| 1. |
- Dornelas, M., et al.
(författare)
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BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene
- 2018
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Ingår i: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 27:7, s. 760-786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Main types of variables included: The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. Spatial location and grain: BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km(2) (158 cm(2)) to 100 km(2) (1,000,000,000,000 cm(2)). Time period and grainBio: TIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year. Major taxa and level of measurement: BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Jackson, Sarah S., et al.
(författare)
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Associations between reproductive factors and biliary tract cancers in women from the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Hepatology. - : ELSEVIER. - 0168-8278 .- 1600-0641. ; 73, s. 863-872
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background & Aims: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is known to have a female predominance while other biliary tract cancers (BTCs) have a male predominance. However, the role of female reproductive factors in BTC etiology remains unclear. Methods: We pooled data from 19 studies of >1.5 million women participating in the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project to examine the associations of parity, age at menarche, reproductive years, and age at menopause with BTC. Associations for age at menarche and reproductive years with BTC were analyzed separately for Asian and non-Asian women. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by study. Results: During 21,681,798 person-years of follow-up, 875 cases of GBC, 379 of intrahepatic bile duct cancer (IHBDC), 450 of extrahepatic bile duct cancer (EHBDC), and 261 of ampulla of Vater cancer (AVC) occurred. High parity was associated with risk of GBC (HR >= 5 vs. 0 births 1.72; 95% CI 1.25-2.38). Age at menarche (HR per year increase 1.15; 95% CI 1.06-1.24) was associated with GBC risk in Asian women while reproductive years were associated with GBC risk (HR per 5 years 1.13; 95% CI 1.04-1.22) in non-Asian women. Later age at menarche was associated with IHBDC (HR 1.19; 95% CI 1.09-1.31) and EHBDC (HR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01-1.22) in Asian women only. Conclusion: We observed an increased risk of GBC with increasing parity. Among Asian women, older age at menarche was associated with increased risk for GBC, IHBDC, and EHBDC, while increasing reproductive years was associated with GBC in non-Asian women. These results suggest that sex hormones have distinct effects on cancers across the biliary tract that vary by geography. Lay summary: Our findings show that the risk of gallbladder cancer is increased among women who have given birth (especially women with 5 or more children). In women from Asian countries, later age at menarche increases the risk of gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic bile duct cancer and extrahepatic bile duct cancer. We did not see this same association in women from Western countries. Age at menopause was not associated with the risk of any biliary tract cancers. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association for the Study of the Liver.
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| 4. |
- Knutsen, H. R., et al.
(författare)
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Fish welfare, fast muscle cellularity, fatty acid and body-composition of juvenile spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) fed a combination of plant proteins and microalgae (Nannochloropsis oceanica)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Aquaculture. - : Elsevier BV. - 0044-8486. ; 506, s. 212-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) is a promising candidate for diversification of cold-water aquaculture. An increased knowledgebase is needed concerning the capacity of spotted wolffish to utilize a variety of feed ingredients such as microalgae and terrestrial plants. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the effect of incorporating graded levels of microalgae (Nannochloropsis oceanica) on fish welfare indicators (growth, hepasomatic index, hematological parameters), fast muscle cellularity, chemical and fatty acid composition. Three isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were formulated; one control diet (0% N. oceanica) and two diets with low (7.5% N. oceanica) and high (15% N. oceanica) levels of microalgae replacing fishmeal and wheat in the diets. After 12 weeks of feeding, the fish showed low growth compared to previous wolffish studies (0.26% SGR). However, this effect was not treatment dependent as there were no differences in growth or fast muscle cellularity among the three treatment groups and hematological parameters showed no indications of stress in the fish fed microalgae. Hepatosomatic index decreased over the course of the experiment for all treatment groups; a significantly larger reduction was noted in the algae-fed fish compared to the control. The omega-3 fatty acid EPA increased in the whole body of the fish fed diets containing microalgae. The results suggest that spotted wolffish has potential to utilize inclusions of up to 15% of the microalgae N. oceanica.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Barth, Julia M.I., et al.
