| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Valdes-Marquez, E., et al.
(författare)
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Relative effects of LDL-C on ischemic stroke and coronary disease A Mendelian randomization study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Neurology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 92:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective To examine the causal relevance of lifelong differences in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for ischemic stroke (IS) relative to that for coronary heart disease (CHD) using a Mendelian randomization approach. We undertook a 2-sample Mendelian randomization, based on summary data, to estimate the causal relevance of LDL-C for risk of IS and CHD. Information from 62 independent genetic variants with genome-wide significant effects on LDL-C levels was used to estimate the causal effects of LDL-C for IS and IS subtypes (based on 12,389 IS cases from METASTROKE) and for CHD (based on 60,801 cases from CARDIoGRAMplusC4D). We then assessed the effects of LDL-C on IS and CHD for heterogeneity. A 1 mmol/L higher genetically determined LDL-C was associated with a 50% higher risk of CHD (odds ratio [OR] 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.68, p = 1.1 x 10(-8)). By contrast, the causal effect of LDL-C was much weaker for IS (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.96-1.30, p = 0.14; p for heterogeneity = 2.6 x 10(-3)) and, in particular, for cardioembolic stroke (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.84-1.33, p = 0.64; p for heterogeneity = 8.6 x 10(-3)) when compared with that for CHD. In contrast with the consistent effects of LDL-C-lowering therapies on IS and CHD, genetic variants that confer lifelong LDL-C differences show a weaker effect on IS than on CHD. The relevance of etiologically distinct IS subtypes may contribute to the differences observed.
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| 3. |
- Pulit, SL, et al.
(författare)
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Loci associated with ischaemic stroke and its subtypes (SiGN): a genome-wide association study.
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Lancet. Neurology. - 1474-4465. ; 15:2, s. 174-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery of disease-associated loci through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is the leading genetic approach to the identification of novel biological pathways underlying diseases in humans. Until recently, GWAS in ischaemic stroke have been limited by small sample sizes and have yielded few loci associated with ischaemic stroke. We did a large-scale GWAS to identify additional susceptibility genes for stroke and its subtypes.To identify genetic loci associated with ischaemic stroke, we did a two-stage GWAS. In the first stage, we included 16851 cases with state-of-the-art phenotyping data and 32473 stroke-free controls. Cases were aged 16 to 104 years, recruited between 1989 and 2012, and subtypes of ischaemic stroke were recorded by centrally trained and certified investigators who used the web-based protocol, Causative Classification of Stroke (CCS). We constructed case-control strata by identifying samples that were genotyped on nearly identical arrays and were of similar genetic ancestral background. We cleaned and imputed data by use of dense imputation reference panels generated from whole-genome sequence data. We did genome-wide testing to identify stroke-associated loci within each stratum for each available phenotype, and we combined summary-level results using inverse variance-weighted fixed-effects meta-analysis. In the second stage, we did in-silico lookups of 1372 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified from the first stage GWAS in 20941 cases and 364736 unique stroke-free controls. The ischaemic stroke subtypes of these cases had previously been established with the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification system, in accordance with local standards. Results from the two stages were then jointly analysed in a final meta-analysis.We identified a novel locus (G allele at rs12122341) at 1p13.2 near TSPAN2 that was associated with large artery atherosclerosis-related stroke (first stage odds ratio [OR] 1·21, 95% CI 1·13-1·30, p=4·50×10(-8); joint OR 1·19, 1·12-1·26, p=1·30×10(-9)). Our results also supported robust associations with ischaemic stroke for four other loci that have been reported in previous studies, including PITX2 (first stage OR 1·39, 1·29-1·49, p=3·26×10(-19); joint OR 1·37, 1·30-1·45, p=2·79×10(-32)) and ZFHX3 (first stage OR 1·19, 1·11-1·27, p=2·93×10(-7); joint OR 1·17, 1·11-1·23, p=2·29×10(-10)) for cardioembolic stroke, and HDAC9 (first stage OR 1·29, 1·18-1·42, p=3·50×10(-8); joint OR 1·24, 1·15-1·33, p=4·52×10(-9)) for large artery atherosclerosis stroke. The 12q24 locus near ALDH2, which has previously been associated with all ischaemic stroke but not with any specific subtype, exceeded genome-wide significance in the meta-analysis of small artery stroke (first stage OR 1·20, 1·12-1·28, p=6·82×10(-8); joint OR 1·17, 1·11-1·23, p=2·92×10(-9)). Other loci associated with stroke in previous studies, including NINJ2, were not confirmed.Our results suggest that all ischaemic stroke-related loci previously implicated by GWAS are subtype specific. We identified a novel gene associated with large artery atherosclerosis stroke susceptibility. Follow-up studies will be necessary to establish whether the locus near TSPAN2 can be a target for a novel therapeutic approach to stroke prevention. In view of the subtype-specificity of the associations detected, the rich phenotyping data available in the Stroke Genetics Network (SiGN) are likely to be crucial for further genetic discoveries related to ischaemic stroke.US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Joss, D. T., et al.
