| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(författare)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 3. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(författare)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Stanaway, Jeffrey D., et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1923-1994
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk-outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk-outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk- outcome associations. Methods We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk-outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017.
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| 6. |
- Madeira, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Malnutrition among older adults living in Portuguese nursing homes : the PEN-3S study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Public Health Nutrition. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 22:3, s. 486-497
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To characterise the nutritional status and to identify malnutrition-associated variables of older adults living in Portuguese nursing homes.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Data on demographic and socio-economic characteristics, self-reported morbidity, eating-related problems, nutritional status, cognitive function, depression symptoms, loneliness feelings and functional status were collected by trained nutritionists through a computer-assisted face-to-face structured interview followed by standardised anthropometric measurements. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with being at risk of malnutrition/malnourished.SETTING: Portuguese nursing homes.SUBJECTS: Nationally representative sample of the Portuguese population aged 65 years or over living in nursing homes.RESULTS: A total of 1186 individuals (mean age 83·4 years; 72·8 % women) accepted to participate. According to the Mini Nutritional Assessment, 4·8 (95 % CI 3·2, 7·3) % were identified as malnourished and 38·7 (95 % CI 33·5, 44·2) % were at risk of malnutrition. These percentages increased with age and were significantly higher for women. Logistic regression showed (OR; 95 % CI) that older adults reporting no or little appetite (6·5; 2·7, 15·3), those revealing symptoms of depression (2·6; 1·6, 4·2) and those who were more dependent in their daily living activities (4·7; 2·0, 11·1) were also at higher odds of being malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition and risk of malnutrition are prevalent among nursing home residents in Portugal. It is crucial to routinely screen for nutritional disorders, as well as risk factors such as symptoms of depression and lower functional status, to prevent and treat malnutrition.
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| 7. |
- Proletov, Ian, et al.
(författare)
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Primary and secondary glomerulonephritides 1.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2385. ; 29 Suppl 3:May, s. 186-200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 8. |
- 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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| 9. |
- Madeira, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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National survey of the Portuguese elderly nutritional status : study protocol
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Worldwide we are facing a serious demographic challenge due to the dramatic growth of the population over 60 years. It is expected that the proportion of this population will nearly double from 12 to 22 %, between 2015 and 2050. This demographic shift comes with major health and socio-economic concerns. Nutrition is a fundamental determinant of both health and disease and its role in extending a healthy lifespan is the object of considerable research. Notably, malnutrition is one of the main threats to health and quality of life among the elderly. Therefore, knowledge about nutritional status among the elderly is essential for the promotion and maintenance of healthy ageing and to support the development of health protection policies and equity in elderly health care. Methods: This is a nationwide nutrition survey of the Portuguese population over 65 years old, with data collection through face-to-face interviews. A representative and random sample of community dwelling elderly and nursing homes residents will be obtained by multistage sampling stratified per main Portuguese regions, sex and age groups. Minimum sample size was estimated to be 2077 elderly (979 in the community and 1098 in nursing homes). Data will be collected on food habits and eating patterns, nutritional status, food insecurity, lifestyle, self-rated general health status and self-reported diseases, functionality, loneliness, cognitive function, emotional status and demographic and socio-economic characterization. Discussion: This is the first national survey to evaluate the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition of the Portuguese population above 65 years old, including those living in nursing homes. It will allow the identification of population subgroups of elderly with increased odds of malnutrition and nutritional risk. In addition, this survey will contribute to the identification of psychosocial and clinical predictors of malnutrition among elderly, which is an important risk factor for other devastating medical conditions.
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| 10. |
- Costa, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth for migrant versus nonmigrant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the IMAgiNE EURO study in 11 countries of the WHO European region.
- 2022
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Ingår i: International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 1879-3479 .- 0020-7292. ; 159:Suppl 1, s. 39-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To describe the perception of quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth among migrant and nonmigrant women in Europe.Women who gave birth at a health facility in 11 countries of the WHO European Region from March 2020 to July 2021 were invited to answer an online questionnaire including demographics and childbirth experience. Data were analyzed and compared for 1781 migrant and 20653 nonmigrant women.Migrant women who experienced labor perceived slightly more difficulties in attending routine antenatal visits (41.2% vs 39.4%; P=0.001), more barriers in accessing facilities (32.9% vs 29.9%; P=0.001), lack of timely care (14.7% vs 13.0%; P=0.025), inadequate room comfort and equipment (9.2% vs 8.5%; P=0.004), inadequate number of women per room (9.4% vs 8.6%; P=0.039), being prevented from staying with their baby as they wished (7.8% vs 6.9%; P=0.011), or suffering abuse (14.5% vs 12.7%; P=0.022) compared with nonmigrant women. For women who had a prelabor cesarean, migrant women were more likely not to receive pain relief after birth (16.8% vs.13.5%; P=0.039) and less likely to provide informal payment (1.8% vs 4.4%; P=0.005) compared with nonmigrant women. Overall, the QMNC index was not significantly different for migrant compared with nonmigrant women.Gaps in overall QMNC were reported by both migrant and nonmigrant women, with improvements to healthcare necessary for all.
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| 11. |
- Costa, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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Regional differences in the quality of maternal and neonatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:S1, s. 137-153
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To compare women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth across Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS-II) regions in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Women participating in the cross-sectional IMAgiNE EURO study who gave birth in Portugal from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, completed a structured questionnaire with 40 key WHO standards-based quality measures. Four domains of QMNC were assessed: (1) provision of care; (2) experience of care; (3) availability of human and physical resources; and (4) reorganizational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequencies for each quality measure within each QMNC domain were computed overall and by region. Results: Out of 1845 participants, one-third (33.7%) had a cesarean. Examples of high-quality care included: low frequencies of lack of early breastfeeding and rooming-in (8.0% and 7.7%, respectively) and informal payment (0.7%); adequate staff professionalism (94.6%); adequate room comfort and equipment (95.2%). However, substandard practices with large heterogeneity across regions were also reported. Among women who experienced labor, the percentage of instrumental vaginal births ranged from 22.3% in the Algarve to 33.5% in Center; among these, fundal pressure ranged from 34.8% in Lisbon to 66.7% in Center. Episiotomy was performed in 39.3% of noninstrumental vaginal births with variations between 31.8% in the North to 59.8% in Center. One in four women reported inadequate breastfeeding support (26.1%, ranging from 19.4% in Algarve to 31.5% in Lisbon). One in five reported no exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (22.1%; 19.5% in Lisbon to 28.2% in Algarve). Conclusion: Urgent actions are needed to harmonize QMNC and reduce inequities across regions in Portugal.
