| 1. |
- Aduse-Poku, Kwaku, et al.
(författare)
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Expanded molecular phylogeny of the genus Bicyclus (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae) shows the importance of increased sampling for detecting semi-cryptic species and highlights potentials for future studies
- 2017
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 15:2, s. 115-130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The genus Bicyclus is one of the largest groups of African butterflies, but due to the generally cryptic nature and seasonal variation of adult wing patterns, there has been a lot of systematic confusion. With a large research community working with the model species Bicyclus anynana there has been increasing interest in the evolutionary history of the genus. A previous phylogeny started to unravel interesting patterns, but only included 61% of the then known species. With a range of new species having been described in the last decade there has been a need for an updated phylogeny for the genus. We present the most complete phylogeny of Bicyclus yet, including 93% of the currently 103 recognized species and make a range of taxonomic revisions. We revise the status of four previous subspecies and synonymized taxa that in the light of the new genetic data are raised to species level. We also subsume two subspecies and describe a new species, Bicyclus collinsi sp. nov., based on both genetic and morphological evidence. A further new taxon is identified, but not described at this point due to lack of morphological data. Our phylogeny lays a solid foundation for better understanding the evolution of Bicyclus and highlights key species-groups and complexes with intriguing ecological patterns making them prime candidates for future studies. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2F775351-097E-4CD7-8F8F-A90B26D52DE8
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Lim, S. C., et al.
(författare)
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A new genus and species of abyssal sponge commonly encrusting polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, East Pacific Ocean
- 2017
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 15:6, s. 507-519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the East Pacific is a vast region targeted for deep-sea mineral exploration, for which there are almost no published taxonomic data. Here we describe Plenaster craigi gen. nov. sp. nov. from depths of similar to 4000 m in the eastern CCZ polymetallic nodule province. Despite over 40 years of intense exploration in the area, we reveal that P. craigi sp. nov. is the most abundant sponge and the most common metazoan encrusting on nodules in our study area at the eastern CCZ. It has a mean abundance of 15.3 +/- 8.9 individuals per m 2 across 11 stations in a 30 x 30 km study site nested within the Singapore exploration area. The white encrusting sponge is filled with spheroxyasters with occasional styles protruding the surface. Plenaster craigi sp. nov. is morphologically similar to genera from three different families in two orders: Timea (Timeidae; Tethyida); Hemiasterella and Leptosastra (Hemiasterellidae; Tethyida); and Paratimea (Stelligeridae; Axinellida). However, based on the molecular (COI and 28S) phylogenetic trees generated in this study, P. craigi sp. nov. was located in the Order Axinellida and appeared to be distant to Timea, Hemiasterella, Leptosastra, and Paratimea. We propose a new genus for our material to be placed provisionally in the family Stelligeridae, as it is the only family in the order Axinellida whose members possess euasters. This provisional placement may change when sequences of the type specimens of these genera and advanced phylogenetic reconstruction methods become available in the future. However, we have shown clearly that Plenaster gen. nov. is unique and distinct from all currently known taxa. Plenaster craigi sp. nov. being an abundant metazoan encrusting on nodule and easily identified filter-feeding animal is a potentially indicator species for future mining impacts in the eastern CCZ, and possibly across the entire CCZ.
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| 5. |
- Luis Carballo, Jose, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular and morphological data from Thoosidae in favour of the creation of a new suborder of Tetractinellida
- 2018
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 16:5, s. 512-521
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Thoosidae (Porifera, Demospongiae, Tetractinellida) currently includes the genera Thoosa, Alectona, and Delectona. To this date, molecular data are only available for Alectona. In this study, the phylogenetic affinities of the genera Thoosa and Alectona have been investigated with the species T. mismalolli, T. calpulli, and T. purpurea from the Mexican Pacific using morphology and three molecular loci: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1 mtDNA), 28S rRNA (fragment D2), and 18S rRNA. Morphology and embryology showed that these genera are quite different from the rest of the tetractinellids because larvae of Alectona and Thoosa have unique features in sponges, such as the presence of monaxonic discs in Thoosa and tetraxonic discs in Alectona which disappear in the adult stages. A phylogenetic analysis using selected species from the order Tetractinellida revealed that Thoosa groups with Alectona thus confirming morphological studies. The peculiarities in spiculation and embryology of the Thoosa and Alectona larvae, which are markedly different from species belonging to the suborders Astrophorina and Spirophorina and their distant phylogenetic position (based on three molecular loci), suggest that Thoosidae could be placed in the new suborder Thoosina.
