| 1. |
- Cruz, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity
- 2022
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Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press. - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 31:22, s. 3789-3806
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here, we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (P = 1.3 × 10−22 and P = 8.1 × 10−12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (P = 4.4 × 10−8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (P = 2.7 × 10−8) and ARHGAP33 (P = 1.3 × 10−8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, P = 4.1 × 10−8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided.
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| 2. |
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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 3. |
- Kristjansdottir, Gudlaug, et al.
(författare)
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Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) Gene Variants are Associated with Multiple Sclerosis in Three Distinct Populations
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 45:6, s. 362-369
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: IRF5 is a transcription factor involved both in the type I interferon and the toll-like receptor signalling pathways. Previously, IRF5 has been found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Here we investigated whether polymorphisms in the IRF5 gene would be associated with yet another disease with features of autoimmunity, multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We genotyped nine single nucleotide polymorphisms and one insertion-deletion polymorphism in the IRF5 gene in a collection of 2337 patients with MS and 2813 controls from three populations: two case-control cohorts from Spain and Sweden, and a set of MS trio families from Finland. RESULTS: Two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) (rs4728142, rs3807306), and a 5 bp insertion-deletion polymorphism located in the promoter and first intron of the IRF5 gene, showed association signals with values of p<0.001 when the data from all cohorts were combined. The predisposing alleles were present on the same common haplotype in all populations. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays we observed allele specific differences in protein binding for the SNP rs4728142 and the 5 bp indel, and by a proximity ligation assay we demonstrated increased binding of the transcription factor SP1 to the risk allele of the 5 bp indel. CONCLUSION: These findings add IRF5 to the short list of genes shown to be associated with MS in more than one population. Our study adds to the evidence that there might be genes or pathways that are common in multiple autoimmune diseases, and that the type I interferon system is likely to be involved in the development of these diseases.
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| 4. |
- Mahajan, Anubha, et al.
(författare)
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Multi-ancestry genetic study of type 2 diabetes highlights the power of diverse populations for discovery and translation
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Nature. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 54:5, s. 560-572
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We assembled an ancestrally diverse collection of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 180,834 affected individuals and 1,159,055 controls (48.9% non-European descent) through the Diabetes Meta-Analysis of Trans-Ethnic association studies (DIAMANTE) Consortium. Multi-ancestry GWAS meta-analysis identified 237 loci attaining stringent genome-wide significance (P < 5 x 10(-9)), which were delineated to 338 distinct association signals. Fine-mapping of these signals was enhanced by the increased sample size and expanded population diversity of the multi-ancestry meta-analysis, which localized 54.4% of T2D associations to a single variant with >50% posterior probability. This improved fine-mapping enabled systematic assessment of candidate causal genes and molecular mechanisms through which T2D associations are mediated, laying the foundations for functional investigations. Multi-ancestry genetic risk scores enhanced transferability of T2D prediction across diverse populations. Our study provides a step toward more effective clinical translation of T2D GWAS to improve global health for all, irrespective of genetic background. Genome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in ancestrally diverse populations implicate candidate causal genes and mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. Trans-ancestry genetic risk scores enhance transferability across populations.
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| 5. |
- Marto, João Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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Safety and Outcome of Revascularization Treatment in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- COVID-19-related inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk and lower the efficacy of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of revascularization treatments in patients with AIS and COVID-19.This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients with AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT) between March 2020 and June 2021 tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. With a doubly robust model combining propensity score weighting and multivariate regression, we studied the association of COVID-19 with intracranial bleeding complications and clinical outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment groups (IVT-only and EVT).Of a total of 15,128 included patients from 105 centers, 853 (5.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; of those, 5,848 (38.7%) patients received IVT-only and 9,280 (61.3%) EVT (with or without IVT). Patients with COVID-19 had a higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) (adjusted OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.16-2.01), symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSAH) (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.69), SICH and/or SSAH combined (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.99), 24-hour mortality (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.58-3.86), and 3-month mortality (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.52-2.33). Patients with COVID-19 also had an unfavorable shift in the distribution of the modified Rankin score at 3 months (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26-1.60).Patients with AIS and COVID-19 showed higher rates of intracranial bleeding complications and worse clinical outcomes after revascularization treatments than contemporaneous non-COVID-19 patients receiving treatment. Current available data do not allow direct conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of revascularization treatments in patients with COVID-19 or to establish different treatment recommendations in this subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions, patient monitoring, and establishing prognosis.The study was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04895462.
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| 6. |
- Moshontz, Hannah, et al.
(författare)
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The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology Through a Distributed Collaborative Network
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. - : SAGE Publications. - 2515-2459 .- 2515-2467. ; 1:4, s. 501-515
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Concerns about the veracity of psychological research have been growing. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions or replicate prior research in large, diverse samples. The PSA’s mission is to accelerate the accumulation of reliable and generalizable evidence in psychological science. Here, we describe the background, structure, principles, procedures, benefits, and challenges of the PSA. In contrast to other crowdsourced research networks, the PSA is ongoing (as opposed to time limited), efficient (in that structures and principles are reused for different projects), decentralized, diverse (in both subjects and researchers), and inclusive (of proposals, contributions, and other relevant input from anyone inside or outside the network). The PSA and other approaches to crowdsourced psychological science will advance understanding of mental processes and behaviors by enabling rigorous research and systematic examination of its generalizability.
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| 7. |
- Nguyen, Thanh N, et al.
(författare)
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Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Volumes and Cerebrovascular Events: A 1-Year Follow-up.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Declines in stroke admission, IV thrombolysis (IVT), and mechanical thrombectomy volumes were reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of data on the longer-term effect of the pandemic on stroke volumes over the course of a year and through the second wave of the pandemic. We sought to measure the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes of stroke admissions, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), IVT, and mechanical thrombectomy over a 1-year period at the onset of the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021) compared with the immediately preceding year (March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020).We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study across 6 continents, 56 countries, and 275 stroke centers. We collected volume data for COVID-19 admissions and 4 stroke metrics: ischemic stroke admissions, ICH admissions, IVT treatments, and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.There were 148,895 stroke admissions in the 1 year immediately before compared with 138,453 admissions during the 1-year pandemic, representing a 7% decline (95% CI [95% CI 7.1-6.9]; p < 0.0001). ICH volumes declined from 29,585 to 28,156 (4.8% [5.1-4.6]; p < 0.0001) and IVT volume from 24,584 to 23,077 (6.1% [6.4-5.8]; p < 0.0001). Larger declines were observed at high-volume compared with low-volume centers (all p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in mechanical thrombectomy volumes (0.7% [0.6-0.9]; p = 0.49). Stroke was diagnosed in 1.3% [1.31-1.38] of 406,792 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was present in 2.9% ([2.82-2.97], 5,656/195,539) of all stroke hospitalizations.There was a global decline and shift to lower-volume centers of stroke admission volumes, ICH volumes, and IVT volumes during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prior year. Mechanical thrombectomy volumes were preserved. These results suggest preservation in the stroke care of higher severity of disease through the first pandemic year.This study is registered under NCT04934020.