(författare)
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Evolving collective structures in the transitional nuclei W-162 and W-164
- 2016
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Ingår i: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985. ; 93:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Excited states in the neutron-deficient nuclides(74)(162)W(88) and W-164(74)90 were investigated by using the gamma-ray spectrometer Jurogam. A change in structure is apparent from the first rotational alignments in W-162 and W-164, whose rotationally aligned bands are interpreted as nu(h(9/2))(2) and nu(i(13/2))(2) configurations, respectively. The level schemes have been extended using recoil (-decay) correlations with the observation of excited collective structures. Configuration assignments have been made on the basis of comparisons of the deduced aligned angular momentum, as a function of rotational frequency, with the predictions of the cranked shell model.
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| 7. |
- Gillespie, S. A., et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a 6.6 μ s isomeric state in Ir 175
- 2019
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Ingår i: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 99:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An experiment has been performed to study excited states in the neutron-deficient nucleus Ir175 via the use of the JUROGAM II high-purity germanium detector array and the RITU gas-filled separator at JYFL, Jyväskylä. By using isomer tagging, an isomeric state with a half-life of 6.58(15) μs has been observed in Ir175 for the first time. It has been established that the isomer decays via a 45.2 (E1)-26.1 (M1) keV cascade to new states below the previously reported ground state in Ir175 with Iπ=(5/2-). We now reassign this (5/2-) state to the isomeric state discovered in this study.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Baudena, M., et al.
(författare)
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Forests, savannas, and grasslands: bridging the knowledge gap between ecology and Dynamic Global Vegetation Models
- 2015
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4189. ; 12:6, s. 1833-1848
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The forest, savanna, and grassland biomes, and the transitions between them, are expected to undergo major changes in the future due to global climate change. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are very useful for understanding vegetation dynamics under the present climate, and for predicting its changes under future conditions. However, several DGVMs display high uncertainty in predicting vegetation in tropical areas. Here we perform a comparative analysis of three different DGVMs (JSBACH, LPJ-GUESS-SPITFIRE and aDGVM) with regard to their representation of the ecological mechanisms and feedbacks that determine the forest, savanna, and grassland biomes, in an attempt to bridge the knowledge gap between ecology and global modeling. The outcomes of the models, which include different mechanisms, are compared to observed tree cover along a mean annual precipitation gradient in Africa. By drawing on the large number of recent studies that have delivered new insights into the ecology of tropical ecosystems in general, and of savannas in particular, we identify two main mechanisms that need improved representation in the examined DGVMs. The first mechanism includes water limitation to tree growth, and tree grass competition for water, which are key factors in determining savanna presence in arid and semi-arid areas. The second is a grass fire feedback, which maintains both forest and savanna presence in mesic areas. Grasses constitute the majority of the fuel load, and at the same time benefit from the openness of the landscape after fires, since they recover faster than trees. Additionally, these two mechanisms are better represented when the models also include tree life stages (adults and seedlings), and distinguish between fire-prone and shade-tolerant forest trees, and fire-resistant and shade-intolerant savanna trees. Including these basic elements could improve the predictive ability of the DGVMs, not only under current climate conditions but also and especially under future scenarios.