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| 6. |
- Martinsson, Svante, 1985, et al.
(författare)
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Revision of Cognettia (Clitellata, Enchytraeidae): re-establishment of Chamaedrilus and description of cryptic species in the sphagnetorum complex
- 2015
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 13:3, s. 257-277
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The oligochaete worm, Cognettia sphagnetorum (Vejdovský, 1878), is widely used as a model organism in soil biology, and therefore it is important that its taxonomy is firmly established. A previous study based on both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers showed that this taxon is an assemblage of at least four species that do not form a monophyletic group. Also the validity of the genus Cognettia Nielsen and Christensen, 1959 is subject to debate, since the existence of two putative senior synonyms, Euenchytraeus Bretscher, 1906 and Chamaedrilus Friend, 1913 has been pointed out. Herein we revise the generic assignment of the species currently placed in Cognettia: two species, C. clarae Bauer, 1993 and C. piperi Christensen and Dózsa-Farkas, 1999, are transferred to Euenchytraeus, together with its type Eu. bisetosus Bretscher, 1906, whereas the remaining species, including Cognettia sphagnetorum, are being transferred to Chamaedrilus. Five species within the Chamaedrilus sphagnetorum complex are revised: the type species of Chamaedrilus, Ch. chlorophilus Friend, 1913, as well as the type species of Cognettia, Ch. sphagnetorum s. str. are redescribed, and a neotype is designated for the latter; and the cryptic species Ch. pseudosphagnetorum sp. nov. and Ch. chalupskyi sp. nov. are described as new to science and discussed against a paratype of Ch. valeriae (Dumnicka, 2010) comb. nov. DNA-barcodes are provided for all the named species in the complex except Ch. valeriae. A key to the species in the complex is given and the value of different somatic characters for separating and identifying species of Chamaedrilus is discussed. No morphological feature seems to distinguish Ch. sphagnetorum from Ch. pseudosphagnetorum. Thus, for a reliable identification of these species, molecular methods, e.g. DNA barcoding, are recommended.
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| 7. |
- Shamsabad, Masoumeh Mahmoudi, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogeography and population genetics of Acanthophyllum squarrosum complex (Caryophyllaceae) in the Irano-Turanian region
- 2019
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 17:4, s. 412-421
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Acanthophyllum squarrosum and two closely related species, A. heratense and A. laxiusculum (Caryophyllaceae), form a complex that covers parts of subalpine steppes of the Irano-Turanian (IT) region. In this study, we explored the genetic structure and phylogeography of this complex based on partial sequences of two chloroplasts (psbA-trnH and rpl32-trnL (UAG)) and two nuclear (EST24 and nrITS) DNA regions. We analysed 80 individuals from eight populations and detected 12 chloroplast haplotypes, 16 and eight nuclear alleles in EST24 and nrITS sequences, respectively. Phylogenetic trees and haplotype networks did not show distinct genetic groups in the complex and this could be explained by incomplete lineage sorting or introgression between species. Divergence time analysis revealed a Quaternary origin for A. squarrosum complex at approximately 1.8 million years ago (Mya) and the neutrality test results indicated that this complex experienced a recent population expansion. AMOVA analysis of the chloroplast regions showed a significant genetic differentiation among populations and low genetic differentiation within populations, but opposite results were found with nuclear markers, implying introgression between A. squarrosum complex populations.
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| 8. |
- Sim-Sim, Manuela, et al.
(författare)
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Integrative taxonomy reveals too extensive lumping and a new species in the moss genus Amphidium (Bryophyta)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Systematics and Biodiversity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1477-2000 .- 1478-0933. ; 15:5, s. 451-463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An integrative taxonomic approach, including molecular phylogenetic reconstructions based on plastid rps4-trnF and nuclear ITS sequences, statistical analysis of morphological-anatomical characters, and classical taxonomy, indicates that the reduction of 13 Amphidium species to three in a recent morphological revision represents a case of too extensive lumping. Instead, six Amphidium species can be distinguished based on molecular and morphological data, the widespread Amphidium lapponicum, A. mougeotii, and A. tortuosum, as well as the Macaronesian endemic A. curvipes, the North American endemic A. californicum, and a newly discovered species from Central Asia (southern Siberia and northern Mongolia), A. asiaticum sp. nov. Diagnostic morphological characters for all six species are discussed. The present data confirm that species diversity of Amphidium is highest in the Holarctic, where all six species occur.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Luoto, Tomi P., et al.
