| 1. |
- Althini, Sanna, et al.
(författare)
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Normal Nigrostriatal Innervation but Dopamine Dysfunction in Mice Carrying Hypomorphic Tyrosine Hydroxylase Alleles
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience Research. - : Wiley. - 0360-4012 .- 1097-4547. ; 72:4, s. 444-453
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated the use of the mouse tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene to drive knock-in constructs in catecholaminergic neurons. Two targeting constructs representing truncated forms of either of the BMP receptors ALK-2 or BMPR-II preceded by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) were introduced into the 3' untranslated region of TH. An frt-flanked neomycin-resistance (neo(r)) cassette was placed in the 3' end of the targeting constructs. Mice homozygous for the knock-in alleles showed various degrees of hypokinetic behavior, depending mainly on whether the neo(r) cassette was removed. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed that TH mRNA and protein were variously down-regulated in these mouse strains. Reduced levels of dopamine and noradrenalin were found in several brain areas. However, number and morphology of neurons in substantia nigra and their projections to striatum appeared normal in the neo(r)-positive TH hypomorphic mice as examined by markers for L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase and the dopamine transporter. Elimination of the neo(r) cassette from the knock-in alleles partially restored TH and dopamine levels. The present neo(r)-positive TH hypomorphic mice show that nigrostriatal innervation develops independently of TH and should find use as a model for conditions of reduced catecholamine synthesis, as seen in, for example, L-dihydroxyphenylalanine-responsive dystonia/infantile parkinsonism.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, C., et al.
(författare)
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Improved systems for hydrophobic tagging of recombinant immunogens for efficient iscom incorporation
- 2000
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Ingår i: JIM - Journal of Immunological Methods. - 0022-1759 .- 1872-7905. ; 238:02-jan, s. 181-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have previously reported a strategy for production in Escherichia coli of recombinant immunogens fused to a hydrophobic tag to improve their capacity to associate with an adjuvant formulation [Andersson et al., J. Immunol. Methods 222 (1999) 171]. Here, we describe a further development of the previous strategy and present significant improvements. In the novel system, the target immunogen is produced with an N-terminal affinity tag suitable for affinity purification, and a C-terminal hydrophobic tag, which should enable association through hydrophobic interactions of the immunogen with an adjuvant system, here being immunostimulating complexes (iscoms). Two different hydrophobic tags were evaluated: (i) a tag denoted M, derived from the membrane-spanning region of Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA), and (ii) a tag denoted MI consisting of the transmembrane region of hemagglutinin from influenza A virus. Furthermore, two alternative affinity tags were evaluated; the serum albumin-binding protein ABP, derived from streptococcal protein G, and the divalent IgG-binding ZZ-domains derived from SpA. A malaria peptide M5, derived from the central repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage antigen Pf155/RESA, served as model immunogen in this study. Four different fusion proteins, ABP-MS-M, ABP-MS-MI, ZZ-MS-M and ZZ-MS-MI, were thus produced, affinity purified and evaluated in iscom-incorporation experiments. All of the fusion proteins were found in the iscom fractions in analytical ultracentrifugation, indicating iscom incorporation. This was further supported by electron microscopy analysis showing that iscoms were formed. In addition, these iscom preparations were demonstrated to induce MS-specific antibody responses upon immunisation of mice, confirming the successful incorporation into iscoms. The novel system for hydrophobic tagging of immunogens, with optional affinity and hydrophobic tags, gave expression levels that were increased ten to fifty-fold, as compared to the earlier reported system. We believe that the presented strategy would be a convenient way to achieve efficient adjuvant association for recombinant immunogens.
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Henrik, 1971-
(författare)
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Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors in the Nervous System: Neurotrophic Functions with Emphasis on Catecholaminergic Neurons
- 2001
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily exhibit a range of effects on a host of different cell types. They signal through heteromeric complexes of serine/threonine kinase receptors of type I and type II. Gene targeted mutations of both factors and receptors have revealed that many of them are involved in early embryonic development. This thesis examines the receptors for this superfamily in the nervous system, especially bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR-II). It was cloned from chicken nervous tissue, and its and other receptors’ expression in peripheral ganglia, spinal cord and brain of chicken, rat and mouse were examined. BMPR-II, ActR-II and ActR-IA were abundantly expressed throughout development in the nervous system, however with temporal regulation. One ligand of BMPR-II, BMP-7, was found to act synergistically with NT-3 and GDNF on subsets of peripheral neurons to promote survival and neurite outgrowth. A knock-in mouse was generated, encoding a truncated form of BMPR-II coupled to the endogenous tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene with an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). For ES-cell selection, a neomycin resistance gene was incorporated into the construct. Homozygous mice carrying the knock-in allele exhibited a small, hypokinetic phenotype. Levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin were measured, and the catecholamines were found to be lowered, dopamine as much as 97% in the caudate nucleus. The low catecholamine levels may not be an effect of the truncated BMPR-II, but rather a consequence of the knock-in construct reducing TH transcriptional rate. The TH hypomorphic mouse strain generated could find use as a model for catecholamine impaired systems, as seen in Parkinson’s disease.