(författare)
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Disentangling structural genomic and behavioural barriers in a sea of connectivity
- 2019
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 28:6, s. 1394-1411
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2019 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Genetic divergence among populations arises through natural selection or drift and is counteracted by connectivity and gene flow. In sympatric populations, isolating mechanisms are thus needed to limit the homogenizing effects of gene flow to allow for adaptation and speciation. Chromosomal inversions act as an important mechanism maintaining isolating barriers, yet their role in sympatric populations and divergence with gene flow is not entirely understood. Here, we revisit the question of whether inversions play a role in the divergence of connected populations of the marine fish Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), by exploring a unique data set combining whole-genome sequencing data and behavioural data obtained with acoustic telemetry. Within a confined fjord environment, we find three genetically differentiated Atlantic cod types belonging to the oceanic North Sea population, the western Baltic population and a local fjord-type cod. Continuous behavioural tracking over 4year revealed temporally stable sympatry of these types within the fjord. Despite overall weak genetic differentiation consistent with high levels of gene flow, we detected significant frequency shifts of three previously identified inversions, indicating an adaptive barrier to gene flow. In addition, behavioural data indicated that North Sea cod and individuals homozygous for the LG12 inversion had lower fitness in the fjord environment. However, North Sea and fjord-type cod also occupy different depths, possibly contributing to prezygotic reproductive isolation and representing a behavioural barrier to gene flow. Our results provide the first insights into a complex interplay of genomic and behavioural isolating barriers in Atlantic cod and establish a new model system towards an understanding of the role of genomic structural variants in adaptation and diversification.
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| 7. |
- Barth, Julia M.I., et al.
(författare)
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Genome architecture enables local adaptation of Atlantic cod despite high connectivity
- 2017
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 26:17, s. 4452-4466
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adaptation to local conditions is a fundamental process in evolution; however, mechanisms maintaining local adaptation despite high gene flow are still poorly understood. Marine ecosystems provide a wide array of diverse habitats that frequently promote ecological adaptation even in species characterized by strong levels of gene flow. As one example, populations of the marine fish Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are highly connected due to immense dispersal capabilities but nevertheless show local adaptation in several key traits. By combining population genomic analyses based on 12K single nucleotide polymorphisms with larval dispersal patterns inferred using a biophysical ocean model, we show that Atlantic cod individuals residing in sheltered estuarine habitats of Scandinavian fjords mainly belong to offshore oceanic populations with considerable connectivity between these diverse ecosystems. Nevertheless, we also find evidence for discrete fjord populations that are genetically differentiated from offshore populations, indicative of local adaptation, the degree of which appears to be influenced by connectivity. Analyses of the genomic architecture reveal a significant overrepresentation of a large ~5 Mb chromosomal rearrangement in fjord cod, previously proposed to comprise genes critical for the survival at low salinities. This suggests that despite considerable connectivity with offshore populations, local adaptation to fjord environments may be enabled by suppression of recombination in the rearranged region. Our study provides new insights into the potential of local adaptation in high gene flow species within fine geographical scales and highlights the importance of genome architecture in analyses of ecological adaptation.
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| 8. |
- Bizzarro, Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Party Strength and Economic Growth
- 2015
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While a large literature suggests an important role for political parties in economic development, this is the first attempt to lay out a comprehensive theory and a reasonably comprehensive empirical test of the proposition. We argue that strong parties broaden the constituencies to which policy makers respond and help politicians solve coordination problems. These features help ensure better economic management, public services, and political stability. And this, in turn, enhances economic growth. Drawing on a novel measure of party strength from the Varieties of Democracy dataset, we test this theory on data drawn from more than 150 countries, observed annually from 1900–2012. We identify a sizeable effect which is robust to various specifications, estimators, and samples. The effect operates in both democracies and autocracies and is fairly stable across regions and time periods. We also find provisional evidence in favor of causal mechanisms pertaining to public services and political stability.