(författare)
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A 2000-year record of lake ontogeny and climate variability from the north-eastern European Russian Arctic
- 2017
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Ingår i: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 27:3, s. 339-348
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A lake sediment record from the north-eastern European Russian Arctic was examined using palaeolimnological methods, including subfossil chironomid and diatom analysis. The objective of this study is to disentangle environmental history of the lake and climate variability during the past 2000 years. The sediment profile was divided into two main sections following changes in the lithology, separating the limno-telmatic phase between similar to 2000 and 1200 cal. yr BP and the lacustrine phase between similar to 1200 cal. yr BP and the present. Owing to the large proportion of semi-terrestrial chironomids and poor modern analogues, a reliable chironomid-based temperature reconstruction for the limno-telmatic phase was not possible. However, the lacustrine phase showed gradually cooling climate conditions from similar to 1200 cal. yr BP until similar to 700 cal. yr BP. The increase in stream chironomids within this sediment section indicates that this period may also have had increased precipitation that caused the adjacent river to overflow, subsequently transporting chironomids to the lacustrine basin. After a short-lived warm phase at similar to 700 cal. yr BP, the climate again cooled, and a progressive climate warming trend was evident from the most recent sediment samples, where the biological assemblages seem to have experienced an eutrophication-like response to climate warming. The temperature reconstruction showed more similarities with the climate development in the Siberian side of the Urals than with northern Europe. This study provides a characteristic archive of arctic lake ontogeny and a valuable temperature record from a remote climate-sensitive area of northern Russia.
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| 11. |
- Clark, Timothy D., et al.
(författare)
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Maximum thermal limits of coral reef damselfishes are size dependent and resilient to near-future ocean acidification
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LTD. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 220:19, s. 3519-3526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Theoretical models predict that ocean acidification, caused by increased dissolved CO2, will reduce the maximum thermal limits of fishes, thereby increasing their vulnerability to rising ocean temperatures and transient heatwaves. Here, we tested this prediction in three species of damselfishes on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Maximum thermal limits were quantified using critical thermal maxima (CTmax) tests following acclimation to either presentday or end-of-century levels of CO2 for coral reef environments (similar to 500 or similar to 1000 mu atm, respectively). While species differed significantly in their thermal limits, whereby Dischistodus perspicillatus exhibited greater CTmax (37.88 +/- 0.03 degrees C; N=47) than Dascyllus aruanus (37.68 +/- 0.02 degrees C; N=85) and Acanthochromis polyacanthus (36.58 +/- 0.02 degrees C; N=63), end-of-century CO2 had no effect (D. aruanus) or a slightly positive effect (increase in CTmax of 0.16 degrees C in D. perspicillatus and 0.21 degrees C in A. polyacanthus) on CTmax. Contrary to expectations, early-stage juveniles were equally as resilient to CO2 as larger conspecifics, and CTmax was higher at smaller body sizes in two species. These findings suggest that ocean acidification will not impair the maximum thermal limits of reef fishes, and they highlight the critical role of experimental biology in testing predictions of theoretical models forecasting the consequences of environmental change.
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| 12. |
- Jutfelt, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Brain cooling marginally increases acute upper thermal tolerance in Atlantic cod
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Biology. - : The Company of Biologists. - 0022-0949 .- 1477-9145. ; 222:19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Physiological mechanisms determining thermal limits in fishes are debated but remain elusive. It has been hypothesised that motor function loss, observed as loss of equilibrium during acute warming, is due to direct thermal effects on brain neuronal function. To test this, we mounted cooling plates on the heads of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and quantified whether local brain cooling increased whole-organism acute upper thermal tolerance. Brain cooling reduced brain temperature by 2-6 °C below ambient water temperature and increased thermal tolerance by 0.5 and 0.6 °C on average relative to instrumented and uninstrumented controls, respectively, suggesting that direct thermal effects on brain neurons may contribute to setting upper thermal limits in fish. However, the improvement in thermal tolerance with brain cooling was small relative to the difference in brain temperature, demonstrating that other mechanisms (e.g. failure of spinal and peripheral neurons, or muscle) may also contribute to controlling acute thermal tolerance.
