| 1. |
- van Es, Michael A, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide association study identifies 19p13.3 (UNC13A) and 9p21.2 as susceptibility loci for sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- 2009
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Ingår i: Nature genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 41:10, s. 1083-1087
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We conducted a genome-wide association study among 2,323 individuals with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 9,013 control subjects and evaluated all SNPs with P < 1.0 x 10(-4) in a second, independent cohort of 2,532 affected individuals and 5,940 controls. Analysis of the genome-wide data revealed genome-wide significance for one SNP, rs12608932, with P = 1.30 x 10(-9). This SNP showed robust replication in the second cohort (P = 1.86 x 10(-6)), and a combined analysis over the two stages yielded P = 2.53 x 10(-14). The rs12608932 SNP is located at 19p13.3 and maps to a haplotype block within the boundaries of UNC13A, which regulates the release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate at neuromuscular synapses. Follow-up of additional SNPs showed genome-wide significance for two further SNPs (rs2814707, with P = 7.45 x 10(-9), and rs3849942, with P = 1.01 x 10(-8)) in the combined analysis of both stages. These SNPs are located at chromosome 9p21.2, in a linkage region for familial ALS with frontotemporal dementia found previously in several large pedigrees.
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| 2. |
- Aspholm, Marina, et al.
(författare)
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Helicobacter pylori adhesion to carbohydrates
- 2006
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Ingår i: Methods in Enzymology. - 0076-6879 .- 1557-7988. ; 417, s. 293-339
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adherence of bacterial pathogens to host tissues contributes to colonization and virulence and typically involves specific interactions between bacterial proteins called adhesins and cognate oligosaccharide (glycan) or protein motifs in the host that are used as receptors. A given pathogen may have multiple adhesins, each specific for a different set of receptors and, potentially, with different roles in infection and disease. This chapter provides strategies for identifying and analyzing host glycan receptors and the bacterial adhesins that exploit them as receptors, with particular reference to adherence of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Backhaus, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive pneumococcal isolates from a region in south-west Sweden 1998-2001.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 39:1, s. 19-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Invasive disease caused by antibiotic resistant pneumococci is a worldwide problem. All invasive pneumococcal strains in an area of south-west Sweden with 1.7 million inhabitants were collected prospectively during 1998-2001. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by E-test and correlated to serotypes and clinical characteristics. Of 827 strains, 744 (90%) were susceptible (S) to all agents tested and 83 (10%) were indeterminate (I) or resistant (R) to at least 1 agent. 22 isolates (2.7%) were I to penicillin (MIC >0.06 to < or = 1.0 mg/l), but none were R (MIC >1.0 mg/l). Numbers and proportions of decreased susceptibility against other agents tested were as follows: erythromycin R: 30 (3.6%), clindamycin R: 6 (0.7%), tetracycline R: 16 (1.9%), moxifloxacin R: 1 (0.1%), cotrimoxazole I: 17 (2%) and R: 31(4%). Non-susceptibility to at least 1 agent was not correlated with age, clinical manifestation, underlying diseases and outcome. The serotype distribution differed between non-susceptible and susceptible strains. The serotypes in the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine covered 42% of all infections and 73% of those caused by non-susceptible strains. In conclusion, the impact of antibiotic resistance in invasive pneumococcal disease remains limited in south-west Sweden.
