| 1. |
- Abolfathi, Bela, et al.
(författare)
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The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey : First Spectroscopic Data from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the Second Phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 235:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since 2014 July. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the 14th from SDSS overall (making this Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes the data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (2014-2016 July) public. Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey; the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data-driven machine-learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from the SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS web site (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020 and will be followed by SDSS-V.
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| 2. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 3. |
- 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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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Bossini-Castillo, Lara, et al.
(författare)
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Confirmation of association of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene with systemic sclerosis in a large European population.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Rheumatology (Oxford, England). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1462-0332 .- 1462-0324. ; 50, s. 1976-1981
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. The aim of this study was to confirm the implication of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene in SSc susceptibility or clinical phenotypes in a large European population.Methods. A total of 3800 SSc patients and 4282 healthy controls of white Caucasian ancestry from eight different European countries were included in the study. The MIF -173 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was selected as genetic marker and genotyped using Taqman 5' allelic discrimination assay.Results. The MIF -173 SNP showed association with SSc [P = 0.04, odds ratio (OR) = 1.10, 95% CI 1.00, 1.19]. Analysis of the MIF -173 polymorphism according to SSc clinical phenotype revealed that the frequency of the -173*C allele was significantly higher in the dcSSc group compared with controls (P = 5.30E-03, OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.07, 1.38). Conversely, the frequency of the MIF -173*C allele was significantly underrepresented in the lcSSc group compared with dcSSc patients, supporting previous findings [(P = 0.04, OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.75, 0.99); meta-analysis including previous results (P = 0.005, OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.73, 0.94)].Conclusion. Our results confirm the role of MIF -173 promoter polymorphism in SSc, and provide evidence of a strong association with the dcSSc subgroup of patients. Hence, the MIF -173 variant is confirmed as a promising clinical phenotype genetic marker.
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| 6. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 7. |
- Aguado, D. S., et al.
(författare)
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The Fifteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys : First Release of MaNGA-derived Quantities, Data Visualization Tools, and Stellar Library
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 240:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Twenty years have passed since first light for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Here, we release data taken by the fourth phase of SDSS (SDSS-IV) across its first three years of operation (2014 July-2017 July). This is the third data release for SDSS-IV, and the 15th from SDSS (Data Release Fifteen; DR15). New data come from MaNGA-we release 4824 data cubes, as well as the first stellar spectra in the MaNGA Stellar Library (MaStar), the first set of survey-supported analysis products (e.g., stellar and gas kinematics, emission-line and other maps) from the MaNGA Data Analysis Pipeline, and a new data visualization and access tool we call "Marvin." The next data release, DR16, will include new data from both APOGEE-2 and eBOSS; those surveys release no new data here, but we document updates and corrections to their data processing pipelines. The release is cumulative; it also includes the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since first light. In this paper, we describe the location and format of the data and tools and cite technical references describing how it was obtained and processed. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has also been updated, providing links to data downloads, tutorials, and examples of data use. Although SDSS-IV will continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V (2020-2025), we end this paper by describing plans to ensure the sustainability of the SDSS data archive for many years beyond the collection of data.
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| 8. |
- Forouzanfar, Mohammad H, et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 386:10010, s. 2287-2323
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.METHODS: Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk-outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks at the first level of the hierarchy. The next level in the hierarchy includes nine clusters of related risks and two individual risks, with more detail provided at levels 3 and 4 of the hierarchy. Compared with GBD 2010, six new risk factors have been added: handwashing practices, occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, childhood wasting, childhood stunting, unsafe sex, and low glomerular filtration rate. For most risks, data for exposure were synthesised with a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR 2.0, or spatial-temporal Gaussian process regression. Relative risks were based on meta-regressions of published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden for clusters of risks and all risks combined took into account evidence on the mediation of some risks such as high body-mass index (BMI) through other risks such as high systolic blood pressure and high cholesterol.FINDINGS: All risks combined account for 57·2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 55·8-58·5) of deaths and 41·6% (40·1-43·0) of DALYs. Risks quantified account for 87·9% (86·5-89·3) of cardiovascular disease DALYs, ranging to a low of 0% for neonatal disorders and neglected tropical diseases and malaria. In terms of global DALYs in 2013, six risks or clusters of risks each caused more than 5% of DALYs: dietary risks accounting for 11·3 million deaths and 241·4 million DALYs, high systolic blood pressure for 10·4 million deaths and 208·1 million DALYs, child and maternal malnutrition for 1·7 million deaths and 176·9 million DALYs, tobacco smoke for 6·1 million deaths and 143·5 million DALYs, air pollution for 5·5 million deaths and 141·5 million DALYs, and high BMI for 4·4 million deaths and 134·0 million DALYs. Risk factor patterns vary across regions and countries and with time. In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risk factors are child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing. In women, in nearly all countries in the Americas, north Africa, and the Middle East, and in many other high-income countries, high BMI is the leading risk factor, with high systolic blood pressure as the leading risk in most of Central and Eastern Europe and south and east Asia. For men, high systolic blood pressure or tobacco use are the leading risks in nearly all high-income countries, in north Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. For men and women, unsafe sex is the leading risk in a corridor from Kenya to South Africa.INTERPRETATION: Behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks can explain half of global mortality and more than one-third of global DALYs providing many opportunities for prevention. Of the larger risks, the attributable burden of high BMI has increased in the past 23 years. In view of the prominence of behavioural risk factors, behavioural and social science research on interventions for these risks should be strengthened. Many prevention and primary care policy options are available now to act on key risks.FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 9. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N., et al.
