| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Barack, Leor, et al.
(författare)
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Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics : a roadmap
- 2019
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Ingår i: Classical and quantum gravity. - : IOP Publishing. - 0264-9381 .- 1361-6382. ; 36:14
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress. This write-up is an initiative taken within the framework of the European Action on 'Black holes, Gravitational waves and Fundamental Physics'.
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| 3. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 4. |
- Goncalves Fernandes Ferreira, Flavio Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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Artificial eye for calibration of an eye-tracker, eye tracking calibration system and method thereof
- 2021
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Abstract(EN) An artificial eye for eye tracking calibration of an eye-tracker, comprising: an eye model comprising a foveal region; an optical position sensor arranged at the foveal region for transducing the position of a foveal light spot into a sensor position signal; a two-axis rotational pivoting support upon which the eye model is mounted; a two-axis actuator for rotating the eye model in said pivoting support; a feed-back electronic circuit, connected between the sensor and actuator, arranged to cause rotation of the eye model by said actuator such that the sensor position signal matches a reference position signal. The reference position signal may be adjustable to cause an off-set between the pupillary-axis of the eye model and a visual-axis defined by the reference position signal, in particular the reference position signal being adjustable by configuration of the feed-back electronic circuit.(FR) L'invention concerne un oeil artificiel pour l'étalonnage de suivi de l'oeil d'un oculomètre, comprenant : un modèle d'oeil comprenant une région fovéale ; un capteur de position optique disposé au niveau de la région fovéale pour convertir la position d'un point lumineux fovéal en un signal de position de capteur ; un support pivotant rotatif à deux axes sur lequel est monté le modèle oculaire ; un actionneur à deux axes pour faire tourner le modèle d'oeil dans ledit support pivotant ; un circuit électronique de rétroaction, connecté entre le capteur et l'actionneur, agencé pour provoquer la rotation du modèle d'oeil par ledit actionneur de telle sorte que le signal de position de capteur corresponde à un signal de position de référence. Le signal de position de référence peut être réglé pour provoquer un décalage entre l'axe pupillaire du modèle d'oeil et un axe visuel défini par le signal de position de référence, en particulier le signal de position de référence étant réglable par la configuration du circuit électronique de rétroaction.
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| 5. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(författare)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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| 6. |
- Pocas, Juliana, et al.
(författare)
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Syndecan-4 is a maestro of gastric cancer cell invasion and communication that underscores poor survival
- 2023
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 120:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gastric cancer is a dominating cause of cancer-associated mortality with limited therapeutic options. Here, we show that syndecan-4 (SDC4), a transmembrane pro-teoglycan, is highly expressed in intestinal subtype gastric tumors and that this sig -nature associates with patient poor survival. Further, we mechanistically demonstrate that SDC4 is a master regulator of gastric cancer cell motility and invasion. We also find that SDC4 decorated with heparan sulfate is efficiently sorted in extracellular vesicles (EVs). Interestingly, SDC4 in EVs regulates gastric cancer cell-derived EV organ distribution, uptake, and functional effects in recipient cells. Specifically, we show that SDC4 knockout disrupts the tropism of EVs for the common gastric cancer metastatic sites. Our findings set the basis for the molecular implications of SDC4 expression in gastric cancer cells and provide broader perspectives on the development of therapeutic strategies targeting the glycan-EV axis to limit tumor progression.
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| 7. |
- Ademuyiwa, Adesoji O., et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of morbidity and mortality following emergency abdominal surgery in children in low-income and middle-income countries
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2059-7908. ; 1:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Child health is a key priority on the global health agenda, yet the provision of essential and emergency surgery in children is patchy in resource-poor regions. This study was aimed to determine the mortality risk for emergency abdominal paediatric surgery in low-income countries globally.Methods: Multicentre, international, prospective, cohort study. Self-selected surgical units performing emergency abdominal surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive children aged <16 years during a 2-week period between July and December 2014. The United Nation's Human Development Index (HDI) was used to stratify countries. The main outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality, analysed by multilevel logistic regression.Results: This study included 1409 patients from 253 centres in 43 countries; 282 children were under 2 years of age. Among them, 265 (18.8%) were from low-HDI, 450 (31.9%) from middle-HDI and 694 (49.3%) from high-HDI countries. The most common operations performed were appendectomy, small bowel resection, pyloromyotomy and correction of intussusception. After adjustment for patient and hospital risk factors, child mortality at 30 days was significantly higher in low-HDI (adjusted OR 7.14 (95% CI 2.52 to 20.23), p<0.001) and middle-HDI (4.42 (1.44 to 13.56), p=0.009) countries compared with high-HDI countries, translating to 40 excess deaths per 1000 procedures performed.Conclusions: Adjusted mortality in children following emergency abdominal surgery may be as high as 7 times greater in low-HDI and middle-HDI countries compared with high-HDI countries. Effective provision of emergency essential surgery should be a key priority for global child health agendas.