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| 12. |
- Del Peso-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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A hyper-mutant of the unusual σ70-Pr promoter bypasses synergistic ppGpp/DksA co-stimulation
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - London : Information Retrieval Ltd. - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 39:14, s. 5853-5865
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The activities of promoters can be temporally and conditionally regulated by mechanisms other than classical DNA-binding repressors and activators. One example is the inherently weak σ70-dependent Pr promoter that ultimately controls catabolism of phenolic compounds. The activity of Pr is up-regulated through the joint action of ppGpp and DksA that enhance the performance of RNA polymerase at this promoter. Here, we report a mutagenesis analysis that revealed substantial differences between Pr and other ppGpp/DksA co-stimulated promoters. In vitro transcription and RNA polymerase binding assays show that it is the T at the −11 position of the extremely suboptimal −10 element of Pr that underlies both poor binding of σ70-RNAP and a slow rate of open complex formation—the process that is accelerated by ppGpp and DksA. Our findings support the idea that collaborative action of ppGpp and DksA lowers the rate-limiting transition energy required for conversion between intermediates on the road to open complex formation.
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| 13. |
- del Peso Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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BipA exerts temperature-dependent translational control of biofilm-associated colony morphology in Vibrio cholerae
- 2021
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd.. - 2050-084X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adaptation to shifting temperatures is crucial for the survival of the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Here, we show that colony rugosity, a biofilm-associated phenotype, is regulated by temperature in V. cholerae strains that naturally lack the master biofilm transcriptional regulator HapR. Using transposon-insertion mutagenesis, we found the V. cholerae ortholog of BipA, a conserved ribosome-associated GTPase, is critical for this temperature-dependent phenomenon. Proteomic analyses revealed that loss of BipA alters the synthesis of >300 proteins in V. cholerae at 22˚C, increasing the production of biofilm-related proteins including the key transcriptional activators VpsR and VpsT, as well as proteins important for diverse cellular processes. At low temperatures, BipA protein levels increase and are required for optimal ribosome assembly in V. cholerae, suggesting that control of BipA abundance is a mechanism by which bacteria can remodel their proteomes. Our study reveals a remarkable new facet of V. cholerae’s complex biofilm regulatory network.
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| 14. |
- del Peso-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Coregulation by phenylacetyl-coenzyme A-responsive PaaX integrates control of the upper and lower pathways for catabolism of styrene by Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2.
- 2006
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Ingår i: J Bacteriol. - 0021-9193. ; 188:13, s. 4812-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The P(styA) promoter of Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2 controls expression of the styABCD genes, which are required for the conversion of styrene to phenylacetate, which is further catabolized by the products of two paa gene clusters. Two PaaX repressor proteins (PaaX1 and PaaX2) regulate transcription of the paa gene clusters of this strain. In silico analysis of the P(styA) promoter region revealed a sequence located just within styA that is similar to the reported PaaX binding sites of Escherichia coli and the proposed PaaX binding sites of the paa genes of Pseudomonas species. Here we show that protein extracts from some Pseudomonas strains that have paaX genes, but not from a paaX mutant strain, can bind and retard the migration of a P(styA) specific probe. Purified maltose-binding protein (MBP)-PaaX1 fusion protein specifically binds the P(styA) promoter proximal PaaX site, and this binding is eliminated by the addition of phenylacetyl-coenzyme A. The sequence protected by MBP-PaaX1 binding was defined by DNase I footprinting. Moreover, MBP-PaaX1 represses transcription from the P(styA) promoter in a phenylacetyl-coenzyme A-dependent manner in vitro. Finally, the inactivation of both paaX gene copies of Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2 leads to a higher level of transcription from the P(styA) promoter, while heterologous expression of the PaaX1 in E. coli greatly decreases transcription from the P(styA) promoter. These findings reveal a control mechanism that integrates regulation of styrene catabolism by coordinating the expression of the styrene upper catabolic operon to that of the paa-encoded central pathway and support a role for PaaX as a major regulatory protein in the phenylacetyl-coenzyme A catabolon through its response to the levels of this central metabolite.
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| 15. |
- del Peso-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Inter-sigmulon communication through topological promoter coupling
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 44:20, s. 9638-9649
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Divergent transcription from within bacterial intergenic regions frequently involves promoters dependent on alternative sigma-factors. This is the case for the non-overlapping sigma(70)- and sigma(54)-dependent promoters that control production of the substrate-responsive regulator and enzymes for (methyl) phenol catabolism. Here, using an array of in vivo and in vitro assays, we identify transcription-driven supercoiling arising from the sigma(54)-promoter as the mechanism underlying inter-promoter communication that results in stimulation of the activity of the sigma(70)-promoter. The non-overlapping 'back-to-back' configuration of a powerful sigma(54)-promoter and weak sigma(70)-promoter within this system offers a previously unknown means of inter-sigmulon communication that renders the sigma(70)-promoter subservient to signals that elicit sigma(54)-dependent transcription without it possessing a cognate binding site for the sigma(54)-RNA polymerase holoenzyme. This mode of control has the potential to be a prevalent, but hitherto unappreciated, mechanism by which bacteria adjust promoter activity to gain appropriate transcriptional control.
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| 16. |
- Del Peso-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Pr is a member of a restricted class of σ70-dependent promoters that lack a recognizable -10 element
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 40:22, s. 11308-11320
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Pr promoter is the first verified member of a class of bacterial σ(70)-promoters that only possess a single match to consensus within its -10 element. In its native context, the activity of this promoter determines the ability of Pseudomonas putida CF600 to degrade phenolic compounds, which provides proof-of-principle for the significance of such promoters. Lack of identity within the -10 element leads to non-detection of Pr-like promoters by current search engines, because of their bias for detection of the -10 motif. Here, we report a mutagenesis analysis of Pr that reveals strict sequence requirements for its activity that includes an essential -15 element and preservation of non-consensus bases within its -35 and -10 elements. We found that highly similar promoters control plasmid- and chromosomally- encoded phenol degradative systems in various Pseudomonads. However, using a purpose-designed promoter-search algorithm and activity analysis of potential candidate promoters, no bona fide Pr-like promoter could be found in the entire genome of P. putida KT2440. Hence, Pr-like σ(70)-promoters, which have the potential to be a widely distributed class of previously unrecognized promoters, are in fact highly restricted and remain in a class of their own.