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Calibration and assessment of channel-specific biases in microarray data with extended dynamical range
- 2004
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Ingår i: BMC Bioinformatics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2105. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Non-linearities in observed log-ratios of gene expressions, also known as intensity dependent log-ratios, can often be accounted for by global biases in the two channels being compared. Any step in a microarray process may introduce such offsets and in this article we study the biases introduced by the microarray scanner and the image analysis software. Results: By scanning the same spotted oligonucleotide microarray at different photomultiplier tube (PMT) gains, we have identified a channel-specific bias present in two-channel microarray data. For the scanners analyzed it was in the range of 15 - 25 ( out of 65,535). The observed bias was very stable between subsequent scans of the same array although the PMT gain was greatly adjusted. This indicates that the bias does not originate from a step preceding the scanner detector parts. The bias varies slightly between arrays. When comparing estimates based on data from the same array, but from different scanners, we have found that different scanners introduce different amounts of bias. So do various image analysis methods. We propose a scanning protocol and a constrained affine model that allows us to identify and estimate the bias in each channel. Backward transformation removes the bias and brings the channels to the same scale. The result is that systematic effects such as intensity dependent log-ratios are removed, but also that signal densities become much more similar. The average scan, which has a larger dynamical range and greater signal-to-noise ratio than individual scans, can then be obtained. Conclusions: The study shows that microarray scanners may introduce a significant bias in each channel. Such biases have to be calibrated for, otherwise systematic effects such as intensity dependent log-ratios will be observed. The proposed scanning protocol and calibration method is simple to use and is useful for evaluating scanner biases or for obtaining calibrated measurements with extended dynamical range and better precision. The cross-platform R package aroma, which implements all described methods, is available for free from http://www.maths.lth.se/ bioinformatics/.
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| 5. |
- Bengtsson, Henrik
(författare)
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Low-level analysis of microarray data
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis consists of an extensive introduction followed by seven papers (A-F) on low-level analysis of microarray data. Focus is on calibration and normalization of observed data. The introduction gives a brief background of the microarray technology and its applications in order for anyone not familiar with the field to read the thesis. Formal definitions of calibration and normalization are given. Paper A illustrates a typical statistical analysis of microarray data with background correction, normalization, and identification of differentially expressed genes (among thousands of candidates). A small analysis on the final results for different number of replicates and different image analysis software is also given. Paper B introduces a novel way for displaying microarray data called the print-order plot, which displays data in the order the corresponding spots were printed to the array. Utilizing these, so called (microtiter-) plate effects are identified. Then, based on a simple variability measure for replicated spots across arrays, different normalization sequences are tested and evidence for the existence of plate effects are claimed. Paper C presents an object-oriented extension with transparent reference variables to the R language. It is provides the necessary foundation in order to implement the microarray analysis package described in Paper F. Paper D is on affine transformations of two-channel microarray data and their effects on the log-ratio log-intensity transform. Affine transformations, that is, the existence of channel biases, can explain commonly observed intensity-dependent effects in the log-ratios. In the light of the affine transformation, several normalization methods are revisited. At the end of the paper, a new robust affine normalization is suggested that relies on iterative reweighted principal component analysis. Paper E suggests a multiscan calibration method where each array is scanned at various sensitivity levels in order to uniquely identify the affine transformation of signals that the scanner and the image-analysis methods introduce. Observed data strongly support this method. In addition, multiscan-calibrated data has an extended dynamical range and higher signal-to-noise levels. This is real-world evidence for the existence of affine transformations of microarray data. Paper F describes the aroma package – An R Object-oriented Microarray Analysis environment – implemented in R and that provides easy access to our and others low-level analysis methods. Paper G provides an calibration method for spotted microarrays with dilution series or spike-ins. The method is based on a heteroscedastic affine stochastic model. The parameter estimates are robust against model misspecification.