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| 8. |
- Nishi, Stephanie K., et al.
(författare)
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Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Function : The 2-Year Longitudinal Changes in an Older Spanish Cohort
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1663-4365. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Aims: Plant-forward dietary patterns have been associated with cardiometabolic health benefits, which, in turn, have been related to cognitive performance with inconsistent findings. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between baseline adherence to three a priori dietary patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets) with 2-year changes in cognitive performance in older adults with overweight or obesity and high cardiovascular disease risk. Methods: A prospective cohort analysis was conducted within the PREDIMED-Plus trial, involving 6,647 men and women aged 55–75 years with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. Using a validated, semiquantitative 143-item food frequency questionnaire completed at baseline, the dietary pattern adherence scores were calculated. An extensive neuropsychological test battery was administered at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were used to assess associations between 2-year changes in cognitive function z-scores across tertiles of baseline adherence to the a priori dietary patterns. Results: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet at baseline was associated with 2-year changes in the general cognitive screening Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, β: 0.070; 95% CI: 0.014, 0.175, P-trend = 0.011), and two executive function-related assessments: the Trail Making Tests Part A (TMT-A, β: −0.054; 95% CI: −0.110, − 0.002, P-trend = 0.047) and Part B (TMT-B, β: −0.079; 95% CI: −0.134, −0.024, P-trend = 0.004). Adherence to the MIND diet was associated with the backward recall Digit Span Test assessment of working memory (DST-B, β: 0.058; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.114, P-trend = 0.045). However, higher adherence to the DASH dietary pattern was not associated with better cognitive function over a period of 2 years. Conclusion: In older Spanish individuals with overweight or obesity and at high cardiovascular disease risk, higher baseline adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern may be associated with better cognitive performance than lower adherence over a period of 2 years.
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| 9. |
- Pennells, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
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Equalization of four cardiovascular risk algorithms after systematic recalibration : individual-participant meta-analysis of 86 prospective studies
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 40:7, s. 621-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: There is debate about the optimum algorithm for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk estimation. We conducted head-to-head comparisons of four algorithms recommended by primary prevention guidelines, before and after ‘recalibration’, a method that adapts risk algorithms to take account of differences in the risk characteristics of the populations being studied.Methods and results: Using individual-participant data on 360 737 participants without CVD at baseline in 86 prospective studies from 22 countries, we compared the Framingham risk score (FRS), Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), pooled cohort equations (PCE), and Reynolds risk score (RRS). We calculated measures of risk discrimination and calibration, and modelled clinical implications of initiating statin therapy in people judged to be at ‘high’ 10 year CVD risk. Original risk algorithms were recalibrated using the risk factor profile and CVD incidence of target populations. The four algorithms had similar risk discrimination. Before recalibration, FRS, SCORE, and PCE over-predicted CVD risk on average by 10%, 52%, and 41%, respectively, whereas RRS under-predicted by 10%. Original versions of algorithms classified 29–39% of individuals aged ≥40 years as high risk. By contrast, recalibration reduced this proportion to 22–24% for every algorithm. We estimated that to prevent one CVD event, it would be necessary to initiate statin therapy in 44–51 such individuals using original algorithms, in contrast to 37–39 individuals with recalibrated algorithms.Conclusion: Before recalibration, the clinical performance of four widely used CVD risk algorithms varied substantially. By contrast, simple recalibration nearly equalized their performance and improved modelled targeting of preventive action to clinical need.
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| 10. |
- Artiach, Gonzalo, et al.
(författare)
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Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Decrease Aortic Valve Disease through the Resolvin E1 and ChemR23 Axis.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 142, s. 776-789
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Aortic valve stenosis (AVS), which is the most common valvular heart disease, causes a progressive narrowing of the aortic valve as a consequence of thickening and calcification of the aortic valve leaflets. The beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in cardiovascular prevention have been recently demonstrated in a large randomized controlled trial. In addition, n-3 PUFA serve as the substrate for the synthesis of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), which are known by their potent beneficial anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving and tissue-modifying properties in cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of n-3 PUFA and SPMs on AVS have not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to identify the role of n-3 PUFA-derived SPMs in relation to the development of AVS. Methods: Lipidomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed in human tricuspid aortic valves. Apoe-/- mice and wire injury in C57BL/6J mice were used as models for mechanistic studies. Results: We found that n-3 PUFA incorporation into human stenotic aortic valves was higher in non-calcified regions compared with calcified regions. LC-MS-MS based lipid mediator lipidomics identified that the n-3 PUFA-derived SPM resolvin E1 (RvE1) was dysregulated in calcified regions and acted as a calcification inhibitor. Apoe-/- mice expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans Fat-1 transgene (Fat-1tgxApoe-/-), which enables the endogenous synthesis of n-3 PUFA, increased valvular n-3 PUFA content, exhibited reduced valve calcification, lower aortic valve leaflet area, increased M2 macrophage polarization and improved echocardiographic parameters. Finally, abrogation of the RvE1 receptor ChemR23 enhanced disease progression, and the beneficial effects of Fat-1tg were abolished in the absence of ChemR23. Conclusions: n-3 PUFA-derived RvE1 and its receptor ChemR23 emerge as a key axis in the inhibition of AVS progression, and may represent a novel potential therapeutic opportunity to be evaluated in patients with AVS.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Breznau, Nate, et al.
(författare)
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Observing many researchers using the same data and hypothesis reveals a hidden universe of uncertainty
- 2022
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 119:44
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores how researchers analytical choices affect the reliability of scientific findings. Most discussions of reliability problems in science focus on systematic biases. We broaden the lens to emphasize the idiosyncrasy of conscious and unconscious decisions that researchers make during data analysis. We coordinated 161 researchers in 73 research teams and observed their research decisions as they used the same data to independently test the same prominent social science hypothesis: that greater immigration reduces support for social policies among the public. In this typical case of social science research, research teams reported both widely diverging numerical findings and substantive conclusions despite identical start conditions. Researchers expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes. More than 95% of the total variance in numerical results remains unexplained even after qualitative coding of all identifiable decisions in each teams workflow. This reveals a universe of uncertainty that remains hidden when considering a single study in isolation. The idiosyncratic nature of how researchers results and conclusions varied is a previously underappreciated explanation for why many scientific hypotheses remain contested. These results call for greater epistemic humility and clarity in reporting scientific findings.