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| 17. |
- del Peso-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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The styrene-responsive StyS/StyR regulation system controls expression of an auxiliary phenylacetyl-coenzyme A ligase : implications for rapid metabolic coupling of the styrene upper- and lower-degradative pathways.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Molecular microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1365-2958 .- 0950-382X. ; 69:2, s. 317-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pseudomonas sp. strain Y2 degrades styrene through oxidation to phenylacetic acid via the styABCD operon-encoded enzymes, whose expression is induced in response to styrene by the StyS/StyR two-component regulatory system. Further transformation of phenylacetic acid to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates is mediated by the enzymes of paa catabolic genes, whose expression is regulated by the PaaX repressor. The first step of this paa degradation pathway is catalysed by paaF-encoded phenylacetyl-coenzyme A ligases that produce phenylacetyl-coenzyme A. This metabolic intermediate, upon being bound by PaaX, inactivates PaaX-mediated repression of both the paa genes and the styABCD operon. Strain Y2 is unique in having three paaF genes located within two complete copies of the paa gene clusters. Expression of both paaF and paaF3 is controlled by the PaaX repressor. Here we use specific mutants in combination with in vivo and in vitro assays to demonstrate that paaF2, adjacent to the StyS/StyR regulatory genes, belongs to the StyR regulon and is not subject to repression by PaaX. We propose that this unexpected styrene-responsive regulatory strategy for the otherwise metabolically redundant PaaF2 auxiliary enzyme provides a system for rapid co-ordinate de-repression of the two sets of catabolic genes required for styrene degradation.
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| 18. |
- Drandić, Daniela, et al.
(författare)
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Women's perspectives on the quality of hospital maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:S1, s. 54-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To assess the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) in countries of the former Yugoslavia. Method: Women giving birth in a facility in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina between March 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Results: A total of 4817 women were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed across countries. Among those experiencing labor, 47.4%–62.3% of women perceived a reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 40.1%–69.7% experienced difficulties in accessing routine antenatal care, 60.3%–98.1% were not allowed a companion of choice, 17.4%–39.2% reported that health workers were not always using personal protective equipment, and 21.2%–53.8% rated the number of health workers as insufficient. Episiotomy was performed in 30.9%–62.8% of spontaneous vaginal births. Additionally, 22.6%–55.9% of women received inadequate breastfeeding support, 21.5%–62.8% reported not being treated with dignity, 11.0%–30.5% suffered abuse, and 0.7%–26.5% made informal payments. Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Slovenia showing the highest QMNC index, followed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. Conclusion: Differences in QMNC among the countries of the former Yugoslavia during the COVID-19 pandemic were significant. Activities to promote high-quality, evidence-based, respectful care for all mothers and newborns are urgently needed. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847336.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Foeldvari, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Differences Sustained Between Diffuse and Limited Forms of Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis in an Expanded International Cohort
- 2022
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Ingår i: Arthritis care & research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2151-464X .- 2151-4658. ; 74:10, s. 1575-1584
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To evaluate the baseline clinical characteristics of juvenile systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients in the international juvenile SSc inception cohort, and to compare these characteristics between the classically defined juvenile diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) and limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) subtypes and among those with overlap features. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed using baseline visit data. Information on demographic characteristics, organ system evaluation, treatment, and patient- and physician-reported outcomes was extracted and summary statistics applied. Comparisons between juvenile dcSSc and lcSSc subtypes and patients with and without overlap features were performed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results At data extraction, 150 juvenile SSc patients were enrolled across 42 centers; 83% were White, 80% were female, juvenile dcSSc predominated (72%), and 17% of the cohort had overlap features. Significant differences were found between juvenile dcSSc and juvenile lcSSc regarding modified Rodnan skin thickness score, the presence of Gottron's papules, digital tip ulceration, results of the 6-minute walk test, and composite pulmonary and cardiac involvement. All of these were more frequent in dcSSc except for cardiac involvement. Juvenile dcSSc patients had significantly worse scores for physician-rated disease activity and damage. A significantly higher occurrence of Gottron's papules and musculoskeletal and composite pulmonary involvement, and a significantly lower frequency of Raynaud's phenomenon, were seen in those with overlap features. Conclusion Results from a large international juvenile SSc cohort demonstrate significant differences between juvenile dcSSc and juvenile lcSSc patients, including more globally severe disease and increased frequency of interstitial lung disease in juvenile dcSSc patients, while those with lcSSc have more frequent cardiac involvement. Those with overlap features had an unexpected higher frequency of interstitial lung disease.
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| 21. |
- Foeldvari, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Gender differences in juvenile systemic sclerosis patients : Results from the international juvenile scleroderma inception cohort
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders. - : Sage Publications. - 2397-1983 .- 2397-1991. ; 8:2, s. 120-130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To compare organ involvement and disease severity between male and female patients with juvenile onset systemic sclerosis.Methods: Demographics, organ involvement, laboratory evaluation, patient-reported outcomes and physician assessment variables were compared between male and female juvenile onset systemic sclerosis patients enrolled in the prospective international juvenile systemic sclerosis cohort at their baseline visit and after 12 months.Results: One hundred and seventy-five juvenile onset systemic sclerosis patients were evaluated, 142 females and 33 males. Race, age of onset, disease duration, and disease subtypes (70% diffuse cutaneous) were similar between males and females. Active digital ulceration, very low body mass index, and tendon friction rubs were significantly more frequent in males. Physician global assessment of disease severity and digital ulcer activity was significantly higher in males. Composite pulmonary involvement was also more frequent in males, though not statistically significantly. After 12 months, they are the pattern of differences changed female patients had significantly more frequent pulmonary involvement.Conclusion: In this cohort, juvenile onset systemic sclerosis had a more severe course in males at baseline and but the pattern changed after 12 months. Some differences from adult findings persisted, there is no increased signal of pulmonary arterial hypertension or heart failure in male pediatric patients. While monitoring protocols of organ involvement in juvenile onset systemic sclerosis need to be identical for males and females.
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| 22. |
- Foeldvari, Ivan, et al.
