| 1. |
- Gioti, Anastasia, et al.
(författare)
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Genomic Insights into the Atopic Eczema-Associated Skin Commensal Yeast Malassezia sympodialis
- 2013
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Ingår i: mBio. - 2161-2129 .- 2150-7511. ; 4:1, s. e00572-12-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Malassezia commensal yeasts are associated with a number of skin disorders, such as atopic eczema/dermatitis and dandruff, and they also can cause systemic infections. Here we describe the 7.67-Mbp genome of Malassezia sympodialis, a species associated with atopic eczema, and contrast its genome repertoire with that of Malassezia globosa, associated with dandruff, as well as those of other closely related fungi. Ninety percent of the predicted M. sympodialis protein coding genes were experimentally verified by mass spectrometry at the protein level. We identified a relatively limited number of genes related to lipid biosynthesis, and both species lack the fatty acid synthase gene, in line with the known requirement of these yeasts to assimilate lipids from the host. Malassezia species do not appear to have many cell wall-localized glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) proteins and lack other cell wall proteins previously identified in other fungi. This is surprising given that in other fungi these proteins have been shown to mediate interactions (e. g., adhesion and biofilm formation) with the host. The genome revealed a complex evolutionary history for an allergen of unknown function, Mala s 7, shown to be encoded by a member of an amplified gene family of secreted proteins. Based on genetic and biochemical studies with the basidiomycete human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, we characterized the allergen Mala s 6 as the cytoplasmic cyclophilin A. We further present evidence that M. sympodialis may have the capacity to undergo sexual reproduction and present a model for a pseudobipolar mating system that allows limited recombination between two linked MAT loci. IMPORTANCE Malassezia commensal yeasts are associated with a number of skin disorders. The previously published genome of M. globosa provided some of the first insights into Malassezia biology and its involvement in dandruff. Here, we present the genome of M. sympodialis, frequently isolated from patients with atopic eczema and healthy individuals. We combined comparative genomics with sequencing and functional characterization of specific genes in a population of clinical isolates and in closely related model systems. Our analyses provide insights into the evolution of allergens related to atopic eczema and the evolutionary trajectory of the machinery for sexual reproduction and meiosis. We hypothesize that M. sympodialis may undergo sexual reproduction, which has important implications for the understanding of the life cycle and virulence potential of this medically important yeast. Our findings provide a foundation for the development of genetic and genomic tools to elucidate host-microbe interactions that occur on the skin and to identify potential therapeutic targets.
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| 2. |
- Abuzeid, Nadir, et al.
(författare)
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Antimycobacterial activity of selected medicinal plants traditionally used in Sudan to treat infectious diseases
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Ethnopharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0378-8741 .- 1872-7573. ; 157, s. 134-139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ethnopharmacological relevance: The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis underscores the need for continuous development of new and efficient methods to determine the susceptibility of isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the search for novel antimycobacterial agents. Natural products constitute an important source of new drugs, and design and implementation of antimycobacterial susceptibility testing methods are necessary to evaluate the different extracts and compounds. In this study we have explored the antimycobacterial properties of 50 ethanolic extracts from different parts of 46 selected medicinal plants traditionally used in Sudan to treat infectious diseases. Materials and methods: Plants were harvested and ethanolic extracts were prepared. For selected extracts, fractionation with hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents was undertaken. A luminometry-based assay was used for determination of mycobacterial growth in broth cultures and inside primary human macrophages in the presence or absence of plant extracts and fractions of extracts. Cytotoxicity was also assessed for active fractions of plant extracts. Results: Of the tested extracts, three exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on an avirulent strain of Mycobacterium tubercluosis (H37Ra) at the initial screening doses (125 and 6.25 mu g/ml). These were bark and leaf extracts of Khaya senegalensis and the leaf extract of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Further fractions of these plant extracts were prepared with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, ethanol and water, and the activity of these extracts was retained in hydrophobic fractions. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the chloroform fraction of Khaya senegalensis bark was non-toxic to human monocyte-derived macrophages and other cell types at the concentrations used and hence, further analysis, including assessment of IC50 and intracellular activity was done with this fraction. Conclusion: These results encourage further investigations to identify the active compound(s) within the chloroform fraction of Khaya senegalensis bark. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Ali, Alaa M. G., et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol Consumption and Survival after a Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Literature-Based Meta-analysis and Collaborative Analysis of Data for 29,239 Cases
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. - 1538-7755 .- 1055-9965. ; 23:6, s. 934-945
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Evidence for an association of alcohol consumption with prognosis after a diagnosis of breast cancer has been inconsistent. We have reviewed and summarized the published evidence and evaluated the association using individual patient data from multiple case cohorts. Methods: A MEDLINE search to identify studies published up to January 2013 was performed. We combined published estimates of survival time for "moderate drinkers" versus nondrinkers. An analysis of individual participant data using Cox regression was carried out using data from 11 case cohorts. Results: We identified 11 published studies suitable for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Moderate postdiagnosis alcohol consumption was not associated with overall survival [HR, 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85-1.05], but there was some evidence of better survival associated with prediagnosis consumption (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73-0.88). Individual data on alcohol consumption for 29,239 cases with 4,839 deaths were available from the 11 case cohorts, all of which had data on estrogen receptor (ER) status. For women with ER-positive disease, there was little evidence that pre-or postdiagnosis alcohol consumption is associated with breast cancer-specific mortality, with some evidence of a negative association with all-cause mortality. On the basis of a single study, moderate postdiagnosis alcohol intake was associated with a small reduction in breast cancer-specific mortality for women with ER-negative disease. There was no association with prediagnosis intake for women with ER-negative disease. Conclusion: There was little evidence that pre- or post-diagnosis alcohol consumption is associated with breast cancer-specific mortality for women with ER-positive disease. There was weak evidence that moderate post-diagnosis alcohol intake is associated with a small reduction in breast cancer-specific mortality in ER-negative disease. Impact: Considering the totality of the evidence, moderate postdiagnosis alcohol consumption is unlikely to have a major adverse effect on the survival of women with breast cancer. (C) 2014 AACR.