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| 13. |
- Brunstein, Claudio G, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Conditioning Regimen Dose Reduction in Obese Patients Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Biology of blood and marrow transplantation. - : Elsevier BV. - 1083-8791 .- 1523-6536. ; 25:3, s. 480-487
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data are limited on whether to adjust high-dose chemotherapy before autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (autoHCT) in obese patients. This study explores the effects of dose adjustment on the outcomes of obese patients, defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2. Dose adjustment was defined as a reduction in standard dosing ≥ 20%, based on ideal, reported dosing and actual weights. We included 2 groups of US patients who had received autoHCT between 2008 and 2014. Specifically, we included patients with multiple myeloma (MM, n = 1696) treated with high-dose melphalan and patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 781) who received carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan conditioning. Chemotherapy dose was adjusted in 1324 patients (78%) with MM and 608 patients (78%) with lymphoma. Age, sex, BMI, race, performance score, comorbidity index, and disease features (stage at diagnosis, disease status, and time to transplant) were similar between dose groups. In multivariate analyses for MM, adjusting for melphalan dose and for center effect had no impact on overall survival (P = .894) and treatment-related mortality (TRM) (P = .62), progression (P = .12), and progression-free survival (PFS; P = .178). In multivariate analyses for lymphoma, adjusting chemotherapy doses did not affect survival (P = .176), TRM (P = .802), relapse (P = .633), or PFS (P = .812). No center effect was observed in lymphoma. This study demonstrates that adjusting chemotherapy dose before autoHCT in obese patients with MM and lymphoma does not influence mortality. These results do not support adjusting chemotherapy dose in this population.
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| 14. |
- Camacho, Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Designer surface plasmon dispersion on a one-dimensional periodic slot metasurface with glide symmetry
- 2017
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Ingår i: Optics Letters. - : Optical Society of America. - 0146-9592 .- 1539-4794. ; 42:17, s. 3375-3378
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this Letter, we explore the dispersion of spoof surface plasmons supported by a single-layer glide-symmetric structure. This structure consists of an infinitely long double-notched slot perforated in a metal layer. The presence of a degeneracy of the two lowest-order modes at the Brillouin zone boundary, which have non-zero group velocity is explained and experimentally demonstrated. Further, the dependence of the band structure when glide-symmetric configuration is broken is also explored.
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| 15. |
- Camacho, Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Mimicking glide symmetry dispersion with coupled slot metasurfaces
- 2017
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 111:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this letter, we demonstrate that the dispersion properties associated with glide symmetry can be achieved in systems that only possess reflection symmetry by balancing the influence of two sublattices. We apply this approach to a pair of coupled slots cut into an infinite perfectly conducting plane. Each slot is notched on either edge, with the complete two-slot system having only mirror symmetry. By modifying the relative size of the notches on either side of the slots, we show that a linear dispersion relation with a degeneracy with non-zero group velocity at the Brillouin zone boundary can be achieved. These properties, until now, only found in systems with glide symmetry are numerically and experimentally validated. We also show that these results can be used for the design of ultra-wideband one-dimensional leaky wave antennas in coplanar waveguide technology.
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| 16. |
- Carraminana, Albert, et al.
(författare)
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Rationale and Study Design for an Individualized Perioperative Open Lung Ventilatory Strategy in Patients on One-Lung Ventilation (iPROVE-OLV)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. - : W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC. - 1053-0770 .- 1532-8422. ; 33:9, s. 2492-2502
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim of this clinical trial is to examine whether it is possible to reduce postoperative complications using an individualized perioperative ventilatory strategy versus using a standard lung-protective ventilation strategy in patients scheduled for thoracic surgery requiring one-lung ventilation. Design: International, multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: A network of university hospitals. Participants: The study comprises 1,380 patients scheduled for thoracic surgery. Interventions: The individualized group will receive intraoperative recruitment maneuvers followed by individualized positive end-expiratory pressure (open lung approach) during the intraoperative period plus postoperative ventilatory support with high-flow nasal cannula, whereas the control group will be managed with conventional lung-protective ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Individual and total number of postoperative complications, including atelectasis, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pneumonia, acute lung injury; unplanned readmission and reintubation; length of stay and death in the critical care unit and in the hospital will be analyzed for both groups. The authors hypothesize that the intraoperative application of an open lung approach followed by an individual indication of high-flow nasal cannula in the postoperative period will reduce pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay in high-risk surgical patients. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
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| 17. |
- Diaz-Gallifa, Pau, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Magnetic Characterization of a Series of Cu-II-Ln(III) Heterometallic [Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm) Metal-Organic Compounds with an Unusual Single Crystal to Single Crystal Phase Transition
- 2013
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Ingår i: Crystal Growth & Design. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1528-7483 .- 1528-7505. ; 13:11, s. 4735-4745
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The synthesis and structural characterization of five Cu(II)-Ln(III) heteronuclear metal-organic frameworks of formula {[Ln(4)Cu(4)(H2O)(26)(bta)(5)]center dot mH(2)O} and {[Ln(4)Cu(4)(H2O)(24)(bta)(5)]center dot pH(2)O} [Ln = La-III (1A/1B), Ce-III (2A/2B), Pr-III (3A/3B), Nd-III (4A/4B) and Sm-III (5A/5B) with m/p = 20 (1A)/16 (1B), 18 (2A)/16 (2B), 14 (3016 (3B), 22 (4A)/16 (4B) and 21 (5A)/14 (5B); H(4)bta =1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (1-5)] have been performed. These compounds present a single-crystal to single-crystal phase transition from expanded A phases toward the B shrinking networks, which is triggered only in the presence of a dry environment. This phase transition is accompanied by a compression of the crystallographic b-axis in the range 2.4 to 2.8 angstrom with the consequent decrease of the unit cell volume from 9.5% to 12%. The isomorphous crystal structures of 1A-5A can be described as two crystallographically independent [Cu(II)-Ln(III)] heterometallic dinuclear units which are connected through two crystallographically independent bta(4-) ligands in the ac-plane, leading to 4,4-rectangular grids. These layers are connected along the crystallographic b-axis, through a pillaring bta(4-) group. The phase transition implies a change of the coordination mode of the bta4- pillar from bis-monodentate (1A-5A) to tetrakis-monodentate (1B-5B). Magnetic susceptibility measurements of polycrystalline samples of 1A-5A in the temperature range 2.0-300 K have in common the decrease of the chi T-M product with T which in the case of 1A is due to weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the copper(II) ions through the bta4- skeleton, the Lam cation being diamagnetic [J = -3.5 cm(-1) with the Hamiltonian defined H = -JS(Cu1)center dot S-Cu2,]. For the 2A-5A compounds, the additional exchange interaction between Cu-II and the paramagnetic Ln(II) is masked by the crystal field effects (which partially removes the 2J + 1 degeneracy of the L-2S+1(J) free-ion ground state in zero magnetic field) (2A-5A) and the thermal population of excited free-ion states (5A).
