| 1. |
- Andrighetto, Giulia, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in social norms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across 43 countries
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The emergence of COVID-19 dramatically changed social behavior across societies and contexts. Here we study whether social norms also changed. Specifically, we study this question for cultural tightness (the degree to which societies generally have strong norms), specific social norms (e.g. stealing, hand washing), and norms about enforcement, using survey data from 30,431 respondents in 43 countries recorded before and in the early stages following the emergence of COVID-19. Using variation in disease intensity, we shed light on the mechanisms predicting changes in social norm measures. We find evidence that, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing norms increased while tightness and punishing frequency slightly decreased but observe no evidence for a robust change in most other norms. Thus, at least in the short term, our findings suggest that cultures are largely stable to pandemic threats except in those norms, hand washing in this case, that are perceived to be directly relevant to dealing with the collective threat. Tightness-looseness theory predicts that social norms strengthen following threat. Here the authors test this and find that, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing norms increased, but no evidence was observed for a robust change in most other norms.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Haagdorens, Michel, et al.
(författare)
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Plant Recombinant Human Collagen Type I Hydrogels for Corneal Regeneration
- 2022
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Ingår i: REGENERATIVE ENGINEERING AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 2364-4133 .- 2364-4141. ; 8:2, s. 269-283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose To determine feasibility of plant-derived recombinant human collagen type I (RHCI) for use in corneal regenerative implantsMethods RHCI was crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to form hydrogels. Application of shear force to liquid crystalline RHCI aligned the collagen fibrils. Both aligned and random hydrogels were evaluated for mechanical and optical properties, as well as in vitro biocompatibility. Further evaluation was performed in vivo by subcutaneous implantation in rats and corneal implantation in Gottingen minipigs.Results Spontaneous crosslinking of randomly aligned RHCI (rRHCI) formed robust, transparent hydrogels that were sufficient for implantation. Aligning the RHCI (aRHCI) resulted in thicker collagen fibrils forming an opaque hydrogel with insufficient transverse mechanical strength for surgical manipulation. rRHCI showed minimal inflammation when implanted subcutaneously in rats. The corneal implants in minipigs showed that rRHCI hydrogels promoted regeneration of corneal epithelium, stroma, and nerves; some myofibroblasts were seen in the regenerated neo-corneas.Conclusion Plant-derived RHCI was used to fabricate a hydrogel that is transparent, mechanically stable, and biocompatible when grafted as corneal implants in minipigs. Plant-derived collagen is determined to be a safe alternative to allografts, animal collagens, or yeast-derived recombinant human collagen for tissue engineering applications. The main advantage is that unlike donor corneas or yeast-produced collagen, the RHCI supply is potentially unlimited due to the high yields of this production method. Lay Summary A severe shortage of human-donor corneas for transplantation has led scientists to develop synthetic alternatives. Here, recombinant human collagen type I made of tobacco plants through genetic engineering was tested for use in making corneal implants. We made strong, transparent hydrogels that were tested by implanting subcutaneously in rats and in the corneas of minipigs. We showed that the plant collagen was biocompatible and was able to stably regenerate the corneas of minipigs comparable to yeast-produced recombinant collagen that we previously tested in clinical trials. The advantage of the plant collagen is that the supply is potentially limitless.
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| 5. |
- Howes, Mark T, et al.
(författare)
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Clathrin-independent carriers form a high capacity endocytic sorting system at the leading edge of migrating cells
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Cell Biology. - : Rockefeller University Press. - 0021-9525 .- 1540-8140. ; 190:4, s. 675-691
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the importance of clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytic pathways has recently emerged, key aspects of these routes remain unknown. Using quantitative ultrastructural approaches, we show that clathrin-independent carriers (CLICs) account for approximately three times the volume internalized by the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway, forming the major pathway involved in uptake of fluid and bulk membrane in fibroblasts. Electron tomographic analysis of the 3D morphology of the earliest carriers shows that they are multidomain organelles that form a complex sorting station as they mature. Proteomic analysis provides direct links between CLICs, cellular adhesion turnover, and migration. Consistent with this, CLIC-mediated endocytosis of key cargo proteins, CD44 and Thy-1, is polarized at the leading edge of migrating fibroblasts, while transient ablation of CLICs impairs their ability to migrate. These studies provide the first quantitative ultrastructural analysis and molecular characterization of the major endocytic pathway in fibroblasts, a pathway that provides rapid membrane turnover at the leading edge of migrating cells.