(författare)
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Underdetection of Interstitial Lung Disease in Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Arthritis care & research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2151-464X .- 2151-4658. ; 74:3, s. 364-370
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. Utilizing data obtained from a prospective, international, juvenile systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort, the present study was undertaken to determine if pulmonary screening with forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) is sufficient to assess the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in comparison to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in juvenile SSc. Methods. The juvenile SSc cohort database was queried for patients enrolled from January 2008 to January 2020 with recorded pulmonary function tests (PFTs) parameters and HRCT to determine the discriminatory properties of P FT parameters, FVC, and DLco in detecting ILD. Results. Eighty-six juvenile SSc patients had both computed tomography imaging and FVC values for direct comparison. Using findings on HRCT as the standard measure of ILD presence, the sensitivity of FVC in detecting ILD in juvenile SSc was only 40%, the specificity was 77%, and area under the curve (AUC) was 0.58. Fifty-eight juvenile SSc patients had both CT imaging and DLco values for comparison. The sensitivity of DLco in detecting ILD was 76%, the specificity was 70%, and AUC was 0.73. Conclusion. The performance of PFTs in juvenile SSc to detect underlying ILD was quite limited. Specifically, the FVC, which is one of the main clinical parameters in adult SSc to detect and monitor ILD, would miss -60% of children who had ILD changes on their accompanying HRCT. The DLco was more sensitive in detecting potential abnormalities on HRCT, but with less specificity than the FVC. These results support the use of HRCT in tandem with PFTs for the screening of ILD in juvenile SSc.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Forouzanfar, Mohammad H, et al.
(författare)
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Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 386:10010, s. 2287-2323
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.METHODS: Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk-outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990-2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks at the first level of the hierarchy. The next level in the hierarchy includes nine clusters of related risks and two individual risks, with more detail provided at levels 3 and 4 of the hierarchy. Compared with GBD 2010, six new risk factors have been added: handwashing practices, occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, childhood wasting, childhood stunting, unsafe sex, and low glomerular filtration rate. For most risks, data for exposure were synthesised with a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR 2.0, or spatial-temporal Gaussian process regression. Relative risks were based on meta-regressions of published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden for clusters of risks and all risks combined took into account evidence on the mediation of some risks such as high body-mass index (BMI) through other risks such as high systolic blood pressure and high cholesterol.FINDINGS: All risks combined account for 57·2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 55·8-58·5) of deaths and 41·6% (40·1-43·0) of DALYs. Risks quantified account for 87·9% (86·5-89·3) of cardiovascular disease DALYs, ranging to a low of 0% for neonatal disorders and neglected tropical diseases and malaria. In terms of global DALYs in 2013, six risks or clusters of risks each caused more than 5% of DALYs: dietary risks accounting for 11·3 million deaths and 241·4 million DALYs, high systolic blood pressure for 10·4 million deaths and 208·1 million DALYs, child and maternal malnutrition for 1·7 million deaths and 176·9 million DALYs, tobacco smoke for 6·1 million deaths and 143·5 million DALYs, air pollution for 5·5 million deaths and 141·5 million DALYs, and high BMI for 4·4 million deaths and 134·0 million DALYs. Risk factor patterns vary across regions and countries and with time. In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risk factors are child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing. In women, in nearly all countries in the Americas, north Africa, and the Middle East, and in many other high-income countries, high BMI is the leading risk factor, with high systolic blood pressure as the leading risk in most of Central and Eastern Europe and south and east Asia. For men, high systolic blood pressure or tobacco use are the leading risks in nearly all high-income countries, in north Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. For men and women, unsafe sex is the leading risk in a corridor from Kenya to South Africa.INTERPRETATION: Behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks can explain half of global mortality and more than one-third of global DALYs providing many opportunities for prevention. Of the larger risks, the attributable burden of high BMI has increased in the past 23 years. In view of the prominence of behavioural risk factors, behavioural and social science research on interventions for these risks should be strengthened. Many prevention and primary care policy options are available now to act on key risks.FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 25. |
- Hawkins, Stephen J., et al.
(författare)
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The Intertidal Zone of the North-East Atlantic Region
- 2019
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Ingår i: Interactions in the Marine Benthos: Global Patterns and Processes (Systematics Association Special Volume Series, pp. 7-46). - : Cambridge university press. - 9781108416085
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rocky shores of the north-east Atlantic have been long studied. Our focus is from Gibraltar to Norway plus the Azores and Iceland. Phylogeographic processes shape biogeographic patterns of biodiversity. Long-term and broadscale studies have shown the responses of biota to past climate fluctuations and more recent anthropogenic climate change. Inter- and intra-specific species interactions along sharp local environmental gradients shape distributions and community structure and hence ecosystem functioning. Shifts in domination by fucoids in shelter to barnacles/mussels in exposure are mediated by grazing by patellid limpets. Further south fucoids become increasingly rare, with species disappearing or restricted to estuarine refuges, caused by greater desiccation and grazing pressure. Mesoscale processes influence bottom-up nutrient forcing and larval supply, hence affecting species abundance and distribution, and can be proximate factors setting range edges (e.g., the English Channel, the Iberian Peninsula). Impacts of invasive non-native species are reviewed. Knowledge gaps such as the work on rockpools and host–parasite dynamics are also outlined.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Heinzel, Tincuta, et al.
(författare)
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Attempts, Failures, Trials and Errors. Notes on an exhibition of failed prototypes and rejected projects.
- 2019
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Ingår i: The Design Journal. - : Routledge. - 1460-6925 .- 1756-3062. ; 22, s. 1941-1956
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, we present the history, the concept and the results of " Attempts, Failures, Trials and Errors" exhibition project which was first presented in the frame of Piksel Festival in Bergen, Norway (November 2017) and later on at " Salonul de Proiecte", Bucharest, Romania (February 2018). The project aimed to incite the e-textiles artists and designers to reflect upon the way they are engaging with their failures, as well as to the way in which they use these failures to better understand the context in which they are working and to continue to experiment. Our approach reverses the common R& D constructivist methods, by using deconstruction as a process of investigation in the field of wearable technologies and e-textiles. By questioning the ideas and the concepts of failure and success, the project puts an emphasis on art's capacity to be critical, while at the same time to poetically and self-ironically address contemporary challenges and concerns.