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| 4. |
- Almroth, Henrik, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The safety of flecainide treatment of atrial fibrillation : long-term incidence of sudden cardiac death and proarrhythmic events
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 270:3, s. 281-290
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective:To assess the safety of long-term treatment with flecainide in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly with regard to sudden cardiac death (SCD) andproarrhythmic events.Design: Retrospective,observational cohort study.Setting.Single-centre study at Örebro University Hospital, Sweden.Setting: Single-centre study at Orebro University Hospital, Sweden.Subjects: A total of 112 patients with paroxysmal (51%) or persistent (49%) AF (mean age 60 ± 11 years) were included after identifying all patients with AF who initiated oral flecainide treatment (mean dose 203 ± 43 mg per day) between 1998 and 2006. Standard exclusion⁄inclusion criteria for flecainide were used,andflecainidetreatmentwasusually combined withanatrioventricular-blocking agent (89%).Main outcome measure: Death was classified as sudden or nonsudden according to standard definitions. Proarrhythmia was defined as cardiac syncope or lifethreatening arrhythmia.Results: Eight deaths were reported during a mean follow- up of 3.4 ± .4 years. Compared to the general population, the standardized mortality ratios were 1.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68–3.09) for allcause mortality and 4.16 (95% CI 1.53–9.06) for death from cardiovascular disease. Three deaths were classified as SCDs. Proarrhythmic events occurred in six patients (two each with wide QRS tachycardia, 1 : 1 conducted atrial flutter and syncope during exercise).Conclusion: We found an increased incidence of SCD or proarrhythmic events in this real-world study of flecainide used for the treatment of AF. The findings suggest that further investigation into the safety of flecainide for the treatment of patients with AF is warranted.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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System of nano-silver inkjet printed memory cards and PC card reader and programmer
- 2011
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Ingår i: Microelectronics Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8324 .- 0026-2692. ; 42:1, s. 21-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work describes the development of inkjet printed, low-cost memory cards, and complementary pair of memory card reader and card reader/programmer for PCs. This constitutes a complete system that can be used for various applications. The memory cards are manufactured by inkjet printing nano-silver ink on photo paper substrate. The printed memory structures have an initial high resistance that can later be programmed to specific values representing data on the cards, the so called Write Once Read Many (WORM) memories. The memory card reader measures the resistance values of the memory cells and reads it back to the computer by USB connection. Using multiple resistance levels that represent different states it is possible to have a larger number of selectable combinations with fewer physical bits compared to binary coding. This somewhat counters one of the limitations of resistive memory technology that basically each cell needs one physical contact. The number of possible states is related to the resolution of the reader and the stability of the WORM memory.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Maria A, et al.
(författare)
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The cognitive profile and CSF biomarkers in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia.
- 2011
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Ingår i: International journal of geriatric psychiatry. - : Wiley. - 1099-1166 .- 0885-6230. ; 26:1, s. 100-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) may be viewed as different points on a continuum reflecting the regional burden and distribution of pathology. An important clinical consideration is overlapping Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, since it has been reported that associated AD pathology in DLB shortens survival and leads to a more rapid cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and the associated cognitive profile in DLB and PDD.
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| 8. |
- Ettema, Thijs J. G., et al.
(författare)
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Rolf Bernander (1956-2014) : pioneer of the archaeal cell cycle Obituary
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Microbiology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 92:5, s. 903-909
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- On 19 January 2014 Rolf (Roffe') Bernander passed away unexpectedly. Rolf was a dedicated scientist; his research aimed at unravelling the cell biology of the archaeal domain of life, especially cell cycle-related questions, but he also made important contributions in other areas of microbiology. Rolf had a professor position in the Molecular Evolution programme at Uppsala University, Sweden for about 8 years, and in January 2013 he became chair professor at the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute at Stockholm University in Sweden. Rolf was an exceptional colleague and will be deeply missed by his family and friends, and the colleagues and co-workers that he leaves behind in the scientific community. He will be remembered for his endless enthusiasm for science, his analytical mind, and his quirky sense of humour.
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| 9. |
- Färdigh, Mathias A., 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Press freedom and corruption
- 2012
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Ingår i: Good Government. The Relevance of Political Science.. - Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 9780857934925 ; , s. 130-149
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 10. |
- Färdigh, Mathias A., 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Reexamining the relationship between press freedom and corruption
- 2011
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Ingår i: QoG Working Paper Series, Gothenburg: The Quality of Government Institute. - 1653-8919. ; 2011:13
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This working paper demonstrates that research on the relationship between press freedom and corruption is far from completed, and that additional and new approaches are required to move forward. Here, we combine two different models of the relationship and bring forward more and improved data, including indicators of press freedom, and a number of different measures of corruption. In addition, we apply new estimation techniques to analyze our data. Based on these estimation techniques, it is therefore feasible to handle known problems that arise when estimating models with time-invariant or almost time-invariant variables correlated with unit effects. Similar techniques has not yet been applied in previous research on the relationship between press freedom and corruption. Thus, our application will serve as a robustness test of earlier findings. The results stress the importance of looking beyond the simple models of direct effects of press freedom and the level of corruption, as the relationship seems to be more complicated than that. Our results show that the role of a free press in fighting corruption differs depending on whether the country at play has a well, newly, or non-established electoral democracy. The effect of press freedom on corruption starts off negative or insignificant for countries with low levels of democracy, and becomes more positive the more democratic a country is.
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