| 1. |
- Aust, Birgit, et al.
(författare)
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The Danish national return-to-work program - aims, content, and design of the process and effect evaluation
- 2012
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 38:2, s. 120-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Danish national return-to-work (RTW) program aims to improve the management of municipal sickness benefit in Denmark. A study is currently ongoing to evaluate the RTW program. The purpose of this article is to describe the study protocol. The program includes 21 municipalities encompassing approximately 19 500 working-age adults on long-term sickness absence, regardless of reason for sickness absence or employment status. It consists of three core elements: (i) establishment of multidisciplinary RTW teams, (ii) introduction of standardized workability assessments and sickness absence management procedures, and (iii) a comprehensive training course for the RTW teams. The effect evaluation is based on a parallel group randomized trial and a stratified cluster-controlled trial and focuses on register-based primary outcomes-duration of sickness absence and RTW and questionnaire-based secondary outcomes such as health and workability. The process evaluation utilizes questionnaires, interviews, and municipal data. The effect evaluation tests whether participants in the intervention have a (i) shorter duration of full-time sickness absence, (ii) longer time until recurrent long-term sickness absence, (iii) faster full RTW, (iv) more positive development in health, workability, pain, and sleep; it also tests whether the program is (v) cost-effective. The process evaluation investigates: (i) whether the expected target population is reached; (ii) if the program is implemented as intended; (iii) how the beneficiaries, the RTW teams, and the external stakeholders experience the program; and (iv) whether contextual factors influenced the implementation. The program has the potential to contribute markedly to lowering human and economic costs and increasing labor force supply. First results will be available in 2013. The trial registrations are ISRCTN43004323, and ISRCTN51445682.
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| 2. |
- Holm, Anne I. S., et al.
(författare)
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Electronic coupling between cytosine bases in DNA single strands and i-motifs revealed from synchrotron radiation circular dichroism experiments
- 2010
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 12:14, s. 3426-3430
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work we have recorded synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectra from 180 nm to 360 nm of cytosine strands [(dC)(n), n = 1, 2,..., 10] in aqueous solution at different pH values to reveal electronic coupling between bases in different ionisation states. The geometry of the strands is determined by the pH value and the strand length and the local organisation of the cytosines will determine the base-to-base interaction that impacts on the CD signal. At low pH where all bases are protonated, there is no signature of electronic coupling between the bases, and the SRCD spectrum is simply n times that of the n = 1 spectrum. At higher pH where all bases are neutral, the spectra for n > 1 differ from the monomer spectrum, which implies electronic coupling between bases. The correlation between the CD signal and n is linear, and the spatial extent of the excited state wavefunction is therefore over just two stacked bases both in the UV and VUV. At intermediate pH, the low-n spectra are different from the high-n spectra, and a transition is seen to occur at n = 6-8. We ascribe this behavior to the formation of i-motif structures between four (dC)(n) strands for high n.
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| 3. |
- Holm, Anne Ivalu Sander, et al.
(författare)
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Vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy of DNA : a valuable tool to elucidate topology and electronic coupling in DNA
- 2010
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 12:33, s. 9581-9596
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Circular dichroism (CD) is a powerful technique to obtain information on electronic transitions and has been used extensively for studies on DNA. Most experiments are done in the UV region but new information is often revealed from extending the wavelength region down into the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. Such experiments are most easily carried out with synchrotron radiation (SR) light sources that provide large photon fluxes. Here we provide a summary of the SRCD data taken on different DNA strands with emphasis on results from our own laboratory within the last five years.(1-3) Signal intensities in the VUV are often significantly larger than those in the UV, and the electronic coupling between bases may increase with excitation energy. CD spectroscopy is particularly useful for investigating the extent of electronic coupling within a strand, i.e., the degree of delocalisation of the excited-state electronic wavefunction. The spatial extent of the wavefunction may be limited to just one base or it extends over two or more bases in a stack or between bases on different strands.(4,5) The actual character of the electronically excited state is linked to base composition and sequence as well as DNA folding motif (A-, B-, Z-DNA, triplexes, quadruplexes, etc.). The latter depends on experimental conditions such as solution acidity, temperature, ionic strength, and solvent.
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| 4. |
- Nielsen, Lisbeth Munksgaard, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of introducing thymine spacers into an adenine strand : Electronic decoupling?