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| 9. |
- Bizzarro, Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Party Strength and Economic Growth
- 2018
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Ingår i: World Politics. - 0043-8871 .- 1086-3338. ; 70:2, s. 275-320
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © Trustees of Princeton University 2018. While a large literature suggests an important role for political parties in development, this article is the first attempt to layout and test a comprehensive theory connecting parties to economic growth. The authors argue that strong parties broaden the constituencies to which policymakers respond and help politicians solve coordination problems. These features help to ensure better economic management, public services, and political stability. And this, in turn, enhances economic growth. Drawing on a novel measure of party strength from the Varieties of Democracy data set, the authors test this theory on data drawn from more than 150 countries observed annually from 1901-2010. They identify a sizeable effect that is robust to various specifications, estimators, and samples. The effect operates in both democracies and autocracies, and is fairly stable across regions and time periods.
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| 10. |
- Brantsæter, A. L., et al.
(författare)
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Diet matters, particularly in pregnancy – Results from MoBa studies of maternal diet and pregnancy outcomes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Norsk Epidemiologi. - 0803-2491. ; 24:1-2, s. 63-77
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Awareness that maternal diet may influence the outcome of pregnancy as well as the long-term health of mother and child has increased in recent years. A new food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed and validated specifically for the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The MoBa FFQ is a semi-quantitative tool which covers the average intake of food, beverages and dietary supplements during the first 4 to 5 months of pregnancy. It includes questions about intakes of 255 foods and dishes and was used from 2002 onwards. Data assessed by the MoBa FFQ is available for 87,700 pregnancies. Numerous sub-studies have examined associations between dietary factors and health outcomes in MoBa. The aim of this paper is to summarize the results from 19 studies of maternal diet and pregnancy outcomes, which is the complete collection of studies based on the MoBa FFQ and published before September 2014. The overall research question is whether maternal diet – from single substances to dietary patterns – matters for pregnancy outcome. The pregnancy outcomes studied till now include birth size measures, infants being small and large for gestational age, pregnancy duration, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, as well as maternal gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention. As a whole, the results from these studies corroborate that the current dietary recommendations to pregnant women are sound and that maternal diet during pregnancy is likely to contribute to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications including preterm birth, preeclampsia, and reduced foetal growth. The results provide supporting evidence for recommending pregnant women to consume vegetables, fruit, whole grain, fish, dairy, and water regularly and lower the intake of sugar sweetened beverages, processed meat products and salty snacks. The results showing negative impact of even low levels of environmental contaminants support the precautionary advice on consumption of foods containing these. New findings are that particularly lean fish explained the positive association between seafood intake and foetal growth, and the indications of a protective effect of probiotic and antimicrobial foods on pregnancy outcomes. This points to the importance of diet composition for a healthy gut flora and the body’s immune response. Although these studies are observational and cannot infer causality, the results identify diet as an important modifiable lifestyle factor, suggesting that healthy eating, defined as following the official recommendations, is particularly important in pregnancy.
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| 11. |
- Coppedge, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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The Methodology of “Varieties of Democracy” (V-Dem)
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMS Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/ Bulletin de Methodologie Sociologique. - : SAGE Publications. - 0759-1063 .- 2070-2779. ; 143, s. 107-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article describes and discusses the new generation of methodological responses to measuring democracy and related issues generated by Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem). V-Dem is distinct in several regards in addition to its unique level of disaggregation, by the combination of: historical data extending back to 1900 and for a large selection among them to 1789 for many countries in the world; use of multiple, independent coders for each evaluative question; inter-coder reliability tests incorporated into a custom designed Bayesian item-response theory measurement model; provision of confidence bounds for all point estimates associated with expert-coded questions as well as for all indices; multiple indices reflecting varying theories of democracy; fully transparent aggregation procedures; and that all data are made freely available, including original coder-level judgments (exclusive of any personal identifying information).
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Fortner, Renée T., et al.