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| 8. |
- Barranco, Isabel, et al.
(författare)
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Seminal Plasma Modulates miRNA Expression by Sow Genital Tract Lining Explants
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biomolecules. - : MDPI. - 2218-273X. ; 10:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The seminal plasma (SP) modulates the female reproductive immune environment after mating, and microRNAs (miRNAs) could participate in the process. Considering that the boar ejaculate is built by fractions differing in SP-composition, this study evaluated whether exposure of mucosal explants of the sow internal genital tract (uterus, utero-tubal junction and isthmus) to different SP-fractions changed the profile of explant-secreted miRNAs. Mucosal explants retrieved from oestrus sows (n = 3) were in vitro exposed to: Medium 199 (M199, Control) or M199 supplemented (1:40 v/v) with SP from the sperm-rich fraction (SRF), the post-SRF or the entire recomposed ejaculate, for 16 h. After, the explants were cultured in M199 for 24 h to finally collect the media for miRNA analyses using GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array (Affymetrix). Fifteen differentially expressed (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05 and Fold-change ≥ 2) miRNAs (11 down- versus 4 up-regulated) were identified (the most in the media of uterine explants incubated with SP from post-SRF). Bioinformatics analysis identified that predicted target genes of dysregulated miRNAs, mainly miR-34b, miR-205, miR-4776-3p and miR-574-5p, were involved in functions and pathways related to immune response. In conclusion, SP is able to elicit changes in the miRNAs profile secreted by female genital tract, ultimately depending SP-composition.
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| 9. |
- Blane, David, et al.
(författare)
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What can the life course approach contribute to an understanding of longevity risk?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Longitudinal and Life Course Studies. - : Bristol University Press. - 1757-9597. ; 7:2, s. 165-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Longevity risk means living longer than predicted. Attempts to understand longevity risk to date have concentrated on single diseases, usually coronary heart disease, and sought explanations in terms of risk factor change and medical innovation. In an opening paper, David Blane and colleagues point to evidence that suggests changes in positive health also should be considered; and that a life course approach can do so in a way that is socially and biologically plausible. Applying this approach to UK citizens currently aged 85 years suggests that life course research should give priority to trajectories across the whole life course and to the social and material contexts through which each cohort has passed. Testing these ideas will require inter-disciplinary and international comparative research. The opening paper is followed by commentaries from Hans-Werner Wahl, Mark Hayward, Aart Liefbroer and Gita Mishra. Finally Blane and colleagues respond to the points raised by the commentators.
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| 10. |
- Correia, Filipa, et al.
(författare)
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More-than-human perspective on the robomorphism paradigm
- 2024
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Ingår i: HRI ’24 Companion. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9798400703232 ; , s. 11-19
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper proposes a posthuman perspective of the robomorphism theory. We propose to define robomorphism as the attribution of robotlike traits to non-robotic entities. Such a definition embraces the centrality of robots in two aspects. First, by assuming the target of robomorphism is not necessarily a human. Second, by considering the notion of robomorphic traits as inherently crucial to establish the robomorphism paradigm. Embracing robots as relevant non-humans in the robomorphism paradigm constitutes the more-than-human perspective of the proposed approach. The contributions of this paper are threefold. First, we propose the robomorphism paradigm by defining it and its inherent concepts, such as robomorphisation and robomorphic. Second, we discuss the broader implications of the robomorphism theory to the research community of Human-Robot Interaction, raising important new challenges. Third, we created a preliminary inventory of robomorphic traits, which were collected from a speculative workshop activity in order to start answering one of the proposed open challenges.
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| 11. |
- Costello, David M., et al.