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A. - : Elsevier BV. - 1010-6030 .- 1873-2666. ; 220:1, s. 1-3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electronic coupling between DNA bases governs the deexcitation pathways after light absorption as well as the ability of the DNA strand to conduct charge. UV excitation of single strands of adenine bases involves two adjacent bases while the spatial extent of the excited state wavefunction following VUV excitation is over eight bases. In this work, we have recorded synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectra for a series of DNA strands on the form A(n)T(m)A(n), n = 1-5 and m = 1-3, in aqueous solution to study the effect of introducing thymine spacers on the electronic coupling between the adenines. We find that a single thymine spacer is enough to eliminate the strong coupling between the adenine bases for all excitation wavelengths between 175 nm and 330 nm.
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| 5. |
- Albers, Eva, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of industrial xylose fermentation with yeast performed at different process scale
- 2012
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Ingår i: 13th International Congress on Yeasts, ICY 2012, August 26-30, Madison, USA.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Second generation of bioethanol production with yeast from lignocellulosic material may contribute to a sustainable production of energy. However, the commercialization of cellulose-to-ethanol remains challenging due to various limitations in process technology and microbial physiology. Despite that the technical progress lately has come far, lignocellulose bioethanol production is still not well established in full production scale. Production scale demands large financial investments and to minimize the risk knowledge about cellular performance of the yeast as response to conditions of large scale is needed. Large scale may impose specific conditions that normally are not present in smaller scale. Such conditions are then needed to be identified and mimicked in smaller scale to obtain crucial scaling-up data. In this project, we wanted to establish scalable cultivation processes and compare the performance at different scales. Experiments were performed at three process scales: lab (1.5 l), process development unit (15 l) and demonstration (10 m3) scales, with an industrial recombinant xylose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain and corn cob, bagasse, and spruce lignocellulosic material. It was found that separate fermentation and SSF experiments could be reproducible at all scales. An ethanol level could be obtained above 4 % which is the threshold for feasible down-stream processing. Demonstration scale experiments on xylose-rich liquid of pre-treated corn cobs resulted in a 90% conversion of xylose to ethanol and on the slurry in SSF cultivation an ethanol yield of 0.44 g/g xylose was obtained.
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| 6. |
- Koppram, Rakesh, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation for bioethanol production using corncobs at lab, PDU and demo scales
- 2013
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Ingår i: Biotechnology for Biofuels. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1754-6834 .- 1754-6834. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundWhile simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) is considered to be a promising process for bioconversion of lignocellulosic materials to ethanol, there are still relatively little demo-plant data and operating experiences reported in the literature. In the current work, we designed a SSCF process and scaled up from lab to demo scale reaching 4% (w/v) ethanol using xylose rich corncobs.ResultsSeven different recombinant xylose utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were evaluated for their fermentation performance in hydrolysates of steam pretreated corncobs. Two strains, RHD-15 and KE6-12 with highest ethanol yield and lowest xylitol yield, respectively were further screened in SSCF using the whole slurry from pretreatment. Similar ethanol yields were reached with both strains, however, KE6-12 was chosen as the preferred strain since it produced 26% lower xylitol from consumed xylose compared to RHD-15. Model SSCF experiments with glucose or hydrolysate feed in combination with prefermentation resulted in 79% of xylose consumption and more than 75% of the theoretical ethanol yield on available glucose and xylose in lab and PDU scales. The results suggest that for an efficient xylose conversion to ethanol controlled release of glucose from enzymatic hydrolysis and low levels of glucose concentration must be maintained throughout the SSCF. Fed-batch SSCF in PDU with addition of enzymes at three different time points facilitated controlled release of glucose and hence co-consumption of glucose and xylose was observed yielding 76% of the theoretical ethanol yield on available glucose and xylose at 7.9% water insoluble solids (WIS). With a fed-batch SSCF in combination with prefermentation and a feed of substrate and enzymes 47 and 40 g l-1 of ethanol corresponding to 68% and 58% of the theoretical ethanol yield on available glucose and xylose were produced at 10.5% WIS in PDU and demo scale, respectively. The strain KE6-12 was able to completely consume xylose within 76 h during the fermentation of hydrolysate in a 10 m3 demo scale bioreactor.ConclusionsThe potential of SSCF is improved in combination with prefermentation and a feed of substrate and enzymes. It was possible to successfully reproduce the fed-batch SSCF at demo scale producing 4% (w/v) ethanol which is the minimum economical requirement for efficient lignocellulosic bioethanol production process.
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| 7. |
- Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane, et al.
