| 1. |
- Elmendorf, Sarah C., et al.
(författare)
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Global assessment of experimental climate warming on tundra vegetation : heterogeneity over space and time
- 2012
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 15:2, s. 164-175
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the sensitivity of tundra vegetation to climate warming is critical to forecasting future biodiversity and vegetation feedbacks to climate. In situ warming experiments accelerate climate change on a small scale to forecast responses of local plant communities. Limitations of this approach include the apparent site-specificity of results and uncertainty about the power of short-term studies to anticipate longer term change. We address these issues with a synthesis of 61 experimental warming studies, of up to 20 years duration, in tundra sites worldwide. The response of plant groups to warming often differed with ambient summer temperature, soil moisture and experimental duration. Shrubs increased with warming only where ambient temperature was high, whereas graminoids increased primarily in the coldest study sites. Linear increases in effect size over time were frequently observed. There was little indication of saturating or accelerating effects, as would be predicted if negative or positive vegetation feedbacks were common. These results indicate that tundra vegetation exhibits strong regional variation in response to warming, and that in vulnerable regions, cumulative effects of long-term warming on tundra vegetation and associated ecosystem consequences have the potential to be much greater than we have observed to date.
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| 2. |
- Krozer, Anatol, et al.
(författare)
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Clean development and demonstration — Sustainable domestic washing - s'wash
- 2011
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- S´wash är ett idestödsprojekt finansierat av MISTRA, ett finansieringsstöd för att skapa innovativa forskningsprojekt med stor potential att förbättra miljön. S´wash har minskat vattenförbrukningen ned till endast 10,3 liter för en tvätt med tre kilos smutstvätt, en minskning med 79 procent jämfört med standardtvättmaskiner som används i de europeiska hushållen idag. Under projektets gång har ett stort antal tekniker och lösningar utvärderats för att finna lämpliga sätt att implementera dessa i en tvättmaskin. Två stycken prototyper byggdes av Asko och Electrolux för att utvärdera framtagna lösningar och idéer. Prototyperna baserades på standardtvättmaskiner men lösningarna är ännu inte redo för att tas in i produktion.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Asa, et al.
(författare)
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Vitamin D intake and status in immigrant and native Swedish women : a study at a primary health care centre located at 60 degrees N in Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Food & Nutrition Research. - : SNF Swedish Nutrition Foundation. - 1654-6628 .- 1654-661X. ; 57, s. UNSP 20089-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Immigration to Sweden from lower latitude countries has increased in recent years. Studies in the general population in other Nordic countries have demonstrated that these groups are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency, but studies in primary health care patients are rare. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine possible differences in plasma-25(OH)-vitamin D levels and intake of vitamin D between Swedish and immigrant female patients in a primary health care centre located at 60 degrees N, where half of the inhabitants have an immigrant background. Another objective was to estimate what foods contribute with most vitamin D. Design: Thirty-one female patients from the Middle East and Africa and 30 from Sweden were recruited. P-25(OH)D was measured and intake of vitamin D was estimated with a modified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results: Vitamin D deficiency (plasma-25(OH)D<25 nmol/L) was common among immigrant women (61%). One immigrant woman and half of the Swedish women had optimal levels (plasma-25(OH)D>50 nmol/L). There was a positive correlation between the intake of vitamin D from food and plasma-25(OH) D. Only three women, all Swedish, reached the recommended intake of vitamin D from food. The immigrant women had lower intake compared to Swedish women (median: 3.1 vs. 5.1 mu g/day). The foods that contributed with most vitamin D were fatty fish, fortified milk and margarine. Immigrant women consumed less fortified milk and margarine but more meat. Irrespective of origin, patients with plasma-25(OH)D<25 nmol/L consumed less margarine but more meat. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was common in the immigrant patients and their intake of vitamin D was lower. This highlights the need to target information about vitamin D to immigrant women in order to decrease the risk for vitamin D deficiency. The FFQ was well adapted to its purpose to estimate intake of vitamin D.