(författare)
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The PREDICTS database : a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:24, s. 4701-4735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species' threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project - and avert - future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups - including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - ). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015.
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| 10. |
- López-Isac, Elena, et al.
(författare)
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Brief Report : IRF4 Newly Identified as a Common Susceptibility Locus for Systemic Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Cross-Disease Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies
- 2016
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Ingår i: Arthritis & Rheumatology. - : Wiley. - 2326-5191 .- 2326-5205. ; 68:9, s. 2338-2344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are autoimmune diseases that have similar clinical and immunologic characteristics. To date, several shared SSc–RA genetic loci have been identified independently. The aim of the current study was to systematically search for new common SSc–RA loci through an interdisease meta–genome-wide association (meta-GWAS) strategy. Methods: The study was designed as a meta-analysis combining GWAS data sets of patients with SSc and patients with RA, using a strategy that allowed identification of loci with both same-direction and opposite-direction allelic effects. The top single-nucleotide polymorphisms were followed up in independent SSc and RA case–control cohorts. This allowed an increase in the sample size to a total of 8,830 patients with SSc, 16,870 patients with RA, and 43,393 healthy controls. Results: This cross-disease meta-analysis of the GWAS data sets identified several loci with nominal association signals (P < 5 × 10−6) that also showed evidence of association in the disease-specific GWAS scans. These loci included several genomic regions not previously reported as shared loci, as well as several risk factors that were previously found to be associated with both diseases. Follow-up analyses of the putatively new SSc–RA loci identified IRF4 as a shared risk factor for these 2 diseases (Pcombined = 3.29 × 10−12). Analysis of the biologic relevance of the known SSc–RA shared loci identified the type I interferon and interleukin-12 signaling pathways as the main common etiologic factors. Conclusion: This study identified a novel shared locus, IRF4, for the risk of SSc and RA, and highlighted the usefulness of a cross-disease GWAS meta-analysis strategy in the identification of common risk loci.
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| 11. |
- Machado, Isabel, et al.
(författare)
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Rapid and specific detection of Salmonella infections using chemically modified nucleic acid probes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Analytica Chimica Acta. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0003-2670 .- 1873-4324. ; 1054, s. 157-166
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Salmonella is a leading source of bacterial foodborne illness in humans, causing gastroenteritis outbreaks with bacteraemia occurrences that can lead to clinical complications and death. Eggs, poultry and pig products are considered as the main carriers of the pathogenic Salmonella for humans. To prevent this relevant zoonosis, key changes in food safety regulations were undertaken to improve controls in the food production chain. Despite these measures, large outbreaks of salmonellosis were reported worldwide in the last decade. Thus, new strategies for Salmonella detection are a priority for both, food safety and public health authorities. Such detection systems should provide significant reduction in diagnostic time (hours) compared to the currently available methods (days). Herein, we report on the discovery and characterization of nucleic acid probes for the sensitive and specific detection of live Salmonella within less than 8 h of incubation. We are the first to postulate the nuclease activity derived from Salmonella as biomarker of infection and its utility to develop innovative detection strategies. Our results have shown the screening and identification of two oligonucleotide sequences (substrates) as the most promising probes for detecting Salmonella - Sal-3 and Sal-5. The detection limits for both probes were determined with the reference Salmonella Typhimurium (STM 1) and Salmonella Enteritidis (SE 1) cultures. Sal-3 has reported LOD values around 10(5) CFU mL(-1) for STM 1 and 10(4) CFU mL(-1) for SE 1, while Sal-5 proves to be a slightly better probe, with LODs of 10(4) CFU mL(-1) for STM 1 and 10(4) CFU mL(-1) for SE 1. Both selected probes have shown the capability to recognize 49 out of 51 different Salmonella serotypes tested in vitro and the most frequent serotypes in porcine mesenteric lymph nodes as a standard sample used in fattening-pig salmonellosis baseline studies. Notably, our results showed 100% correlation between nuclease detection and the PCR-InvA or ISO-6579 standard method, underlining the great potential of this innovative nucleic acids technology to be implemented as a rapid method for food safety testing. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 12. |
- Arias Tellez, Maria Jose, et al.