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| 28. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(författare)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X. ; 8, s. 901-911
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
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| 29. |
- Jiang, Mingkai, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of carbon in a mature forest under carbon dioxide enrichment
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 580:7802, s. 227-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment (eCO2) can enhance plant carbon uptake and growth1–5, thereby providing an important negative feedback to climate change by slowing the rate of increase of the atmospheric CO2 concentration6. Although evidence gathered from young aggrading forests has generally indicated a strong CO2 fertilization effect on biomass growth3–5, it is unclear whether mature forests respond to eCO2 in a similar way. In mature trees and forest stands7–10, photosynthetic uptake has been found to increase under eCO2 without any apparent accompanying growth response, leaving the fate of additional carbon fixed under eCO2 unclear4,5,7–11. Here using data from the first ecosystem-scale Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment in a mature forest, we constructed a comprehensive ecosystem carbon budget to track the fate of carbon as the forest responded to four years of eCO2 exposure. We show that, although the eCO2 treatment of +150 parts per million (+38 per cent) above ambient levels induced a 12 per cent (+247 grams of carbon per square metre per year) increase in carbon uptake through gross primary production, this additional carbon uptake did not lead to increased carbon sequestration at the ecosystem level. Instead, the majority of the extra carbon was emitted back into the atmosphere via several respiratory fluxes, with increased soil respiration alone accounting for half of the total uptake surplus. Our results call into question the predominant thinking that the capacity of forests to act as carbon sinks will be generally enhanced under eCO2, and challenge the efficacy of climate mitigation strategies that rely on ubiquitous CO2 fertilization as a driver of increased carbon sinks in global forests.
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| 30. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 31. |
- Klotsche, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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Application and performance of disease activity indices proposed for patients with systemic sclerosis in an international cohort of patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders. - : Sage Publications. - 2397-1983 .- 2397-1991. ; 8:3, s. 183-191
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Juvenile systemic sclerosis is a rare childhood disease. Three disease activity indices have been published for adult patients with systemic sclerosis: the European Scleroderma Study Group Index, a modified version of the European Scleroderma Study Group Index and the revised European Scleroderma Trials and Research index. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and performance of the three disease activity indices in a prospectively followed cohort of patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis.Methods: The analysis cohort was selected from the prospective international inception cohort enrolling juvenile systemic sclerosis patients. The correlation of the disease activity indices with the physicians' and the patients' global assessment of disease activity was determined. The disease activity indices were compared between patients with active and inactive disease. Sensitivity to change between 6- and 12-month follow-up was investigated by mixed models.Results: Eighty percent of the 70 patients had a diffuse cutaneous subtype. The revised European Scleroderma Trials and Research index was highly correlated with the physician-reported global disease activity/parents-reported global disease activity (r = 0.74/0.64), followed by the European Scleroderma Study Group activity index (r = 0.61/0.55) and the modified version of the European Scleroderma Study Group activity index (r = 0.51/0.43). The disease activity indices significantly differed between active and inactive patients. The disease activity indices showed sensitivity to change between 6- and 12-month follow-up among patients who improved or worsened according to the physician-reported global disease activity and the parents-reported global disease activity.Conclusion: Overall, no disease activity score is superior to the other, and all three scores have limitations in the application in juvenile systemic sclerosis patients. Furthermore, research on the concept of disease activity and suitable scores to measure disease activity in patients with juvenile systemic sclerosis is necessary in future.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Kudrin, Pavel, et al.
(författare)
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Subinhibitory Concentrations of Bacteriostatic Antibiotics Induce relA-Dependent and relA-Independent Tolerance to beta-Lactams
- 2017
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Ingår i: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - : AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY. - 0066-4804 .- 1098-6596. ; 61:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nucleotide (p) ppGpp is a key regulator of bacterial metabolism, growth, stress tolerance, and virulence. During amino acid starvation, the Escherichia coli (p) ppGpp synthetase RelA is activated by deacylated tRNA in the ribosomal A-site. An increase in (p) ppGpp is believed to drive the formation of antibiotic-tolerant persister cells, prompting the development of strategies to inhibit (p) ppGpp synthesis. We show that in a biochemical system from purified E. coli components, the antibiotic thiostrepton efficiently inhibits RelA activation by the A-site tRNA. In bacterial cultures, the ribosomal inhibitors thiostrepton, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline all efficiently abolish accumulation of (p) ppGpp induced by the Ile-tRNA synthetase inhibitor mupirocin. This abolishment, however, does not reduce the persister level. In contrast, the combination of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor trimethoprim with mupirocin, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol leads to ampicillin tolerance. The effect is independent of RelA functionality, specific to beta-lactams, and not observed with the fluoroquinolone norfloxacin. These results refine our understanding of (p) ppGpp's role in antibiotic tolerance and persistence and demonstrate unexpected drug interactions that lead to tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics.
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| 34. |
- Lazzerini, Marzia, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of facility-based maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic : online survey investigating maternal perspectives in 12 countries of the WHO European Region
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Lancet regional health. Europe. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7762. ; 13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Multi-country studies assessing the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as defined by WHO Standards, are lacking.Methods: Women who gave birth in 12 countries of the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020 - March 15, 2021 answered an online questionnaire, including 40 WHO Standard-based Quality Measures.Findings: 21,027 mothers were included in the analysis. Among those who experienced labour (N=18,063), 41·8% (26·1%- 63·5%) experienced difficulties in accessing antenatal care, 62% (12·6%-99·0%) were not allowed a companion of choice, 31·1% (16·5%-56·9%) received inadequate breastfeeding support, 34·4% (5·2%-64·8%) reported that health workers were not always using protective personal equipment, and 31·8% (17·8%-53·1%) rated the health workers' number as "insufficient". Episiotomy was performed in 20·1% (6·1%-66·0%) of spontaneous vaginal births and fundal pressure applied in 41·2% (11·5% -100%) of instrumental vaginal births. In addition, 23·9% women felt they were not treated with dignity (12·8%-59·8%), 12·5% (7·0%-23·4%) suffered abuse, and 2·4% (0·1%-26·2%) made informal payments. Most findings were significantly worse among women with prelabour caesarean birth (N=2,964). Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Croatia, Romania, Serbia showing significant lower QMNC Indexes and Luxemburg showing a significantly higher QMNC Index than the total sample. Younger women and those with operative births also reported significantly lower QMNC Indexes.Interpretation: Mothers reports revealed large inequities in QMNC across countries of the WHO European Region. Quality improvement initiatives to reduce these inequities and promote evidence-based, patient-centred respectful care for all mothers and newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond are urgently needed.Funding: The study was financially supported by the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.Study registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847336.
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| 35. |
- Lazzerini, Marzia, et al.
(författare)
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Rates of instrumental vaginal birth and cesarean and quality of maternal and newborn health care in private versus public facilities: Results of the IMAgiNE EURO study in 16 countries.