(författare)
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Global patterns and controls of nutrient immobilization on decomposing cellulose in riverine ecosystems
- 2022
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Ingår i: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0886-6236 .- 1944-9224. ; 36:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbes play a critical role in plant litter decomposition and influence the fate of carbon in rivers and riparian zones. When decomposing low-nutrient plant litter, microbes acquire nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the environment (i.e., nutrient immobilization), and this process is potentially sensitive to nutrient loading and changing climate. Nonetheless, environmental controls on immobilization are poorly understood because rates are also influenced by plant litter chemistry, which is coupled to the same environmental factors. Here we used a standardized, low-nutrient organic matter substrate (cotton strips) to quantify nutrient immobilization at 100 paired stream and riparian sites representing 11 biomes worldwide. Immobilization rates varied by three orders of magnitude, were greater in rivers than riparian zones, and were strongly correlated to decomposition rates. In rivers, P immobilization rates were controlled by surface water phosphate concentrations, but N immobilization rates were not related to inorganic N. The N:P of immobilized nutrients was tightly constrained to a molar ratio of 10:1 despite wide variation in surface water N:P. Immobilization rates were temperature-dependent in riparian zones but not related to temperature in rivers. However, in rivers nutrient supply ultimately controlled whether microbes could achieve the maximum expected decomposition rate at a given temperature. Collectively, we demonstrated that exogenous nutrient supply and immobilization are critical control points for decomposition of organic matter.
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| 12. |
- Engelen, Lian, et al.
(författare)
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Improved glycemic control induced by both metformin and repaglinide is associated with a reduction in blood levels of 3-deoxyglucosone in nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 1479-683X. ; 164:3, s. 371-379
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Metformin has been reported to reduce alpha-dicarbonyls, which are known to contribute to diabetic complications. It is unclear whether this is due to direct quenching of alpha-dicarbonyls or to an improvement in glycemic control. We therefore compared the effects of metformin versus repaglinide, an antihyperglycemic agent with an insulin-secreting mechanism, on the levels of the alpha-dicarbonyl 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG). Methods: We conducted a single-center, double-masked, double-dummy, crossover study involving 96 nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes. After a 1-month run-in on diet-only treatment, patients were randomized to either repaglinide (6 mg daily) followed by metformin (2 g daily) or vice versa each during 4 months with a 1-month washout between interventions. Results: 3DG levels decreased after both metformin (-19.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): -23.5, -14.8)) and repaglinide (-20.8% (95% CI: -24.9, -16.3)) treatments, but no difference was found between treatments (1.8% (95% CI: -3.8, 7.8)). Regardless of the treatment, changes in glycemic variables were associated with changes in 3DG. Specifically, 3DG decreased by 22.7% (95% CI: 19.0, 26.5) per S. D. decrease in fasting plasma glucose (PG), by 20.0% (95% CI: 16.2, 23.9) per S. D. decrease in seven-point mean plasma glucose, by 22.5% (95% CI: 18.6, 26.6) per S. D. decrease in area under the curve for PG, by 17.2% (95% CI: 13.8, 20.6) per S. D. decrease in HbAlc, and by 10.9% (95% CI: 6.4, 15.5) per S. D. decrease in Amadori albumin. In addition, decreases in 3DG were associated with decreases in advanced glycation endproducts and endothelial markers. Conclusion: Improved glycemic control induced by both metformin and repaglinide is associated with a reduction in 3DG levels in nonobese individuals with type 2 diabetes. This may constitute a shared metabolic pathway through which both treatments have a beneficial impact on the cardiovascular risk.