(författare)
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Association of Neck Circumference with Anthropometric Indicators and Body Composition Measured by DXA in Young Spanish Adults
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 12:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Due to a clinical and public health interest of neck circumference (NC), a better understanding of this simple anthropometric measurement, as a valid marker of body composition is necessary. Methods: A total of 119 young healthy adults participated in this study. NC was measured over the thyroid cartilage and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck. Body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference were measured. A Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan was used to determine fat mass, lean mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Additionally, body mass index (BMI) and triponderal mass index (TMI), the waist to hip and waist to height ratios, and the fat mass and lean mass indexes (FMI and LMI, respectively) were calculated. Results: NC was positively associated in women (W) and men (M), with BMI (rW = 0.70 and rM = 0.84, respectively), TMI (rW = 0.63 and rM = 0.80, respectively), WC (rW = 0.75 and rM = 0.86, respectively), VAT (rW = 0.74 and rM = 0.82, respectively), Waist/hip (rW = 0.51 and rM = 0.67, respectively), Waist/height (rW = 0.68 and rM = 0.83, respectively) and FMI (rW = 0.61 and rM = 0.81, respectively). The association between NC and indicators of body composition was however weaker than that observed by BMI, TMI, WC and Waist/height in both women and men. It is of note that in women, NC was associated with FMI, VAT and LMI independently of BMI. In men, adding NC to anthropometric variables did not improve the prediction of body composition, while slight improvements were observed in women. Conclusions: Taken together, the present study provides no indication for NC as a useful proxy of body composition parameters in young adults, yet future studies should explore its usefulness as a measure to use in combination with BMI, especially in women.
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| 13. |
- Bossini-Castillo, Lara, et al.
(författare)
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A replication study confirms the association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a large European cohort
- 2011
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 70:4, s. 638-641
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms on systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility and phenotypic features. Methods A total of 8 European populations of Caucasian ancestry were included, comprising 3014 patients with SSc and 3125 healthy controls. Four genetic variants of TNFSF4 gene promoter (rs1234314, rs844644, rs844648 and rs12039904) were selected as genetic markers. Results A pooled analysis revealed the association of rs1234314 and rs12039904 polymorphisms with SSc (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29, respectively). Significant association of the four tested variants with patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) was revealed (rs1234314 OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; rs844644 OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.99; rs844648 OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 and rs12039904 OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33). Association of rs1234314, rs844648 and rs12039904 minor alleles with patients positive for anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) remained significant (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.37; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38, respectively). Haplotype analysis confirmed a protective haplotype associated with SSc, lcSSc and ACA positive subgroups (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97, respectively) and revealed a new risk haplotype associated with the same groups of patients (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35; OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42, respectively). Conclusions The data confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms in SSc genetic susceptibility, especially in subsets of patients positive for lcSSc and ACA.
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| 14. |
- Bousquet, Jean, et al.
(författare)
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Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Phase 4 (2018) : Change management in allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using mobile technology
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 143:3, s. 864-879
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline by using the best approach to integrated care pathways using mobile technology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. The proposed next phase of ARIA is change management, with the aim of providing an active and healthy life to patients with rhinitis and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the lifecycle irrespective of their sex or socioeconomic status to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease. ARIA has followed the 8-step model of Kotter to assess and implement the effect of rhinitis on asthma multimorbidity and to propose multimorbid guidelines. A second change management strategy is proposed by ARIA Phase 4 to increase self-medication and shared decision making in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. An innovation of ARIA has been the development and validation of information technology evidence-based tools (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network [MASK]) that can inform patient decisions on the basis of a self-care plan proposed by the health care professional.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Del Cura-González, Isabel, et al.
(författare)
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How to Improve Healthcare for Patients with Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy in Primary Care : A Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial of the MULTIPAP Intervention
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Personalized Medicine. - : MDPI AG. - 2075-4426. ; 12:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- (1) Purpose: To investigate a complex MULTIPAP intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a primary care population of young-elderly patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy and to evaluate its effectiveness for improving the appropriateness of prescriptions. (2) Methods: A pragmatic cluster-randomized clinical trial was conducted involving 38 family practices in Spain. Patients aged 65-74 years with multimorbidity and polypharmacy were recruited. Family physicians (FPs) were randomly allocated to continue usual care or to provide the MULTIPAP intervention based on the Ariadne principles with two components: FP training (eMULTIPAP) and FP patient interviews. The primary outcome was the appropriateness of prescribing, measured as the between-group difference in the mean Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) score change from the baseline to the 6-month follow-up. The secondary outcomes were quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), patient perceptions of shared decision making (collaboRATE), use of health services, treatment adherence, and incidence of drug adverse events (all at 1 year), using multi-level regression models, with FP as a random effect. (3) Results: We recruited 117 FPs and 593 of their patients. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the between-group difference for the mean MAI score change after a 6-month follow-up was -2.42 (95% CI from -4.27 to -0.59) and, between baseline and a 12-month follow-up was -3.40 (95% CI from -5.45 to -1.34). There were no significant differences in any other secondary outcomes. (4) Conclusions: The MULTIPAP intervention improved medication appropriateness sustainably over the follow-up time. The small magnitude of the effect, however, advises caution in the interpretation of the results given the paucity of evidence for the clinical benefit of the observed change in the MAI.