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| 4. |
- Björk, Anne, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of sun holiday, diet habits, origin and other factors as determinants of vitamin D status in Swedish primary health care patients : a cross-sectional study with regression analysis of ethnic Swedish and immigrant women
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMC Family Practice. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2296. ; 14, s. 129-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDeterminants of vitamin D status measured as 25-OH-vitamin D in blood are exposure to sunlight and intake of vitamin D through food and supplements. It is unclear how large the contributions are from these determinants in Swedish primary care patients, considering the low radiation of UVB in Sweden and the fortification of some foods. Asian and African immigrants in Norway and Denmark have been found to have very low levels, but it is not clear whether the same applies to Swedish patients. The purpose of our study was to identify contributors to vitamin D status in Swedish women attending a primary health care centre at latitude 60°N in Sweden.MethodsIn this cross-sectional, observational study, 61 female patients were consecutively recruited between January and March 2009, irrespective of reason for attending the clinic. The women were interviewed about their sun habits, smoking, education and food intake at a personal appointment and blood samples were drawn for measurements of vitamin D and calcium concentrations.ResultsPlasma concentration of 25-OH-vitamin D below 25 nmol/L was found in 61% (19/31) of immigrant and 7% (2/30) of native women. Multivariate analysis showed that reported sun holiday of one week during the last year at latitude below 40°N with the purpose of sun-bathing and native origin, were significantly, independently and positively associated with 25-OH-vitamin D concentrations in plasma with the strongest association for sun holiday during the past year.ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency was common among the women in the present study, with sun holiday and origin as main determinants of 25-OH-vitamin D concentrations in plasma. Given a negative effect on health this would imply needs for vitamin D treatment particularly in women with immigrant background who have moved from lower to higher latitudes.Keywords: Vitamin D; Sun habits; Immigrant; Women; Primary health care
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| 5. |
- Björk Grimberg, Kristian, et al.
(författare)
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Basic Leucine Zipper Protein Cnc-C is a Substrate and Transcriptional Regulator of the Drosophila 26S Proteasome
- 2011
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Ingår i: Molecular and Cellular Biology. - 0270-7306 .- 1098-5549. ; 31:4, s. 897-909
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While the 26S proteasome is a key proteolytic complex, little is known about how proteasome levels are maintained in higher eukaryotic cells. Here we describe an RNA interference (RNAi) screen of Drosophila melanogaster that was used to identify transcription factors that may play a role in maintaining levels of the 26S proteasome. We used an RNAi library against 993 Drosophila transcription factor genes to identify genes whose suppression in Schneider 2 cells stabilized a ubiquitin-green fluorescent protein reporter protein. This screen identified Cnc (cap 'n' collar [CNC]; basic region leucine zipper) as a candidate transcriptional regulator of proteasome component expression. In fact, 20S proteasome activity was reduced in cells depleted of cnc. Immunoblot assays against proteasome components revealed a general decline in both 19S regulatory complex and 20S proteasome subunits after RNAi depletion of this transcription factor. Transcript-specific silencing revealed that the longest of the seven transcripts for the cnc gene, cnc-C, was needed for proteasome and p97 ATPase production. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR confirmed the role of Cnc-C in activation of transcription of genes encoding proteasome components. Expression of a V5-His-tagged form of Cnc-C revealed that the transcription factor is itself a proteasome substrate that is stabilized when the proteasome is inhibited. We propose that this single cnc gene in Drosophila resembles the ancestral gene family of mammalian nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related transcription factors, which are essential in regulating oxidative stress and proteolysis.
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| 6. |
- Blomstrand, Malin, et al.
