| 1. |
- Nilsson, Anders K., 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Acylated monogalactosyl diacylglycerol : prevalence in the plant kingdom and identification of an enzyme catalyzing galactolipid head group acylation in Arabidopsis thaliana
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Plant Journal. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0960-7412 .- 1365-313X. ; 84:6, s. 1152-1166
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane is mainly composed of the galactolipids mono-and digalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG and DGDG, respectively). It has been known since the late 1960s that MGDG can be acylated with a third fatty acid to the galactose head group (acyl-MGDG) in plant leaf homogenates. In certain brassicaceous plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, the acyl-MGDG frequently incorporates oxidized fatty acids in the form of the jasmonic acid precursor 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA). In the present study we further investigated the distribution of acylated and OPDA-containing galactolipids in the plant kingdom. While acyl-MGDG was found to be ubiquitous in green tissue of plants ranging from non-vascular plants to angiosperms, OPDA-containing galactolipids were only present in plants from a few genera. A candidate protein responsible for the acyl transfer was identified in Avena sativa (oat) leaf tissue using biochemical fractionation and proteomics. Knockout of the orthologous gene in A. thaliana resulted in an almost total elimination of the ability to form both non-oxidized and OPDA-containing acyl-MGDG. In addition, heterologous expression of the A. thaliana gene in E. coli demonstrated that the protein catalyzed acylation of MGDG. We thus demonstrate that a phylogenetically conserved enzyme is responsible for the accumulation of acyl-MGDG in A. thaliana. The activity of this enzyme in vivo is strongly enhanced by freezing damage and the hypersensitive response.
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| 2. |
- Bundgaard, E., et al.
(författare)
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Matrix Organization and Merit Factor Evaluation as a Method to Address the Challenge of Finding a Polymer Material for Roll Coated Polymer Solar Cells
- 2015
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Ingår i: Advanced Energy Materials. - : Wiley. - 1614-6840 .- 1614-6832. ; 5:10, s. Art. no. 1402186-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results presented demonstrate how the screening of 104 light-absorbing low band gap polymers for suitability in roll coated polymer solar cells can be accomplished through rational synthesis according to a matrix where 8 donor and 13 acceptor units are organized in rows and columns. Synthesis of all the polymers corresponding to all combinations of donor and acceptor units is followed by characterization of all the materials with respect to molecular weight, electrochemical energy levels, band gaps, photochemical stability, carrier mobility, and photovoltaic parameters. The photovoltaic evaluation is carried out with specific reference to scalable manufacture, which includes large area (1 cm(2)), stable inverted device architecture, an indium-tin-oxide-free fully printed flexible front electrode with ZnO/PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate), and a printed silver comb back electrode structure. The matrix organization enables fast identification of active layer materials according to a weighted merit factor that includes more than simply the power conversion efficiency and is used as a method to identify the lead candidates. Based on several characteristics included in the merit factor, it is found that 13 out of the 104 synthesized polymers outperformed poly(3-hexylthiophene) under the chosen processing conditions and thus can be suitable for further development.
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| 3. |
- Ekberg, S., et al.