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| 17. |
- Escott-Price, Valentina, et al.
(författare)
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Gene-Wide Analysis Detects Two New Susceptibility Genes for Alzheimer's Disease
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:6, s. e94661-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Alzheimer's disease is a common debilitating dementia with known heritability, for which 20 late onset susceptibility loci have been identified, but more remain to be discovered. This study sought to identify new susceptibility genes, using an alternative gene-wide analytical approach which tests for patterns of association within genes, in the powerful genome-wide association dataset of the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project Consortium, comprising over 7 m genotypes from 25,580 Alzheimer's cases and 48,466 controls. Principal Findings: In addition to earlier reported genes, we detected genome-wide significant loci on chromosomes 8 (TP53INP1, p = 1.4x10(-6)) and 14 (IGHV1-67 p = 7.9x10(-8)) which indexed novel susceptibility loci. Significance: The additional genes identified in this study, have an array of functions previously implicated in Alzheimer's disease, including aspects of energy metabolism, protein degradation and the immune system and add further weight to these pathways as potential therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease.
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| 18. |
- Hernández-Breijo, Borja, et al.
(författare)
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BAFF predicts immunogenicity in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TNF inhibitors
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immunogenicity related to treatment with TNF inhibitors (TNFi) is one of the causes for the decreased attainment of clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The B-cell activating factor (BAFF) may be playing a role in the development of immunogenicity. The objective of this study was to analyse the association of baseline concentration of serum B-cell activating factor (BAFF) with immunogenicity after 6 months of TNFi treatment. A total of 127 patients with RA starting a TNFi (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol or golimumab) were followed-up for 6 months. Serum samples were obtained at baseline and at 6 months and anti-drug antibody (ADA) and BAFF concentrations were measured. Logistic regression models were employed in order to analyse the association between BAFF concentrations and immunogenicity. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the BAFF concentrations with a greater likelihood of showing immunogenicity association. At 6 months, 31 patients (24%) developed ADA. A significant interaction between the age and baseline BAFF concentration was found for the development of ADA (Wald chi-square value = 5.30; p = 0.02); therefore, subsequent results were stratified according to mean age (≤ / > 55 years). Baseline serum BAFF concentration was independently associated with ADA development only in patients over 55 years (OR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.03-2.21). Baseline serum BAFF ≥ 1034 pg/mL predicted the presence of ADA at 6 months (AUC = 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.93; p = 0.001; positive likelihood ratio = 3.7). In conclusion, our results suggest that the association of BAFF concentration and immunogenicity depends on the patient's age. Baseline serum BAFF concentration predicts the presence of ADA within 6 months of TNFi therapy in older patients with RA.
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| 19. |
- Hernández-Breijo, Borja, et al.
(författare)
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Low Serum BAFF Concentration Is Associated with Response to TNF Inhibitors in Seropositive Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Medicine. - : MDPI. - 2077-0383. ; 11:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) in relation to response to treatment with TNF inhibitors (TNFis) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This was a longitudinal study including 158 patients with RA treated with TNFis and followed up for 6 months. Clinical response at 6 months of treatment was defined according to the EULAR criteria for good responders (GRs). BAFF concentration was measured in serum samples, collected at baseline and at 6 months. Associations with EULAR response were evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. ROC analysis was performed to determine the optimal threshold of serum BAFF concentration associated with good EULAR response to treatment. After 6 months of TNFi treatment, 24% of patients were GRs. They had a lower BMI, lower baseline DAS28 and lower baseline serum BAFF concentration than non-responders. After 6 months of TNFi treatment, autoantibody-positive patients who attained GR had significantly lower serum BAFF concentrations compared with patients who did not. Serum BAFF < 968 pg/mL at 6 months represented the concentration likely to best discriminate between GR and non-GR at 6 months of TNFi treatment. Autoantibody-seropositive patients who had serum BAFF < 968 pg/mL at 6 months demonstrated a more than four-fold increased probability to be GRs compared with patients with higher BAFF concentrations. In conclusion, serum BAFF concentrations were associated with response to TNFis in seropositive RA patients, corroborating the importance of the B-cell compartment in RA.
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| 20. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(författare)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
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| 21. |
- Iannone, Florenzo, et al.