(författare)
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Estimated clinical benefit of protecting neurogenesis in the developing brain during radiation therapy for pediatric medulloblastoma.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Neuro-Oncology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1523-5866 .- 1522-8517. ; 14:7, s. 882-889
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We sought to assess the feasibility and estimate the benefit of sparing the neurogenic niches when irradiating the brain of pediatric patients with medulloblastoma (MB) based on clinical outcome data. Pediatric MB survivors experience a high risk of neurocognitive adverse effects, often attributed to the whole-brain irradiation that is part of standard management. Neurogenesis is very sensitive to radiation, and limiting the radiation dose to the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) may preserve neurocognitive function. Radiotherapy plans were created using 4 techniques: standard opposing fields, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), intensity-modulated arc therapy (IMAT), and intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Mean dose to the hippocampus and SVZ (mean for both sites) could be limited to 88.3% (range, 83.6%-91.0%), 77.1% (range, 71.5%-81.3%), and 42.3% (range, 26.6%-51.2%) with IMAT, IMRT, and IMPT, respectively, while maintaining at least 95% of the prescribed dose in 95% of the whole-brain target volume. Estimated risks for developing memory impairment after a prescribed dose of 23.4 Gy were 47% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21%-69%), 44% (95% CI, 21%-65%), 41% (95% CI, 22%-60%), and 33% (95% CI, 23%-44%) with opposing fields, IMAT, IMRT, and IMPT, respectively. Neurogenic niche sparing during cranial irradiation of pediatric patients with MB is feasible and is estimated to lower the risks of long-term neurocognitive sequelae. Greatest sparing is achieved with intensity-modulated proton therapy, thus making this an attractive option to be tested in a prospective clinical trial.
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| 7. |
- Brodin, N Patrik, et al.
(författare)
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Hippocampal sparing radiotherapy for pediatric medulloblastoma: impact of treatment margins and treatment technique.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Neuro-oncology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1523-5866 .- 1522-8517. ; 16:4, s. 594-602
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundWe investigated how varying the treatment margin and applying hippocampal sparing and proton therapy impact the risk of neurocognitive impairment in pediatric medulloblastoma patients compared with current standard 3D conformal radiotherapy.MethodsWe included 17 pediatric medulloblastoma patients to represent the variability in tumor location relative to the hippocampal region. Treatment plans were generated using 3D conformal radiotherapy, hippocampal sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and spot-scanned proton therapy, using 3 different treatment margins for the conformal tumor boost. Neurocognitive impairment risk was estimated based on dose-response models from pediatric CNS malignancy survivors and compared among different margins and treatment techniques.ResultsMean hippocampal dose and corresponding risk of cognitive impairment were decreased with decreasing treatment margins (P < .05). The largest risk reduction, however, was seen when applying hippocampal sparing proton therapy-the estimated risk of impaired task efficiency (95% confidence interval) was 92% (66%-98%), 81% (51%-95%), and 50% (30%-70%) for 3D conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and proton therapy, respectively, for the smallest boost margin and 98% (78%-100%), 90% (60%-98%), and 70% (39%-90%) if boosting the whole posterior fossa. Also, the distance between the closest point of the planning target volume and the center of the hippocampus can be used to predict mean hippocampal dose for a given treatment technique.ConclusionsWe estimate a considerable clinical benefit of hippocampal sparing radiotherapy. In choosing treatment margins, the tradeoff between margin size and risk of neurocognitive impairment quantified here should be considered.
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| 8. |
- Brodin, N. Patrik, et al.