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| 6. |
- Mantell, Andy, et al.
(författare)
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Social work-generated evidence in traumatic brain injury from 1975 to 2014 : A systematic scoping review
- 2018
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Ingår i: Health & Social Care in the Community. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0966-0410 .- 1365-2524. ; 26:4, s. 433-448
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The International Network for Social Workers in Acquired Brain Injury (INSWABI) com-missioned a systematic scoping review to ascertain the social work-generated evidence base on people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of working age. The review aimed to identify the output, impact and quality of publications authored by social workers on this topic. Study quality was evaluated through assessment frameworks drawn from the United Kingdom National Service Framework for Long- Term Conditions. In the 40- year period from 1975 to 2014, 115 items were published that met the search criteria (inter-vention studies, n = 10; observational studies, n = 52; literature reviews, n = 6; expert opinion or policy analysis, n = 39; and others, n = 8). The publications could be grouped into five major fields of practice: families, social inclusion, military, inequalities and psy-chological adjustment. There was a significant increase in the number of publications over each decade. Impact was demonstrated in that the great majority of publications had been cited at least once (80.6%, 103/115). Articles published in rehabilitation jour-nals were cited significantly more often than articles published in social work journals. A significant improvement in publication quality was observed across the four decades, with the majority of studies in the last decade rated as high quality.
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| 7. |
- McCallum, Fiona J., et al.
(författare)
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Differing rates of antibody acquisition to merozoite antigens in malaria : Implications for immunity and surveillance
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Leukocyte Biology. - 0741-5400 .- 1938-3673. ; 101:4, s. 913-925
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antibodies play a key role in acquired human immunity to Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria and target merozoites to reduce or prevent blood-stage replication and the development of disease. Merozoites present a complex array of antigens to the immune system, and currently, there is only a partial understanding of the targets of protective antibodies and how responses to different antigens are acquired and boosted. We hypothesized that there would be differences in the rate of acquisition of antibodies to different antigens and how well they are boosted by infection, which impacts the acquisition of immunity. We examined responses to a range of merozoite antigens in 2 different cohorts of children and adults with different age structures and levels of malaria exposure. Overall, antibodies were associated with age, exposure, and active infection, and the repertoire of responses increased with age and active infection. However, rates of antibody acquisition varied between antigens and different regions within an antigen following exposure to malaria, supporting our hypothesis. Antigen-specific responses could be broadly classified into early response types in which antibodies were acquired early in childhood exposure and late response types that appear to require substantially more exposure for the development of substantial levels. We identified antigen-specific responses that were effectively boosted after recent infection, whereas other responses were not. These findings advance our understanding of the acquisition of human immunity to malaria and are relevant to the development of malaria vaccines targeting merozoite antigens and the selection of antigens for use in malaria surveillance.
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| 8. |
- McTiernan, Christopher D., et al.
(författare)
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LiQD Cornea: Pro-regeneration collagen mimetics as patches and alternatives to corneal transplantation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 2375-2548. ; 6:25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transplantation with donor corneas is the mainstay for treating corneal blindness, but a severe worldwide shortage necessitates the development of other treatment options. Corneal perforation from infection or inflammation is sealed with cyanoacrylate glue. However, the resulting cytotoxicity requires transplantation. LiQD Cornea is an alternative to conventional corneal transplantation and sealants. It is a cell-free, liquid hydrogel matrix for corneal regeneration, comprising short collagen-like peptides conjugated with polyethylene glycol and mixed with fibrinogen to promote adhesion within tissue defects. Gelation occurs spontaneously at body temperature within 5 min. Light exposure is not required-particularly advantageous because patients with corneal inflammation are typically photophobic. The self-assembling, fully defined, synthetic collagen analog is much less costly than human recombinant collagen and reduces the risk of immune rejection associated with xenogeneic materials. In situ gelation potentially allows for clinical application in outpatient clinics instead of operating theaters, maximizing practicality, and minimizing health care costs.
