| 1. |
- Lindelöf, Linnea, et al.
(författare)
-
A survey of ficolin-3 activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus reveals a link to hematological disease manifestations and autoantibody profile
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Journal of Autoimmunity. - : Elsevier. - 0896-8411 .- 1095-9157. ; 143
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The complement system plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), but most studies have focused on the classical pathway. Ficolin-3 is the main initiator of the lectin pathway of complement in humans, but its role in systemic autoimmune disease has not been conclusively determined. Here, we combined biochemical and genetic approaches to assess the contribution of ficolin-3 to SLE risk and disease manifestations. Ficolin-3 activity was measured by a functional assay in serum or plasma samples from Swedish SLE patients (n = 786) and controls matched for age and sex (n = 566). Genetic variants in an extended 300 kb genomic region spanning the FCN3 locus were analyzed for their association with ficolin-3 activity and SLE manifestations in a Swedish multicenter cohort (n = 985). Patients with ficolin-3 activity in the highest tertile showed a strong enrichment in an SLE cluster defined by anti-Sm/DNA/nucleosome antibodies (OR 3.0, p < 0.001) and had increased rates of hematological disease (OR 1.4, p = 0.078) and lymphopenia (OR = 1.6, p = 0.039). Genetic variants associated with low ficolin-3 activity mapped to an extended haplotype in high linkage disequilibrium upstream of the FCN3 gene. Patients carrying the lead genetic variant associated with low ficolin3 activity had a lower frequency of hematological disease (OR 0.67, p = 0.018) and lymphopenia (OR 0.63, p = 0.031) and fewer autoantibodies (p = 0.0019). Loss-of-function variants in the FCN3 gene were not associated with SLE, but four (0.5 %) SLE patients developed acquired ficolin-3 deficiency where ficolin-3 activity in serum was depleted following diagnosis of SLE. Taken together, our results provide genetic and biochemical evidence that implicate the lectin pathway in hematological SLE manifestations. We also identify lectin pathway activation through ficolin-3 as a factor that contributes to the autoantibody response in SLE.
|
|
| 2. |
- Marklinder, Ingela, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
-
A Structural Equation Model Demonstrating the Relationship between Food Safety Background, Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour among Swedish Students
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Foods. - : MDPI. - 2304-8158. ; 11:11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditionally, food safety knowledge has been seen as a factor in improving food safety behaviour. However, the relationship between knowledge and behavior is complex. The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported data from 408 university students regarding food safety background, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to examine the influence of different factors on food safety behaviour. The SEM was applied to four factors derived from the data: Background, Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour. The novelty of this current investigation is the inclusion of the Background factor (genus; experience of cooking and handling different food items; experience of a food safety education course; the foremost sources of food safety knowledge). The factors were constructed from variables with sufficient factor loadings and set up in a predetermined structure confirmed to be valid in previous studies. The results, demonstrated as regression coefficients between factors, confirm that the Background factor strongly influenced Knowledge (0.842). The Knowledge factor, in turn, strongly affected Attitude (0.605), while it did not directly affect Behaviour (0.301) in the same way as Attitude. Attitude had a stronger influence on Behaviour (0.438) than Knowledge. Thus, the Attitude factor seemed to play a mediating role between Knowledge and Behaviour. This indicates that students ' attitudes towards the importance of food safety may have an impact on their food safety behavior, which should have implications for the development of food safety education. This warrants further investigation and practical development.
|
|
| 3. |
- Marklinder, Ingela, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
-
Food safety knowledge, sources thereof and self-reported behaviour among university students in Sweden
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Food Control. - : Elsevier. - 0956-7135 .- 1873-7129. ; 113
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- International studies have noted shortcomings in food safety knowledge and behaviour among university students. In general students do not constitute a pronounced risk group but there are wider implications. In a foreseeable future some of them will become pregnant and a majority will be responsible for vulnerable groups in their near environment. A crucial question exists, therefore, about their food safety knowledge and safe food handling practices.The aim of this study is to investigate food safety knowledge, sources thereof and self-reported food safety behavior among university students in Sweden.A quantitative study design using a web-based questionnaire was chosen as the data collection method. The questionnaire was distributed through social media and e-mail.Among the 606 respondents from 24 Swedish universities 80% were 18-30 years and 78% were women. The average number of correct answers on the knowledge questions was 7.61 out of 12 (63.4%). The foremost source of food safety knowledge was "Family and friends" (45%). Just 21.1% reported Food safety education as a source, although 35.6% had experience of a course in food hygiene/safety and/or microbiology. Respondents who reported "Family and friends" to be the foremost food safety source of knowledge also got a significantly lower rate of correct answers. Students who estimated their food safety knowledge to be good also had more correct answers. Experience of food safety education at secondary school/university/working place/polytechnic school significantly correlated with more correct answers on the knowledge questions and indicated a safer self-reported behaviour. Those with fewer correct answers also reported more unfavourable behaviours. The present study indicates that education promotes more optimal behaviors. The authors would suggest a more systematic food safety education at younger ages.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bagger, Anette, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
-
Directions of intentionalities in special needs education in mathematics
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Educational Studies in Mathematics. - : Springer. - 0013-1954 .- 1573-0816. ; 104, s. 41-63
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article builds upon a systematic review of 53 articles in international research journals and makes three main contributions. First, it develops a method for identifying motives, values, and assumptions in research by analysing segments of text in journal articles. Second, it represents a reflective account of research within the field of mathematics education. Third, it captures the ongoing directions of intentionalities inherent in the diverse field of special education mathematics and, thereby, some of the characteristics of the core issues in this field. Three directions of intentionalities were identified: towards teachers and teaching competence, towards enhanced mathematical achievement, and towards every student's learning. The results indicate that each direction has specific limitations and potentials. In order to improve special education mathematics, we recommend that researchers and practitioners remain broadly informed and involved in all three directions of intentionalities.