(författare)
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Ovarian cancer risk factors by tumor aggressiveness : An analysis from the Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 145:1, s. 58-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ovarian cancer risk factors differ by histotype; however, within subtype, there is substantial variability in outcomes. We hypothesized that risk factor profiles may influence tumor aggressiveness, defined by time between diagnosis and death, independent of histology. Among 1.3 million women from 21 prospective cohorts, 4,584 invasive epithelial ovarian cancers were identified and classified as highly aggressive (death in <1 year, n = 864), very aggressive (death in 1 to < 3 years, n = 1,390), moderately aggressive (death in 3 to < 5 years, n = 639), and less aggressive (lived 5+ years, n = 1,691). Using competing risks Cox proportional hazards regression, we assessed heterogeneity of associations by tumor aggressiveness for all cases and among serous and endometrioid/clear cell tumors. Associations between parity (phet = 0.01), family history of ovarian cancer (phet = 0.02), body mass index (BMI; phet ≤ 0.04) and smoking (phet < 0.01) and ovarian cancer risk differed by aggressiveness. A first/single pregnancy, relative to nulliparity, was inversely associated with highly aggressive disease (HR: 0.72; 95% CI [0.58-0.88]), no association was observed for subsequent pregnancies (per pregnancy, 0.97 [0.92-1.02]). In contrast, first and subsequent pregnancies were similarly associated with less aggressive disease (0.87 for both). Family history of ovarian cancer was only associated with risk of less aggressive disease (1.94 [1.47-2.55]). High BMI (≥35 vs. 20 to < 25 kg/m2 , 1.93 [1.46-2.56] and current smoking (vs. never, 1.30 [1.07-1.57]) were associated with increased risk of highly aggressive disease. Results were similar within histotypes. Ovarian cancer risk factors may be directly associated with subtypes defined by tumor aggressiveness, rather than through differential effects on histology. Studies to assess biological pathways are warranted.
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| 17. |
- Gialeli, C., et al.
(författare)
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The extracellular matrix proteoglycan serglycin is associated with human atherosclerotic plaque inflammation
- 2024
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Ingår i: Cardiovascular Research. - : Oxford University Press. - 0008-6363 .- 1755-3245. ; 120:S1
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is caused by the formation of plaques in the arterial wall which contain lipids, cells, cell debris and a unique extracellular matrix (ECM) signature. These plaques may ultimately rupture or erode away causing thrombosis, thereby leading to myocardial infarction or stroke. Rupture-prone plaques generally bear a greater inflammatory activity, with ECM proteins suggested to influence the inflammatory activity. Among many ECM proteins, serglycin (SRGN) is highly expressed by inflammatory cells, and SRGN has been linked to modulation of the inflammatory response in disease such as cancer. Yet, if SRGN contributes to the inflammatory circuitry in human atherosclerotic plaques remains to be explored.Purpose: We aimed to investigate if SRGN was associated with inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques.Methods: Plaque protein levels of SRGN were measured by ELISA in human carotid plaques obtained from the Carotid Plaque Imaging Project (CPIP) biobank. Plaque RNA expression levels of SRGN and cell markers were assessed by plaque bulk RNA sequencing. SRGN expression and distribution were further examined in tissue plaque sections through histology and multispectral imaging. In vitro models were used to investigate the functional consequences of SRGN expression changes, using SRGN CRISPR knockout THP1 monocytic cells. Immunoprecipitation of SRGN and immunoblotting against SRGN, heparan and chondroitin sulfate chains were employed to structurally characterize plaque protein SRGN.Results: SRGN protein levels were significantly higher in plaques from asymptomatic patients compared to symptomatic. Multispectral imaging showed that SRGN protein was observed in plaque areas rich in macrophages and lipids. Using immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, we identified a unique low glycosylated plaque SRGN, with both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans decorating its protein core. This exclusive configuration suggests that the plaque cell origin of SRGN may be macrophages or mast cells. In support of this, plaque SRGN RNA expression correlated with RNA levels of pro-inflammatory macrophage cells markers like CD68, CD163, MRC1, ITGAX. Plaque SRGN protein levels correlated with plaque levels of oxidised lipoproteins, proatherogenic (CCL1, IL7, MCP-4 and TNFα) and antiatherogenic cytokines (IL33, IL16 and CXCL13), as well as with growth factors, such as TGF-β. On the one hand, in vitro suppression of SRGN expression in monocytes led to a reduction in the anti-inflammatory M2-polarized phenotype, while M1 pro-inflammatory macrophages were unskewed. Furthermore, our in vitro studies showed that upon SRGN knockdown M2 macrophages retained more oxidized lipoproteins.Conclusions: Our results suggest that SRGN may be a crucial modulator of inflammation in human atherosclerotic plaques, potentially by affecting the bioavailability of effector molecules such as growth factors and cytokines.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Jackson, Sarah S., et al.