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| 18. |
- Edström, Kristina, Professor, 1958-
(författare)
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Battery 2030+ Roadmap
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world today. Europe is committed to achieving a climate-neutral society by 2050, as stated in the European Green Deal.1 The transition towards a climate-neutral Europe requires fundamental changes in the way we generate and use energy. If batteries can be made simultaneously more sustainable, safe, ultrahigh performing, and affordable, they will be true enablers, “accelerating the shift towards sustainable and smart mobility; supplying clean, affordable and secure energy; and mobilizing industry for a clean and circular economy” - all of which are important elements of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.In other words, batteries are a key technology for battling carbon dioxide emissions from the transport, power, and industry sectors. However, to reach our sustainability goals, batteries must exhibit ultra-high performance beyond their capabilities today. Ultra-high performance includes energy and power performance approaching theoretical limits, outstanding lifetime and reliability, and enhanced safety and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, to be commercially successful, these batteries must support scalability that enables cost-effective large-scale production.BATTERY 2030+, is the large-scale, long-term European research initiative with the vision of inventing the sustainable batteries of the future, to enable Europe to reach the goals envisaged in the European Green Deal. BATTERY 2030+ is at the heart of a green and connected society.BATTERY 2030+ will contribute to create a vibrant battery research and development (R&D) community in Europe, focusing on long-term research that will continuously feed new knowledge and technologies throughout the value chain, resulting in new products and innovations. In addition, the initiative will attract talent from across Europe and contribute to ensure access to competences needed for ongoing societal transformation.The BATTERY 2030+ aims are:• to invent ultra-high performance batteries that are safe, affordable, and sustainable, witha long lifetime.• to provide new tools and breakthrough technologies to the European battery industrythroughout the value chain.• to enable long-term European leadership in both existing markets (e.g., transport andstationary storage) and future emerging sectors (e.g., robotics, aerospace, medical devices, and Internet of things)With this roadmap, BATTERY 2030+ advocates research directions based on a chemistry-neutral approach that will allow Europe to reach or even surpass its ambitious battery performance targets set in the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan)3 and foster innovation throughout the battery value chain.
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| 19. |
- Ferrando, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of oxygen on post-surgical infections during an individualised perioperative open-lung ventilatory strategy : a randomised controlled trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: British Journal of Anaesthesia. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0007-0912 .- 1471-6771. ; 124:1, s. 110-120
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: We aimed to examine whether using a high fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) in the context of an individualised intra- and postoperative open-lung ventilation approach could decrease surgical site infection (SSI) in patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. Methods: We performed a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial in a network of 21 university hospitals from June 6, 2017 to July 19, 2018. Patients undergoing abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to receive a high (0.80) or conventional (0.3) FIO2 during the intraoperative period and during the first 3 postoperative hours. All patients were mechanically ventilated with an open-lung strategy, which included recruitment manoeuvres and individualised positive end-expiratory pressure for the best respiratory-system compliance, and individualised continuous postoperative airway pressure for adequate peripheral oxyhaemoglobin saturation. The primary outcome was the prevalence of SSI within the first 7 postoperative days. The secondary outcomes were composites of systemic complications, length of intensive care and hospital stay, and 6-month mortality. Results: We enrolled 740 subjects: 371 in the high FIO2 group and 369 in the low FIO2 group. Data from 717 subjects were available for final analysis. The rate of SSI during the first postoperative week did not differ between high (8.9%) and low (9.4%) FIO2 groups (relative risk [RR]: 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-1.50; P=0.90]). Secondary outcomes, such as atelectasis (7.7% vs 9.8%; RR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.48-1.25; P=0.38) and myocardial ischaemia (0.6% [n=2] vs 0% [n=0]; P=0.47) did not differ between groups. Conclusions: An oxygenation strategy using high FIO2 compared with conventional FIO2 did not reduce postoperative SSIs in abdominal surgery. No differences in secondary outcomes or adverse events were found.
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| 20. |
- Ferrando, Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Individualised perioperative open-lung approach versus standard protective ventilation in abdominal surgery (iPROVE) : a randomised controlled trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 2213-2600 .- 2213-2619. ; 6:3, s. 193-203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The effects of individualised perioperative lung-protective ventilation (based on the open-lung approach [OLA]) on postoperative complications is unknown. We aimed to investigate the effects of intraoperative and postoperative ventilatory management in patients scheduled for abdominal surgery, compared with standard protective ventilation. Methods We did this prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial in 21 teaching hospitals in Spain. We enrolled patients who were aged 18 years or older, were scheduled to have abdominal surgery with an expected time of longer than 2 h, had intermediate-to-high-risk of developing postoperative pulmonary complications, and who had a body-mass index less than 35 kg/m(2). Patients were randomly assigned (1: 1: 1: 1) online to receive one of four lung-protective ventilation strategies using low tidal volume plus positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP): open-lung approach (OLA)-iCPAP (individualised intraoperative ventilation [individualised PEEP after a lung recruitment manoeuvre] plus individualised postoperative continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]), OLA-CPAP (intraoperative individualised ventilation plus postoperative CPAP), STD-CPAP (standard intraoperative ventilation plus postoperative CPAP), or STD-O-2 (standard intraoperative ventilation plus standard postoperative oxygen therapy). Patients were masked to treatment allocation. Investigators were not masked in the operating and postoperative rooms; after 24 h, data were given to a second investigator who was masked to allocations. The primary outcome was a composite of pulmonary and systemic complications during the first 7 postoperative days. We did the primary analysis using the modified intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02158923. Findings Between Jan 2, 2015, and May 18, 2016, we enrolled 1012 eligible patients. Data were available for 967 patients, whom we included in the final analysis. Risk of pulmonary and systemic complications did not differ for patients in OLA-iCPAP (110 [46%] of 241, relative risk 0.89 [95% CI 0.74-1.07; p=0.25]), OLA-CPAP (111 [47%] of 238, 0.91 [0.76-1.09; p=0.35]), or STD-CPAP groups (118 [48%] of 244, 0.95 [0.80-1.14; p=0.65]) when compared with patients in the STD-O-2 group (125 [51%] of 244). Intraoperatively, PEEP was increased in 69 (14%) of patients in the standard perioperative ventilation groups because of hypoxaemia, and no patients from either of the OLA groups required rescue manoeuvres. Interpretation In patients who have major abdominal surgery, the different perioperative open lung approaches tested in this study did not reduce the risk of postoperative complications when compared with standard lung-protective mechanical ventilation.