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| 5. |
- Berg, Anna, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of nitric oxide on histamine-induced cytological transformations in parietal cells in isolated human gastric glands
- 2007
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Ingår i: Digestive Diseases and Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0163-2116 .- 1573-2568. ; 52:1, s. 126-136
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in isolated human gastric glands. NO synthase has been found to be present in the human oxyntic mucosa and has been suggested to serve as a paracrine regulator of gastric acid secretion. Histamine stimulation of parietal cells induces cytoskeletal rearrangements, recruitment of H +/K +-ATPase-rich tubulovesicles to the apical membrane and expansion of intracellular canaliculi. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate (i) the effect of an NO donor on histamine-induced cytological transformations and (ii) the influence of increased [Ca 2+] i on NO-induced morphological changes in human parietal cells. Human gastric glands were isolated and subjected to the NO donor SNAP prior to histamine administration. [Ca 2+] i was increased by photolysis of the caged Ca 2+ compound NP-EGTA. The distribution of F-actin, ezrin, and H +/K +-ATPase was assessed by confocal microscopy. Ultrastructural analysis was performed using transmission electron microscopy. SNAP did not influence the histamine-induced translocation of F-actin, ezrin, and H +/K +-ATPase but prevented an increase in the canalicular size. Elevation of [Ca 2+] i in resting cells was found to mimic histamine-induced intraparietal cell transformations; however, NO-induced parietal cell morphology was unaffected by a rise in [Ca 2+] i. These results indicate that NO inhibits secretion of fluid into the canalicular lumen without affecting membrane recruitment and that this effect is Ca 2+-insensitive. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
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| 6. |
- Berg, Anna, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Nitric oxide inhibits gastric acid secretion by increasing intraparietal cell levels of cGMP in isolated human gastric glands
- 2005
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0193-1857 .- 1522-1547. ; 289:6, s. G1061-G1066
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have previously identified cells containing the enzyme nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) in the human gastric mucosa. Moreover, we have demonstrated that endogenous and exogenous NO has been shown to decrease histamine-stimulated acid secretion in isolated human gastric glands. The present investigation aimed to further determine whether this action of NO was mediated by the activation of guanylyl cyclase (GC) and subsequent production of cGMP. Isolated gastric glands were obtained after enzymatic digestion of biopsies taken from the oxyntic mucosa of healthy volunteers. Acid secretion was assessed by measuring [14C]aminopyrine accumulation, and the concentration of cGMP was determined by radioimmunoassay. In addition, immunohistochemistry was used to examine the localization of cGMP in mucosal preparations after stimulation with the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP). SNAP (0.1 mM) was shown to decrease acid secretion stimulated by histamine (50 μM); this effect was accompanied by an increase in cGMP production, which was histologically localized to parietal cells. The membrane-permeable cGMP analog dibuturyl-cGMP (db-cGMP; 0.1–1 mM) dose dependently inhibited acid secretion. Additionally, the effect of SNAP was prevented by preincubating the glands with the GC inhibitor 4H-8-bromo-1,2,4-oxadiazolo[3,4-d]benz[b][1,4]oxazin-1-one (10 μM). We therefore suggest that NO in the human gastric mucosa is of physiological importance in regulating acid secretion. Furthermore, the results show that NO-induced inhibition of gastric acid secretion is a cGMP-dependent mechanism in the parietal cell involving the activation of GC.
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| 7. |
- Berg, Frida, 1975-
(författare)
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Genetic Analysis of Fat Metabolism in Domestic Pigs and their Wild Ancestor
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The domestication of the pig began about 9 000 years ago and many of the existing domestic breeds have been selected for phenotypic traits like lean meat and fast growth. Domestic pigs are phenotypically very different from the ancestral wild boar that has adapted to survive in their natural environment. Because of their divergence, crosses between domestic pigs and wild boars are suitable for constructing genetic maps and Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses. A cross between the Large White and the European wild boar was thus initiated in the late 1980s. A major QTL for fat deposition and growth, denoted FAT1, was found on chromosome 4. The aim of this thesis was to further characterise the FAT1 locus and to identify the causative gene(s) and mutation(s). We have identified new markers and constructed a high-resolution linkage and RH map of the FAT1 QTL interval. We also performed comparative mapping to the human genome and showed that the pig chromosome 4 is homologous to human chromosomes 1 and 8. The gene order is very well conserved between the two species. In parallel we have narrowed down the FAT1 QTL interval by repeated backcrossing to the domestic Large White breed for six generations. The QTL could be confirmed for fatness but not for growth. Furthermore, the data strongly suggested that there might be more than one gene underlying the FAT1 QTL. Depending on which hypothesis to consider, the one- or two-loci model, the FAT1 interval can be reduced to 3,3 or 20 centiMorgan (cM), respectively, based on the backcross experiments. In the last study we confirm the two-loci model with one locus primarily effecting abdominal fat and another locus primarily effecting subcutaneous fat. We have identified a missense mutation in the RXRG gene which is in strong association with the abdominal fat QTL and the mutation is a potential candidate for that locus.Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specific type of fat essential for non-shivering thermogenesis in mammals. Piglets appear to lack BAT and rely on shivering as the main mechanism for thermoregulation. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene is exclusively expressed in BAT and its physiological role is to generate heat by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. We show that the UCP1 gene has been disrupted in the pig lineage about 20 years ago. The inactivation of UCP1 provides a genetic explanation for the poor thermoregulation in piglets.