(författare)
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Anthropometric Risk Factors for Cancers of the Biliary Tract in the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cancer Research. - : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 79:15, s. 3973-3982
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biliary tract cancers are rare but highly fatal with poorly understood etiology. Identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for these cancers is essential for prevention. Here we estimated the relationship between adiposity and cancer across the biliary tract, including cancers of the gallbladder (GBC), intrahepatic bile ducts (IHBDC), extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBDC), and the ampulla of Vater (AVC). We pooled data from 27 prospective cohorts with over 2.7 million adults. Adiposity was measured using baseline body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip, and waist-to-height ratios. HRs and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for sex, education, race, smoking, and alcohol consumption with age as the time metric and the baseline hazard stratified by study. During 37,883,648 person-years of follow-up, 1,343 GBC cases, 1,194 EHBDC cases, 784 IHBDC cases, and 623 AVC cases occurred. For each 5 kg/m(2) increase in BMI, there were risk increases for GBC (HR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.19-1.36), IHBDC (HR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21-1.45), and EHBDC (HR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.23), but not AVC (HR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.88-1.11). Increasing waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio were associated with GBC and IHBDC but not EHBDC or AVC. These results indicate that adult adiposity is associated with an increased risk of biliary tract cancer, particularly GBC and IHBDC. Moreover, they provide evidence for recommending weight maintenance programs to reduce the risk of developing these cancers. Significance: These findings identify a correlation between adiposity and biliary tract cancers, indicating that weight management programs may help minimize the risk of these diseases.
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| 20. |
- Knutsen, Carl Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Conceptual and Measurement Issues in Assessing Democratic Backsliding
- 2023
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper addresses three interrelated questions. First, how strong is the evidence that democracy has declined globally over the last decade? Second, how should we best measure (change in) democracy? Third, given that much of the recent evidencefor global backsliding comes from measurement projects that rely on expert ratings, is there evidence that experts have become harsher judges of democratic quality in recent years? We begin our analysis with a discussion of how to conceptualize democracy and democratic backsliding, stressing that for contested concepts such as democracy, no one operationalization is likely to reign supreme. We then dissect the distinction between “subjective” and “objective” measures, examining how measurement error can affect even seemingly objective indicators, and highlight how subjectivity pervades all measurement enterprises. Next, focusing on V–Dem’s methodology, we show—through both theoretical considerations and empirical tests—that it is highly unlikely that time-varying expert biases drive recent declines in estimates of the state of global democracy. Finally we evaluate Little and Meng’s (2023) recent attempt to assess the prevailing case for global backsliding using “objective” measures. We demonstrate multiple issues that make their measurement strategy ill-suited to studying trends in global democracy.