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| 21. |
- Garrido, Mario, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Challenging the Limits of FFT Performance on FPGAs
- 2014
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper analyzes the limits of FFT performance on FPGAs. For this purpose, a FFT generation tool has been developed. This tool is highly parameterizable and allows for generating FFTs with different FFT sizes and amount of parallelization. Experimental results for FFT sizes from 16 to 65536, and 4 to 64 parallel samples have been obtained. They show that even the largest FFT architectures fit well in today's FPGAs, achieving throughput rates from several GSamples/s to tens of GSamples/s.
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| 22. |
- Gil-Martinez, Alejandro, et al.
(författare)
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Symmetric Tapering of Bi-Directionally Fed Leaky-Wave Antennas for Multi-Beam Synthesis
- 2023
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Ingår i: 2023 17TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, EUCAP. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report a theoretical investigation on the possibilities and trade-offs when tapering a bi-directional fed leaky-wave antenna (LWA) to reduce the side lobes level, when operating with the two opposite antenna ports. It is demonstrated that, for high radiation efficiency designs, the directivity can be distorted due to low aperture illumination efficiency if the LWA is not symmetrically tapered with an adequate modulation function. The theory is corroborated with simulations of modulated LWAs in substrate integrated technology.
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| 23. |
- Hibar, Derrek P., et al.
(författare)
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Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (r(g) = -0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness.
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| 24. |
- Hühn, Daniela, et al.
(författare)
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Prolonged estrogen deprivation triggers a broad immunosuppressive phenotype in breast cancer cells
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Oncology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1574-7891 .- 1878-0261. ; 16:1, s. 148-165
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Among others, expression levels of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been explored as biomarkers of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer therapy. Here, we present the results of a chemical screen that interrogated how medically approved drugs influence PD-L1 expression. As expected, corticosteroids and inhibitors of Janus kinases were among the top PD-L1 downregulators. In addition, we identified that PD-L1 expression is induced by antiestrogenic compounds. Transcriptomic analyses indicate that chronic estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) inhibition triggers a broad immunosuppressive program in ER-positive breast cancer cells, which is subsequent to their growth arrest and involves the activation of multiple immune checkpoints together with the silencing of the antigen-presenting machinery. Accordingly, estrogen-deprived MCF7 cells are resistant to T-cell-mediated cell killing, in a manner that is independent of PD-L1, but which is reverted by estradiol. Our study reveals that while antiestrogen therapies efficiently limit the growth of ER-positive breast cancer cells, they concomitantly trigger a transcriptional program that favors their immune evasion.
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| 25. |
- Jin, Shoko, et al.
(författare)
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The wide-field, multiplexed, spectroscopic facility WEAVE : Survey design, overview, and simulated implementation
- 2024
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 530:3, s. 2688-2730
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- WEAVE, the new wide-field, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope, saw first light in late 2022. WEAVE comprises a new 2-deg field-of-view prime-focus corrector system, a nearly 1000-multiplex fibre positioner, 20 individually deployable 'mini' integral field units (IFUs), and a single large IFU. These fibre systems feed a dual-beam spectrograph covering the wavelength range 366-959nm at R similar to 5000, or two shorter ranges at . After summarizing the design and implementation of WEAVE and its data systems, we present the organization, science drivers, and design of a five- to seven-year programme of eight individual surveys to: (i) study our Galaxy's origins by completing Gaia's phase-space information, providing metallicities to its limiting magnitude for similar to 3 million stars and detailed abundances for similar to 1.5 million brighter field and open-cluster stars; (ii) survey similar to 0.4 million Galactic-plane OBA stars, young stellar objects, and nearby gas to understand the evolution of young stars and their environments; (iii) perform an extensive spectral survey of white dwarfs; (iv) survey similar to 400 neutral-hydrogen-selected galaxies with the IFUs; (v) study properties and kinematics of stellar populations and ionized gas in z < 0.5 cluster galaxies; (vi) survey stellar populations and kinematics in field galaxies at 0.3 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 0.7; (vii) study the cosmic evolution of accretion and star formation using >1 million spectra of LOFAR-selected radio sources; and (viii) trace structures using intergalactic/circumgalactic gas at z > 2. Finally, we describe the WEAVE Operational Rehearsals using the WEAVE Simulator.
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| 26. |
- Jones, Benedict C, et al.
(författare)
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To which world regions does the valence-dominance model of social perception apply?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3374. ; 5:1, s. 159-169
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov's methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov's original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 5 November 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7611443.v1 .
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| 27. |
- Liao, Qingbi, et al.
(författare)
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Ray-Tracing Model for Generalized Geodesic-Lens Multiple-Beam Antennas
- 2023
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Ingår i: IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 0018-926X .- 1558-2221. ; 71:3, s. 2640-2651
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Geodesic lenses are a compelling alternative to traditional planar dielectric lens antennas, as they are low loss and can be manufactured with a simple mechanical design. However, a general approach for the design and analysis of more advanced geodesic-lens antennas has been elusive, limiting the available tools to rotationally symmetric surfaces. In this article, we present a fast and efficient implementation built on geometrical optics and scalar diffraction theory. A numerical calculation of the shortest ray path (geodesic) using an open-source library helps quantify the phase of the electric field in the lens aperture, while the amplitude is evaluated by applying ray-tube power conservation theory. The Kirchhoff-Fresnel diffraction formula is then employed to compute the far field of the lens antenna. This approach is validated by comparing the radiation patterns of a transversely compressed geodesic Luneburg lens (elliptical base instead of circular) with the ones computed using commercial full-wave simulators, demonstrating a substantial reduction in computational resources. The proposed method is then used in combination with an optimization procedure to study possible compact alternatives of the geodesic Luneburg lens with size reduction in both the transverse and vertical directions.
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| 28. |
- Lill, Christina M., et al.