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| 13. |
- Jansson, Maria, 1968-
(författare)
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The quality of gender equality : gender quotas and Swedish film governance
- 2019
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Ingår i: The International Journal of Cultural Policy. - : Routledge. - 1028-6632 .- 1477-2833. ; 25:2, s. 218-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since 2000, the Swedish Film Institute has been tasked with increasing gender equality by distributing commissioner support more equally between women and men. While this has resulted in an increase in the number of women behind the camera, this study shows that the implementation has been hampered due to a representation of gender equality as being in conflict with the core values of the film governance regime. This representation reveals a lingering gender order and opens avenues for stakeholders to consider behaviour that ignores the gender equality goals as legitimate. It is further argued that the design of gender equality measures creates a conflict between the economic conditions of women’s film making and the possibility to tell stories based on gendered experiences.
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| 14. |
- Hultman, Bo, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Prognostic factors in patients with loco-regionally advanced gastric cancer
- 2017
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Ingår i: World Journal of Surgical Oncology. - London : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1477-7819. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate epidemiologic and prognostic factors relevant to the treatment of loco-regionally advanced gastric cancer (GC).METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-five patients with GC were identified in Uppsala County between 2000 and 2009. Patient records were analyzed for loco-regionally advanced GC defined as tumor with peritoneal involvement, excluding serosal invasion from the primary tumor only, at primary diagnosis or during follow-up. The presence or not of distant metastasis (DM), including hematogenous metastases (e.g., liver, lung, and bone) and/or distant lymph node metastases, was also analyzed. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for multivariate analysis of factors influencing survival.RESULTS: One hundred and twenty patients (47% of all patients with GC; median age 70.5 years) had loco-regionally advanced disease, corresponding to an incidence of 3.8 per 100,000 person-years. Forty-one percent of these also had DM. Median overall survival (mOS) from the time of the diagnosis of loco-regionally advanced disease was 4.8 months for the total patient cohort, 5.1 months for the subgroup of patients without DM, and 4.7 months for the subgroup with DM. There was no significant difference in mOS between the subgroups with synchronous versus metachronous loco-regionally advanced GC: 4.8 months (range 0.0-67.4) versus 4.7 months (range 0.0-28.3). Using multivariate Cox analysis, positive prognostic factors for survival were good performance status at diagnosis and treatment with palliative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Synchronous DM was a negative prognostic factor. The mOS did not differ when comparing the time period 2000-2004 (5.1 months, range 0-67.4) with the period 2005-2009 (4.0 months, range 0.0-28.3).CONCLUSION: Peritoneal involvement occurred in almost half of the patients with GC in this study and was associated with short life expectancy. New treatment strategies are warranted.
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| 15. |
- Svensson, Pia, et al.
(författare)
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A meta-analysis and systematic literature review of factors associated with sexual risk-taking during international travel
- 2018
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Ingår i: Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. - : Elsevier BV. - 1477-8939 .- 1873-0442. ; 24, s. 65-88
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: International travel facilitates global spread of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Travellers could contribute to onward transmission of pathogens rarely encountered at home and export new strains to the destination. The aim was to systematically examine evidence regarding determinants of travel-related sexual risk-taking and identify knowledge gaps and areas for targeted interventions. Method: Articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2017 were screened in 6 databases and assessed for relevance against criteria. Data was extracted for factors associated with travel-related STI or proxies. Meta-analyses estimated pooled prevalence of casual sex and non-condom use. Adjusted odds ratios of predictors were pooled to generate a combined estimate. Result: Forty-nine articles qualified for inclusion. A heterogeneity test indicated variation across studies. The pooled prevalence of casual travel sex was 35% and prevalence of non-condom use 17%. Expectations of casual sex strongly predicted sex with a new partner when travelling abroad. Planning to have sex indicated condom use. Conclusion: The studies largely represented sub-groups of risk-taking populations from a European context, indicating substantial knowledge gaps. Studies investigating migrants travelling to visit friends and relatives, older travellers, and female travelers are needed. Post–travel harm reduction activities may serve as a focus for future interventions.