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| 6. |
- Bengtsson, Henrik
(författare)
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Ålder och ekonomisk omvandling. Sveriges tillväxthistoria i ett demografiskt perspektiv, 1890-1995
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the 1900s the Swedish labour force underwent an ageing process, accentuated in some periods and stagnant in others. This study inquires into how, and to what extent, these demographic shifts in the labour market explain changes in average labour productivity and economic growth. Different age groups possess different types of human capital, leading to changes in individual productivity over the life-cycle. A younger labour force is assumed to be generally better educated, while an older labour force is credited with greater work experience. There are also other age-related differences in terms of human capital, among others the state of health and mobility of the labour force. In combination with changes in the underlying economic structure, which determine labour demand and the extent to which various types of human capital can be used in production, changes in the age structure bring about shifts in the effects on economic growth. This study shows the need to direct attention to the interaction between the supply of and demand for human capital in order to ascertain the age effects over time. From a long-term perspective, that spans the whole of the 1900s, empirical support is given to the notion that work experience was significant for productivity and economic growth. However, during periods of intense economic transformation, the younger labour force´s human capital (including education) compensated for its lack of work experience. Thus, there were considerable variations in the effects of lower age groups, as opposed to higher age groups, on the rate of economic growth in the 1900s.
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| 7. |
- Bergh, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Tailored fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide compared with marrow-supported high-dose chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment for high-risk breast cancer : A randomised trial
- 2000
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 356:9239, s. 1384-1391
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Chemotherapy drug distribution varies greatly among individual patients. Therefore, we developed an individualised fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen to improve outcomes in patients with high-risk early breast cancer. We then did a randomised trial to compare this individually tailored FEC regimen with conventional adjuvant chemotherapy followed by consolidation with high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell support. Methods: 525 women younger than 60 years of age with high-risk primary breast cancer were randomised after surgery to receive nine cycles of tailored FEC to haematological equitoxicity with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support (n=251), or three cycles of FEC at standard doses followed by high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin (CTCb), and peripheral-blood stem-cell or bone-marrow support (n=274). Both groups received locoregional radiation therapy and tamoxifen for 5 years. The primary outcome measure was relapse-free survival, and analysis was by intention to treat. Findings: At a median follow-up of 34.3 months, there were 81 breast-cancer relapses in the tailored FEC group versus 113 in the CTCb group (double triangular method p=0.04). 60 deaths occurred in the tailored FEC group and 82 in the CTCb group (log-rank p=0.12). Patients in the CTCb group experienced more grade 3 or 4 acute toxicity compared with the tailored FEC group (p<0.0001). Two treatment-related deaths (0.7%) occurred in the CTCb group. Six patients in the tailored FEC group developed acute myeloid leukaemia and three developed myelodysplastic syndrome. Interpretation: Tailored FEC with G-CSF support resulted in a significantly improved relapse-free survival and fewer grade 3 and 4 toxicities compared with marrow-supported high-dose chemotherapy with CTCb as adjuvant therapy of women with high-risk primary breast cancer.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bladh, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Characteristics of laser-induced incandescence from soot in studies of a time-dependent heat- and mass-transfer model
- 2004
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Ingår i: Applied Physics B. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0946-2171. ; 78:2, s. 241-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The temporal behavior of the laser-induced incandescence (LII) signal is often used for soot-particle sizing, which is possible because the cooling behavior of a laser-heated particle is dependent on the particle size. The heat- and mass-transfer model describing the temporal LII-signal behavior has in this work been extended to include the influence of the primary particle-size distribution and the spatial distribution of laser energy. When evaluating primary particle size, a monodisperse size distribution is often assumed, although it is well known that a polydisperse distribution is a better description of the real situation. In this work the impact of this assumption is investigated for Gaussian and lognormal size distributions of different widths, and the result is a significant bias towards larger particle sizes because of the higher influence of larger particles on the LII signal. Moreover, the dependence of the LII signal on the laser fluence is studied for different spatial distributions of the laser energy. The top-hat, Gaussian sheet and Gaussian beam distributions were tested and it is established that the LII signal is strongly dependent on the choice of distribution. However, in this case the influence of particle size is minor.
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| 10. |
- Brackmann, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Laser-induced fluorescence of formaldehyde in combustion using third harmonic Nd : YAG laser excitation
- 2003
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Ingår i: Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy. - 1386-1425. ; 59:14, s. 3347-3356
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Formaldehyde (CH2O) is an important intermediate species in combustion processes and it can through laser-induced fluorescence measurements be used for instantaneous flame front detection. The present study has focussed on the use of the third harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm as excitation wavelength for formaldehyde, and different dimethyl ether (C2H6O) flames were used as sources of formaldehyde in the experiments. The investigations included studies of the overlap between the laser profile and the absorption lines of formaldehyde, saturation effects and the potential occurrence of laser-induced photochemistry. The technique was applied for detection of formaldehyde in an internal combustion engine operated both as a spark ignition engine and as a homogenous charge compression ignition engine. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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