(författare)
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Life years lost-comparing potentially fatal late complications after radiotherapy for pediatric medulloblastoma on a common scale
- 2012
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Ingår i: Cancer. - : Wiley. - 1097-0142 .- 0008-543X. ; 118:21, s. 5432-5440
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The authors developed a framework for estimating and comparing the risks of various long-term complications on a common scale and applied it to 3 different techniques for craniospinal irradiation in patients with pediatric medulloblastoma. METHODS: Radiation dose-response parameters related to excess hazard ratios for secondary breast, lung, stomach, and thyroid cancer; heart failure, and myocardial infarction were derived from large published clinical series. Combined with age-specific and sex-specific hazards in the US general population, the dose-response analysis yielded excess hazards of complications for a cancer survivor as a function of attained age. After adjusting for competing risks of death, life years lost (LYL) were estimated based on excess hazard and prognosis of a complication for 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), and intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). RESULTS: Lung cancer contributed most to the estimated LYL, followed by myocardial infarction, and stomach cancer. The estimates of breast or thyroid cancer incidence were higher than those for lung and stomach cancer incidence, but LYL were lower because of the relatively good prognosis. Estimated LYL ranged between 1.90 years for 3D CRT to 0.28 years for IMPT. In a paired comparison, IMPT was associated with significantly fewer LYL than both photon techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Estimating the risk of late complications is associated with considerable uncertainty, but including prognosis and attained age at an event to obtain the more informative LYL estimate added relatively little to this uncertainty. Cancer 2012. (c) 2012 American Cancer Society.
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| 9. |
- Brodin, N Patrik, et al.
(författare)
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Radiobiological risk estimates of adverse events and secondary cancer for proton and photon radiation therapy of pediatric medulloblastoma.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - 1651-226X. ; 50:6, s. 806-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Introduction. The aim of this model study was to estimate and compare the risk of radiation-induced adverse late effects in pediatric patients with medulloblastoma (MB) treated with either three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT), inversely-optimized arc therapy (RapidArc(®) (RA)) or spot-scanned intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). The aim was also to find dose-volume toxicity parameters relevant to children undergoing RT to be used in the inverse planning of RA and IMPT, and to use in the risk estimations. Material and methods. Treatment plans were created for all three techniques on 10 pediatric patients that have been treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI) at our institution in 2007-2009. Plans were generated for two prescription CSI doses, 23.4 Gy and 36 Gy. Risk estimates were based on childhood cancer survivor data when available and secondary cancer (SC) risks were estimated as a function of age at exposure and attained age according to the organ-equivalent dose (OED) concept. Results. Estimates of SC risk was higher for the RA plans and differentiable from the estimates for 3D CRT at attained ages above 40 years. The risk of developing heart failure, hearing loss, hypothyroidism and xerostomia was highest for the 3D CRT plans. The risks of all adverse effects were estimated as lowest for the IMPT plans, even when including secondary neutron (SN) irradiation with high values of the neutron radiation weighting factors (WR(neutron)). Conclusions. When comparing RA and 3D CRT treatment for pediatric MB it is a matter of comparing higher SC risk against higher risks of non-cancer adverse events. Considering time until onset of the different complications is necessary to fully assess patient benefit in such a comparison. The IMPT plans, including SN dose contribution, compared favorably to the photon techniques in terms of all radiobiological risk estimates.
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| 10. |
- Elmendorf, Sarah C., et al.
(författare)
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Plot-scale evidence of tundra vegetation change and links to recent summer warming
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nature Climate Change. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1758-678X .- 1758-6798. ; 2:6, s. 453-457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Temperature is increasing at unprecedented rates across most of the tundra biome. Remote-sensing data indicate that contemporary climate warming has already resulted in increased productivity over much of the Arctic, but plot-based evidence for vegetation transformation is not widespread. We analysed change in tundra vegetation surveyed between 1980 and 2010 in 158 plant communities spread across 46 locations.We found biome-wide trends of increased height of the plant canopy and maximum observed plant height for most vascular growth forms; increased abundance of litter; increased abundance of evergreen, low-growing and tall shrubs; and decreased abundance of bare ground. Intersite comparisons indicated an association between the degree of summer warming and change in vascular plant abundance, with shrubs, forbs and rushes increasing with warming. However, the association was dependent on the climate zone, the moisture regime and the presence of permafrost. Our data provide plot-scale evidence linking changes in vascular plant abundance to local summer warming in widely dispersed tundra locations across the globe.
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