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- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(författare)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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- Lopez-Isac, E, et al.
(författare)
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GWAS for systemic sclerosis identifies multiple risk loci and highlights fibrotic and vasculopathy pathways
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1, s. 4955-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that shows one of the highest mortality rates among rheumatic diseases. We perform a large genome-wide association study (GWAS), and meta-analysis with previous GWASs, in 26,679 individuals and identify 27 independent genome-wide associated signals, including 13 new risk loci. The novel associations nearly double the number of genome-wide hits reported for SSc thus far. We define 95% credible sets of less than 5 likely causal variants in 12 loci. Additionally, we identify specific SSc subtype-associated signals. Functional analysis of high-priority variants shows the potential function of SSc signals, with the identification of 43 robust target genes through HiChIP. Our results point towards molecular pathways potentially involved in vasculopathy and fibrosis, two main hallmarks in SSc, and highlight the spectrum of critical cell types for the disease. This work supports a better understanding of the genetic basis of SSc and provides directions for future functional experiments.
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- Fuente-Martin, E., et al.
(författare)
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Ghrelin Regulates Glucose and Glutamate Transporters in Hypothalamic Astrocytes
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hypothalamic astrocytes can respond to metabolic signals, such as leptin and insulin, to modulate adjacent neuronal circuits and systemic metabolism. Ghrelin regulates appetite, adiposity and glucose metabolism, but little is known regarding the response of astrocytes to this orexigenic hormone. We have used both in vivo and in vitro approaches to demonstrate that acylated ghrelin (acyl-ghrelin) rapidly stimulates glutamate transporter expression and glutamate uptake by astrocytes. Moreover, acyl-ghrelin rapidly reduces glucose transporter (GLUT) 2 levels and glucose uptake by these glial cells. Glutamine synthetase and lactate dehydrogenase decrease, while glycogen phosphorylase and lactate transporters increase in response to acyl-ghrelin, suggesting a change in glutamate and glucose metabolism, as well as glycogen storage by astrocytes. These effects are partially mediated through ghrelin receptor 1A (GHSR-1A) as astrocytes do not respond equally to desacyl-ghrelin, an isoform that does not activate GHSR-1A. Moreover, primary astrocyte cultures from GHSR-1A knock-out mice do not change glutamate transporter or GLUT2 levels in response to acyl-ghrelin. Our results indicate that acyl-ghrelin may mediate part of its metabolic actions through modulation of hypothalamic astrocytes and that this effect could involve astrocyte mediated changes in local glucose and glutamate metabolism that alter the signals/nutrients reaching neighboring neurons.
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- Parmar, Priya, et al.
(författare)
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The Stroke Riskometer (TM) App: Validation of a data collection tool and stroke risk predictor
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Stroke. - : SAGE Publications. - 1747-4949 .- 1747-4930. ; 10:2, s. 231-244
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundThe greatest potential to reduce the burden of stroke is by primary prevention of first-ever stroke, which constitutes three quarters of all stroke. In addition to population-wide prevention strategies (the mass' approach), the high risk' approach aims to identify individuals at risk of stroke and to modify their risk factors, and risk, accordingly. Current methods of assessing and modifying stroke risk are difficult to access and implement by the general population, amongst whom most future strokes will arise. To help reduce the burden of stroke on individuals and the population a new app, the Stroke Riskometer(TM), has been developed. We aim to explore the validity of the app for predicting the risk of stroke compared with current best methods. Methods752 stroke outcomes from a sample of 9501 individuals across three countries (New Zealand, Russia and the Netherlands) were utilized to investigate the performance of a novel stroke risk prediction tool algorithm (Stroke Riskometer(TM)) compared with two established stroke risk score prediction algorithms (Framingham Stroke Risk Score [FSRS] and QStroke). We calculated the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUROC) with 95% confidence intervals, Harrels C-statistic and D-statistics for measure of discrimination, R-2 statistics to indicate level of variability accounted for by each prediction algorithm, the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic for calibration, and the sensitivity and specificity of each algorithm. ResultsThe Stroke Riskometer(TM) performed well against the FSRS five-year AUROC for both males (FSRS=750% (95% CI 723%-776%), Stroke Riskometer(TM)=740(95% CI 713%-767%) and females [FSRS=703% (95% CI 679%-728%, Stroke Riskometer(TM)=715% (95% CI 690%-739%)], and better than QStroke [males - 597% (95% CI 573%-620%) and comparable to females=711% (95% CI 690%-731%)]. Discriminative ability of all algorithms was low (C-statistic ranging from 051-056, D-statistic ranging from 001-012). Hosmer-Lemeshow illustrated that all of the predicted risk scores were not well calibrated with the observed event data (P<0006). ConclusionsThe Stroke Riskometer(TM) is comparable in performance for stroke prediction with FSRS and QStroke. All three algorithms performed equally poorly in predicting stroke events. The Stroke Riskometer(TM) will be continually developed and validated to address the need to improve the current stroke risk scoring systems to more accurately predict stroke, particularly by identifying robust ethnic/race ethnicity group and country specific risk factors.