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| 8. |
- Berg, Ina, et al.
(författare)
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Modeling Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy (Transthyretin V30M) in Drosophila melanogaster
- 2009
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Ingår i: NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. - : S. Karger AG. - 1660-2854 .- 1660-2862. ; 6:3, s. 127-138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/Aims: Transthyretin (TTR) is a prevalent plasma and cerebrospinal fluid protein associated with sporadic and heritable amyloidosis. TTR amyloidosis is linked to a vast number of mutations with varying phenotype, tissue distribution and age of onset. The most prevalent mutation associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is the V30M mutation. Studies of transgenic mouse models of TTR V30M FAP have been hampered by variable phenotype, low disease penetrance, and slow onset. Methods/Results: To model TTR-associated amyloid disease in the Drosophila model system, transgenic Drosophila were generated, expressing wild-type (wt) TTR or TTR V30M, associated with sporadic senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA) and inherited FAP, respectively. We found that expression of FAP-associated TTR V30M mutant in the nervous system resulted in reduced lifespan and in reduced climbing ability indicating neurological impairment, whereas expression of TTR wt showed a milder phenotype. Congo red staining of the Drosophila brain shows positive amyloid binding in the aged TTR V30M flies. Extensive brain vacuole formation was evident for the aged TTR V30M flies, whereas a milder phenotype was shown by the TTR wt flies. In addition, expression of TTR V30M in the eye leads to tissue damage, including rough eye, morphological changes and fibrous deposition. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Drosophila is a promising complementary system for studies of TTR-associated amyloid diseases.
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| 9. |
- Berg, Jonas, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Electrical Properties of Si-SiO2-Si Nanogaps
- 2005
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Ingår i: Nanotechnology. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6528 .- 0957-4484. ; 16:10, s. 2197-2202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The chances of attaching organic molecules to silicon surfaces can be considerably enhanced if a robust nanogap structure with silicon electrodes can be used to connect the molecules. We describe the electrical properties of such an electrode structure, with a separation of the silicon surfaces in the 37 nm range. These silicon nanogaps are manufactured by partly removing the silicon dioxide insulator from a siliconoxidesilicon material stack, by using a selective oxide etchant. After the activation of the gap (the etching), current instabilities appear, which are comparable to the properties of thin oxides after soft breakdown. Applying a constant voltage can reduce these current instabilities. We also address the issue of surface leakage currents for these nanogap structures.
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| 10. |
- Berg, Jonas, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Low-frequency noise in silicon nanogaps
- 2005
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 87:21, s. 223107-3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silicon nanogaps are contact structures for connecting organic molecules. An insulating layer is removed by etching, and this dramatically increases the current levels and the noise, which closely resembles a 1/f-law and scales with the square of the current. After etching the noise level at 30 Hz and 10 nA is in the order of 10-21 A2/Hz, which is more than two orders of magnitude larger than before etching. We model the noisy behavior by several percolation paths in parallel at the etched surface between the electrodes, and compare with soft breakdown in thin oxide.