(författare)
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Long-term survival and loss in expectancy of life in a population-based cohort of 7114 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- 2018
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Ingår i: American Journal of Hematology. - : Wiley. - 0361-8609 .- 1096-8652. ; 93:8, s. 1020-1028
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Survival has improved among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with the addition of anti-CD20 antibody therapy. We aimed to quantify trends and remaining loss in expectation of life (LEL) due to DLBCL at a national population-based level. Patients diagnosed with DLBCL 2000-2013 (N=7114) were identified through the Swedish Lymphoma Registry and classified according to the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (aaIPI). The novel measure LEL is the difference between remaining life years among patients and the general population and was predicted using flexible parametric models from diagnosis and among 2-year survivors, by age and sex. Median age at DLBCL-diagnosis was 70 (18-105) years and 54.8% presented with stage III-IV disease. On average, LEL due to DLBCL decreased from 8.0 (95% CI: 7.7-8.3) to 4.6 (95% CI: 4.5-4.6) years over the study period. By risk group, LEL was most reduced among patients with aaIPI >= 2 aged 50-60 years. However, these patients were still estimated to lose >8 years in 2013 (eg, LELmales50years 8.6 years (95% CI: 5.0-12.3)). Among 2-year survivors, LEL was reduced from 6.1 years (95% CI: 5.6-6.5) (aaIPI >= 2) and 3.8 years (95% CI: 3.6-4.1) (aaIPI<2) to 1.1 (95% CI: 1.1-1.2) and 1.0 year (95% CI: 0.8-1.1), respectively. The reduction was observed across all ages. Results for females were similar. By using LEL we illustrate the improvement of DLBCL survival over time. Despite adequate immunochemotherapy, substantial LEL among patients with IPI >= 2 points to remaining unmet medical needs. We speculate that observed reduced losses among 2-year survivors indicate a reduction of late relapses.
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| 4. |
- Glimelius, Ingrid, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term survival in young and middle-aged Hodgkin lymphoma patients in Sweden 1992-2009 - trends in cure proportions by clinical characteristics.
- 2015
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Ingår i: American Journal of Hematology. - : Wiley. - 0361-8609 .- 1096-8652. ; 90:12, s. 1128-1134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trends in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survival among patients treated outside of clinical trials provide real-world benchmark estimates of prognosis and help identify patient subgroups for targeted trials. In a Swedish population-based cohort of 1947 HL patients diagnosed 1992-2009 at ages 18-59 years, we estimated relative survival (RS), cure proportions (CP) and median survival times using flexible parametric cure models. Overall, the CP was 89% (95%CI:0.87-0.91) and median survival of the uncured was 4.6 years (95%CI:3.0-6.3). For patients aged 18-50 years diagnosed after the year 2000, CP was high and stable, whereas for patients 50-59 years cure was not reached. The survival of relapse-free patients was similar to that of the general population (RS5-year :0.99; 95%CI:0.98-0.99, RS15-year :0.95; 95%CI:0.92-0.97). The excess mortality of relapsing patients was 19 times (95%CI:12-31) that of relapse-free patients. Despite modern treatments, patients with adverse prognostic factors (e.g., advanced stage) still had markedly worse outcomes [CPstage:IIIB 0.82 (95%CI:0.73-0.89); CPstage:IVB 0.72, (95%CI:0.60-0.81)] and patients with international prognostic score (IPS) ≥3 had 2.7 times higher excess mortality (95%CI:1.0-7.0, p=0.04) than patients with IPS <3. High-risk patients selected for 6-8 courses of BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclofosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone)-chemotherapy had a 15-year relative survival of 87%, (95%CI:0.80-0.92), whereas the corresponding estimate for patients selected for 6-8 courses of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) was 93% (95%CI:0.88-0.97). These population-based results indicate limited fatal side-effects in the 15-year perspective with contemporary treatments, while the unmet need of effective relapse treatment remains of concern. BEACOPP-chemotherapy was still not sufficient in high-risk HL patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Hjort, Rebecka, et al.