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| 13. |
- Ferreira, Ana R. V., et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of different coating techniques on the properties of FucoPol films
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. - : Elsevier BV. - 0141-8130 .- 1879-0003. ; 103, s. 268-274
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma deposition, liquid flame spray (LFS) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) were used to form inorganic coatings in new exopolysaccharide (FucoPol) biodegradable films. Coated films were characterised in terms of surface, optical and barrier properties in order to evaluate their potential use in food packaging. FucoPol films presented dense and homogeneous surface with instant water contact angle of 95̊. Plasma deposition of perfluorohexane (PFH) on FucoPol surface has not shown significant improvement in the hydrophobic behaviour over the time. The FucoPol coating of SiO2 nanoparticles deposited by LFS and plasma deposition of PFH have shown higher instant water contact angle (135°) caused by coating surface roughness, but this hydrophobic behaviour was not stable over time. FucoPol films coated only with TiO2 deposited by ALD and combination of that with plasma deposition of PFH have shown stable water contact angle during time (90̊ and 115̊, respectively), transparency in the same order of magnitude and significantly lower permeability to water vapour (3.45 × 10−11 mol/m s Pa and 3.45 × 10−11 mol/m s Pa when compared to uncoated films with 5.32 × 10−11 mol/m s Pa). Moreover, films coated with TiO2-PFH have also shown a permeability to oxygen of 1.70 × 10−16 molm/m2s Pa which is 67% lower than uncoated films.
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| 14. |
- Ferreira, Isabel, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrated nucleosome levels and neuropsychiatric events in systemic lupus erythematosus; a multi-center retrospective case-control study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research and Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6354 .- 1478-6362. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) there is no serological test that will reliably distinguish neuropsychiatric (NP) events due to active SLE from those due to other causes. Previously we showed that serum levels of nitrated nucleosomes (NN) were elevated in a small number of patients with NPSLE. Here we measured serum NN in samples from a larger population of patients with SLE and NP events to see whether elevated serum NN could be a marker for NPSLE. Methods: We obtained serum samples from patients in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics (SLICC) inception cohort. This included 216 patients with NP events and two matched controls with SLE but no NP events for each of these patients. For the NP patients we tested samples taken before, during and after the NP event. Results: Twenty-six patients had events attributed to SLE according to the most stringent SLICC attribution rule. In these patients there was no association between onset of event and elevated serum NN. In 190 patients in whom events were not attributed to SLE by the SLICC rules, median serum NN was elevated at the onset of event (P = 0.006). The predominant clinical features in this group of 190 patients were headache, mood disorders and anxiety. Conclusions: Serum NN levels rise at the time of an NP event in a proportion of patients with SLE. Further studies are needed to determine the value of serum NN as a biomarker for NPSLE.
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| 15. |
- Ferreira, Magda, et al.
(författare)
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Levofloxacin-loaded bone cement delivery system : highly effective against intracellular bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. - : Elsevier. - 0378-5173 .- 1873-3476. ; 532:1, s. 241-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in bone associated infections due to its ability to adhere and form biofilms on bone and/or implants. Moreover, recrudescent and chronic infections have been associated with S. aureus capacity to invade and persist within osteoblast cells. With the growing need of novel therapeutic tools, this research aimed to evaluate some important key biological properties of a novel carrier system composed of acrylic bone cement (polymethylmethacrylate – PMMA), loaded with a release modulator (lactose) and an antibiotic (levofloxacin).Levofloxacin-loaded bone cement (BC) exhibited antimicrobial effects against planktonic and biofilm forms of S. aureus (evaluated by a flow chamber system). Moreover, novel BC formulation showed high anti-bacterial intraosteoblast activity. This fact led to the conclusion that levofloxacin released from BC matrices could penetrate the cell membrane of osteoblasts and be active against S. aureus strains in the intracellular environment. Furthermore, levofloxacin-BC formulations showed no significant in vitro cytotoxicity and no allergic potential (measured by the in vivo chorioallantoic membrane assay). Our results indicate that levofloxacin-loaded BC has potential as a local antibiotic delivery system for treating S. aureus associated bone infections.
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| 16. |
- Fragata, Isabel, et al.
(författare)
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Early Prediction of Delayed Ischemia and Functional Outcome in Acute Subarachnoid Hemorrhage : Role of Diffusion Tensor Imaging
- 2017
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Ingår i: Stroke. - 0039-2499 .- 1524-4628. ; 48:8, s. 2091-2097
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Purpose-Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters are markers of cerebral lesion in some diseases. In patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), we investigated whether DTI parameters measured at < 72 hours might be associated with delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and with poor functional outcome at 3 months (modified Rankin Scale score =3).Methods-DTI was performed in a prospective cohort of 60 patients with nontraumatic SAH at < 72 hours. Association of fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient values at < 72 hours with the occurrence of DCI and outcome at 3 months was evaluated with logistic regression models, adjusting for known predictors of prognosis.Results-At < 72 hours after SAH, fractional anisotropy values at the cerebellum were associated with DCI occurrence (78% less odds of DCI for each 0.1 increase in fractional anisotropy; P=0.019). Early apparent diffusion coefficient values were not associated with DCI. After adjusting for confounding variables, an increase of 10 U in apparent diffusion coefficient at the frontal centrum semiovale corresponded to 15% increased odds of poor outcome (P=0.061).Conclusions-DTI parameters at < 72 hours post-SAH are independently associated with the occurrence of DCI and functional outcome. These preliminary results suggest the role of DTI parameters as surrogate markers of prognosis in nontraumatic SAH.