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| 11. |
- Berg, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Perceived properties of parameterised music for interactive applications
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings 2005. - Orlando, Fla : IIIS. - 9806560531 ; , s. 409-414
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional implementations of sound and music in interactive contexts have their limitations. One way to overcome these and to expand the possibilities of music is to handle the music in a parameterised form. To better understand the properties of the musical parameters resulting from parameterisation, two experiments were carried out. The first experiment investigated selected parameters' capability to change the music; the second experiment examined how the parameters can contribute to express emotions. From these experiments, it is concluded that users without musical training perform differently from musicians on some of the parameters. There is also a clear association between the parameters and the expressed basic emotions. The paper is concluded with observations on how parameterisation might be used in interactive applications.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Berg, Jessica, et al.
(författare)
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Unga på moped : en studie av riskgrupper och riktade polisinsatser för att motverka trimning
- 2008
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Unrestricted or so-called trimmed mopeds and speeding are experienced as an increasing traffic safety problem. There is a risk of an increased number of seriously injured and casualties among adolescents as a consequence of the increased number of mopeds found in traffic today and the higher speeds they are driven at. One common police action to reduce trimming is to follow the moped riders who are suspected of altering their vehicles. This can lead to "chase situations" which increase the risk to both moped riders and fellow road-users. One purpose of this report is to study the effects of an alternative way of working with the moped problems by the police in four different towns and by interviews, observations and a questionnaire study broaden our knowledge about attitudes to moped riding and trimming among youths. The results showed that the efforts of the police in the experiment towns had not had any effect on the attitudes and the points of view of the youths towards traffic safety. One possible reason for this is that the method used is too new and that it was not extensive enough. Parents have an effect on the attitude of the youths towards trimming. The parents of those who trim seem to have a more tolerant attitude towards trimming. The results from the questionnaire study show that those that had driven but do not a moped but did not have av moped of their own, as well as those who have a trimmed moped of their own were more positive towards taking risks in traffic, would consider driving at faster speeds and had more experience of traffic offenses. In addition, they are of the opinion that parents, friends and fellow roadusers find it acceptable to exceed the speed limits. Furthermore, these two groups were not as involved in organised leisure activities as the other two groups, their parents were not as strict, grades were not considered as important and they indicated to a greater degree that attending school is difficult or boring. Based on this study, it can be concluded that trimming is not an isolated behaviour but related to a certain lifestyle. In order to reduce trimming an increased understanding of those mechanisms which determine the behaviour of the target groups are needed as well as improved methods to detect trimming. Qualitative studies could be used to discuss the problem with parents, youths and those living in special residential areas where the problem is experienced as being widespread. It might also be interesting to analyse incoming calls/complaints to police communication centres and evaluate the effects police work has on the number of trimmed mopeds over a period of time.
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| 14. |
- Berg, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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Neutralino Dark Matter in BMSSM Effective Theory
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1475-7516. ; :08
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We study thermal neutralino dark matter in an effective field theory extension of the MSSM, called ``Beyond the MSSM'' (BMSSM) in Dine, Seiberg and Thomas (2007). In this class of effective field theories, the field content of the MSSM is unchanged, but the little hierarchy problem is alleviated by allowing small corrections to the Higgs/higgsino part of the Lagrangian. We perform parameter scans and compute the dark matter relic density. The light higgsino LSP scenario is modified the most; we find new regions of parameter space compared to the standard MSSM. This involves interesting interplay between the WMAP dark matter bounds and the LEP chargino bound. We also find some changes for gaugino LSPs, partly due to annihilation through a Higgs resonance, and partly due to coannihilation with light top squarks in models that are ruled in by the new effective terms.
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| 15. |
- Berg, Stefan, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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Autoinflammatory disorders
- 2008
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Ingår i: Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Definition, Diagnosis and Management. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag. - 9783540785378
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 16. |
- Berg, Stefan, 1959
(författare)
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Familjär Medelhavsfeber
- 2008
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Ingår i: Socialstyrelsens kunskapsdatabas om ovanliga diagnoser.