(författare)
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Family history of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Diabetes & Metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 1262-3636 .- 1878-1780. ; 43:6, s. 536-542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A family history of diabetes (FHD) is a strong predictor of diabetes risk, yet has rarely been investigated in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). This study therefore investigated the risk of LADA and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in relation to FHD, taking into account the type of diabetes in relatives. Methods: Data from a population-based study were used, including incident cases of LADA [glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA)-positive, n = 378] and T2D (GADA-negative, n = 1199), and their matched controls (n = 1484). First-degree relatives with disease onset at age. <. 40 years and taking insulin treatment were classified as type 1 diabetes (T1D) or, if otherwise, as T2D. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for age, gender, BMI, education and smoking. Cases were genotyped for high- and low-risk HLA genotypes. Results: Both FHD-T1D (OR: 5.8; 95% CI: 3.2-10.3) and FHD-T2D (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.5-2.5) were associated with an increased risk of LADA, whereas the risk of T2D was associated with FHD-T2D (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 2.2-3.3), but not FHD-T1D. In LADA patients, FHD-T1D vs FHD-T2D was associated with higher GADA but lower C-peptide levels, lower prevalence of low-risk HLA genotypes (5.0% vs 28.6%, respectively; P = 0.038) and a tendency for higher prevalence of high-risk genotypes (90.0% vs 69.1%, respectively; P = 0.0576). Conclusion: The risk of LADA is substantially increased with FHD-T1D but also, albeit significantly less so, with FHD-T2D. This supports the idea of LADA as a mix of both T1D and T2D, but suggests that the genes related to T1D have greater impact. LADA patients with FHD-T1D had more T1D-like features, emphasizing the heterogeneity of LADA.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Lindsay, Willow, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Endless forms of sexual selection
- 2019
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Ingår i: PeerJ. - : PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, the field of sexual selection has exploded, with advances in theoretical and empirical research complementing each other in exciting ways. This perspective piece is the product of a "stock-taking'' workshop on sexual selection and sexual conflict. Our aim is to identify and deliberate on outstanding questions and to stimulate discussion rather than provide a comprehensive overview of the entire field. These questions are organized into four thematic sections we deem essential to the field. First we focus on the evolution of mate choice and mating systems. Variation in mate quality can generate both competition and choice in the opposite sex, with implications for the evolution of mating systems. Limitations on mate choice may dictate the importance of direct vs. indirect benefits in mating decisions and consequently, mating systems, especially with regard to polyandry. Second, we focus on how sender and receiver mechanisms shape signal design. Mediation of honest signal content likely depends on integration of temporally variable social and physiological costs that are challenging to measure. We view the neuroethology of sensory and cognitive receiver biases as the main key to signal form and the 'aesthetic sense' proposed by Darwin. Since a receiver bias is sufficient to both initiate and drive ornament or armament exaggeration, without a genetically correlated or even coevolving receiver, this may be the appropriate 'null model' of sexual selection. Thirdly, we focus on the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits. Despite advances in modern molecular techniques, the number and identity of genes underlying performance, display and secondary sexual traits remains largely unknown. In-depth investigations into the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in the context of long-term field studies will reveal constraints and trajectories of sexually selected trait evolution. Finally, we focus on sexual selection and conflict as drivers of speciation. Population divergence and speciation are often influenced by an interplay between sexual and natural selection. The extent to which sexual selection promotes or counteracts population divergence may vary depending on the genetic architecture of traits as well as the covariance between mating competition and local adaptation. Additionally, post-copulatory processes, such as selection against heterospecific sperm, may influence the importance of sexual selection in speciation. We propose that efforts to resolve these four themes can catalyze conceptual progress in the field of sexual selection, and we offer potential avenues of research to advance this progress.
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| 8. |
- Rasouli, B., et al.
(författare)
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Coffee consumption, genetic susceptibility and risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults : A population-based case-control study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Diabetes & Metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 1262-3636 .- 1878-1780. ; 44:4, s. 354-360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Coffee consumption is inversely related to risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In contrast, an increased risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) has been reported in heavy coffee consumers, primarily in a subgroup with stronger autoimmune characteristics. Our study aimed to investigate whether coffee consumption interacts with HLA genotypes in relation to risk of LADA. Methods: This population-based study comprised incident cases of LADA (n = 484) and T2D (n = 1609), and also 885 healthy controls. Information on coffee consumption was collected by food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs of diabetes were calculated and adjusted for age, gender, BMI, education level, smoking and alcohol intake. Potential interactions between coffee consumption and high-risk HLA genotypes were calculated by attributable proportion (AP) due to interaction. Results: Coffee intake was positively associated with LADA in carriers of high-risk HLA genotypes (OR: 1.14 per cup/day, 95% CI: 1.02–1.28), whereas no association was observed in non-carriers (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.93–1.17). Subjects with both heavy coffee consumption (≥ 4 cups/day) and high-risk HLA genotypes had an OR of 5.74 (95% CI: 3.34–9.88) with an estimated AP of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.01–0.71; P = 0.04370). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that coffee consumption interacts with HLA to promote LADA.