(författare)
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Body mass does not impact the clinical response to intravenous abatacept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Analysis from the “pan-European registry collaboration for abatacept (PANABA)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Clinical Rheumatology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0770-3198 .- 1434-9949. ; 36:4, s. 773-779
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Some evidences suggest that obesity impairs the effectiveness of TNF inhibitors. We examined the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the clinical effectiveness of abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This is a pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohorts of RA patients. All patients with available BMI were included in this study. The primary endpoint was drug retention of abatacept in the different BMI categories. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for drug discontinuation. A secondary endpoint was EULAR/LUNDEX response rates at 6/12 months. Of the 2015 RA patients initiating therapy with IV abatacept, 380 (18.9%) were classified as obese. Obese patients had more functional disability, and were less often RF positive. The median abatacept retention time was 1.91 years for obese RA patients compared to 2.12 years for non-obese patients (p = 0.15). The risk of abatacept discontinuation was not significantly different for overweight (HR 1.03 (95% CI 0.89–1.19)), or for obese (HR 1.08 (95% CI 0.89–1.30)) compared to normal-weight patients. Rheumatoid factor positivity reduced the risk of abatacept discontinuation (HR 0.83 (95% CI 0.72–0.95)), while previous biologic therapy was positively associated with drug interruption (HRs increasing from 1.68 to 2.16 with the line of treatments). Obese and non-obese patients attained similar rates of EULAR/LUNDEX clinical response at 6/12 months. Drug retention and clinical response rates to abatacept do not seem to be decreased by obesity in RA patients.
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| 22. |
- Islar, Mine, et al.
(författare)
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Diverse values of nature for sustainability
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 620, s. 813-823
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Twenty-five years since foundational publications on valuing ecosystem services for human well-being1,2, addressing the global biodiversity crisis3 still implies confronting barriers to incorporating nature’s diverse values into decision-making. These barriers include powerful interests supported by current norms and legal rules such as property rights, which determine whose values and which values of nature are acted on. A better understanding of how and why nature is (under)valued is more urgent than ever4. Notwithstanding agreements to incorporate nature’s values into actions, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)5 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals6, predominant environmental and development policies still prioritize a subset of values, particularly those linked to markets, and ignore other ways people relate to and benefit from nature7. Arguably, a ‘values crisis’ underpins the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change8, pandemic emergence9 and socio-environmental injustices10. On the basis of more than 50,000 scientific publications, policy documents and Indigenous and local knowledge sources, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) assessed knowledge on nature’s diverse values and valuation methods to gain insights into their role in policymaking and fuller integration into decisions7,11. Applying this evidence, combinations of values-centred approaches are proposed to improve valuation and address barriers to uptake, ultimately leveraging transformative changes towards more just (that is, fair treatment of people and nature, including inter- and intragenerational equity) and sustainable futures.
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| 23. |
- Jaeger, Julius W., et al.
(författare)
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Microbiota modulation by dietary oat beta-glucan prevents steatotic liver disease progression
- 2024
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Ingår i: JHEP Reports. - 2589-5559. ; 6:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background & Aims: Changes in gut microbiota in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are important drivers of disease progression towards fibrosis. Therefore, reversing microbial alterations could ameliorate MASLD progression. Oat beta-glucan, a non-digestible polysaccharide, has shown promising therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia associated with MASLD, but its impact on gut microbiota and most importantly MASLD-related fibrosis remains unknown. Methods: We performed detailed metabolic phenotyping, including assessments of body composition, glucose tolerance, and lipid metabolism, as well as comprehensive characterization of the gut-liver axis in a western-style diet (WSD)-induced model of MASLD and assessed the effect of a beta-glucan intervention on early and advanced liver disease. Gut microbiota were modulated using broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment. Results: Oat beta-glucan supplementation did not affect WSD-induced body weight gain or glucose intolerance and the metabolic phenotype remained largely unaffected. Interestingly, oat beta-glucan dampened MASLD-related inflammation, which was associated with significantly reduced monocyte-derived macrophage infiltration and fibroinflammatory gene expression, as well as strongly reduced fibrosis development. Mechanistically, this protective effect was not mediated by changes in bile acid composition or signaling, but was dependent on gut microbiota and was lost upon broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment. Specifically, oat beta-glucan partially reversed unfavorable changes in gut microbiota, resulting in an expansion of protective taxa, including Ruminococcus, and Lactobacillus followed by reduced translocation of Toll-like receptor ligands. Conclusions: Our findings identify oat beta-glucan as a highly efficacious food supplement that dampens inflammation and fibrosis development in diet-induced MASLD. These results, along with its favorable dietary profile, suggest that it may be a cost-effective and well-tolerated approach to preventing MASLD progression and should be assessed in clinical studies. Impact and Implications: Herein, we investigated the effect of oat beta-glucan on the gut-liver axis and fibrosis development in a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Beta-glucan significantly reduced inflammation and fibrosis in the liver, which was associated with favorable shifts in gut microbiota that protected against bacterial translocation and activation of fibroinflammatory pathways. Together, oat beta-glucan may be a cost-effective and well-tolerated approach to prevent MASLD progression and should be assessed in clinical studies.