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 17. |
- Birkhofer, Klaus, et al.
(författare)
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Cursorial spiders retard initial aphid population growth at low densities in winter wheat
- 2008
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Ingår i: Bulletin of Entomological Research. - 1475-2670. ; 98:3, s. 249-255
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Generalist predators contribute to pest suppression in agroecosystems. Spider communities, which form a substantial fraction of the generalist predator fauna in arable land, are characterized by two functional groups: web-building and cursorial (non-web-building) species. We investigated the relative impact of these two functional groups on a common pest (Sitobion avenae, Aphididae) in wheat by combining a molecular technique that revealed species-specific aphid consumption rates with a factorial field experiment that analyzed the impact, separately and together, of equal densities of these two spider functional groups on aphid population growth. Only cursorial spiders retarded aphid population growth in our cage experiment, but this effect was limited to the initial aphid-population growth period and low-to-intermediate aphid densities. The molecular analysis, which used aphid-specific primers to detect aphid DNA in predator species, detected the highest proportion of aphid-consuming individuals in two cursorial spiders: the foliage-dwelling Xysticus cristatus (Thomisidae) and the ground-active Pardosa palustris (Lycosidae). The results suggest that manipulating the community composition in favour of pest-consuming functional groups may be more important for improving biological control than fostering predator biodiversity per se. Agricultural management practices that specifically foster effective species or functional groups (e.g. mulching for cursorial spiders) should receive more attention in low-pesticide farming systems.
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| 18. |
- Galeotti, L, et al.
(författare)
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Circulating survivin indicates severe course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Clinical and experimental rheumatology. - 0392-856X. ; 26:2, s. 373-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Survivin is an anti-apoptotic protein that has been recently suggested as a predictive marker of joint destruction in adult rheumatoid arthritis. We assessed the presence of extracellular survivin in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Survivin levels were assessed in the circulation of 46 patients with JIA and in the age- and gender-matched controls (n=46) having no inflammatory disease, by ELISA. Survivin levels were analyzed with respect to the onset type and the activity of the joint disease. The intensity of inflammation and cartilage turnover was measured as levels of IL-6, serum amyloid A protein (SAA), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), respectively. RESULTS: The levels of extracellular survivin were significantly higher in JIA compared to the controls (p=0.0002). High levels of survivin (above mean + 2SD of the controls) were detected in 8/46 (17% JIA patients. High survivin expression was associated with polyarticular onset, active phase of arthritis. In contrast, survivin was neither related to the levels of IL-6, SAA, nor to COMP. CONCLUSION: Circulating survivin is expressed in a significant group of patients with JIA being associated to a severe course of the disease. It may be potentially used to select children with unfavorable prognosis of JIA who are in need of active pharmacologic treatment.
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| 19. |
- Lambrechts, Diether, et al.
(författare)
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Meta-analysis of VEGF variations in ALS : increased susceptibility in male carriers of the -2578AA genotype
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Genetics. - London : BMJ Publishing Group. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 46:12, s. 840-846
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Targeted delivery of the angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), to motor neurons prolongs survival in rodent models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while mice expressing reduced VEGF concentrations develop motor neuron degeneration reminiscent of ALS, raising the question whether VEGF contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS. An initial association study reported that VEGF haplotypes conferred increased susceptibility to ALS in humans, but later studies challenged this initial finding. Methods and findings: A meta-analysis was undertaken to critically reappraise whether any of the three common VEGF gene variations (−2578C/A, −1154G/A and −634G/C) increase the risk of ALS. Over 7000 subjects from eight European and three American populations were included in the analysis. Pooled odds ratios were calculated using fixed-effects and random-effects models, and four potential sources of heterogeneity (location of disease onset, gender, age at disease onset and disease duration) were assessed. After correction, none of the genotypes or haplotypes was significantly associated with ALS. Subgroup analysis by gender revealed, however, that the −2578AA genotype, which lowers VEGF expression, increased the risk of ALS in males (OR = 1.46 males vs females; 95% CI = 1.19 to 1.80; p = 7.8 10E-5), even after correction for publication bias and multiple testing. Conclusions: This meta-analysis does not support the original conclusion that VEGF haplotypes increase the risk of ALS in humans, but the significant association of the low-VEGF −2578AA genotype with increased susceptibility to ALS in males reappraises the link between reduced VEGF concentrations and ALS, as originally revealed by the fortuitous mouse genetic studies.