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| 9. |
- Rasouli, B., et al.
(författare)
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Serious life events and the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and Type 2 diabetes
- 2017
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0742-3071 .- 1464-5491. ; 34:9, s. 1259-1263
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: It has been suggested that experiencing serious life events may promote Type 1 diabetes in children. Studies in adults are lacking, as are studies on the interaction of life events with genetic factors. We aimed to investigate life events and the risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and Type 2 diabetes while taking into account HLA genotype. Methods: Analysis was based on 425 incident cases of LADA, 1417 incident cases of Type 2 diabetes and 1702 population-based controls recruited in Sweden between 2010 and 2016. Self-reported information on life events including conflicts, divorce, illness/accidents, death and financial problems experienced during the 5 years preceding diagnosis/index year was used. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by logistic regression and adjusted for age, sex, BMI, family history of diabetes, smoking, physical activity and education. Results: Overall there was no association between experience of any life event and either LADA (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.68-1.08) or Type 2 diabetes (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.83-1.21). The results were similar for individual events as well as in separate analysis of men and women. Similar results were seen in more autoimmune LADA (glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies > median) [OR (any life event) 0.88, 95% CI 0.64-1.21] and in LADA carriers of the high-risk HLADR4-DQ8 genotype (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.61-1.29). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that experience of a serious life event, including the death of a family member, divorce or financial problems, is not associated with an increased risk of LADA, overall or in genetically susceptible individuals.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Rasouli, B., et al.
(författare)
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Use of Swedish smokeless tobacco (snus) and the risk of Type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA)
- 2017
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0742-3071 .- 1464-5491. ; 34:4, s. 514-521
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimsIt has been suggested that moist snuff (snus), a smokeless tobacco product that is high in nicotine and widespread in Scandinavia, increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Previous studies are however few, contradictory and, with regard to autoimmune diabetes, lacking. Our aim was to study the association between snus use and the risk of Type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood (LADA). MethodAnalyses were based on incident cases (Type 2 diabetes, n = 724; LADA, n = 200) and population-based controls (n = 699) from a Swedish case-control study. Additional analyses were performed on cross-sectional data from the Norwegian HUNT study (n = 21 473) with 829 prevalent cases of Type 2 diabetes. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated adjusted for age, BMI family history of diabetes and smoking. Only men were included. ResultsNo association between snus use and Type 2 diabetes or LADA was seen in the Swedish data. For Type 2 diabetes, the OR for > 10 box-years was 1.00 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47 to 2.11] and for LADA 1.01 (95% CI, 0.45 to 2.29). Similarly, in HUNT, the OR for Type 2 diabetes in ever-users was estimated at 0.91 (95% CI, 0.75 to 1.10) and in heavy users at 0.92 (95% CI, 0.46 to 1.83). ConclusionThe risk of Type 2 diabetes and LADA is unrelated to the use of snus, despite its high nicotine content. This opens the possibility of the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes seen in smokers may not be attributed to nicotine, but to other substances in tobacco smoke.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Bas-Hoogendam, Janna Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Voxel-based morphometry multi-center mega-analysis of brain structure in social anxiety disorder
- 2017
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-1582. ; 16, s. 678-688
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and disabling mental disorder, associated with significant psychiatric co-morbidity. Previous research on structural brain alterations associated with SAD has yielded inconsistent results concerning the direction of the changes in gray matter (GM) in various brain regions, as well as on the relationship between brain structure and SAD-symptomatology. These heterogeneous findings are possibly due to limited sample sizes. Multi-site imaging offers new opportunities to investigate SAD-related alterations in brain structure in larger samples.An international multi-center mega-analysis on the largest database of SAD structural T1-weighted 3T MRI scans to date was performed to compare GM volume of SAD-patients (n = 174) and healthy control (HC)-participants (n = 213) using voxel-based morphometry. A hypothesis-driven region of interest (ROI) approach was used, focusing on the basal ganglia, the amygdala-hippocampal complex, the prefrontal cortex, and the parietal cortex. SAD-patients had larger GM volume in the dorsal striatum when compared to HC-participants. This increase correlated positively with the severity of self-reported social anxiety symptoms. No SAD-related differences in GM volume were present in the other ROIs. Thereby, the results of this mega-analysis suggest a role for the dorsal striatum in SAD, but previously reported SAD-related changes in GM in the amygdala, hippocampus, precuneus, prefrontal cortex and parietal regions were not replicated. Our findings emphasize the importance of large sample imaging studies and the need for meta-analyses like those performed by the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium.