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| 9. |
- Mulvey, Fiona, et al.
(författare)
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How reliable is eye movement data?
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Eye data quality varies greatly with the eyetracking system, the individual characteristics of participants, the recording environment, and the operator. The quality of the signal has important repercussions for which eye movement measures are valid, and what conclusions can be drawn from them. Reading research often has high demands in terms of spatial precision and accuracy. Reliably detecting events (e.g., fixations, saccades, pursuit, blinks) depends strongly on intrinsic instrument noise and the correct application of parsing algorithms. We define standard measures of data quality across commercial systems and screen area, as well as system robustness to individual variation, from a large data collection. We show differences in the results from parsing algorithms with varying eye data quality, and infer predictive models of data quality as a function of employed systems, operator, and characteristics of the recorded eye across 12 tower mounted and remote eyetracking systems, and 194 participants. We discuss these results in terms of stimulus constraints in reading research. This work is output of the Eye Data Quality Standardization Committee – a collaboration of manufacturers and researchers towards unbiased measures, and the provision of open-source tools for transparency of eye data quality.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Ostergaard, Pia, et al.
(författare)
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Mutations in GATA2 cause primary lymphedema associated with a predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (Emberger syndrome).
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 43:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report an allelic series of eight mutations in GATA2 underlying Emberger syndrome, an autosomal dominant primary lymphedema associated with a predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia. GATA2 is a transcription factor that plays an essential role in gene regulation during vascular development and hematopoietic differentiation. Our findings indicate that haploinsufficiency of GATA2 underlies primary lymphedema and predisposes to acute myeloid leukemia in this syndrome.
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| 12. |
- Ostergaard, Pia, et al.
(författare)
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Mutations in KIF11 cause autosomal-dominant microcephaly variably associated with congenital lymphedema and chorioretinopathy.
- 2012
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Ingår i: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 90:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have identified KIF11 mutations in individuals with syndromic autosomal-dominant microcephaly associated with lymphedema and/or chorioretinopathy. Initial whole-exome sequencing revealed heterozygous KIF11 mutations in three individuals with a combination of microcephaly and lymphedema from a microcephaly-lymphedema-chorioretinal-dysplasia cohort. Subsequent Sanger sequencing of KIF11 in a further 15 unrelated microcephalic probands with lymphedema and/or chorioretinopathy identified additional heterozygous mutations in 12 of them. KIF11 encodes EG5, a homotetramer kinesin motor. The variety of mutations we have found (two nonsense, two splice site, four missense, and six indels causing frameshifts) are all predicted to have an impact on protein function. EG5 has previously been shown to play a role in spindle assembly and function, and these findings highlight the critical role of proteins necessary for spindle formation in CNS development. Moreover, identification of KIF11 mutations in patients with chorioretinopathy and lymphedema suggests that EG5 is involved in the development and maintenance of retinal and lymphatic structures.
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| 13. |
- Simpson, Fiona C., et al.
(författare)
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Collagen analogs with phosphorylcholine are inflammation-suppressing scaffolds for corneal regeneration from alkali burns in mini-pigs
- 2021
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Nature Research. - 2399-3642. ; 4:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The long-term survival of biomaterial implants is often hampered by surgery-induced inflammation that can lead to graft failure. Considering that most corneas receiving grafts are either pathological or inflamed before implantation, the risk of rejection is heightened. Here, we show that bioengineered, fully synthetic, and robust corneal implants can be manufactured from a collagen analog (collagen-like peptide-polyethylene glycol hybrid, CLP-PEG) and inflammation-suppressing polymeric 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) when stabilized with the triazine-based crosslinker 4-(4,6-Dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride. The resulting CLP-PEG-MPC implants led to reduced corneal swelling, haze, and neovascularization in comparison to CLP-PEG only implants when grafted into a mini-pig cornea alkali burn model of inflammation over 12 months. Implants incorporating MPC allowed for faster nerve regeneration and recovery of corneal sensation. CLP-PEG-MPC implants appear to be at a more advanced stage of regeneration than the CLP-PEG only implants, as evidenced by the presence of higher amounts of cornea-specific type V collagen, and a corresponding decrease in the presence of extracellular vesicles and exosomes in the corneal stroma, in keeping with the amounts present in healthy, unoperated corneas. Simpson, McTiernan et al. develop fully synthetic corneal implants. The resulting CLP-PEG-MPC implants show reduced corneal swelling, haze, and neovascularization compared to CLP-PEG only implants when grafted into a mini-pig cornea alkali burn model of inflammation over 12 months. This study suggests the superiority of CLP-PEG-MPC implants over the CLP-PEG only implants.