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| 21. |
- Knutsen, Carl Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Conceptual and Measurement Issues in Assessing Democratic Backsliding
- 2024
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Ingår i: PS-POLITICAL SCIENCE & POLITICS. - 1049-0965 .- 1537-5935. ; 57:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the past decade, analyses drawing on several democracy measures have shown a global trend of democratic retrenchment. While these democracy measures use radically different methodologies, most partially or fully rely on subjective judgments to produce estimates of the level of democracy within states. Such projects continuously grapple with balancing conceptual coverage with the potential for bias (Munck and Verkuilen 2002; Przeworski et al. 2000). Little and Meng (L&M) (2023) reintroduce this debate, arguing that "objective" measures of democracy show little evidence of recent global democratic backsliding.1 By extension, they posit that time-varying expert bias drives the appearance of democratic retrenchment in measures that incorporate expert judgments. In this article, we engage with (1) broader debates on democracy measurement and democratic backsliding, and (2) L&M's specific data and conclusions.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Knutsen, Carl Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Economic development and democracy : An electoral connection
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Political Research. - : Wiley. - 0304-4130 .- 1475-6765. ; 58:1, s. 292-314
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Scholars continue to debate whether economic development affects regime type. This article argues that a clear relationship exists between development and the electoral component of democracy, but not – or at least less so – between development and other components of broader understandings of democracy. This is so because development enhances the power resources of citizens and elections provide a focal point for collective action. The theory is tested with two new datasets – Varieties of Democracy and Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy – that allow us to disaggregate the concept of democracy into meso- and micro-level indicators. Results of these tests corroborate the theory: only election-centred indicators are robustly associated with economic development. This may help to account for apparent inconsistencies across extant studies and shed light on the mechanisms at work in a much-studied relationship. Further analysis shows that development affects electoral democracy by reducing electoral fraud, election violence and vote buying.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Knutsen Rydberg, Ellen, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Hypoxia increases LDL oxidation and expression of 15-lipoxygenase-2 in human macrophages
- 2004
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Ingår i: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. ; 24:11, s. 2040-2045
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Macrophage-mediated oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by enzymes, such as the lipoxygenases, is considered of major importance for the formation of oxidized LDL during atherogenesis. Macrophages have been identified in hypoxic areas in atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS AND RESULTS: To investigate the role of hypoxia in macrophage-mediated LDL oxidation, we incubated human monocyte-derived macrophages with LDL under normoxic (21% O2) or hypoxic (0% O2) conditions. The results showed that hypoxic macrophages oxidized LDL to a significantly higher extent than normoxic cells. Interestingly, the mRNA and protein expression of 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) as well as the activity of this enzyme are elevated in macrophages incubated at hypoxia. Both the unspliced 15-LOX-2 and the spliced variant 15-LOX-2sv-a are found in macrophages. In addition, 15-LOX-2 was identified in carotid plaques in some macrophage-rich areas but was only expressed at low levels in nondiseased arteries. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, these observations show for the first time that 15-LOX-2 is expressed in hypoxic macrophages and in atherosclerotic plaques and suggest that 15-LOX-2 may be one of the factors involved in macrophage-mediated LDL oxidation at hypoxia.
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| 30. |
- Lindberg, Staffan I, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Electoral Democracy and Human Development
- 2015
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study reconciles competing positions in the debate over whether democracy improves human development. We argue that electoral competition incentivizes politicians to provide public goods and services, and these, in turn, save lives. Hence, the electoral aspect of democracy should have a substantial impact on human development while other aspects, e.g.related to citizen empowerment or civil liberties,should be less consequential. Extant measures of democracy do not allow for the disambiguation of various components of democracy, which may help to account for the mixed results reported by various studies (contrast Ross 2006 and Gerring et al. 2012).We draw on the new Varieties of Democracy dataset, which provides a highly differentiated set of democracy indicators, and a new collection of mortality data compiled by the Gapminder project. With these tools, we are able to conduct panel analyses that include most (semi-)sovereign countries from 1900 to the present - a much more extensive sample than has ever been mustered for this particular research question. We find that composite indices such as Polity have a tenuous relationship to human development, while indices focused on the electoral component of democracy yield a highly robust relationship.
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| 31. |
- Mattingsdal, M., et al.
(författare)
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A continuous genome assembly of the corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops)
- 2018
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Ingår i: Genomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0888-7543. ; 110:6, s. 399-403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The wrasses (Labridae) are one of the most successful and species-rich families of the Perciformes order of teleost fish. Its members display great morphological diversity, and occupy distinct trophic levels in coastal waters and coral reefs. The cleaning behaviour displayed by some wrasses, such as corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), is of particular interest for the salmon aquaculture industry to combat and control sea lice infestation as an alternative to chemicals and pharmaceuticals. There are still few genome assemblies available within this fish family for comparative and functional studies, despite the rapid increase in genome resources generated during the past years. Here, we present a highly continuous genome assembly of the corkwing wrasse using PacBio SMRT sequencing (x28.8) followed by error correction with paired-end Illumina data (x132.9). The present genome assembly consists of 5040 contigs (N50 = 461,652 bp) and a total size of 614 Mbp, of which 8.5% of the genome sequence encode known repeated elements. The genome assembly covers 94.21% of highly conserved genes across ray-finned fish species. We find evidence for increased copy numbers specific for corkwing wrasse possibly highlighting diversification and adaptive processes in gene families including N-linked glycosylation (ST8SIA6) and stress response kinases (HIPK1). By comparative analyses, we discover that de novo repeats, often not properly investigated during genome annotation, encode hundreds of immune-related genes. This new genomic resource, together with the ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), will allow for in-depth comparative genomics as well as population genetic analyses for the understudied wrasses.