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| 14. |
- D'Ambrosio, J. M., et al.
(författare)
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Phospholipase C2 Affects MAMP-Triggered Immunity by Modulating ROS Production
- 2017
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Ingår i: Plant Physiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0032-0889 .- 1532-2548. ; 175:2, s. 970-981
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The activation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) is one of the earliest responses triggered by the recognition of several microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) in plants. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PI-PLC gene family is composed of nine members. Previous studies suggested a role for PLC2 in MAMP-triggered immunity, as it is rapidly phosphorylated in vivo upon treatment with the bacterial MAMP flg22. Here, we analyzed the role of PLC2 in plant immunity using an artificial microRNA to silence PLC2 expression in Arabidopsis. We found that PLC2-silenced plants are more susceptible to the type III secretion system-deficient bacterial strain Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst) DC3000 hrcC2 and to the nonadapted pea (Pisum sativum) powdery mildew Erysiphe pisi. However, PLC2-silenced plants display normal susceptibility to virulent (Pst DC3000) and avirulent (Pst DC3000 AvrRPM1) P. syringae strains, conserving typical hypersensitive response features. In response to flg22, PLC2-silenced plants maintain wild-type mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and PHI1, WRKY33, and FRK1 immune marker gene expression but have reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent responses such as callose deposition and stomatal closure. Accordingly, the generation of ROS upon flg22 treatment is compromised in the PLC2-defficient plants, suggesting an effect of PLC2 in a branch of MAMP-triggered immunity and nonhost resistance that involves early ROS-regulated processes. Consistently, PLC2 associates with the NADPH oxidase RBOHD, suggesting its potential regulation by PLC2.
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| 15. |
- Dias, Jorge T, et al.
(författare)
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Rapid signal enhancement method for nanoprobe-based biosensing
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The introduction of nanomaterials as detection reagents has enabled improved sensitivity and facilitated detection in a variety of bioanalytical assays. However, high nanoprobe densities are typically needed for colorimetric detection and to circumvent this limitation several enhancement protocols have been reported. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of universal, enzyme-free and versatile methods that can be readily applied to existing as well as new biosensing strategies. The novel method presented here is shown to enhance the signal of gold nanoparticles enabling visual detection of a spot containing < 10 nanoparticles. Detection of Protein G on paper arrays was improved by a 100-fold amplification factor in under five minutes of assay time, using IgG-labelled gold, silver, silica and iron oxide nanoprobes. Furthermore, we show that the presented protocol can be applied to a commercial allergen microarray assay, ImmunoCAP ISAC sIgE 112, attaining a good agreement with fluorescent detection when analysing human clinical samples.
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| 16. |
- Dias, Jorge T., et al.