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| 16. |
- Chawchai, Sakonvan, et al.
(författare)
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Lake Kumphawapi revisited – a synthesis of Holocene environmental and climatic changes for NE Thailand
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 26:4, s. 614-626
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Kumphawapi, which is Thailand’s largest natural freshwater lake, contains a >10,000-year-long climatic and environmental archive. New data sets (stratigraphy, chronology, hydrogen isotopes, plant macrofossil and charcoal records) for two sedimentary sequences are here combined with earlier multi-proxy studies to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of past climatic and environmental changes for Northeast Thailand. Gradually higher moisture availability due to a strengthening of the summer monsoon led to the formation of a large shallow lake in the Kumphawapi basin between >10,700 and c. 7000 cal. BP. The marked increase in moisture availability and lower evaporation between c. 7000 and 6400 cal. BP favoured the growth and expansion of vegetation in and around the shallow lake. The increase in biomass led to gradual overgrowing and infilling, to an apparent lake level lowering and to the development of a wetland. Multiple hiatuses are apparent in all investigated sequences between c. 6500 and 1400 cal. BP and are explained by periodic desiccation events of the wetland and erosion due to the subsequent lake level rise. The rise in lake level, which started c. 2000 cal. BP and reached shallower parts c. 1400 cal. BP, is attributed to an increase in effective moisture availability. The timing of hydroclimatic conditions during the past 2000 years cannot be resolved because of chronological limitations.
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| 17. |
- Pettersson, Cecilia, 1963, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence-based interventions involving occupational therapists are needed in re-ablement for older community-living people: A systematic review
- 2017
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Ingår i: British Journal of Occupational Therapy. - : SAGE Publications. - 1477-6006 .- 0308-0226. ; 80:5, s. 273-285
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Re-ablement services are in a period of strong development, but the terms and definitions used remain unclear, and the scientific evidence is still weak. The aim of this systematic review was to obtain an overview of the scientific literature in this evolving research area, and investigate whether there is scientific evidence for positive effects of re-ablement services for older community-living people. Method The systematic literature search was conducted in the databases CINAHL, PubMed and Svemed+(Swemed) and covered the years 2000-2014. Owing to the heterogeneity in the included studies, a narrative synthesis was performed. Results Eight original publications were found eligible and included in the systematic review. When addressed, terms and definitions varied among the papers. Effects such as less use of home care, higher likelihood to live at home, improved activities of daily living (ADL) skills, quality of life and physical health, increased physical activity and lower costs compared to conventional home care were reported. Conclusion More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence-base regarding re-ablement services. The specific roles of various professional and staff groups are often insufficiently described, as are the interventions as such, and there is a lack of attention to person-centered aspects such as the meaningfulness of the specific activities.
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| 18. |
- Hogden, A, et al.
(författare)
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Obstetric outcomes in patients with primary thrombotic and obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome and its relation to the antiphospholipid antibody profile
- 2019
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Ingår i: Lupus. - : SAGE Publications. - 1477-0962 .- 0961-2033. ; 28:7, s. 868-877
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Previous studies suggested different obstetric outcomes between patients with thrombotic or obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome, but the data are inconclusive. Aims: To investigate obstetric outcomes and their relation to the antiphospholipid antibody profile in primary thrombotic or obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome patients and compare those to a control population. Materials and methods: A retrospective single-centre study on a cohort of 30 pregnant women with primary antiphospholipid syndrome treated at Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Sweden between 2000 and 2016. The pregnancy outcomes were compared to the outcomes of all pregnancies in Stockholm County during the same period. Results: Preeclampsia ( p < 0.001), low birth weight at delivery ( p = 0.001), Apgar < 7 at 5 minutes ( p < 0.001) and small infants ( p < 0.001) were more common in antiphospholipid syndrome patients compared to controls. Obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome patients had a higher incidence of small infants ( p = 0.023), lower birth weight ( p = 0.013) and infants born with complications ( p=0.004) compared to thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome. Mothers with triple antibody positivity had a higher incidence of preeclampsia ( p = 0.03), preterm delivery ( p = 0.011), small infants ( p=0.002) and infants born with complications ( p = 0.012). Conclusions: Patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome, especially those with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome and triple antibody positivity, are at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, even under antithrombotic treatment. More frequent antenatal controls in high-risk patients can further improve outcomes.