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| 32. |
- Mattingsdal, M., et al.
(författare)
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Demographic history has shaped the strongly differentiated corkwing wrasse populations in Northern Europe
- 2020
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 29:1, s. 160-171
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the biological processes involved in genetic differentiation and divergence between populations within species is a pivotal aim in evolutionary biology. One particular phenomenon that requires clarification is the maintenance of genetic barriers despite the high potential for gene flow in the marine environment. Such patterns have been attributed to limited dispersal or local adaptation, and to a lesser extent to the demographic history of the species. The corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) is an example of a marine fish species where regions of particular strong divergence are observed. One such genetic break occurred at a surprisingly small spatial scale (F-ST similar to 0.1), over a short coastline (<60 km) in the North Sea-Skagerrak transition area in southwestern Norway. Here, we investigate the observed divergence and purported reproductive isolation using genome resequencing. Our results suggest that historical events during the post-glacial recolonization route can explain the present population structure of the corkwing wrasse in the northeast Atlantic. While the divergence across the break is strong, we detected ongoing gene flow between populations over the break suggesting recent contact or negative selection against hybrids. Moreover, we found few outlier loci and no clear genomic regions potentially being under selection. We concluded that neutral processes and random genetic drift e.g., due to founder events during colonization have shaped the population structure in this species in Northern Europe. Our findings underline the need to take into account the demographic process in studies of divergence processes.
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| 33. |
- McGee, Emma E., et al.
(författare)
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Smoking, Alcohol, and Biliary Tract Cancer Risk : A Pooling Project of 26 Prospective Studies
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 111:12, s. 1263-1278
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tobacco and alcohol are well-established risk factors for numerous cancers, yet their relationship to biliary tract cancers remains unclear. Methods: We pooled data from 26 prospective studies to evaluate associations of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with biliary tract cancer risk. Study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations with smoking and alcohol consumption were calculated. Random-effects meta-analysis produced summary estimates. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: Over a period of 38 369 156 person-years of follow-up, 1391 gallbladder, 758 intrahepatic bile duct, 1208 extrahepatic bile duct, and 623 ampulla of Vater cancer cases were identified. Ever, former, and current smoking were associated with increased extrahepatic bile duct and ampulla of Vater cancers risk (eg, current vs never smokers HR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.34 to 2.13 and 2.22, 95% CI = 1.69 to 2.92, respectively), with dose-response effects for smoking pack-years, duration, and intensity (all P-trend<.01). Current smoking and smoking intensity were also associated with intrahepatic bile duct cancer (eg, >40 cigarettes per day vs never smokers HR = 2.15, 95 % CI = 1.15 to 4.00; P-trend = .001). No convincing association was observed between smoking and gallbladder cancer. Alcohol consumption was only associated with intrahepatic bile duct cancer, with increased risk for individuals consuming five or more vs zero drinks per day (HR = 2.35, 95%CI = 1.46 to 3.78; P-trend = .04). There was evidence of statistical heterogeneity among several cancer sites, particularly between gallbladder cancer and the other biliary tract cancers. Conclusions: Smoking appears to increase the risk of developing all biliary tract cancers except gallbladder cancer. Alcohol may increase the risk of intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Findings highlight etiologic heterogeneity across the biliary tract.