(författare)
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Rapid signal enhancement method for nanoprobe-based biosensing (vol 7, 2017)
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 8:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Methods section of this Article references 18 to 22 are incorrectly cited. The correct references were omitted from the reference list and appear below as references 1-5. References 18 to 22 are correctly cited in Introduction and Results and Discussion sections. "AuNPs of 10 nm in diameter were prepared following the protocol described by Bastus et al.18." should read: "AuNPs of 10 nm in diameter were prepared following the protocol described by Bastus et al.1." "AgNPs of 90 nm in diameter were prepared following the protocol described by Rivero et al.19." should read: "AgNPs of 90 nm in diameter were prepared following the protocol described by Rivero et al.2" "The size was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy according to the AgNPs size theory demonstrated by Malynych20." should read: "The size was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy according to the AgNPs size theory demonstrated by Malynych3." "The coupling of antibody to the NPs was prepared following a modified version of a protocol previously reported by Puertas et al.21." should read: "The coupling of antibody to the NPs was prepared following a modified version of a protocol previously reported by Puertas et al.4." "Microarrays were prepared as previously reported by our group22." should read: "Microarrays were prepared as previously reported by our group5.
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| 17. |
- Elmas, S., et al.
(författare)
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Platinum Terpyridine Metallopolymer Electrode as Cost-Effective Replacement for Bulk Platinum Catalysts in Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
- 2017
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Ingår i: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2168-0485. ; 5:11, s. 10206-10214
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conducting polymers consisting of metal-selective coordination units and a highly conductive backbone, so-called metallopolymers, are interesting materials exposing single atoms for photo/electrocatalysis and thus represent a potential low-cost alternative for bulk or nano particulate platinum group metals (PGMs). We synthesized and fully characterized an electropolymerisable monomer bearing a pendant terpyridine unit for the selective complexation of PGMs. Electrocatalytic tests of the resulting metallopolymer, poly-[(tThTerpy)PtCl]Cl, revealed activity both in the oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction. Rotating disk experiments showed the direct four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water at low angular velocities of the rotating electrode. Furthermore, the fabrication of Pt metallopolymers proved to be simple, nonhazardous and versatile. This proof-of-concept opens up the possibility for developing future low-cost electro-and photocatalysts to replace current systems.
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| 18. |
- Faria, Vanda, et al.
(författare)
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Do You Believe It? Verbal Suggestions Influence the Clinical and Neural Effects of Escitalopram in Social Anxiety Disorder : A Randomized Trial
- 2017
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Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-3964. ; 24, s. 179-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety, but their efficacy relative to placebo has been questioned. We aimed to test how manipulation of verbally induced expectancies, central for placebo, influences SSRI treatment outcome and brain activity in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD).Methods: We did a randomized clinical trial, within an academic medical center (Uppsala, Sweden), of individuals fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for SAD, recruited through media advertising. Participants were 18 years or older and randomized in blocks, through a computer-generated sequence by an independent party, to nine weeks of overt or covert treatment with escitalopram(20 mg daily). The overt group received correct treatment information whereas the covert group was treated deceptively with the SSRI described, by the psychiatrist, as active placebo. The treating psychiatrist was necessarily unmasked while the research staff was masked from intervention assignment. Treatment efficacy was assessed primarily with the self-rated Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR), administered at week 0, 1, 3, 6 and 9, also yielding a dichotomous estimate of responder status (clinically significant improvement). Before and at the last week of treatment, brain activity during an emotional face-matching task was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and during fMRI sessions, anticipatory speech anxiety was also assessed with the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State version (STAI-S). Analyses included all randomized patients with outcome data at posttreatment. This study is registered at ISRCTN, number 98890605.Findings: Between March 17th 2014 and May 22nd 2015, 47 patients were recruited. One patient in the covert group dropped out after a few days of treatment and did not provide fMRI data, leaving 46 patients with complete outcome data. After nine weeks of treatment, overt (n = 24) as compared to covert (n = 22) SSRI administration yielded significantly better outcome on the LSAS-SR (adjusted difference 21.17, 95% CI 10.69–31.65, p < 0.0001) with more than three times higher response rate (50% vs. 14%; χ2(1) = 6.91, p = 0.009) and twice the effect size (d = 2.24 vs. d = 1.13) from pre-to posttreatment. There was no significant between-group difference on anticipatory speech anxiety (STAI-S), both groups improving with treatment. No serious adverse reactions were recorded. On fMRI outcomes, there was suggestive evidence for a differential neural response to treatment between groups in the posterior cingulate, superior temporal and inferior frontal gyri (all z thresholds exceeding 3.68, p ≤ 0.001). Reduced social anxiety with treatment correlated significantly with enhanced posterior cingulate (z threshold 3.24, p = 0.0006) and attenuated amygdala (z threshold 2.70, p = 0.003) activity.Interpretation: The clinical and neural effects of escitalopram were markedly influenced by verbal suggestions. This points to a pronounced placebo component in SSRI-treatment of SAD and favors a biopsychosocial over a biomedical explanatory model for SSRI efficacy.