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| 20. |
- Liljedahl, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Digiwall - An interactive climbing wall
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 2005 ACM SIGCHI International Conference on Advances in computer entertainment technology. - New York, NY, USA : IEEE Communications Society. - 1595931104 ; , s. 225-228
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digiwall is a climbing wall enhanced with hardware and software. It combines the computer game with sport climbing, and extends both concepts with new features. Digiwall frees the user from focusing on a computer screen. Instead sound and music are used to convey the gaming experience. The Digiwall concept is designed to support a large number of games, competitions, challenges and even aesthetic experiences. It is an example of how technology can promote physical activity and engage people's senses and capabilities in a way that traditional computer gaming and sport climbing do not.
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| 21. |
- Noponen, Tommi, et al.
(författare)
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Circulatory Effects of Inhaled Iloprost in the Newborn Preterm Lamb.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Pediatric Research. - 1530-0447. ; 66, s. 416-422
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has an established role in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in the newborn. However, costs and potential toxicity associated with iNO have generated interest in alternative inhaled selective pulmonary vasodilators such as iloprost. In a preterm lamb model of respiratory distress syndrome, we studied effects of increasing doses of iloprost followed by iNO on right ventricular pressure (RVP) and circulation including cerebral oxygenation. Fetal sheep were randomized to three doses (0.2 - 4 mg/kg) of iloprost (n=9) or saline (n=10), administered as 15 min inhalations with 15 min intervals after a 60-min postnatal stabilisation. No differences were found in RVP, arterial pO2, or cardiac index according to treatment. The cerebral oxygenation, measured with near-infrared spectroscopy, deteriorated in control lambs, but not in iloprost lambs. Iloprost treatment followed by iNO resulted in a larger decrease (p=0.007) in RVP than saline treatment followed by iNO. In conclusion, iloprost stabilised cerebral oxygenation and when followed by iNO had a larger effect on RVP than iNO alone. Although species differences may be relevant, these results suggest that iloprost should be studied in newborn infants for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
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| 22. |
- Persson, Elisabet, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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Antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive group B streptococcal isolates from south-west Sweden 1988-2001.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 40:4, s. 308-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The antibiotic susceptibility of 297 invasive isolates of group B streptococci (GBS) to a panel of 12 antibiotics was analysed using the E-test. The isolates (from 123 neonates and 174 adults) were collected from south-west Sweden during the 2 periods 1988-1997 and 1998-2001. The breakpoints of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute were used. All isolates were sensitive to cefotaxime, meropenem, linezolid, vancomycin, moxifloxacin and quinupristin-dalfopristin. Two strains displayed a slightly decreased susceptibility to penicillin G (MIC 0.25 microg/ml) also when tested by the broth dilution method. Two per cent were resistant to erythromycin and 1% to clindamycin. Strains with intermediate sensitivity to erythromycin and clindamycin increased over the 2 study periods. 68% were resistant to doxycycline, and the resistance rate for doxycycline increased over the 2 study periods. No strain was resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Serotype V dominated among strains with intermediate susceptibility to erythromycin and clindamycin. There were no other relationships between serotypes and decreased sensitivity to any agent. There were no significant differences in susceptibility to any agent tested between strains isolated from neonates and adults. In conclusion, penicillins remain the drug of choice in the region but with the increasing rates of intermediate susceptibility to both erythromycin and clindamycin, antibiotic sensitivity analysis should be performed on the GBS isolates from penicillin-allergic patients.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Schepis, Danika, et al.