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| 14. |
- Simpson, Fiona, et al.
(författare)
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Electron-Beam Irradiated Recombinant Human Collagen-Phosphorylcholine Corneal Implants Retain Pro-Regeneration Capacity
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-4185. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sterilization of biodegradable, collagen-based implants is challenging as irradiation sterilization methods can alter their mechanical properties. Electron beam (EB) irradiation is a terminal sterilization method that has been used for biologically-derived implants. Here, recombinant human collagen type III-phosphorylcholine (RHCIII-MPC) hydrogels were irradiated with EB doses of 17, 19, or 21 kGy and their subsequent biocompatibility and ability to promote regeneration in rabbit corneas was evaluated. Unirradiated hydrogels stored in 1% chloroform in phosphate-buffered saline (C-PBS) were the controls. There were no significant differences between irradiated and non-irradiated samples in optical or physical properties (tensile strength, modulus, elasticity), or the ability to support cell growth. However, irradiated implants were more sensitive to high levels of collagenase than unirradiated controls and the C-PBS implants had increased cell growth compared to EB and controls at 72 h. Corneal implants e-beamed at 17 kGy or e-beamed and subsequently frozen (EB-F) to increase shelf-life showed no adverse biological effects of the irradiation. EB, EB-F, and C-PBS implanted corneas all rapidly re-epithelialized but showed mild neovascularization that resolved over 6 months. The regenerated neo-corneas were transparent at 6 months post-operation. In vivo confocal microscopy confirmed normal morphology for the epithelium, stroma, sub-basal nerves and unoperated endothelium. Histology showed that all the regenerated corneas were morphologically similar to the normal. Immunohistochemistry indicated the presence of a differentiated corneal epithelium and functional tear film. In conclusion, the e-beamed corneal implants performed as well as non-irradiated control implants, resulting in fully regenerated neo-corneas with new nerves and without blood vessels or inflammation that may impede vision or corneal function. Therefore, a complete validation study to establish EB irradiation as an effective means for corneal implant sterilization prior to clinical application is necessary as a next step.
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| 15. |
- Tran, Thao Thanh, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of the master regulator of Listeria monocytogenes virulence enables bacterial clearance from spacious replication vacuoles in infected macrophages
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library Science. - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A hallmark of Listeria (L.) monocytogenes pathogenesis is bacterial escape from maturing entry vacuoles, which is required for rapid bacterial replication in the host cell cytoplasm and cell-to-cell spread. The bacterial transcriptional activator PrfA controls expression of key virulence factors that enable exploitation of this intracellular niche. The transcriptional activity of PrfA within infected host cells is controlled by allosteric coactivation. Inhibitory occupation of the coactivator site has been shown to impair PrfA functions, but consequences of PrfA inhibition for L. monocytogenes infection and pathogenesis are unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of PrfA with a small molecule inhibitor occupying the coactivator site at 2.0 Å resolution. Using molecular imaging and infection studies in macrophages, we demonstrate that PrfA inhibition prevents the vacuolar escape of L. monocytogenes and enables extensive bacterial replication inside spacious vacuoles. In contrast to previously described spacious Listeria-containing vacuoles, which have been implicated in supporting chronic infection, PrfA inhibition facilitated progressive clearance of intracellular L. monocytogenes from spacious vacuoles through lysosomal degradation. Thus, inhibitory occupation of the PrfA coactivator site facilitates formation of a transient intravacuolar L. monocytogenes replication niche that licenses macrophages to effectively eliminate intracellular bacteria. Our findings encourage further exploration of PrfA as a potential target for antimicrobials and highlight that intra-vacuolar residence of L. monocytogenes in macrophages is not inevitably tied to bacterial persistence.
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| 16. |
- Abbafati, Cristiana, et al.
(författare)
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- 2020
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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