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| 19. |
- Garg, R., et al.
(författare)
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Deposition Methods of Graphene as Electrode Material for Organic Solar Cells
- 2017
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Ingår i: Advanced Energy Materials. - : Wiley. - 1614-6840 .- 1614-6832. ; 7:10, s. Article Number: 1601393-
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Advances in the research of graphene in the development of optoelectronic devices have clearly witnessed a strong increase in the past few years. Graphene, a zero bandgap semiconducting material exhibits exceptional properties such as high conductivity, mechanical robustness, optical transparency, flexibility and much more yet to be discovered. Due to its extraordinary properties, graphene is believed to have the potential to replace many traditional electrode materials that are being used in optoelectronic devices. To achieve a high device performance various deposition techniques have been developed to deposit a thin, transparent, and uniform layer of graphene on different substrates. However, the success of these methods strongly relies on the processing conditions, resulting morphology and the work function of the graphene films. This review summarizes the developments in the synthesis and deposition methods of graphene electrodes in combination with organic solar cells over the past 10 years.
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| 20. |
- Kroon, Renee, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of selenophene and thienothiophene incorporation into pentacyclic lactam-based conjugated polymers for organic solar cells
- 2015
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Ingår i: Polymer Chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1759-9954 .- 1759-9962. ; 6:42, s. 7402-7409
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, we compare the effect of incorporating selenophene versus thienothiophene spacers into pentacyclic lactam-based conjugated polymers for organic solar cells. The two cyclic lactam-based copolymers were obtained via a new synthetic method for the lactam moiety. Selenophene incorporation results in a broader and red-shifted optical absorption while retaining a deep highest occupied molecular orbital level, whereas thienothienophene incorporation results in a blue-shifted optical absorption. Additionally, grazing-incidence wide angle X-ray scattering data indicates edge- and face-on solid state order for the selenophene-based polymer as compared to the thienothiophene-based polymer, which orders predominantly edge-on with respect to the substrate. In polymer : PC71BM bulk heterojunction solar cells both materials show a similar open-circuit voltage of similar to 0.80-0.84 V, however the selenophene-based polymer displays a higher fill factor of similar to 0.70 vs. similar to 0.65. This is due to the partial face-on backbone orientation of the selenophene-based polymer, leading to a higher hole mobility, as confirmed by single-carrier diode measurements, and a concomitantly higher fill factor. Combined with improved spectral coverage of the selenophene-based polymer, as confirmed by quantum efficiency experiments, it offers a larger short-circuit current density of similar to 12 mA cm(-2). Despite the relatively low molecular weight of both materials, a very robust power conversion efficiency similar to 7% is achieved for the selenophene-based polymer, while the thienothiophene-based polymer demonstrates only a moderate maximum PCE of similar to 5.5%. Hence, the favorable effects of selenophene incorporation on the photovoltaic performance of pentacyclic lactam-based conjugated polymers are clearly demonstrated.
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| 21. |
- Mishra, A., et al.