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| 34. |
- Pereyra, Ricardo T., 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Isolation and characterization of nuclear microsatellite loci in the northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis
- 2012
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Ingår i: Conservation Genetics Resources. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1877-7252 .- 1877-7260. ; 4:1, s. 109-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We developed and characterized 20 microsatellite primer loci for the northern shrimp Pandalus borealis. All 20 loci were polymorphic with number of alleles ranging from 3 to 36 and with observed heterozygosity between 0.04 and 0.93. In addition, we tested the utility of these markers in three related shrimp species, P. montagui, Atlantopandalus propinqvus and Dichelopandalus bonnieri. These new markers will prove useful in the identification of stock structure and hence, assessment of the commercially important species P. borealis.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Svedäng, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Local cod (Gadus morhua) revealed by egg surveys and population genetic analysis after longstanding depletion on the Swedish Skagerrak coast
- 2019
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Ingår i: ICES Journal of Marine Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1054-3139 .- 1095-9289. ; 76:2, s. 418-429
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dramatic and persistent reductions in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are common in many coastal areas. While offshore cod stocks still were abundant and productive, the Swedish west coast showed signs of diminishing adult cod abundance at the beginning of the 1980s, where the local cod component was considered to be extirpated. To survey the present cod spawning activity and stock composition, we initiated egg trawling over two consecutive years (203 hauls in total) in combination with population genetic analyses (425 individually genotyped eggs). Here, we provide evidence of cod spawning at the Swedish Skagerrak coast, suggesting recolonization or that local cod has recovered from a nearly depleted state. Early stage eggs were found inside fjords too far to have been transported by oceanic drift from offshore spawning areas. The cod eggs were genetically similar in early to late life-stages and cluster mainly with the local adult cod, indicating that eggs and adults belong to the same genetic unit. The cod eggs were genetically differentiated from adult North Sea cod, and, to a lesser degree, also from the Kattegat and Öresund cod, i.e. indicating a possible recovery of local coastal stock.The patterns of the genetic structure in the inshore areas are, however, difficult to fully disentangle, as Atlantic cod in the North Sea-Skagerrak area seem to be a mixture of co-existing forms: local cod completing their entire life cycle in fjords and sheltered areas, and oceanic populations showing homing behaviours. The egg abundances are considerably lower compared with what is found in similar studies along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. Nevertheless, the discovery of locally spawning cod along the Swedish west coast—although at low biomasses—is an encouraging finding that highlights the needs for endurance in protective measures and of detailed surveys to secure intraspecific biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Trabert, Britton, et al.
(författare)
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The Risk of Ovarian Cancer Increases with an Increase in the Lifetime Number of Ovulatory Cycles : An Analysis from the Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium (OC3)
- 2020
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Ingår i: Cancer Research. - : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 80:5, s. 1210-1218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Repeated exposure to the acute proinflammatory environment that follows ovulation at the ovarian surface and distal fallopian tube over a woman's reproductive years may increase ovarian cancer risk. To address this, analyses included individual-level data from 558,709 naturally menopausal women across 20 prospective cohorts, among whom 3,246 developed invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (2,045 serous, 319 endometrioid, 184 mucinous, 121 clear cell, 577 other/unknown). Cox models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted HRs between lifetime ovulatory cycles (LOC) and its components and ovarian cancer risk overall and by histotype. Women in the 90th percentile of LOC (>514 cycles) were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women in the 10th percentile (<294) [HR (95% confidence interval): 1.92 (1.60-2.30)]. Risk increased 14% per 5-year increase in LOC (60 cycles) [(1.10-1.17)]; this association remained after adjustment for LOC components: number of pregnancies and oral contraceptive use [1.08 (1.04-1.12)]. The association varied by histotype, with increased risk of serous [1.13 (1.09-1.17)], endometrioid [1.20 (1.10-1.32)], and clear cell [1.37 (1.18-1.58)], but not mucinous [0.99 (0.88-1.10), P-heterogeneity = 0.01] tumors. Heterogeneity across histotypes was reduced [P-heterogeneity = 0.15] with adjustment for LOC components [1.08 serous, 1.11 endometrioid, 1.26 clear cell, 0.94 mucinous]. Although the 10-year absolute risk of ovarian cancer is small, it roughly doubles as the number of LOC rises from approximately 300 to 500. The consistency and linearity of effects strongly support the hypothesis that each ovulation leads to small increases in the risk of most ovarian cancers, a risk that cumulates through life, suggesting this as an important area for identifying intervention strategies.
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