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| 19. |
- Yamoah, Kweku Afrifa, et al.
(författare)
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Societal response to monsoonal fluctuations in NE Thailand during the demise of Angkor Civilisation
- 2017
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Ingår i: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 27:10, s. 1455-1464
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper investigates the possible social responses to changes in the strength of the southwest monsoon in northeastern Thailand during the currency of the Angkor civilisation. These assessments are based on hydrogen and carbon isotope records of leaf waxes (delta D-wax and delta 13C(wax)) from a 2000-year-long wetland sequence of Pa Kho in northeastern Thailand, a region that formed the northern boundary of the Angkor Kingdom. Our data indicate anthropogenic flooding of the Pa Kho wetland through the control of water through dam construction from c. AD 1300 in response to the fluctuating strength of monsoon rains. delta D-wax, a proxy for regional hydroclimate variability, corroborates pre-existing evidence that increased summer monsoon rains, which supported the expansion of the agrarian economy, aided the rise of the Angkorian Empire whereas extreme drought contributed to its demise. Interestingly, our delta D-wax record shows already a gradual decreasing monsoon intensity from c. AD 1000 onwards, although Angkor's prosperity reached its peak at c. AD 1200. We suggest that the complex hydrological system established under royal patronage at Angkor provided a resilient buffer against short-term monsoon fluctuations. The long-term decline in monsoon rains over a similar to 300-year period, combined with ongoing urbanisation, may have stretched the hydrological systems to their limit. We suggest that this was a major factor that contributed to the demise of Angkor in the mid-15th century.
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| 20. |
- Karlsson, Jon, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Tracing modern environmental conditions to their roots in early mining, metallurgy, and settlement in Gladhammar, southeast Sweden : Vegetation and pollution history outside the traditional Bergslagen mining region
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Holocene. - : Sage Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 25:6, s. 944-955
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present results from a multidisciplinary project using lake sediment as a natural archive in combination with archaeology to investigate the earliest history of the Gladhammar mining area, southeastern Sweden. The aim was to identify and trace human impacts on the landscape, specifically in connection with settlement and metal production. Sediment records from two lakes linked to different processes in metal production were analyzed; Tjursbosjon down-slope of the mining area and Hyttegol situated downstream of an excavated blast furnace, 1.8km from the mines. The sediment analyses included multi-element geochemistry (WD-XRF), stable lead isotopes, pollen, and charcoal. Although historical documents record activities beginning in AD 1526, the archaeological study found indications that mining and metal production likely predated this period. The known historical period is well reflected in the sediment records, such as a 500-fold increase in copper, stream erosion, loss of forest cover and an expansion in agriculture. More importantly, already in the 12th-13th centuries, there was a 2- to 10-fold increase in lead, copper, and charcoal particles and evidence of erosion linked to the establishment of a blast furnace. Lead isotopes reveal a change from natural conditions to an input of lead from regional ores as early as the 9th-10th centuries. Settlement in the form of agriculture can be seen from 2000 BP. This sediment evidence of early mining or metallurgy during the 9th-15th centuries is supported by a few radiocarbon dates from the excavated mining fields, which on their own were considered as vague or improbable outliers by archaeologists.
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| 21. |
- Saati, Abrak, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Building peace abroad and coming back home : experiences of Swedish police officers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Policing & society. - : Routledge. - 1043-9463 .- 1477-2728. ; 28:9, s. 1050-1064
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ever since the Swedish Police Authority established a unit for Peace Support Operations in 2000, approximately 70–110 Swedish police officers have participated in peacebuilding missions around the globe on an annual basis. This signifies that a substantial number of Swedish police officers have gained practical experience of assisting post-conflict states to rebuild their societies, reform their security sectors and establish a police force that acts in accordance with the principles of democratic policing. However, to date, there is no research that has set out to investigate these police officers’ experiences; not only of building peace abroad within the framework of democratic policing, but also of coming back home to reengage in Swedish police work. In this paper we begin to address this research gap. We do so through a number of qualitative interviews with Swedish police officers who have recent experiences of participating in peacebuilding missions in Liberia, Kosovo and Haiti. The findings show that despite certain obstacles, the police officers find ways to conduct police work in a manner that they believe supports the advancement of a democratic police force, and that their overall sentiment of building peace abroad is positive. However, their experiences of returning home to reengage in Swedish police work are less satisfactory. Officers express frustration that new insights and new knowledge gained abroad do not seem to be valued by the Swedish Police Authority. This is a finding that aligns with results from previous studies on Canadian and Australian police officers.