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| 24. |
- Katz, Abram, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of N-acetylcysteine on isolated mouse skeletal muscle : contractile properties, temperature dependence, and metabolism
- 2014
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Ingår i: Pflügers Archiv. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0031-6768 .- 1432-2013. ; 466:3, s. 577-585
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effects of the general antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on muscle function and metabolism were examined. Isolated paired mouse extensor digitorum longus muscles were studied in the absence or presence of 20 mM NAC. Muscles were electrically stimulated to perform 100 isometric tetanic contractions (300 ms duration) at frequencies resulting in similar to 85 % of maximal force (70-150 Hz at 25-40 A degrees C). NAC did not significantly affect peak force in the unfatigued state at any temperature but significantly slowed tetanic force development in a temperature-dependent fashion (e.g., time to 50 % of peak tension averaged 35 A +/- 2 ms [control] and 37 A +/- 1 ms [NAC] at 25 A degrees C vs. 21 A +/- 1 ms [control] and 52 A +/- 6 ms [NAC, P < 0.01] at 40 A degrees C). During repeated contractions, NAC maximally enhanced peak force by the fifth tetanus at all temperatures (by similar to 30 %). Thereafter, the effect of NAC disappeared rapidly at high temperatures (35-40 A degrees C) and more slowly at the lower temperatures (25-30 A degrees C). At all temperatures, the enhancing effect of NAC on peak force was associated with a slowing of relaxation. NAC did not significantly affect myosin light chain phosphorylation at rest or after five contractions (similar to 50 % increase vs. rest). After five tetani, lactate and inorganic phosphate increased about 20-fold and 2-fold, respectively, both in control and NAC-treated muscles. Interestingly, after five tetani, the increase in glucose 6-P was similar to 2-fold greater, whereas the increase in malate was inhibited by similar to 75 % with NAC vs. control, illustrating the metabolic effects of NAC. NAC slightly decreased the maximum shortening velocity in early fatigue (five to seven repeated tetani). These data demonstrate that the antioxidant NAC transiently enhances muscle force generation by a mechanism that is independent of changes in myosin light chain phosphorylation and inorganic phosphate. The slowing of relaxation suggests that NAC enhances isometric force by facilitating fusion (i.e., delaying force decline between pulses). The initial slowing of tension development and subsequent slowing of relaxation suggest that NAC would result in impaired performance during a high-intensity dynamic exercise.
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| 25. |
- Lampinen, Airi, et al.
(författare)
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Studying the “Sharing Economy” : Perspectives to Peer-to-Peer Exchange
- 2015
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Ingår i: CSCW'15 Companion Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference Companion on Computer Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing. - New York : ACM Press. ; , s. 117-121
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A number of technological platforms, that have come to be known as the "sharing economy" or "collaborative consumption," are disrupting established industries with new decentralized peer-to-peer marketplaces. While peer-to-peer exchange and co-use practices are a relatively new research area, they are rapidly developing in both commercial and nonprofit variants. In this session, we bring together people from different disciplines to explore these issues, and to present future directions for research on sharing economies in the CSCW community. Our aim is to widen the "sharing economy" debate in CSCW. In order to better situate this stream of work within CSCW, we will connect "sharing economy" research to broader topical issues and concerns, such as networked coordination of peer-to-peer activities and the future of work and labor.
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| 26. |
- Li, Jun, et al.
(författare)
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ALPPS for Locally Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Did Aggressive Surgery Lead to the Oncological Benefit? An International Multi-center Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Annals of Surgical Oncology. - : SPRINGER. - 1068-9265 .- 1534-4681. ; 27, s. 1372-1384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background ALPPS is found to increase the resectability of primary and secondary liver malignancy at the advanced stage. The aim of the study was to verify the surgical and oncological outcome of ALPPS for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods The study cohort was based on the ALPPS registry with patients from 31 international centers between August 2009 and January 2018. Propensity score matched patients receiving chemotherapy only were selected from the SEER database as controls for the survival analysis. Results One hundred and two patients undergoing ALPPS were recruited, 99 completed the second stage with median inter-stage duration of 11 days. The median kinetic growth rate was 23 ml/day. R0 resection was achieved in 87 (85%). Initially high rates of morbidity and mortality decreased steadily to a 29% severe complication rate and 7% 90-day morbidity in the last 2 years. Post-hepatectomy liver failure remained the main cause of 90-day mortality. Multivariate analysis revealed insufficient future liver remnant at the stage-2 operation (FLR2) to be the only risk factor for severe complications (OR 2.91, p = 0.02). The propensity score matching analysis showed a superior overall survival in the ALPPS group compared to palliative chemotherapy (median overall survival: 26.4 months vs 14 months; 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates: 82.4%, 70.5% and 39.6% vs 51.2%, 21.4% and 11.3%, respectively, p amp;lt; 0.01). The survival benefit, however, was not confirmed in the subgroup analysis for patients with insufficient FLR2 or multifocal ICC. Conclusion ALPPS showed high efficacy in achieving R0 resections in locally advanced ICC. To get the most oncological benefit from this aggressive surgery, ALPPS would be restricted to patients with single lesions and sufficient FLR2.