(författare)
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Optimal Hearing Aid Use: Focus Groups With Hearing Aid Clients and Audiologists
- 2013
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Ingår i: Ear and Hearing. - : Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. - 0196-0202 .- 1538-4667. ; 34:2, s. 193-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: This study explored the meaning and determinants of optimal hearing aid use from the perspectives of hearing aid clients and audiologists. An additional objective was to contrast the perspectives of the clients and audiologists. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanDesign: Four focus groups were conducted: (1) clients (n = 7) in Denmark, (2) clients (n = 10) in the United Kingdom, (3) audiologists (n = 6) in Denmark, and (4) audiologists (n = 7) in the United Kingdom. Clients owned hearing aids and audiologists had regular contact with clients. The focus group facilitators used a topic guide to generate the participants views on optimal hearing aid use. The focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English if conducted in Danish, and qualitatively analyzed with content analysis. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults: Both clients and audiologists described optimal hearing aid use as being frequent and regular and driven by the individual needs of the clients. When describing determinants of optimal hearing aid use, both clients and audiologists mentioned the role of the client (e. g., adjustment to hearing aids), the role of the audiologist (e. g., audiologic practice and profession), and the role of the hearing aid (e. g., benefits and limitations of the hearing aid). They both highlighted the importance of client access to information. However, how clients and audiologists described the influence of these determinants varied somewhat. Clients emphasized the role of the hearing aid in achieving optimal hearing aid use. From a client perspective, hearing aids that performed well and had relevant features were most central. In contrast, audiologists emphasized the role of a good client-audiologist relationship in achieving optimal hearing aid use. From the audiologists perspective, audiologists who were able to understand the needs of the clients and to instruct clients appropriately were most central. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions: This study highlights similarities and differences in how clients and audiologists describe optimal hearing aid use and its determinants. It is commendable that audiologists acknowledge the importance of the client-audiologist relationship, but given clients focus on hearing aids, audiologists might wish to describe more explicitly to their clients how their intervention can extend beyond provision of the optimal hearing aid. (Ear andamp; Hearing 2013;34;193-202)
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| 8. |
- Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane, et al.
(författare)
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Patterns of Hearing Aid Usage Predict Hearing Aid Use Amount (Data Logged and Self-Reported) and Overreport
- 2014
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY. - : American Academy of Audiology. - 1050-0545 .- 2157-3107. ; 25:2, s. 187-198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Previous studies found that, on average, users overreport their daily amount of hearing aid use compared to objective measures such as data logging. However, the reasons for this are unclear. Purpose: This study assessed data-logged and self-reported amount of hearing aid use in a clinical sample of hearing aid users. It identified predictors of data-logged hearing aid use, self-reported hearing aid use, and hearing aid use overreport. Research Design: This observational study recruited adult hearing aid users from 22 private dispensers in the Netherlands and in Denmark. Study Sample: The sample consisted of 228 hearing aid users. Typical participants were over the age of 65 and retired, were fitted binaurally, and had financially contributed to the cost of their hearing aids. Participants had on average a mild-to-severe sloping bilateral hearing impairment. Data Collection and Analysis: Participants completed a purposefully designed questionnaire regarding hearing aid usage and the International Outcome Inventory Hearing Aids. Dispensers collected audiometric results and data logging. Multiple linear regression identified predictors of data-logged hearing aid use, self-reported hearing aid use, and hearing aid use overreport when controlling for covariates. Results: Data logging showed on average 10.5 hr of hearing aid use (n = 184), while participants reported on average 11.8 hr of daily hearing aid use (n = 206). In participants for which both data-logged and self-reported hearing-aid use data were available (n = 166), the average absolute overreport of daily hearing aid use was 1.2 (1 hr and 11 min). Relative overreport was expressed as a rate of absolute overreport divided by data-logged hearing aid use. A positive rate denotes hearing aid use overreport: the average overreport rate was .38. Cluster analysis identified two data-logged patterns: "Regular," where hearing aids are typically switched on for between 12 and 20 hr before their user powers them off (57% of the sample), and "On-off," where hearing aids are typically switched on for shorter periods of time before being powered off (43% of the sample). In terms of self-report, 77% of the sample described their hearing aid use to be the same every day, while 23% of the sample described their hearing aid use to be different from day to day. Participants for whom data logging showed an On-off pattern or who reported their hearing aid use to be different from day to day had significantly fewer data-logged and self-reported hours of Hearing aid use. Having an On-off data-logging pattern or describing hearing aid use as the same every day was associated with a significantly greater hearing aid use overreport. Conclusions: Data-logged and self-reported usage patterns significantly predicted data-logged hearing aid use, self-reported hearing aid use, and overreport when controlling for covariates. The results point to patterns of hearing aid usage as being at least as important a concept as amount of hearing aid use. Dispensers should discuss not only the "how much", but also the "how" of hearing aid usage with their clients.