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| 22. |
- Cirenajwis, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Performance of gene expression-based single sample predictors for assessment of clinicopathological subgroups and molecular subtypes in cancers : a case comparison study in non-small cell lung cancer
- 2019
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Ingår i: Briefings in Bioinformatics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1477-4054 .- 1467-5463. ; 21:2, s. 729-740
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of multigene classifiers for cancer prognosis, treatment prediction, molecular subtypes or clinicopathological groups has been a cornerstone in transcriptomic analyses of human malignancies for nearly two decades. However, many reported classifiers are critically limited by different preprocessing needs like normalization and data centering. In response, a new breed of classifiers, single sample predictors (SSPs), has emerged. SSPs classify samples in an N-of-1 fashion, relying on, e.g. gene rules comparing expression values within a sample. To date, several methods have been reported, but there is a lack of head-to-head performance comparison for typical cancer classification problems, representing an unmet methodological need in cancer bioinformatics. To resolve this need, we performed an evaluation of two SSPs [k-top-scoring pair classifier (kTSP) and absolute intrinsic molecular subtyping (AIMS)] for two case examples of different magnitude of difficulty in non-small cell lung cancer: gene expression–based classification of (i) tumor histology and (ii) molecular subtype. Through the analysis of ~2000 lung cancer samples for each case example (n = 1918 and n = 2106, respectively), we compared the performance of the methods for different sample compositions, training data set sizes, gene expression platforms and gene rule selections. Three main conclusions are drawn from the comparisons: both methods are platform independent, they select largely overlapping gene rules associated with actual underlying tumor biology and, for large training data sets, they behave interchangeably performance-wise. While SSPs like AIMS and kTSP offer new possibilities to move gene expression signatures/predictors closer to a clinical context, they are still importantly limited by the difficultness of the classification problem at hand.
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| 23. |
- Bentow, C., et al.
(författare)
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International multi-center evaluation of a novel chemiluminescence assay for the detection of anti-dsDNA antibodies
- 2016
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Ingår i: Lupus. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD. - 0961-2033 .- 1477-0962. ; 25:8, s. 864-872
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Anti-double stranded desoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are considered fairly specific for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their quantification is useful for the clinical management of SLE patients. We assessed the diagnostic performance of the QUANTA Flash dsDNA chemiluminescent immunoassay (CIA) in comparison to an ELISA, using patients from five participating countries. The main focus was to evaluate the correlation between anti-dsDNA antibody results from the CIA and global SLE disease activity, as measured by the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). Patients and methods: A total of 1431 samples (SLE, n=843; disease controls, n=588) from five countries (Canada, USA, Portugal, Sweden and Spain) were tested with QUANTA Flash dsDNA (Inova Diagnostics, San Diego, CA, USA). Data obtained with the QUANTA Lite dsDNA SC ELISA (Inova Diagnostics) were available for samples from three sites (Canada, USA and Sweden, n=566). The SLEDAI-2K scores were available for 805 SLE patients and a cut-off ofamp;gt;4 was used to define active disease. Results: QUANTA Flash dsDNA had a sensitivity of 54.3% for the diagnosis of SLE, combined with 89.8% specificity. Anti-dsDNA antibody levels were significantly higher (pamp;lt;0.0001) in active SLE (SLEDAI-2Kamp;gt;4; n=232; median value 83.0IU/mL) versus the inactive patients (n=573; median value 22.3IU/mL), and the SLEDAI-2K scoring correlated with their dsDNA antibody levels (Spearmans rho=0.44, pamp;lt;0.0001). Similar but less pronounced findings were also found for the ELISA, in relation to disease activity. Conclusions: The QUANTA Flash dsDNA assay showed good clinical performance in a large international multi-center study. Additionally, the strong correlation between anti-dsDNA antibody results and SLEDAI-2K scores supported the potential utility of QUANTA Flash dsDNA for monitoring disease activity.