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| 27. |
- Lopez-Lopez, Victor, et al.
(författare)
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Liver growth prediction in ALPPS - A multicenter analysis from the international ALPPS registry
- 2022
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Ingår i: Liver international (Print). - : WILEY. - 1478-3223 .- 1478-3231. ; 42:12, s. 2815-2829
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundWhile ALPPS triggers a fast liver hypertrophy, it is still unclear which factors matter most to achieve accelerated hypertrophy within a short period of time. The aim of the study was to identify patient-intrinsic factors related to the growth of the future liver remnant (FLR).MethodsThis cohort study is composed of data derived from the International ALPPS Registry from November 2011 and October 2018. We analyse the influence of demographic, tumour type and perioperative data on the growth of the FLR. The volume of the FLR was calculated in millilitre and percentage using computed-tomography (CT) scans before and after stage 1, both according to Vauthey formula.ResultsA total of 734 patients were included from 99 centres. The median sFLR at stage 1 and stage 2 was 0.23 (IQR, 0.18–0.28) and 0.39 (IQR: 0.31–0.46), respectively. The variables associated with a lower increase from sFLR1 to sFLR2 were age˃68 years (p = .02), height ˃1.76 m (p ˂ .01), weight ˃83 kg (p ˂ .01), BMI˃28 (p ˂ .01), male gender (p ˂ .01), antihypertensive therapy (p ˂ .01), operation time ˃370 minutes (p ˂ .01) and hospital stay˃14 days (p ˂ .01). The time required to reach sufficient volume for stage 2, male gender accounts 40.3% in group ˂7 days, compared with 50% of female, and female present 15.3% in group ˃14 days compared with 20.6% of male.ConclusionsHeight, weight, FLR size and gender could be the variables that most constantly influence both daily growths, the interstage increase and the standardized FLR before the second stage.
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| 28. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
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| 29. |
- Manzoni, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide analyses reveal a potential role for the MAPT, MOBP, and APOE loci in sporadic frontotemporal dementia
- 2024
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Ingår i: American Journal of Human Genetics. - 0002-9297. ; 111:7, s. 1316-1329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of early-onset dementia after Alzheimer disease (AD). Efforts in the field mainly focus on familial forms of disease (fFTDs), while studies of the genetic etiology of sporadic FTD (sFTD) have been less common. In the current work, we analyzed 4,685 sFTD cases and 15,308 controls looking for common genetic determinants for sFTD. We found a cluster of variants at the MAPT (rs199443; p = 2.5 × 10−12, OR = 1.27) and APOE (rs6857; p = 1.31 × 10−12, OR = 1.27) loci and a candidate locus on chromosome 3 (rs1009966; p = 2.41 × 10−8, OR = 1.16) in the intergenic region between RPSA and MOBP, contributing to increased risk for sFTD through effects on expression and/or splicing in brain cortex of functionally relevant in-cis genes at the MAPT and RPSA-MOBP loci. The association with the MAPT (H1c clade) and RPSA-MOBP loci may suggest common genetic pleiotropy across FTD and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (MAPT and RPSA-MOBP loci) and across FTD, AD, Parkinson disease (PD), and cortico-basal degeneration (CBD) (MAPT locus). Our data also suggest population specificity of the risk signals, with MAPT and APOE loci associations mainly driven by Central/Nordic and Mediterranean Europeans, respectively. This study lays the foundations for future work aimed at further characterizing population-specific features of potential FTD-discriminant APOE haplotype(s) and the functional involvement and contribution of the MAPT H1c haplotype and RPSA-MOBP loci to pathogenesis of sporadic forms of FTD in brain cortex.
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| 30. |
- McMenamin, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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WHO Global Situational Alert System : a mixed methods multistage approach to identify country-level COVID-19 alerts
- 2023
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Ingår i: BMJ Global Health. - 2059-7908. ; 8:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Globally, since 1 January 2020 and as of 24 January 2023, there have been over 664 million cases of COVID-19 and over 6.7 million deaths reported to WHO. WHO developed an evidence-based alert system, assessing public health risk on a weekly basis in 237 countries, territories and areas from May 2021 to June 2022. This aimed to facilitate the early identification of situations where healthcare capacity may become overstretched. Methods The process involved a three-stage mixed methods approach. In the first stage, future deaths were predicted from the time series of reported cases and deaths to produce an initial alert level. In the second stage, this alert level was adjusted by incorporating a range of contextual indicators and accounting for the quality of information available using a Bayes classifier. In the third stage, countries with an alert level of 'High' or above were added to an operational watchlist and assistance was deployed as needed. Results Since June 2021, the system has supported the release of more than US$27 million from WHO emergency funding, over 450 000 rapid antigen diagnostic testing kits and over 6000 oxygen concentrators. Retrospective evaluation indicated that the first two stages were needed to maximise sensitivity, where 44% (IQR 29%-67%) of weekly watchlist alerts would not have been identified using only reported cases and deaths. The alerts were timely and valid in most cases; however, this could only be assessed on a non-representative sample of countries with hospitalisation data available. Conclusions The system provided a standardised approach to monitor the pandemic at the country level by incorporating all available data on epidemiological analytics and contextual assessments. While this system was developed for COVID-19, a similar system could be used for future outbreaks and emergencies, with necessary adjustments to parameters and indicators.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Mercer, Louise K., et al.