- 2022
-
Ingår i: International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 1879-3479 .- 0020-7292. ; 159:Suppl 1, s. 22-38
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To explore the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic by facility type among 16 European countries, comparing rates of instrumental vaginal birth and cesarean.Women who gave birth in the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020, to February 7, 2022, answered a validated online questionnaire. Rates of instrumental birth, instrumental vaginal birth, and cesarean, and a QMNC index were calculated for births in public versus private facilities.Responses from 25 206 participants were analyzed. Women giving birth in private compared with public facilities reported significantly more frequent total cesarean (32.5% vs 19.0%; aOR 1.70; 95% CI 1.52-1.90), elective cesarean (17.3% vs 7.8%; aOR 1.90; 95% CI 1.65-2.19), and emergency cesarean before labor (7.4% vs 3.9%; aOR 1.39; 95% CI 1.14-1.70) (P <0.001 for all comparisons), with analyses by country confirming these results. QMNC index results were heterogeneous across countries and regions in the same country and were largely affected by geographical distribution of regions rather than by type of facility alone.The study confirms that births in private facilities have higher odds of cesarean. It also suggests that QMNC should be closely monitored in all facilities to achieve high-quality care, independent of facility type or geographical distribution.NCT04847336.
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| 36. |
- Madhushani, Anjana, et al.
(författare)
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Transcriptional and translational control through the 5 '-leader region of the dmpR master regulatory gene of phenol metabolism
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 17:1, s. 119-133
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Expression of pathways for dissimilation of toxic aromatic compounds such as (methyl)phenols interfaces both stress-response and carbon catabolite repression control cascades. In Pseudomonas putida, carbon catabolite repression is mediated by the protein Crc - a translational repressor that counteracts utilization of less-preferred carbon sources as growth substrates until they are needed. In this work we dissect the regulatory role of the 5-leader region (5-LR) of the dmpR gene that encodes the master regulator of (methyl)phenol catabolism. Using deletion and substitution mutants combined with artificial manipulations of Crc availability in P.putida, we present evidence that a DNA motif within the 5-leader region is critical for inhibition of the output from the Pr promoter that drives transcription of dmpR, while the RNA chaperone Hfq facilitates Crc-mediated translation repression through the 5-leader region of the dmpR mRNA. The results are discussed in the light of a model in which Hfq assists Crc to target a sequence within a loop formed by secondary structure of the 5-LR mRNA. Our results support the idea that Crc functions as a global translational inhibitor to co-ordinate hierarchical carbon utilization in Pseudomonads.
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| 37. |
- Martínez-Sánchez, Noelia, et al.
(författare)
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Hypothalamic AMPK-ER Stress-JNK1 Axis Mediates the Central Actions of Thyroid Hormones on Energy Balance
- 2017
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Ingår i: Cell Metabolism. - Cambridge, MA, United States : Cell Press. - 1550-4131 .- 1932-7420. ; 26:1, s. 212-229.e12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thyroid hormones (THs) act in the brain to modulate energy balance. We show that central triiodothyronine (T3) regulates de novo lipogenesis in liver and lipid oxidation in brown adipose tissue (BAT) through the parasympathetic (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), respectively. Central T3 promotes hepatic lipogenesis with parallel stimulation of the thermogenic program in BAT. The action of T3 depends on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-induced regulation of two signaling pathways in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH): decreased ceramide-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which promotes BAT thermogenesis, and increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, which controls hepatic lipid metabolism. Of note, ablation of AMPKα1 in steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) neurons of the VMH fully recapitulated the effect of central T3, pointing to this population in mediating the effect of central THs on metabolism. Overall, these findings uncover the underlying pathways through which central T3 modulates peripheral metabolism.
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| 38. |
- Mendes Santos, Cristina, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Breast Cancer Survivors' Attitudes toward eMental Health : A Cross-Sectional Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Healthcare. - : MDPI. - 2227-9032. ; 11:13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors' (BCS) attitudes toward eMental Health (eMH) are largely unknown, and adoption predictors and their interrelationships remain unclear. This study aimed to explore BCS' attitudes toward eMH and investigate associated variables.METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 336 Portuguese BCS was conducted. Attitudes toward eMH, depression and anxiety symptoms, health-related quality of life, and sociodemographic, clinical, and internet-related variables were assessed using validated questionnaires. Spearman-ranked correlations, χ2, and multiple regression analyses were computed to explore associations between attitudes and collected variables.RESULTS: BCS held a neutral stance toward eMH. In models adjusted for age and education, positive attitudes were statistically significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms and worse emotional, cognitive, and body image functioning. Social network use, online health information and mental healthcare seeking, higher self-reported knowledge of eMH, and previous use of remote healthcare were positively associated with better attitudes toward eMH.CONCLUSIONS: eMH programs targeting BCS seem to be a promising strategy for providing supportive psychosocial care to BCS. However, increasing awareness about eMH efficacy and security may be necessary to improve its acceptance and use among BCS. Additional research is necessary to understand how BCS' unmet care needs, and specifically their psychological distress severity, may impact BCS' acceptance and use of eMH.
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| 39. |
- Moreira-Saporiti, Agustín, et al.
(författare)
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A trait-based framework for seagrass ecology : Trends and prospects
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 14
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the last three decades, quantitative approaches that rely on organism traits instead of taxonomy have advanced different fields of ecological research through establishing the mechanistic links between environmental drivers, functional traits, and ecosystem functions. A research subfield where trait-based approaches have been frequently used but poorly synthesized is the ecology of seagrasses; marine angiosperms that colonized the ocean 100M YA and today make up productive yet threatened coastal ecosystems globally. Here, we compiled a comprehensive trait-based response-effect framework (TBF) which builds on previous concepts and ideas, including the use of traits for the study of community assembly processes, from dispersal and response to abiotic and biotic factors, to ecosystem function and service provision. We then apply this framework to the global seagrass literature, using a systematic review to identify the strengths, gaps, and opportunities of the field. Seagrass trait research has mostly focused on the effect of environmental drivers on traits, i.e., “environmental filtering” (72%), whereas links between traits and functions are less common (26.9%). Despite the richness of trait-based data available, concepts related to TBFs are rare in the seagrass literature (15% of studies), including the relative importance of neutral and niche assembly processes, or the influence of trait dominance or complementarity in ecosystem function provision. These knowledge gaps indicate ample potential for further research, highlighting the need to understand the links between the unique traits of seagrasses and the ecosystem services they provide.