(författare)
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Thermal, structural and in vitro dissolution of antimicrobial copper-doped and slow resorbable iron-doped phosphate glasses
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0022-2461 .- 1573-4803. ; 52:15, s. 8957-8972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper focuses on investigating and comparing the effects of CuO and Fe2O3 addition on the bioactive response of glass having composition [xCuO or Fe2O3 + (100 - x) (0.2CaO + 0.2SrO + 0.1Na(2)O + 0.5P(2)O(5))] (in mol%), where x is ranging from 0 up to 5. The addition of CuO was found to increase the hot processing window and the dissolution rate leading to a fast surface layer precipitation. Using IR and Raman spectroscopies, we related this change in the bioactive response of this glass to the progressive depolymerization of the glass network induced by the addition of CuO. On the other hand, the addition of Fe2O3 was found to reduce the hot processing window and the dissolution rate as no depolymerization of the network occurs due to the formation of P-O-Fe bonds at the expense of P-O-P bonds. All the glasses were found to dissolve congruently and in a controlled manner. Finally, the antimicrobial properties of the copper-doped glasses were examined and compared to bioactive glasses which are known to exhibit good antimicrobial properties. The CuO addition leads to higher antimicrobial properties than the commercial bioactive glass S53P4 and total bacterial elimination could be obtained.
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| 22. |
- Moran, Hannah B T, et al.
(författare)
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Immunomodulatory properties of chitosan polymers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Biomaterials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0142-9612 .- 1878-5905. ; 184, s. 1-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The introduction of vaccines is regarded as one of the most successful medical interventions to date. However, there is a clear need for the development of new vaccines for diseases which require the induction of a potent cellular immune response. Advancements in the field of vaccine research have resulted in a move away from the use of whole organisms and towards the use of subunit vaccines which consist of highly purified antigens with an improved safety profile. Adjuvants are immunostimulatory components that are included in subunit vaccine formulations to help direct and amplify adaptive immune responses. Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide that has been examined in an adjuvant setting due to its biocompatible and biodegradable nature. The polysaccharide has been shown to have the capacity to induce Th1 cell responses following vaccination by injection or mucosal routes, supporting its application as an alternative to alum for vaccines that promote cell-mediated immunity. Here, we provide an overview of the physico-chemical properties of chitosan with a focus on the specific characteristics that dictate the type and scale of the immune responses induced. The potential to finely tailor chitosan polymers in order to direct specific types of immune responses can provide invaluable tools for the design of novel chitosan-based adjuvants and biomaterials.
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| 23. |
- Otten, Julia, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Postprandial levels of GLP-1, GIP and glucagon after 2 years of weight loss with a Paleolithic diet: A randomised controlled trial in healthy obese women
- 2019
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Ingår i: European Journal of Endocrinology. - : Bioscientifica. - 0804-4643 .- 1479-683X. ; 180:6, s. 417-427
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate how weight loss by different diets impacts postp randial levels of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon. Methods: In this single-centre, parallel group 2-year trial, 70 healthy postmenopausal obese women were randomised to the Paleolithic diet or a healthy control diet based on Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Both diets were without calorie restriction. The primary outcome was the change in fat mass. Here, secondary analyses on GLP-1, GIP and glucagon measured during an OGTT are described. Results: In the Paleolithic diet group, mean weight loss compared to ba seline was 11% at 6 months and 10% at 24 months. In the control diet group, mean weight loss was 6% a fter 6 and 24 months (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.049 for the comparison between groups at 6 and 24 months respectively). Compared to baseline, the mean incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for GLP-1 increased by 34 and 45% after 6 and 24 months in the Paleolithic diet group and increased by 59% after 24 months in the control diet group. The mean iAUC for GIP increased only in the Paleolithic diet group. The area under the curve (AUC) for glucagon increas ed during the first 6 months in both groups. The fasting glucagon increase correlated with the β-hydroxybutyrate increase. Conclusions: Weight loss caused an increase in postprandial GLP-1 levels and a further rise occurred during weight maintenance. Postprandial GIP levels increased only after the Paleolithic diet. Reduced postprandial glucagon suppression may be caused by a catabolic state. © 2019 European Society of Endocrinology Printed in Great Britain.
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| 24. |
- Zamora, Juan Carlos, et al.
(författare)
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Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa
- 2018
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Ingår i: IMA Fungus. - : INT MYCOLOGICAL ASSOC. - 2210-6340 .- 2210-6359. ; 9:1, s. 167-185
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.
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