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- Giongo, Adriana, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of a chemosynthesis-based community in the western South Atlantic Ocean
- 2016
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Ingår i: Deep Sea Research Part I. - : Elsevier. - 0967-0637 .- 1879-0119. ; 112, s. 45-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemosynthetic communities have been described from a variety of deep-sea environments across the world's oceans. They constitute very interesting biological systems in terms of their ecology, evolution and biogeography, and also given their potential as indicators of the presence and abundance of consistent hydrocarbon-based nutritional sources. Up to now such peculiar biotic assemblages have not been reported for the western South Atlantic Ocean, leaving this large region undocumented with respect to the presence, composition and history of such communities. Here we report on the presence of a chemosynthetic community off the coast of southern Brazil, in an area where high-levels of methane and the presence of gas hydrates have been detected. We performed metagenomic analyses of the microbial community present at this site, and also employed molecular approaches to identify components of its benthic fauna. We conducted phylogenetic analyses comparing the components of this assemblage to those found elsewhere in the world, which allowed a historical assessment of the structure and dynamics of these systems. Our results revealed that the microbial community at this site is quite diverse, and contains many components that are very closely related to lineages previously sampled in ecologically similar environments across the globe. Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaeal groups were found to be very abundant at this site, suggesting that methane is indeed an important source of nutrition for this community. In addition, we document the presence at this site of a vestimentiferan siboglinid polychaete and the bivalve Acharax sp., both of which are typical components of deep-sea chemosynthetic communities. The remarkable similarity in biotic composition between this area and other deep-sea communities across the world supports the interpretation that these assemblages are historically connected across the global oceans, undergoing colonization from distant sites and influenced by local ecological features that select a stereotyped suite of specifically adapted organisms. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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- Freire, Susana E., et al.
(författare)
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The Lucilia group (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae): phylogenetic and taxonomic considerations based on molecular and morphological evidence.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plant Systematics and Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0378-2697 .- 1615-6110 .- 2199-6881. ; 301, s. 1227-1248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Lucilia group sensu Anderberg and Freire comprises nine South American genera: Belloa, Berroa, Chevreulia, Cuatrecasasiella, Facelis, Gamochaetopsis, Jalcophila, Lucilia and Luciliocline. The aims of this contribution were, using DNA sequences from plastid (rpl32-trnL, trnL-F) and nuclear (ITS and ETS) markers, together with morphological characters, to test the monophyly of the Lucilia group and provide new insight into generic circumscriptions. Our studies, including a broad taxon sampling of Gnaphalieae species, suggest that the Lucilia group is paraphyletic, since Antennaria, Chionolaena, Gamochaeta, Loricaria, Micropsis, Mniodes and Stuckertiella are all nested within the Lucilia group. Morphology and molecular analyses combined showed that the traditional generic circumscription of most of the genera (e.g., Berroa, Chevreulia, Chionolaena, Cuatrecasasiella, Facelis, Jalcophila and Micropsis) correlates with the inferred phylogenetic relationships. Conversely, Lucilia and Luciliocline are non-monophyletic. Lucilia is nested in a clade with Berroa, Facelis and Micropsis. Luciliocline is strongly embedded within the clade Belloa pp + Mniodes. Our results are consistent with Dillon’s study that considered Belloa as a montotypic genus (B. chilensis). Luciliocline and the remaining species of Belloa are accommodated in the genus Mniodes, and the necessary combinations are proposed for the expanded Mniodes. All the analyses showed that the monotypic genera Stuckertiella and Gamochaetopsis are in a well-supported clade nested within Gamochaeta, which implies that taxonomic changes are required also for these genera. Internal relationships in the group and the key morphological characters used in the taxonomy of the group, as well as incongruences found between morphological and molecular analyses, are discussed.
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