|
|
| 5. |
- Capo, Eric, et al.
(författare)
-
Oxygen-deficient water zones in the Baltic Sea promote uncharacterized Hg methylating microorganisms in underlying sediments
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Limnology and Oceanography. - : Wiley. - 1939-5590 .- 0024-3590. ; 67:1, s. 135-146
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human-induced expansion of oxygen-deficient zones can have dramatic impacts on marine systems and its resident biota. One example is the formation of the potent neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) that is mediated by microbial methylation of inorganic divalent Hg (HgII) under oxygen-deficient conditions. A negative consequence of the expansion of oxygen-deficient zones could be an increase in MeHg production due to shifts in microbial communities in favor of microorganisms methylating Hg. There is, however, limited knowledge about Hg-methylating microbes, i.e., those carrying hgc genes critical for mediating the process, from marine sediments. Here, we aim to study the presence of hgc genes and transcripts in metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from four surface sediments with contrasting concentrations of oxygen and sulfide in the Baltic Sea. We show that potential Hg methylators differed among sediments depending on redox conditions. Sediments with an oxygenated surface featured hgc-like genes and transcripts predominantly associated with uncultured Desulfobacterota (OalgD group) and Desulfobacterales (including Desulfobacula sp.) while sediments with a hypoxic-anoxic surface included hgc-carrying Verrucomicrobia, unclassified Desulfobacterales, Desulfatiglandales, and uncharacterized microbes. Our data suggest that the expansion of oxygen-deficient zones in marine systems may lead to a compositional change of Hg-methylating microbial groups in the sediments, where Hg methylators whose metabolism and biology have not yet been characterized will be promoted and expand.
|
|
| 6. |
- Alneberg, Johannes, et al.
(författare)
-
Ecosystem-wide metagenomic binning enables prediction of ecological niches from genomes
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1, s. 1-10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alneberg et al. conduct metagenomics binning of water samples collected over major environmental gradients in the Baltic Sea. They use machine-learning to predict the placement of genome clusters along niche gradients based on the content of functional genes. The genome encodes the metabolic and functional capabilities of an organism and should be a major determinant of its ecological niche. Yet, it is unknown if the niche can be predicted directly from the genome. Here, we conduct metagenomic binning on 123 water samples spanning major environmental gradients of the Baltic Sea. The resulting 1961 metagenome-assembled genomes represent 352 species-level clusters that correspond to 1/3 of the metagenome sequences of the prokaryotic size-fraction. By using machine-learning, the placement of a genome cluster along various niche gradients (salinity level, depth, size-fraction) could be predicted based solely on its functional genes. The same approach predicted the genomes' placement in a virtual niche-space that captures the highest variation in distribution patterns. The predictions generally outperformed those inferred from phylogenetic information. Our study demonstrates a strong link between genome and ecological niche and provides a conceptual framework for predictive ecology based on genomic data.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hoffmann, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
-
Guiding principles for the use of knowledge bases and real-world data in clinical decision support systems : report by an international expert workshop at Karolinska Institutet
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1751-2433 .- 1751-2441. ; 13:9, s. 925-934
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Technical and logical breakthroughs have provided new opportunities in medicine to use knowledge bases and large-scale clinical data (real-world) at point-of-care as part of a learning healthcare system to diminish the knowledge-practice gap. Areas covered The article is based on presentations, discussions and recommendations from an international scientific workshop. Value, research needs and funding avenues of knowledge bases and access to real-world data as well as transparency and incorporation of patient perspectives are discussed. Expert opinion Evidence-based, publicly funded, well-structured and curated knowledge bases are of global importance. They ought to be considered as a public responsibility requiring transparency and handling of conflicts of interest. Information has to be made accessible for clinical decision support systems (CDSS) for healthcare staff and patients. Access to rich and real-world data is essential for a learning health care ecosystem and can be augmented by data on patient-reported outcomes and preferences. This field can progress by the establishment of an international policy group for developing a best practice guideline on the development, maintenance, governance, evaluation principles and financing of open-source knowledge bases and handling of real-world data.
|
|
| 8. |
- Hagström, Åke, et al.