(författare)
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Increased proportion of CD56bright natural killer cells in active and inactive systemic lupus erythematosus
- 2009
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Ingår i: Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0019-2805 .- 1365-2567. ; 126:1, s. 140-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system but can also affect adaptive immune reactions. This immune regulatory function is often ascribed to the CD56(bright) subpopulation of NK cells that is prevalent in secondary lymphoid tissues and has potent cytokine-producing ability. The NK cells have been described as affecting autoimmune disease and stimulating B-cell production of antibodies, but their role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathology has not been extensively studied. We have studied NK cells in SLE, a B-cell-driven systemic autoimmune disease, and phenotypically characterized peripheral blood NK cells in comparison to NK cells from patients with immunoglobulin A nephritis, rheumatoid arthritis and healthy individuals. We have found an increased proportion of CD56(bright) NK cells in SLE, regardless of disease activity. We detected a somewhat increased expression of the activating receptor NKp46/CD335 on NK cells from SLE patients, although neither the percentage of NK cells of all lymphocytes nor the expression of other NK receptors analysed (LIR-1/CD85j, CD94, NKG2C/CD159c, NKG2D/CD314, NKp30/CD337, NKp44/CD336, CD69) differed between patient groups. We show that type I interferon, a proinflammatory cytokine known to be abundant in SLE, can cause increases of CD56(bright) NK cells in vitro. We confirmed that serum levels of interferon-alpha were increased in active, but not in inactive, disease in the SLE patient group. In conclusion, we found an increased proportion of CD56(bright) NK cells in the blood of SLE patients, although it remains to be examined whether and how this relates to the disease process.
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| 25. |
- Silfverdal, Sven Arne, et al.
(författare)
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The cost-burden of paediatric pneumococcal disease in Sweden and the potential cost-effectiveness of prevention using 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X .- 1873-2518. ; 27:10, s. 1601-1608
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: A cost-effectiveness model was used to estimate the change in disease burden that might be expected if PCV7 was included as part of the routine 3-dose vaccination schedule in Sweden. METHODS: An economic model was populated with data from the main clinical PCV7 efficacy trials, demographic data from government sources, surveillance and epidemiologic data from the US and Nordic region, and average treatment costs, considering the impact of disease on the whole national population. RESULTS: The model estimated that PCV7 would prevent 18,856 cases of AOM, 684 of pneumonia, 86 of pneumococcal bacteraemia and 21 cases of pneumococcal meningitis in children <10 years, further 221 cases of IPD would be avoided in older children and adults and 397 cases of pneumonia in adults aged 18-39 years. Annually, 4 childhood (<10 years) deaths and 39 deaths in older children and adults would be prevented, resulting in an annual saving of 632 life years. The reduction of cost for the society was estimated to 27.9 (-205, +160) million SEK. The sensitivity analysis showed that it was most sensitive to the efficacy of the vaccine against AOM, the cost of managing infections and the incidence of all disease. CONCLUSION: This model demonstrates that implementing a universal vaccine programme in Sweden with PCV7 would be cost-effective with an estimated net reduction of costs for the society.