(författare)
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Closing the case of APOE in multiple sclerosis : no association with disease risk in over 29 000 subjects
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 49:9, s. 558-562
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs429358 (ε4) and rs7412 (ε2), both invoking changes in the amino-acid sequence of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, have previously been tested for association with multiple sclerosis (MS) risk. However, none of these studies was sufficiently powered to detect modest effect sizes at acceptable type-I error rates. As both SNPs are only imperfectly captured on commonly used microarray genotyping platforms, their evaluation in the context of genome-wide association studies has been hindered until recently.Methods We genotyped 12 740 subjects hitherto not studied for their APOE status, imputed raw genotype data from 8739 subjects from five independent genome-wide association studies datasets using the most recent high-resolution reference panels, and extracted genotype data for 8265 subjects from previous candidate gene assessments.Results Despite sufficient power to detect associations at genome-wide significance thresholds across a range of ORs, our analyses did not support a role of rs429358 or rs7412 on MS susceptibility. This included meta-analyses of the combined data across 13 913 MS cases and 15 831 controls (OR=0.95, p=0.259, and OR 1.07, p=0.0569, for rs429358 and rs7412, respectively).Conclusion Given the large sample size of our analyses, it is unlikely that the two APOE missense SNPs studied here exert any relevant effects on MS susceptibility.
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| 29. |
- Luis Vilas, Jose, et al.
(författare)
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MonoRes : Automatic and Accurate Estimation of Local Resolution for Electron Microscopy Maps
- 2018
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Ingår i: Structure. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-2126 .- 1878-4186. ; 26:2, s. 337-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the beginning of electron microscopy, resolution has been a critical parameter. In this article, we propose a fully automatic, accurate method for determining the local resolution of a 3D map (MonoRes). The foundation of this algorithm is an extension of the concept of analytic signal, termed monogenic signal. The map is filtered at different frequencies and the amplitude of the monogenic signal is calculated, after which a criterion is applied to determine the resolution at each voxel. MonoRes is fully automatic without compulsory user parameters, with great accuracy in all tests, and is computationally more rapid than existing methods in the field. In addition, MonoRes offers the option of local filtering of the original map based on the calculated local resolution.
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| 30. |
- Nava, Porfirio, et al.
(författare)
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IFN gamma-induced suppression of beta-catenin signaling : evidence for roles of Akt and 14.3.3 zeta
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Biology of the Cell. - Bethesda, United States : American Society for Cell Biology. - 1059-1524 .- 1939-4586. ; 25:19, s. 2894-2904
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The proinflammatory cytokine interferon gamma (IFNgamma ) influences intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) homeostasis in a biphasic manner by acutely stimulating proliferation that is followed by sustained inhibition of proliferation despite continued mucosal injury. beta-Catenin activation has been classically associated with increased IEC proliferation. However, we observed that IFNgamma inhibits IEC proliferation despite sustained activation of Akt/beta-catenin signaling. Here we show that inhibition of Akt/beta-catenin-mediated cell proliferation by IFNgamma is associated with the formation of a protein complex containing phosphorylated beta-catenin 552 (pbeta-cat552) and 14.3.3zeta. Akt1 served as a bimodal switch that promotes or inhibits beta-catenin transactivation in response to IFNgamma stimulation. IFNgamma initially promotes beta-catenin transactivation through Akt-dependent C-terminal phosphorylation of beta-catenin to promote its association with 14.3.3zeta. Augmented beta-catenin transactivation leads to increased Akt1 protein levels, and active Akt1 accumulates in the nucleus, where it phosphorylates 14.3.3zeta to translocate 14.3.3zeta/beta-catenin from the nucleus, thereby inhibiting beta-catenin transactivation and IEC proliferation. These results outline a dual function of Akt1 that suppresses IEC proliferation during intestinal inflammation.
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| 31. |
- Nistor, Nicolae, et al.
(författare)
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Cross-cultural aspects of learning technology acceptance
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Education in a global networked society implies the wide use of educational technology, which in turn requires learners’ technology acceptance. The previous educational research has given little attention to the acceptance and use of learning technology in international or intercultural context. In this symposium, we present three empirical studies of technology acceptance by adult learners. All three are based on an acknowledged acceptance theory (i.e. the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, UTAUT, Venkatesh et al., 2003), and aim at applying it in contexts where different cultures are involved. The first deals with the introduction of a virtual learning environment at a Swedish, a Norwegian, and a Lithuanian university. The second examines the use of a learning management system at a Spanish university, distinguishing technological from non-technological culture as context of the technology use. The third is a large survey of general attitudes and use of computers for learning in Germany and Romania, considering both ethnical and professional culture. In each of them, the findings widely correspond with the previous acceptance theories, i.e. learners’ expectations and the social influence determine their attitudes, which further determine the technology usage. Additionally, the cultural diversity highlights influences such as, e.g., individualism, uncertainty avoidance or computer anxiety, which can change both the values of the acceptance variables, and the relationships between them. Based on these evidences, the three studies provide a deeper insight into the interconnections between culture – in the national/ethnical, as well as in the professional sense – and learning technology acceptance.
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| 32. |
- Piñeiro-Juncal, Nerea, et al.
(författare)
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Review of the physical and chemical properties of seagrass soils
- 2022
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 428
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seagrasses are a polyphyletic group of angiosperms that colonized marine environments more than 30 million years ago and currently inhabit coastal soft and rocky substrates in all continents except Antarctica. Due to their evolution from terrestrial plants, seagrasses have belowground organs that interact with the substrate, transforming it through chemo-physical processes analogous to terrestrial soil formation. Although seagrass substrates provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon and coastal stabilization, they have been largely regarded as sediments by marine scientists and neglected in soil science research. However, over the last decades, the increasing interest in carbon accumulation by seagrasses has generated multiple data on seagrass soil physical and chemical characteristics. Here, we review clay and silt content (<0.063 mm particle size), redox potential, pH, carbonate content, organic carbon or organic matter contents, dry bulk density, porosity and color of seagrass soils worldwide, summarizing data typically used for soil description, and looking for generalities in soil characteristics across seagrass habitats. The data gathered was biased towards temperate species and high-income countries, while data about color, porosity, redox potential and pH was scarce. Soil characteristics did not show significant differences among seagrass bioregions. Most seagrass substrates showed sandy textures, whereas one of the most sampled genera, Posidonia, was not present in muddy substrates. The soil Corg content was significantly higher in meadows formed by persistent species (mean ± SD; 1.76 ± 2.17 %) than in meadows formed by species with opportunistic and colonizing life-strategies (1.52 ± 2.24 and 0.76 ± 0.95 %, respectively), while mud content was significantly higher in meadows formed by opportunistic and colonizing species (27.87 ± 29.58 and 21.23 ± 21.77 %, respectively) than in those formed by persistent species (11.83 ± 14.45 %). Redox potential was significantly lower in intertidal than in subtidal meadows, although caution is needed when interpreting these differences due to methodological limitations. This review provides an overview of current knowledge on seagrass soil characteristics, while identifying knowledge gaps in seagrass soil science, including geographical, species diversity and soil physico-chemical traits that limit our capacity to characterize and classify seagrass soils worldwide.