(författare)
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Spectrum of lymphomas across different drug treatment groups in rheumatoid arthritis : a European registries collaborative project
- 2017
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 0003-4967 .- 1468-2060. ; 76:12, s. 2025-2030
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignant diseases with highly variable prognosis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a twofold increased risk of both Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). It is unknown whether treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) affect the risk of specific lymphoma subtypes.Methods Patients never exposed to (bionaïve) or ever treated with bDMARDs from 12 European biologic registers were followed prospectively for the occurrence of first ever histologically confirmed lymphoma. Patients were considered exposed to a bDMARD after having received the first dose. Lymphomas were attributed to the most recently received bDMARD.Results Among 124 997 patients (mean age 59 years; 73.7% female), 533 lymphomas were reported. Of these, 9.5% were HL, 83.8% B-cell NHL and 6.8% T-cell NHL. No cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma were observed. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequent B-cell NHL subtype (55.8% of all B-cell NHLs). The subtype distributions were similar between bionaïve patients and those treated with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). For other bDMARDs, the numbers of cases were too small to draw any conclusions. Patients with RA developed more DLBCLs and less chronic lymphocytic leukaemia compared with the general population.Conclusion This large collaborative analysis of European registries has successfully collated subtype information on 533 lymphomas. While the subtype distribution differs between RA and the general population, there was no evidence of any modification of the distribution of lymphoma subtypes in patients with RA treated with TNFi compared with bionaïve patients.
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| 34. |
- Moreno, Renata, et al.
(författare)
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The Crc and Hfq proteins of Pseudomonas putida cooperate in catabolite repression and formation of ribonucleic acid complexes with specific target motifs
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 17:1, s. 105-118
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Crc protein is a global regulator that has a key role in catabolite repression and optimization of metabolism in Pseudomonads. Crc inhibits gene expression post-transcriptionally, preventing translation of mRNAs bearing an AAnAAnAA motif [the catabolite activity (CA) motif] close to the translation start site. Although Crc was initially believed to bind RNA by itself, this idea was recently challenged by results suggesting that a protein co-purifying with Crc, presumably the Hfq protein, could account for the detected RNA-binding activity. Hfq is an abundant protein that has a central role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Herein, we show that the Pseudomonas putidaHfq protein can recognize the CA motifs of RNAs through its distal face and that Crc facilitates formation of a more stable complex at these targets. Crc was unable to bind RNA in the absence of Hfq. However, pull-down assays showed that Crc and Hfq can form a co-complex with RNA containing a CA motif in vitro. Inactivation of the hfq or the crc gene impaired catabolite repression to a similar extent. We propose that Crc and Hfq cooperate in catabolite repression, probably through forming a stable co-complex with RNAs containing CA motifs to result in inhibition of translation initiation.
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| 35. |
- Phillips, Helen R. P., et al.
(författare)
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Global distribution of earthworm diversity
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 366:6464, s. 480-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass. We found that local species richness and abundance typically peaked at higher latitudes, displaying patterns opposite to those observed in aboveground organisms. However, high species dissimilarity across tropical locations may cause diversity across the entirety of the tropics to be higher than elsewhere. Climate variables were found to be more important in shaping earthworm communities than soil properties or habitat cover. These findings suggest that climate change may have serious implications for earthworm communities and for the functions they provide.
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| 36. |
- Rongve, Arvid, et al.
(författare)
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GBA and APOE ε4 associate with sporadic dementia with Lewy bodies in European genome wide association study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with poor prognosis and mainly unknown pathophysiology. Heritability estimates exceed 30% but few genetic risk variants have been identified. Here we investigated common genetic variants associated with DLB in a large European multisite sample. We performed a genome wide association study in Norwegian and European cohorts of 720 DLB cases and 6490 controls and included 19 top-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms in an additional cohort of 108 DLB cases and 75545 controls from Iceland. Overall the study included 828 DLB cases and 82035 controls. Variants in the ASH1L/GBA (Chr1q22) and APOE ε4 (Chr19) loci were associated with DLB surpassing the genome-wide significance threshold (p < 5 × 10 −8 ). One additional genetic locus previously linked to psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease, ZFPM1 (Chr16q24.2), showed suggestive association with DLB at p-value < 1 × 10 −6 . We report two susceptibility loci for DLB at genome-wide significance, providing insight into etiological factors. These findings highlight the complex relationship between the genetic architecture of DLB and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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| 37. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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Ingår i: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
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