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| 26. |
- Spjuth, Ola, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Bioclipse 2: A scriptable integration platform for the life sciences
- 2009
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Ingår i: BMC Bioinformatics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2105. ; 10, s. 397-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Contemporary biological research integrates neighboring scientific domains to answer complex ques- tions in fields such as systems biology and drug discovery. This calls for tools that are intuitive to use, yet flexible to adapt to new tasks. Results: Bioclipse is a free, open source workbench with advanced features for the life sciences. Version 2.0 constitutes a complete rewrite of Bioclipse, and delivers a stable, scalable integration platform for developers and an intuitive workbench for end users. All functionality is available both from the graphical user interface and from a built-in novel domain-specific language, supporting the scientist in interdisciplinary research and reproducible analyses through advanced visualization of the inputs and the results. New components for Bioclipse 2 include a rewritten editor for chemical structures, a table for multiple molecules that supports gigabyte-sized files, as well as a graphical editor for sequences and alignments. Conclusions: Bioclipse 2 is equipped with advanced tools required to carry out complex analysis in the fields of bio- and cheminformatics. Developed as a Rich Client based on Eclipse, Bioclipse 2 leverages on today’s powerful desktop computers for providing a responsive user interface, but also takes full advantage of the Web and networked (Web/Cloud) services for more demanding calculations or retrieval of data. That Bioclipse 2 is based on an advanced and widely used service platform ensures wide extensibility, and new algorithms, visualizations as well as scripting commands can easily be added. The intuitive tools for end users and the extensible architecture make Bioclipse 2 ideal for interdisciplinary and integrative research. Bioclipse 2 is released under the Eclipse Public License (EPL), a flexible open source license that allows additional plugins to be of any license. Bioclipse 2 is implemented in Java and supported on all major platforms; Source code and binaries are freely available at http://www.bioclipse.net.
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| 27. |
- Wingstedt, Johnny, et al.
(författare)
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REMUPP : an interactive tool for investigating musical properties and relations
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 2005 International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME05), Vancouver, BC, Canada. ; , s. 232-235
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A typical experiment design within the field of music psychology is playing music to a test subject who listens and reacts - most often by verbal means. One limitation of this kind of test is the inherent difficulty of measuring an emotional reaction in a laboratory setting. This paper describes the design, functions and possible uses of the software tool REMUPP (Relations between musical parameters and perceived properties), designed for investigating various aspects of musical experience. REMUPP allows for non-verbal examination of selected musical parameters (such as tonality, tempo, timbre, articulation, volume, register etc.) in a musical context. The musical control is put into the hands of the subject, introducing an element of creativity and enhancing the sense of immersion. Information acquired with REMUPP can be output as numerical data for statistical analysis, but the tool is also suited for the use with more qualitatively oriented methods.
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| 28. |
- Ödling, Per, et al.
(författare)
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The fourth generation broadband concept
- 2009
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Ingår i: IEEE Communications Magazine. - 0163-6804. ; 47:1, s. 63-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fixed-broadband access technology is evolving from exclusively copper-based solutions to hybrid fiber-copper architectures. This article presents the expected next step in the evolution of broadband systems, which we call the fourth-generation broadband concept. It identifies a technical, infrastructural, and economical niche and describes how the fiber-access network is extended and forked to feed a last and ultimate generation of DSL systems, shown to have gigabit potential. The underlying infrastructural concept is presented, economic aspects are described and discussed, and achievable data rates are calculated.
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| 29. |
- Östberg, Yngve, et al.
(författare)
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Functional analysis of a lipid galactosyltransferase synthesizing the major envelope lipid in the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.
- 2007
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiol Lett. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0378-1097 .- 1574-6968. ; 272:1, s. 22-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the major lipids in the membranes of Borrelia burgdorferi ismonogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGalDAG), a glycolipid recently shown to carryantigenic potency. Herein, it is shown that the gene mgs (TIGR designationbb0454) of B. burgdorferi encodes for the protein bbMGS that, when expressed inEscherichia coli, catalyzes the glycosylation of 1,2-diacylglycerol withspecificity for the donor substrate UDP-Gal yielding MGalDAG. Related lipidenzymes were found in many Gram-positive bacteria. The presence of thisgalactosyltransferase activity and synthesis of a cholesteryl galactoside byanother enzyme were verified in B. burgdorferi cell extract. Besides MGalDAG,phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cholesterol were also found asmajor lipids in the cell envelope. The high isoelectric point of bbMGS andclustered basic residues in its amino acid sequence suggest that the enzymeinteracts with acidic lipids in the plasma membrane, in agreement with strongenzymatic activation of bbMGS by phosphatidylglycerol. The membrane packing andimmunological properties of MGalDAG are likely to be of great importance in vivo.
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