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| 24. |
- Holmes, Naomi, et al.
(författare)
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Climatic variability during the last millennium in Western Iceland from lake sediment records
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 26:5, s. 756-771
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this research was to create a decadal-scale terrestrial quantitative palaeoclimate record for NW Iceland from lake sediments for the last millennium. Geochemical, stable isotope and chironomid reconstructions were obtained from a lake sequence constrained by tephra deposits on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, western Iceland. Obtaining a quantitative record proved problematic, but the qualitative chironomid record showed clear trends associated with past summer temperatures, and the sedimentological records provided evidence for past changes in precipitation, mediated through catchment soil in-wash. When the full range of chronological uncertainty is considered, four clear phases of climatic conditions were identified: (1) a relatively warm phase between AD 1020 and 1310; (2) a relatively stable period between AD 1310 and 1510, cooler than the preceding period but still notably warmer than the second half of the millennium; (3) a consistent reduction of temperatures between AD 1560 and 1810, with the coolest period between AD 1680 and 1810; and (4) AD 1840-2000 has temperatures mainly warmer than in the preceding two centuries, with a rising trend and increased variability from c. AD 1900 onwards. The reconstructions show clearly that the first half of the millennium experienced warmer climatic conditions than the second half, with a return to the warmer climate only occurring in the last c. 100 years. Much of the variability of the chironomid record can be linked to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The reconstructions presented can track low-frequency and long-term trends effectively and consistently but high-resolution and calibrated quantitative records remain more of a challenge - not just in finding optimal sedimentary deposits but also in finding the most reliable proxy. It is this that presents the real challenge for Holocene climate reconstruction from this key area of the North Atlantic.
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| 25. |
- Sjöwall, Christopher, et al.
(författare)
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Altered glycosylation of complexed native IgG molecules is associated with disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus
- 2015
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Ingår i: Lupus. - : Sage Publications. - 0961-2033 .- 1477-0962. ; 24:6, s. 569-581
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In addition to the redundancy of the receptors for the Fc portion of immunoglobulins, glycans result in potential ligands for a plethora of lectin receptors found in immune effector cells. Here we analysed the exposure of glycans containing fucosyl residues and the fucosylated tri-mannose N-type core by complexed native IgG in longitudinal serum samples of well-characterized patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Consecutive serum samples of a cohort of 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus during periods of increased disease activity and remission were analysed. All patients fulfilled the 1982 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Sera of 15 sex- and age-matched normal healthy blood donors served as controls. The levels and type of glycosylation of complexed random IgG was measured with lectin enzyme-immunosorbent assays. After specifically gathering IgG complexes from sera, biotinylated lectins Aleuria aurantia lectin and Lens culinaris agglutinin were employed to detect IgG-associated fucosyl residues and the fucosylated tri-mannose N-glycan core, respectively. In sandwich-ELISAs, IgG-associated IgM, IgA, C1q, C3c and C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected as candidates for IgG immune complex constituents. We studied associations of the glycan of complexed IgG and disease activity according to the physician's global assessment of disease activity and the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 documented at the moment of blood taking. Our results showed significantly higher levels of Aleuria aurantia lectin and Lens culinaris agglutinin binding sites exposed on IgG complexes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than on those of normal healthy blood donors. Disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus correlated with higher exposure of Aleuria aurantia lectin-reactive fucosyl residues by immobilized IgG complexes. Top levels of Aleuria aurantia lectin-reactivity were found in samples taken during the highest activity of systemic lupus erythematosus. Our results show that native circulating IgG complexes from active systemic lupus erythematosus patients expose fucosyl residues and their glycan core is accessible to soluble lectins. Two putative mechanisms may contribute to the increased exposure of these glycans: (1) the canonical N-glycosylation site of the IgG-CH2 domain; (2) an IgG binding non-IgG molecule, like complement or C-reactive protein. In both cases the complexed IgG may be alternatively targeted to lectin receptors of effector cells, e.g. dendritic cells.
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