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| 17. |
- Inoue, Juliana, et al.
(författare)
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Plasmodium falciparum Plasmepsin 2 Duplications, West Africa
- 2018
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Ingår i: Emerging Infectious Diseases. - : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. - 1080-6040 .- 1080-6059. ; 24:8, s. 1591-1593
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine (DHA/PPQ) is increasingly deployed as antimalaria drug in Africa. We report the detection in Mali of Plasmodium falciparum infections carrying plasmepsin 2 duplications (associated with piperaquine resistance) in 7/65 recurrent infections within 2 months after DHA/PPQ treatment. These findings raise concerns about the long-term efficacy of DHA/PPQ treatment in Africa.
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| 18. |
- Jones, Benedict C, et al.
(författare)
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To which world regions does the valence-dominance model of social perception apply?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3374. ; 5:1, s. 159-169
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov's methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov's original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 5 November 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7611443.v1 .
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| 19. |
- Maruyama, Sandra R., et al.
(författare)
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Blood transcriptome profile induced by an efficacious vaccine formulated with salivary antigens from cattle ticks
- 2019
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Ingår i: NPJ VACCINES. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2059-0105. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ticks cause massive damage to livestock and vaccines are one sustainable alternative for the acaricide poisons currently heavily used to control infestations. An experimental vaccine adjuvanted with alum and composed by four recombinant salivary antigens mined with reverse vaccinology from a transcriptome of salivary glands from Rhipicephalus microplus ticks was previously shown to present an overall efficacy of 73.2% and cause a significant decrease of tick loads in artificially tick-infested, immunized heifers; this decrease was accompanied by increased levels of antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies, which were boosted during a challenge infestation. In order to gain insights into the systemic effects induced by the vaccine and by the tick challenge we now report the gene expression profile of these hosts' whole-blood leukocytes with RNA-seq followed by functional analyses. These analyses show that vaccination induced unique responses to infestations; genes upregulated in the comparisons were enriched for processes associated with chemotaxis, cell adhesion, T-cell responses and wound repair. Blood transcriptional modules were enriched for activation of dendritic cells, cell cycle, phosphatidylinositol signaling, and platelets. Together, the results indicate that by neutralizing the tick's salivary mediators of parasitism with vaccine-induced antibodies, the bovine host is able to mount normal homeostatic responses that hinder tick attachment and haematophagy and that the tick otherwise suppresses with its saliva.
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| 20. |
- Nerpin, Elisabet, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Bronchodilator response and lung function decline : Associations with exhaled nitric oxide with regard to sex and smoking status
- 2021
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Ingår i: World Allergy Organization Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1939-4551. ; 14:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a marker of type-2 inflammation used both to support diagnosis of asthma and follow up asthma patients. The associations of FeNO with lung function decline and bronchodilator (BD) response have been studied only scarcely in large populations.Objectives: To study the association between FeNO and a) retrospective lung function decline over 20 years, and b) lung function response to BD among asthmatic subjects compared with non-asthmatic subjects and with regards to current smoking and sex.Methods: Longitudinal analyses of previous lung function decline and FeNO level at follow-up and cross-sectional analyses of BD response and FeNO levels in 4257 participants (651 asthmatics) from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.Results: Among asthmatic subjects, higher percentage declines of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were associated with higher FeNO levels (p = 0.001 for both) at follow-up. These correlations were found mainly among non-smoking individuals (p = 0.001) and females (p = 0.001) in stratified analyses.Percentage increase in FEV1 after BD was positively associated with FeNO levels in non-asthmatic subjects. Further, after stratified for sex and smoking separately, a positive association was seen between FEV1 and FeNO levels in non-smokers and women, regardless of asthma status.Conclusions: We found a relationship between elevated FeNO and larger FEV1 decline over 20 years among subjects with asthma who were non-smokers or women. The association between elevated FeNO levels and larger BD response was found in both non-asthmatic and asthmatic subjects, mainly in women and non-smoking subjects.