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| 33. |
- Plunde, Oscar, et al.
(författare)
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FADS1 (Fatty Acid Desaturase 1) Genotype Associates With Aortic Valve FADS mRNA Expression, Fatty Acid Content and Calcification
- 2020
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Ingår i: Circulation. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 2574-8300. ; 13:3, s. 139-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Aortic stenosis (AS) contributes to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity but disease mechanisms remain largely unknown. Recent evidence associates a single nucleotide polymorphism rs174547 within theFADS1gene, encoding FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1), with risk of several cardiovascular outcomes, including AS.FADS1encodes a rate-limiting enzyme for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid metabolism. The aim of this study was to decipher the local transcriptomic and lipidomic consequences of rs174547 in tricuspid aortic valves from patients with AS. Methods: Expression quantitative trait loci study was performed using data from Illumina Human610-Quad BeadChip, Infinium Global Screening Arrays, and Affymetrix Human Transcriptome 2.0 arrays in calcified and noncalcified aortic valve tissue from 58 patients with AS (mean age, 74.2; SD, 5.9). Fatty acid content was assessed in aortic valves from 25 patients with AS using gas chromatography.Delta 5 and Delta 6 desaturase activity was assessed by the product-to-precursor ratio. Results: The minor C-allele of rs174547, corresponding to the protective genotype for AS, was associated with higher FADS2 mRNA levels in calcified valve tissue, whereas FADS1 mRNA and other transcripts in proximity of the single nucleotide polymorphism were unaltered. In contrast, the FADS1 Delta 5-desaturase activity and the FADS2 Delta 6-desaturase activity were decreased. Finally, docosahexaenoic acid was decreased in calcified tissue compared with non-calcified tissue and C-allele carriers exhibited increased docosahexaenoic acid levels. Overall desaturase activity measured with omega-3 fatty acids was higher in C-allele carriers. Conclusions: The association between the FADS1 genotype and AS may implicate effects on valvular fatty acids.
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| 34. |
- Poveda-García, Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Efficient Ray-Tracing Approach to Analyze Arbitrarily Shaped Leaky-Wave Antennas Embedded in Lenses
- 2024
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Ingår i: 18th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP 2024. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper introduces a computationally efficient ray-tracing approach to study the radiation pattern of a leaky-wave antenna embedded in a lens with an arbitrary shape. The ray-tracing technique, based on geometrical optics, is used to calculate the phase and amplitude of the fields at the lens aperture, taking into account reflections due to the transition from the lens to the free space. To validate the results, the radiation patterns obtained in some examples are compared with full-wave simulations, demonstrating a considerable time reduction in the analysis of up to 99.6% in some cases.
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| 35. |
- Rollano Penaloza, Oscar Miguel
(författare)
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Molecular interactions between quinoa, the biocontrol agent Trichoderma and the pathogen Peronospora variabilis
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Plants have developed complex molecular mechanisms to recognize and respond to the different microorganisms present in their surroundings. The most studied response mechanisms are plant defense responses. These defense response mechanisms share many similar components with the plant response mechanisms to beneficial microbes. Therefore, studying the defense response mechanisms against pathogens can contribute to the understanding of compatible and incompatible interactions with beneficial microbes.In this work, the molecular interactions of quinoa with the pathogen Peronospora variabilis, causal agent of the downy mildew disease, and the interactions of quinoa with the beneficial biocontrol fungi Trichoderma harzianum were studied. Experimental systems for interaction experiments were developed and used, followed by morphological, biochemical and transcriptomic analysis. We describe the response of two quinoa cultivars to the infection of P. variabilis under controlled conditions. The quinoa cultivar Kurmi was more tolerant to P. variabilis infection than the Real cultivar, despite the lack of hypersensitive response. The defense response observed in the Kurmi cultivar might be mediated by the jasmonic acid signaling pathway. Cultivars that can trigger hypersensitive response are more resistant to P. variabilis than Kurmi and therefore a better selection for agriculture.Quinoa in the presence of Trichoderma had variable outcomes depending on the growth conditions. We observed that quinoa growth was promoted in regular soil experiments or by interaction with Trichoderma volatile compounds in axenic co-culture. However, the growth of two quinoa cultivars was significantly inhibited by T. harzianum in axenic co-culture and in steamed soil experiments. The transcriptomic data of the quinoa growth inhibition by Trichoderma suggests activation of molecular signaling very similar to the signaling observed during defense response against pathogens. Further, we observed a specific group of quinoa plant defensins to be more rapidly induced by Trichoderma in a resistant cultivar but not in a susceptible one. These plant defensins showed a recent evolutionary expansion and could play a major role in providing pathogen resistance to certain quinoa cultivars.In order to protect quinoa from P. variabilis infections by Trichoderma application and enhance the quinoa yields in agricultural systems might be necessary to perform compatibility tests between the Trichoderma biocontrol agents and the quinoa cultivars. These compatibility tests should be performed in regular soil.
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| 36. |
- Rollano Penaloza, Oscar Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Trichoderma harzianum T-22 and BOL-12QD inhibits lateral root development of Chenopodium quinoa in axenic co-culture
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cogent Biology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2331-2025. ; 4:1530493
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To investigate the symbiotic interaction of Trichoderma harzianum Rifaion Chenopodium quinoa Willd. in isolation, we studied axenic co-culture of the T. harzianum isolates T-22 and BOL-12QD and the C. quinoa cultivars Kurmi andManiqueña real. Neither T-22 nor BOL-12QD affected seedling growth during two days of co-culture in the early growth phase of rapid primary root extension.However, after longer axenic co-culture, T-22 and BOL-12 were found to significantly inhibit the overall growth of C. quinoa cv. Kurmi and Real, affecting also vitality parameters as seen for chlorophyll and betalains. Lateral root development was strongly inhibited in all plant−fungal combinations, leaving stunted lateral roots. These results suggest that T. harzianum has a general capacity to inhibit the growth of C. quinoa plants with a main effect on the lateral root development.