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| 40. |
- Mucci, Nadia, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic diversity and landscape genetic structure of otter (Lutra lutra) populations in Europe
- 2010
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Ingår i: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 11:2, s. 583-599
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Eurasian otter populations strongly declined and partially disappeared due to global and local causes (habitat destruction, water pollution, human persecution) in parts of their continental range. Conservation strategies, based on reintroduction projects or restoration of dispersal corridors, should rely on sound knowledge of the historical or recent consequences of population genetic structuring. Here we present the results of a survey performed on 616 samples, collected from 19 European countries, genotyped at the mtDNA control-region and 11 autosomal microsatellites. The mtDNA variability was low (nucleotide diversity = 0.0014; average number of pairwise differences = 2.25), suggesting that extant otter mtDNA lineages originated recently. A star-shaped mtDNA network did not allow outlining any phylogeographic inference. Microsatellites were only moderately variable (H (o) = 0.50; H (e) = 0.58, on average across populations), the average allele number was low (observed A (o) = 4.9, range 2.5-6.8; effective A (e) = 2.8; range 1.6-3.7), suggesting small historical effective population size. Extant otters likely originated from the expansion of a single refugial population. Bayesian clustering and landscape genetic analyses however indicate that local populations are genetically differentiated, perhaps as consequence of post-glacial demographic fluctuations and recent isolation. These results delineate a framework that should be used for implementing conservation programs in Europe, particularly if they are based on the reintroduction of wild or captive-reproduced otters.
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| 41. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, et al.
(författare)
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The Role of Interferon-γ in Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type 1.
- 2024
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Ingår i: The New England journal of medicine. - 1533-4406. ; 390:20, s. 1873-1884
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a life-threatening, autosomal recessive syndrome caused by autoimmune regulator (AIRE) deficiency. In APS-1, self-reactive T cells escape thymic negative selection, infiltrate organs, and drive autoimmune injury. The effector mechanisms governing T-cell-mediated damage in APS-1 remain poorly understood.We examined whether APS-1 could be classified as a disease mediated by interferon-γ. We first assessed patients with APS-1 who were participating in a prospective natural history study and evaluated mRNA and protein expression in blood and tissues. We then examined the pathogenic role of interferon-γ using Aire-/-Ifng-/- mice and Aire-/- mice treated with the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor ruxolitinib. On the basis of our findings, we used ruxolitinib to treat five patients with APS-1 and assessed clinical, immunologic, histologic, transcriptional, and autoantibody responses.Patients with APS-1 had enhanced interferon-γ responses in blood and in all examined autoimmunity-affected tissues. Aire-/- mice had selectively increased interferon-γ production by T cells and enhanced interferon-γ, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1), and CXCL9 signals in multiple organs. Ifng ablation or ruxolitinib-induced JAK-STAT blockade in Aire-/- mice normalized interferon-γ responses and averted T-cell infiltration and damage in organs. Ruxolitinib treatment of five patients with APS-1 led to decreased levels of T-cell-derived interferon-γ, normalized interferon-γ and CXCL9 levels, and remission of alopecia, oral candidiasis, nail dystrophy, gastritis, enteritis, arthritis, Sjögren's-like syndrome, urticaria, and thyroiditis. No serious adverse effects from ruxolitinib were identified in these patients.Our findings indicate that APS-1, which is caused by AIRE deficiency, is characterized by excessive, multiorgan interferon-γ-mediated responses. JAK inhibition with ruxolitinib in five patients showed promising results. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others.).
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| 42. |
- Parra-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Acoustic Instabilities on Swirling Flames
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Mechanical, Industrial Science and Engineering. ; 7:9, s. 61-64
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- Parra-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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An isothermal analysis of curved-vane and flat-vane swirlers for burners
- 2015
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Ingår i: Engineering Computations. - 0264-4401. ; 32:3, s. 668-686
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - One current trend in burner technology is to obtain high efficiency while keeping low levels of NOx emissions. A swirling flow in combustion ensures a fixed position of a compact flame. Therefore, it is necessary to design efficient swirlers. Flow patterns are simulated for the different swirl devices proposed in this work. Two axial-swirlers are studied: one based on curve-vanes consisting of a straight line with an arc of a circle as the trailing edge and the other is the common flat-vanes. The purpose of this paper is to assess the accuracy of different swirl generators using a well-known benchmark test case. Design/methodology/approach - This work deals with modelling the swirler using two approaches: the general purpose Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver Ansys-Fluent (R) and the suite of libraries OpenFOAM (R) to solve the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations, showing there is a slight deviation between both approaches. Their performance involves analyzing not only the Swirl number but also the size of the recirculation zones in the test chamber. A subsequent process on the flow patterns was carried out to establish the intensity of segregation which provides insight into the quality of mixing. Findings - CFD models are feasible tools to predict flow features. It was found that numerical results tend to reduce the inner recirculation zone (IRZ) radial size. Further, an increase of the swirl number involves larger IRZ and a smaller outer recirculation zone (ORZ). The curved swirler displays a better axi-symmetric behaviour than flat vanes. There is weak influence of the chord vanes on the swirl number. The number of vanes is a compromise of head loses and guidance of the flow. Originality/value - The paper offers two different approaches to solve turbulent swirling flows. One based in a general contrasted commercial tool and other using open source code. Both models show similar performance. An innovative set up for an axial swirler different from the conventional flat vanes was proposed.
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| 45. |
- Parra-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Implicit les applied to isothermal swirling coaxial jets
- 2016
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Ingår i: Symposia: Turbomachinery Flow Simulation and Optimization; Applications in CFD; Bio-Inspired and Bio-Medical Fluid Mechanics; CFD Verification and Validation; Development and Applications of Immersed Boundary Methods; DNS, LES and Hybrid RANS/LES Methods; Fluid Machinery; Fluid-Structure Interaction and Flow-Induced Noise in Industrial Applications; Flow Applications in Aerospace; Active Fluid Dynamics and Flow Control - Theory, Experiments and Implementation. - 9780791850282 ; 1A-2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work is devoted to the analysis of the interaction of two coaxial jet with swirling flow using Large Eddy Simulation methodology to reproduce the case of Roback and Johnson. The eight - flat - vanes in the annular nozzle are the precursor of the swirling annular jet with high swirl number. An implicit LES model was used, this model uses mesh size as filter width so no sub-grid model is required. It is the numerical error who plays the role of dissipative part of the stress tensor in the sub-mesh. Mesh prerequisites are Ay+ = 1 and uniform hexahedral mesh. The resolution scheme used is a Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) with coefficients looking for good precision. PISO is the pressure-velocity coupling used. Besides, multigrid resolution improves the performance towards the full convergence. Influence of the swirl number on the flow pattern is analyzed. Also the impact of conical diffuser on the mixing is presented.