(författare)
-
Composition and Seasonality of Membrane Transporters in Marine Picoplankton
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, we examined transporter genes in metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from a time-series survey in the temperate marine environment of the Baltic Sea. We analyzed the abundance and taxonomic distribution of transporters in the 3 mu m-0.2 mu m size fraction comprising prokaryotes and some picoeukaryotes. The presence of specific transporter traits was shown to be guiding the succession of these microorganisms. A limited number of taxa were associated with the dominant transporter proteins that were identified for the nine key substrate categories for microbial growth. Throughout the year, the microbial taxa at the level of order showed highly similar patterns in terms of transporter traits. The distribution of transporters stayed the same, irrespective of the abundance of each taxon. This would suggest that the distribution pattern of transporters depends on the bacterial groups being dominant at a given time of the year. Also, we find notable numbers of secretion proteins that may allow marine bacteria to infect and kill prey organisms thus releasing nutrients. Finally, we demonstrate that transporter proteins may provide clues to the relative importance of biogeochemical processes, and we suggest that virtual transporter functionalities may become important components in future population dynamics models.
|
|
| 9. |
- Frisendahl, Nathalie, et al.
(författare)
-
Predictive Performance of the FIF Screening Tool in 2 Cohorts of Community-Living Older Adults
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : Elsevier. - 1525-8610 .- 1538-9375. ; 21:12, s. 1900-1905
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The First-time Injurious Fall (FIF) screening tool was created to identify fall risk in communityliving older adults who may benefit from primary preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of the FIF tool in 2 cohorts of older adults. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Setting and Participants: The Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Skane (SNAC-S) and Blekinge (SNAC-B), Sweden. Community-living people aged >= 60 years (n = 2766). Methods: Nurses and physicians collected data in the 2 cohorts through interviews and testing. Data on injurious falls were collected from register data and were defined as receipt of care after a fall. The FIF tool, consisting of 3 questions and 1 balance test, was examined in relation to injurious falls for up to 5 years of follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models. The predictive performance of the FIF tool was further explored using Harrell C statistic and Youden cut-off for sensitivity and specificity. Results: The hazard ratios (HRs) of an injurious fall in the high-risk group for women and men were 3.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.53, 5.73) and 5.10 (95% CI 2.57, 10.12) in SNAC-S and 4.45 (95% CI 1.86, 10.61) and 32.58 (95% CI 4.30, 247.05) in SNAC-B compared with those in the low risk group. The sensitivity and specificity of the Youden cut-off point (3 or higher for high-risk) were 0.64 and 0.69 for women and 0.68 and 0.69 for men in SNAC-S, and 0.64 and 0.74 for women and 0.94 and 0.68 for men in SNAC-B. The predictive values (Harrell C statistic) for the scores for women and men were 0.73 and 0.74 in SNAC-S and 0.72 and 0.89 in SNAC-B. Conclusions and Implications: Our results suggest that the FIF tool is a valid tool to use for prediction of first-time injurious falls in community-living older adults. (C) 2020 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
|
|
| 10. |
- Capo, Eric, et al.
(författare)
-
Deltaproteobacteria andSpirochaetes-Like Bacteria AreAbundant Putative MercuryMethylators in Oxygen-DeficientWater and Marine Particles in theBaltic Sea
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; , s. 1-11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxic compound biomagnifying in aquatic food webs, can be a threat to human health via fish consumption. However, the compositionand distribution of the microbial communities mediating the methylation of mercury (Hg) to MeHg in marine systems remain largely unknown. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we used the Baltic Sea Reference Metagenome (BARM) dataset to study the abundance and distribution of the genes involved in Hg methylation (the hgcAB gene cluster). We determined the relative abundance of the hgcAB genes and their taxonomic identity in 81 brackish metagenomes that cover spatial,seasonal and redox variability in the Baltic Sea water column. The hgcAB genes were predominantly detected in anoxic water, but some hgcAB genes were alsodetected in hypoxic and normoxic waters. Phylogenetic analysis identified putative Hg methylators within Deltaproteobacteria, in oxygen-deficient water layers, but also Spirochaetes-like and Kiritimatiellaeota-like bacteria. Higher relative quantities of hgcAB genes were found in metagenomes from marine particles compared to free-living communities in anoxic water, suggesting that such particles are hotspot habitats for Hg methylators in oxygen-depleted seawater. Altogether, our work unveils the diversityof the microorganisms with the potential to mediate MeHg production in the BalticSea and pinpoint the important ecological niches for these microorganisms within themarine water column.
|
|