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| 11. |
- Burdett, S., et al.
(författare)
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Adjuvant chemotherapy for resected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer
- 2015
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Ingår i: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. - 1469-493X. ; :3
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background To evaluate the effects of administering chemotherapy following surgery, or following surgery plus radiotherapy (known as adjuvant chemotherapy) in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we performed two systematic reviews andmeta-analyses of all randomised controlled trials using individual participant data. Results were first published in The Lancet in 2010. Objectives To compare, in terms of overall survival, time to locoregional recurrence, time to distant recurrence and recurrence-free survival: A. Surgery versus surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy B. Surgery plus radiotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with histologically diagnosed early stage NSCLC. (2) To investigate whether or not predefined patient subgroups benefit more or less from cisplatin-based chemotherapy in terms of survival. Search methods We supplemented MEDLINE and CANCERLIT searches (1995 to December 2013) with information from trial registers, hand-searching relevant meeting proceedings and by discussion with trialists and organisations. Selection criteria We included trials of a) surgery versus surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy; and b) surgery plus radiotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy, provided that they randomised NSCLC patients using a method which precluded prior knowledge of treatment assignment. Data collection and analysis We carried out a quantitative meta-analysis using updated information from individual participants from all randomised trials. Data from all patients were sought from those responsible for the trial. We obtained updated individual participant data (IPD) on survival, and date of last follow-up, as well as details of treatment allocated, date of randomisation, age, sex, histological cell type, stage, and performance status. To avoid potential bias, we requested information for all randomised patients, including those excluded from the investigators' original analyses. We conducted all analyses on intention-to-treat on the endpoint of survival. For trials using cisplatin-based regimens, we carried out subgroup analyses by age, sex, histological cell type, tumour stage, and performance status. Main results We identified 35 trials evaluating surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy versus surgery alone. IPD were available for 26 of these trials and our analyses are based on 8447 participants (3323 deaths) in 34 trial comparisons. There was clear evidence of a benefit of adding chemotherapy after surgery (hazard ratio (HR)= 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 0.81 to 0.92, p< 0.0001), with an absolute increase in survival of 4% at five years. We identified 15 trials evaluating surgery plus radiotherapy plus chemotherapy versus surgery plus radiotherapy alone. IPD were available for 12 of these trials and our analyses are based on 2660 participants (1909 deaths) in 13 trial comparisons. There was also evidence of a benefit of adding chemotherapy to surgery plus radiotherapy (HR= 0.88, 95% CI= 0.81 to 0.97, p= 0.009). This represents an absolute improvement in survival of 4% at five years. For both meta-analyses, we found similar benefits for recurrence outcomes and there was little variation in effect according to the type of chemotherapy, other trial characteristics or patient subgroup. We did not undertake analysis of the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on quality of life and adverse events. Quality of life information was not routinely collected during the trials, but where toxicity was assessed and mentioned in the publications, it was thought to be manageable. We considered the risk of bias in the included trials to be low. Authors' conclusions Results from 47 trial comparisons and 11,107 patients demonstrate the clear benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for these patients, irrespective of whether chemotherapy was given in addition to surgery or surgery plus radiotherapy. This is the most up-to-date and complete systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis that has been carried out.
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| 12. |
- Ladds, MJGW, et al.
(författare)
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Publisher Correction: A DHODH inhibitor increases p53 synthesis and enhances tumor cell killing by p53 degradation blockage
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9:1, s. 2071-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The original PDF version of this Article listed the authors as “Marcus J.G.W. Ladds,” where it should have read “Marcus J. G. W. Ladds, Ingeborg M. M. van Leeuwen, Catherine J. Drummond et al.#”.Also in the PDF version, it was incorrectly stated that “Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S. Lín.”, instead of the correct “Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S. Laín.”This has been corrected in the PDF version of the Article. The HTML version was correct from the time of publication.