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| 46. |
- Parra-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Numerical modelling of swirling diffusive flames
- 2016
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Ingår i: EPJ Web of Conferences. - : EDP Sciences. - 2101-6275 .- 2100-014X. ; 114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Computational Fluid Dynamics has been used to study the mixing and combustion of two confined jets whose setup and operating conditions are those of the benchmark of Roback and Johnson. Numerical model solves 3D transient Navier Stokes for turbulent and reactive flows. Averaged velocity profiles using RNG swirl dominated k-epsilon model have been validated with experimental measurements from other sources for the non reactive case. The combustion model is Probability Density Function. Bearing in mind the annular jet has swirl number over 0.5, a vortex breakdown appears in the axis of the burner. Besides, the sudden expansion with a ratio of 2 in diameter between nozzle exits and the test chamber produces the boundary layer separation with the corresponding torus shape recirculation. Contrasting the mixing and combustion models, the last one produces the reduction of the vortex breakdown.
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| 47. |
- Parra-Santos, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Swirl influence on mixing and reactive flows
- 2016
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Ingår i: Symposia: Fluid Mechanics (Fundamental Issues and Perspectives; Industrial and Environmental Applications); Multiphase Flow and Systems (Multiscale Methods; Noninvasive Measurements; Numerical Methods; Heat Transfer; Performance); Transport Phenomena (Clean Energy; Mixing; Manufacturing and Materials Processing); Turbulent Flows - Issues and Perspectives; Algorithms and Applications for High Performance CFD Computation; Fluid Power; Fluid Dynamics of Wind Energy; Marine Hydrodynamics. - 9780791850299 ; 1B-2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interaction of two confined coaxial jets has been studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Annular jet flows over 8 flat blade swirl generator. Numerical simulation uses RNG k- ϵ turbulence model. These models are suitable for turbulent swirl dominated flows. Intermediate swirl injector has been simulated and the flow patterns for non-reactive and reactive cases are contrasted. Low swirling injectors do not promote the fluid to turn over near the center of the chamber, resulting larger mixing zones with weak gradients. Whereas large swirling flows promote the formation of an Inner Recirculation Zone that is a precursor of higher gradients. Probability Density Function is selected as combustion model. High swirl numbers let fix the location of the reactive zone.
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| 48. |
- Pumpure, Elizabete, et al.
(författare)
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Womenʼs perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care in childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study on 40 WHO standards-based quality measures
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:S1, s. 97-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, comparing the years 2020 and 2021, among women who went into labor or had a prelabor cesarean. Methods: Women giving birth in healthcare facilities in Latvia from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Descriptive and multivariate quantile regression analyses were performed to compare QMNC in 2020 and 2021. Results: 2079 women were included in the analysis: 1860 women who went into labor (group 1) and 219 with prelabor cesarean (group 2). Among group 1, 66.4% (n = 99/149) of women received fundal pressure in an instrumental vaginal birth, 43.5% (n = 810) lacked involvement in choices, 17.4% (n = 317) reported suffering abuse, 32.7% (n = 609) reported inadequate breastfeeding support while 5.2% (n = 96) lack of early breastfeeding. A significant reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 29.5% (n = 219) and 25.0% (n = 270) of respondents in 2020 and 2021, respectively (P = 0.045). Multivariate analyses highlighted a significantly lower QMNC index for 2020 compared with 2021 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This first study investigating QMNC in Latvia showed significant gaps in QMNC perceived by respondents, with slightly better results in 2021. Appropriate healthcare strategies to improve health care for women and newborns in Latvia are required. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04847336.
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| 49. |
- Santos-Silva, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
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Kinetic, Structural, and EPR Studies Reveal That Aldehyde Oxidoreductase from Desulfovibrio gigas Does Not Need a Sulfido Ligand for Catalysis and Give Evidence for a Direct Mo-C Interaction in a Biological System
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 131, s. 7990-7998
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aldehyde oxidoreductase from Desulfovibrio gigas (DgAOR) is a member of the xanthine oxidase (XO) family of mononuclear Mo-enzymes that catalyzes the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids. The molybdenum site in the enzymes of the XO family shows a distorted square pyramidal geometry in which two ligands, a hydroxyl/water molecule (the catalytic labile site) and a sulfido ligand, have been shown to be essential for catalysis. We report here steady-state kinetic studies of DgAOR with the inhibitors cyanide, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and arsenite, together with crystallographic and EPR studies of the enzyme after reaction with the two alcohols. In contrast to what has been observed in other members of the XO family, cyanide, ethylene glycol, and glycerol are reversible inhibitors of DgAOR. Kinetic data with both cyanide and samples prepared from single crystals confirm that DgAOR does not need a sulfido ligand for catalysis and confirm the absence of this ligand in the coordination sphere of the molybdenum atom in the active enzyme. Addition of ethylene glycol and glycerol to dithionite-reduced DgAOR yields rhombic Mo(V) EPR signals, suggesting that the nearly square pyramidal coordination of the active enzyme is distorted upon alcohol inhibition. This is in agreement with the X-ray structure of the ethylene glycol and glycerol-inhibited enzyme, where the catalytically labile OH/OH2 ligand is lost and both alcohols coordinate the Mo site in a η2 fashion. The two adducts present a direct interaction between the molybdenum and one of the carbon atoms of the alcohol moiety, which constitutes the first structural evidence for such a bond in a biological system.
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| 50. |
- Schnohr, Christina W., et al.
(författare)
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Semantics bias in cross-national comparative analyses : Is it good or bad to have "fair" health?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1477-7525. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Health Behavior in School-aged Children is a cross-national study collecting data on social and health indicators on adolescents in 43 countries. The study provides comparable data on health behaviors and health outcomes through the use of a common protocol, which have been a back bone of the study sine its initiation in 1983. Recent years, researchers within the study have noticed a questionable comparability on the widely used item on self-rated health. One of the four response categories to the item "Would you say your health is....?" showed particular variation, as the response category "Fair" varied from 20 % in Latvia and Moldova to 3-4 % in Bulgaria and Macedonia. A qualitative mini-survey of the back-translations showed that the response category "Fair" had a negative slant in 25 countries, a positive slant in 10 countries and was considered neutral in 9 countries. This finding indicates that there are what may be called semantic issues affecting comparability in international studies, since the same original word (in an English original) is interpreted differently across countries and cultures. The paper test and discuss a few possible explanations to this, however, only leaving to future studies to hold a cautious approach to international comparisons if working with the self-rated health item with four response categories.
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