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| 21. |
- Silva, Catarina, et al.
(författare)
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Emotions Under the Skin: Autonomic Reactivity to Emotional Pictures in Insecure Attachment
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Psychophysiology. - : Hogrefe Publishing Group. - 0269-8803 .- 2151-2124. ; 29:4, s. 161-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study examined physiological reactivity to emotional stimuli as a function of attachment style. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) and heart rate (HR) changes were simultaneously recorded while participants engaged in a visual attentional task. The task included positive, neutral, and negative emotional pictures, and required the identification of a target (neutral picture rotated 90° to the left or right), among a stream of pictures in which an emotional distracter (positive or negative) was presented. Participants additionally rated each of the emotional distracters for valence and arousal. Behavioral results on the attentional task showed that positive pictures facilitated overall target detection for all participants, compared to negative and neutral pictures, and that anxiously attached participants had significantly lower accuracy scores, relative to the other groups. Affective ratings indicated that positive pictures were rated as being more pleasant than negative ones, although no differences were found in HR changes to picture valence. In contrast, negative pictures were evaluated as being highly arousing. Consistent with this, negative pictures elicited larger SCRs in both insecure anxious and avoidant groups, especially for the anxious while the secure group showed SCRs unaffected by stimuli’s arousal. Present results show that individuals with different attachment styles reveal distinct patterns of attentional bias, appraisal, and physiological reactivity toward emotionally arousing stimuli. These findings further highlight the regulatory function of the attachment system
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| 22. |
- Soares, Ana Paula, et al.
(författare)
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Lexico-syntactic interactions during the processing of temporally ambiguous L2 relative clauses : An eye-tracking study with intermediate and advanced Portuguese-English bilinguals
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 14:5, s. 1-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is extensive evidence showing that bilinguals activate the lexical and the syntactic representations of both languages in a nonselective way. However, the extent to which the lexical and the syntactic levels of representations interact during second language (L2) sentence processing and how those interactions are modulated by L2 proficiency remain unclear. This paper aimed to directly address these issues by using an online technique (eye-tracking) that is highly sensitive to the lexical and syntactic processes involved in sentence reading. To that purpose, native-speakers of European Portuguese (EP) learning English as L2 at intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency were asked to silently read temporally ambiguous L2 relative clause (RC) sentences disambiguated with a High-Attachment (HA) or Low-Attachment (LA) strategy while their eye-movements were monitored. Since EP and English native speakers differ in the way they process and comprehend this syntactic structure (EP: HA, English: LA), HA preferences were used as a marker of L1 RC syntax interference. Additionally, the cognate status of the complex NP that preceded the RC was manipulated to further analyze how the lexical co-activation of both languages would also affect the syntactic representations of the non-target (L1) language. Results showed cognate facilitation in early and late reading time measures regardless of L2 proficiency, and also that the cognate status of the complex NP impacted L2 reading performance, particularly at lower levels of L2 proficiency. These findings provide compelling evidence for a bilingual reading system that seems to be highly dynamic and interactive not only within each level of processing, but, importantly, across levels of representation. They also suggested that, as the level of L2 proficiency increases, L1 RC syntax interference becomes stronger, in a syntactic parser that seems to operate in a more integrated and nonselective way, with both strategies being equally available to guide L2 reading comprehension. Results are discussed attending to the current models of bilingual syntactic processing.
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| 23. |
- Tiegs, Scott D., et al.
(författare)
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Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - Washington : American Association of Advancement in Science. - 2375-2548. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth's biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constraints toward the poles and greater roles for other environmental drivers (e.g., nutrient loading) toward the equator. These results and data set the stage for unprecedented "next-generation biomonitoring" by establishing baselines to help quantify environmental impacts to the functioning of ecosystems at a global scale.
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| 24. |
- Zamora, Juan Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa
- 2018
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Ingår i: IMA Fungus. - : INT MYCOLOGICAL ASSOC. - 2210-6340 .- 2210-6359. ; 9:1, s. 167-185
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.
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