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| 37. |
- Sainz-Jaspeado, Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Palmdelphin Regulates Nuclear Resilience to Mechanical Stress in the Endothelium
- 2021
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Ingår i: Circulation. - : Wolters Kluwer. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 144:20, s. 1629-1645
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: PALMD (palmdelphin) belongs to the family of paralemmin proteins implicated in cytoskeletal regulation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PALMD locus that result in reduced expression are strong risk factors for development of calcific aortic valve stenosis and predict severity of the disease.Methods: Immunodetection and public database screening showed dominant expression of PALMD in endothelial cells (ECs) in brain and cardiovascular tissues including aortic valves. Mass spectrometry, coimmunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescent staining allowed identification of PALMD partners. The consequence of loss of PALMD expression was assessed in small interferring RNA-treated EC cultures, knockout mice, and human valve samples. RNA sequencing of ECs and transcript arrays on valve samples from an aortic valve study cohort including patients with the single nucleotide polymorphism rs7543130 informed about gene regulatory changes.Results: ECs express the cytosolic PALMD-KKVI splice variant, which associated with RANGAP1 (RAN GTP hydrolyase activating protein 1). RANGAP1 regulates the activity of the GTPase RAN and thereby nucleocytoplasmic shuttling via XPO1 (Exportin1). Reduced PALMD expression resulted in subcellular relocalization of RANGAP1 and XPO1, and nuclear arrest of the XPO1 cargoes p53 and p21. This indicates an important role for PALMD in nucleocytoplasmic transport and consequently in gene regulation because of the effect on localization of transcriptional regulators. Changes in EC responsiveness on loss of PALMD expression included failure to form a perinuclear actin cap when exposed to flow, indicating lack of protection against mechanical stress. Loss of the actin cap correlated with misalignment of the nuclear long axis relative to the cell body, observed in PALMD-deficient ECs, Palmd(-/-) mouse aorta, and human aortic valve samples derived from patients with calcific aortic valve stenosis. In agreement with these changes in EC behavior, gene ontology analysis showed enrichment of nuclear- and cytoskeleton-related terms in PALMD-silenced ECs.Conclusions: We identify RANGAP1 as a PALMD partner in ECs. Disrupting the PALMD/RANGAP1 complex alters the subcellular localization of RANGAP1 and XPO1, and leads to nuclear arrest of the XPO1 cargoes p53 and p21, accompanied by gene regulatory changes and loss of actin-dependent nuclear resilience. Combined, these consequences of reduced PALMD expression provide a mechanistic underpinning for PALMD's contribution to calcific aortic valve stenosis pathology.
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| 38. |
- Satizabal, Claudia L., et al.
(författare)
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Genetic architecture of subcortical brain structures in 38,851 individuals
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 51:11, s. 1624-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subcortical brain structures are integral to motion, consciousness, emotions and learning. We identified common genetic variation related to the volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus, using genome-wide association analyses in almost 40,000 individuals from CHARGE, ENIGMA and UK Biobank. We show that variability in subcortical volumes is heritable, and identify 48 significantly associated loci (40 novel at the time of analysis). Annotation of these loci by utilizing gene expression, methylation and neuropathological data identified 199 genes putatively implicated in neurodevelopment, synaptic signaling, axonal transport, apoptosis, inflammation/infection and susceptibility to neurological disorders. This set of genes is significantly enriched for Drosophila orthologs associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes, suggesting evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Our findings uncover novel biology and potential drug targets underlying brain development and disease.
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| 39. |
- Stoor, Jon Petter A., et al.
(författare)
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Sámi community perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic : a mixed methods case study in Arctic Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: International Journal of Circumpolar Health. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1239-9736 .- 2242-3982. ; 83:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic posed a grave threat not only to Indigenous people's health and well-being, but also to Indigenous communities and societies. This applies also to the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, where unintentional effects of public health actions to mitigate the spread of virus may have long-lasting effects on vulnerable communities. This study aim was to identify and describe Sámi perspectives on how the Sámi society in Sweden was specifically affected by the pandemic and associated public health actions during 2020-2021. A mixed-method qualitative case study approach was employed, including a media scoping review and stakeholder interviews. The media scoping review included 93 articles, published online or in print, from January 2020 to 1 September 2021, in Swedish or Norwegian, regarding the pandemic-related impacts on Sámi society in Sweden. The review informed a purposeful selection of 15 stakeholder qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis of the articles and interview transcripts generated five subthemes and two main themes: "weathering the storm" and "stressing Sámi culture and society". These reflect social dynamics which highlight stressors towards, and resilience within, the Sámi society during the pandemic. The results may be useful when evaluating and developing public health crisis response plans concerning or affecting the Sámi society in Sweden.
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| 40. |
- Vaaland Holmgard, I. Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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Coumarin-azasugar-benzyl conjugates as non-neurotoxic dual inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase and cancer cell growth
- 2024
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Ingår i: Organic and biomolecular chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1477-0520 .- 1477-0539. ; 22:17, s. 3425-3438
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have applied the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction to prepare a library of ten coumarin-azasugar-benzyl conjugates and two phthalimide-azasugar-benzyl conjugates with potential anti-Alzheimer and anti-cancer properties. The compounds were evaluated as cholinesterase inhibitors, demonstrating a general preference, of up to 676-fold, for the inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) over acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Nine of the compounds behaved as stronger BuChE inhibitors than galantamine, one of the few drugs in clinical use against Alzheimer's disease. The most potent BuChE inhibitor (IC50 = 74 nM) was found to exhibit dual activities, as it also showed high activity (GI50 = 5.6 +/- 1.1 mu M) for inhibiting the growth of WiDr (colon cancer cells). In vitro studies on this dual-activity compound on Cerebellar Granule Neurons (CGNs) demonstrated that it displays no neurotoxicity. Coumarin-azasugar-benzyl conjugates were obtained through the CuAAC reaction, displaying dual anti-Alzheimer and anti-cancer activity in vitro and no neurotoxicity.
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| 41. |
- Vilalta, Ricard, et al.
(författare)
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TeraFlow: Secured autonomic traffic management for a tera of SDN flows
- 2021
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Ingår i: 2021 Joint European Conference on Networks and Communications and 6G Summit, EuCNC/6G Summit 2021. - 9781665415262 ; , s. 377-382
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- TeraFlow proposes a new type of secure, cloud-native Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller that will radically advance the state-of-the-art in beyond 5G networks by introducing novel micro-services architecture, and provide revolutionary features for both flow management (service layer) and optical/microwave network equipment integration (infras-tructure layer) by adapting new data models. TeraFlow will also incorporate security using Machine Learning (ML) and forensic evidence for multi-tenancy based on Distributed Ledgers. Finally, this new SDN controller shall be able to integrate with the current Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) frameworks as well as to other networks. The target pool of TeraFlow stakeholders expands beyond the traditional telecom operators towards edge and hyperscale cloud providers.
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| 42. |
- Zuntini, Alexandre R., et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 629, s. 843-850
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods(1,2). A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome(3,4). Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins(5-7). However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes(8). This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies(9) provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade.
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