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| 9. |
- Merlo, Domenico Franco, et al.
(författare)
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Micronuclei in Cord Blood Lymphocytes and Associations with Biomarkers of Exposure to Carcinogens and Hormonally Active Factors, Gene Polymorphisms, and Gene Expression : The NewGeneris Cohort
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 122:2, s. 193-200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Leukemia incidence has increased in recent decades among European children, -suggesting that early-life environmental exposures play an important role in disease development. Objectives: We investigated the hypothesis that childhood susceptibility may increase as a result of in utero exposure to carcinogens and hormonally acting factors. Using cord blood samples from the NewGeneris cohort, we examined associations between a range of biomarkers of carcinogen exposure and hormonally acting factors with micronuclei (MN) frequency as a proxy measure of cancer risk. Associations with gene expression and genotype were also explored. Methods: DNA and protein adducts, gene expression profiles, circulating hormonally acting factors, and GWAS (genome-wide association study) data were investigated in relation to genomic damage measured by MN frequency in lymphocytes from 623 newborns enrolled between 2006 and 2010 across Europe. Results: Malondialdehyde DNA adducts (M(1)dG) were associated with increased MN frequency in binucleated lymphocytes (MNBN), and exposure to androgenic, estrogenic, and dioxin-like compounds was associated with MN frequency in mononucleated lymphocytes (MNMONO), although no monotonic exposure-outcome relationship was observed. Lower frequencies of MNBN were associated with a 1-unit increase expression of PDCD11, LATS2, TRIM13, CD28, SMC1A, IL7R, and NIPBL genes. Gene expression was significantly higher in association with the highest versus lowest category of bulky and M(1)dG-DNA adducts for five and six genes, respectively. Gene expression levels were significantly lower for 11 genes in association with the highest versus lowest category of plasma AR CALUX (R) (chemically activated luciferase expression for androgens) (8 genes), ER alpha CALUX (R) (for estrogens) (2 genes), and DR CALUX (R) (for dioxins). Several SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) on chromosome 11 near FOLH1 significantly modified associations between androgen activity and MNBN frequency. Polymorphisms in EPHX1/ 2 and CYP2E1 were associated with MNBN. Conclusion: We measured in utero exposure to selected environmental carcinogens and circulating hormonally acting factors and detected associations with MN frequency in newborns circulating T lymphocytes. The results highlight mechanisms that may contribute to carcinogen-induced leukemia and require further research.
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| 10. |
- Olivares Hernandez, Roberto, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Combining Substrate Specificity Analysis with Support Vector Classifiers Reveals Feruloyl Esterase as a Phylogenetically Informative Protein Group
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203 .- 1932-6203. ; 5:9, s. Article Number: e12781-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Our understanding of how fungi evolved to develop a variety of ecological niches, is limited but of fundamental biological importance. Specifically, the evolution of enzymes affects how well species can adapt to new environmental conditions. Feruloyl esterases (FAEs) are enzymes able to hydrolyze the ester bonds linking ferulic acid to plant cell wall polysaccharides. The diversity of substrate specificities found in the FAE family shows that this family is old enough to have experienced the emergence and loss of many activities. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study we evaluate the relative activity of FAEs against a variety of model substrates as a novel predictive tool for Ascomycota taxonomic classification. Our approach consists of two analytical steps; (1) an initial unsupervised analysis to cluster the FAEs substrate specificity data which were generated by cultivation of 34 Ascomycota strains and then an analysis of the produced enzyme cocktail against 10 substituted cinnamate and phenylalkanoate methyl esters, (2) a second, supervised analysis for training a predictor built on these substrate activities. By applying both linear and non-linear models we were able to correctly predict the taxonomic Class (similar to 86% correct classification), Order (similar to 88% correct classification) and Family (similar to 88% correct classification) that the 34 Ascomycota belong to, using the activity profiles of the FAEs. Conclusion/Significance: The good correlation with the FAEs substrate specificities that we have defined via our phylogenetic analysis not only suggests that FAEs are phylogenetically informative proteins but it is also a considerable step towards improved FAEs functional prediction.
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