally, leaching of Pt and Al were analyzed by inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry.
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| 16. |
- Saeid, Soudabeh, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Modified Catalysts for Decomposition of Ibuprofen from Aqueous Solutions
- 2020
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In: Catalysts. - : MDPI. - 2073-4344. ; 10:7
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The presence of pharmaceuticals in surface water, drinking water, and wastewater has attracted significant concern because of the non-biodegradability, resistance, and toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds. The catalytic ozonation of an anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical, ibuprofen was investigated in this work. The reaction mixture was analyzed and measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for the quantification of by-products during the catalytic ozonation process. Ibuprofen was degraded by ozonation under optimized conditions within 1 h. However, some intermediate oxidation products were detected during the ibuprofen ozonation process that were more resistant than the parent compound. To optimize the process, nine heterogeneous catalysts were synthesized using different preparation methods and used with ozone to degrade the ibuprofen dissolved in aqueous solution. The aim of using several catalysts was to reveal the effect of various catalyst preparation methods on the degradation of ibuprofen as well as the formation and elimination of by-products. Furthermore, the goal was to reveal the influence of various support structures and different metals such as Pd-, Fe-, Ni-, metal particle size, and metal dispersion in ozone degradation. Most of the catalysts improved the elimination kinetics of the by-products. Among these catalysts, Cu-H-Beta-150-DP synthesized by the deposition–precipitation process showed the highest decomposition rate. The regenerated Cu-H-Beta-150-DP catalyst preserved the catalytic activity to that of the fresh catalyst. The catalyst characterization methods applied in this work included nitrogen adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The large pore volume and small metal particle size contributed to the improved catalytic activity.
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| 17. |
- Smith, Jennifer A, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment
- 2016
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In: Nature (London). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 533:7604, s. 539-542
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Educational attainment is strongly influenced by social and other environmental factors, but genetic factors are estimated to account for at least 20% of the variation across individuals. Here we report the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for educational attainment that extends our earlier discovery sample of 101,069 individuals to 293,723 individuals, and a replication study in an independent sample of 111,349 individuals from the UK Biobank. We identify 74 genome-wide significant loci associated with the number of years of schooling completed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with educational attainment are disproportionately found in genomic regions regulating gene expression in the fetal brain. Candidate genes are preferentially expressed in neural tissue, especially during the prenatal period, and enriched for biological pathways involved in neural development. Our findings demonstrate that, even for a behavioural phenotype that is mostly environmentally determined, a well-powered GWAS identifies replicable associated genetic variants that suggest biologically relevant pathways. Because educational attainment is measured in large numbers of individuals, it will continue to be useful as a proxy phenotype in efforts to characterize the genetic influences of related phenotypes, including cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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| 18. |
- Sousa-Pinto, Bernardo, et al.
(author)
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Development and validation of combined symptom-medication scores for allergic rhinitis*
- 2022
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In: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 77:7, s. 2147-2162
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Validated combined symptom-medication scores (CSMSs) are needed to investigate the effects of allergic rhinitis treatments. This study aimed to use real-life data from the MASK-air® app to generate and validate hypothesis- and data-driven CSMSs.Methods: We used MASK-air® data to assess the concurrent validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of one hypothesis-driven CSMS (modified CSMS: mCSMS), one mixed hypothesis- and data-driven score (mixed score), and several data-driven CSMSs. The latter were generated with MASK-air® data following cluster analysis and regression models or factor analysis. These CSMSs were compared with scales measuring (i) the impact of rhinitis on work productivity (visual analogue scale [VAS] of work of MASK-air®, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: Allergy Specific [WPAI-AS]), (ii) quality-of-life (EQ-5D VAS) and (iii) control of allergic diseases (Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test [CARAT]).Results: We assessed 317,176 days of MASK-air® use from 17,780 users aged 16-90 years, in 25 countries. The mCSMS and the factor analyses-based CSMSs displayed poorer validity and responsiveness compared to the remaining CSMSs. The latter displayed moderate-to-strong correlations with the tested comparators, high test-retest reliability and moderate-to-large responsiveness. Among data-driven CSMSs, a better performance was observed for cluster analyses-based CSMSs. High accuracy (capacity of discriminating different levels of rhinitis control) was observed for the latter (AUC-ROC = 0.904) and for the mixed CSMS (AUC-ROC = 0.820).Conclusion: The mixed CSMS and the cluster-based CSMSs presented medium-high validity, reliability and accuracy, rendering them as candidates for primary endpoints in future rhinitis trials.
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- Ørnbjerg, Lykke M., et al.
(author)
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Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and PRO Remission Rates in 12,262 Biologic-Naïve Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis Treated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Routine Care
- 2024
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In: Journal of Rheumatology. - 0315-162X. ; 51:4, s. 378-389
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after initiation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment in European real-world patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Further, to investigate PRO remission rates across treatment courses, registries, disease duration, sex, and age at disease onset. Methods. Visual analog scale or numerical rating scale scores for pain, fatigue, patient global assessment (PtGA), and the Health Assessment Questionnaire–Disability Index (HAQ-DI) from 12,262 patients with PsA initiating a TNFi in 13 registries were pooled. PRO remission rates (pain ≤ 1, fatigue ≤ 2, PtGA ≤ 2, and HAQ-DI ≤ 0.5) were calculated for patients still on the treatment. Results. For the first TNFi, median pain score was reduced by approximately 50%, from 6 to 3, 3, and 2; as were fatigue scores, from 6 to 4, 4, and 3; PtGA scores, from 6 to 3, 3, and 2; and HAQ-DI scores, from 0.9 to 0.5, 0.5, and 0.4 at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Six-month Lund Efficacy Index (LUNDEX)–adjusted remission rates for pain, fatigue, PtGA, and HAQ-DI scores were 24%, 31%, 36%, and 43% (first TNFi); 14%, 19%, 23%, and 29% (second TNFi); and 9%, 14%, 17%, and 20% (third TNFi), respectively. For biologic-naïve patients with disease duration < 5 years, 6-month LUNDEX-adjusted remission rates for pain, fatigue, PtGA, and HAQ-DI scores were 22%, 28%, 33%, and 42%, respectively. Corresponding rates for patients with disease duration > 10 years were 27%, 32%, 41%, and 43%, respectively. Remission rates were 33%, 40%, 45%, and 56% for men and 17%, 23%, 24%, and 32% for women, respectively. For patients aged < 45 years at diagnosis, 6-month LUNDEX-adjusted remission rate for pain was 29% vs 18% for patients ≥ 45 years. Conclusion. In 12,262 biologic-naïve patients with PsA, 6 months of treatment with a TNFi reduced pain by approximately 50%. Marked differences in PRO remission rates across treatment courses, registries, disease duration, sex, and age at onset of disease were observed, emphasizing the potential influence of factors other than disease activity on PROs.
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