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| 13. |
- O’Reilly, Catherine M., et al.
(författare)
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Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors—from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade−1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade−1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes.
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| 14. |
- Tiegs, Scott D., et al.
(författare)
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Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - Washington : American Association of Advancement in Science. - 2375-2548. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth's biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constraints toward the poles and greater roles for other environmental drivers (e.g., nutrient loading) toward the equator. These results and data set the stage for unprecedented "next-generation biomonitoring" by establishing baselines to help quantify environmental impacts to the functioning of ecosystems at a global scale.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Grill, G., et al.
(författare)
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Mapping the world's free-flowing rivers
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 569:7755, s. 215-221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Free-flowing rivers (FFRs) support diverse, complex and dynamic ecosystems globally, providing important societal and economic services. Infrastructure development threatens the ecosystem processes, biodiversity and services that these rivers support. Here we assess the connectivity status of 12 million kilometres of rivers globally and identify those that remain free-flowing in their entire length. Only 37 per cent of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometres remain free-flowing over their entire length and 23 per cent flow uninterrupted to the ocean. Very long FFRs are largely restricted to remote regions of the Arctic and of the Amazon and Congo basins. In densely populated areas only few very long rivers remain free-flowing, such as the Irrawaddy and Salween. Dams and reservoirs and their up- and downstream propagation of fragmentation and flow regulation are the leading contributors to the loss of river connectivity. By applying a new method to quantify riverine connectivity and map FFRs, we provide a foundation for concerted global and national strategies to maintain or restore them.
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| 18. |
- Hilton, J., et al.
(författare)
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α -spectroscopy studies of the new nuclides Pt 165 and Hg 170
- 2019
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Ingår i: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 100:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The new nuclides Pt165 and Hg170 were produced in the reactions Mo92(Kr78,5n) and Ru96(Kr78,4n) at bombarding energies of 418 MeV and 390 MeV, respectively. For Hg170 an α-particle energy of Eα=7590(30)keV and half-life of t1/2=0.08-0.04+0.40ms were deduced, while for Pt165 the corresponding values were 7272(14) keV and 0.26-0.09+0.26ms. Comparison of the reduced α-decay widths with systematics indicates that both α decays are unhindered. Although combining the measured α-decay Q values with extrapolated masses suggests that both new nuclides are unbound to two-proton emission by more than 1 MeV, their α-decay half-lives are too short for this decay mode to compete. Improved data were also obtained for Pt166,167, produced via the Ru96(Kr78,α4n) and Ru96(Kr78,α3n) reactions at bombarding energies of 390 MeV and 418 MeV.
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| 19. |
- Sharma, Sapna, et al.
(författare)
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A global database of lake surface temperatures collected by in situ and satellite methods from 1985–2009
- 2015
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Ingår i: Scientific Data. - : Macmillan Publishers Limited. - 2052-4463. ; 2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global environmental change has influenced lake surface temperatures, a key driver of ecosystem structure and function. Recent studies have suggested significant warming of water temperatures in individual lakes across many different regions around the world. However, the spatial and temporal coherence associated with the magnitude of these trends remains unclear. Thus, a global data set of water temperature is required to understand and synthesize global, long-term trends in surface water temperatures of inland bodies of water. We assembled a database of summer lake surface temperatures for 291 lakes collected in situ and/or by satellites for the period 1985–2009. In addition, corresponding climatic drivers (air temperatures, solar radiation, and cloud cover) and geomorphometric characteristics (latitude, longitude, elevation, lake surface area, maximum depth, mean depth, and volume) that influence lake surface temperatures were compiled for each lake. This unique dataset offers an invaluable baseline perspective on global-scale lake thermal conditions as environmental change continues.
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| 20. |
- Chiavaroli, Valentina, et al.
(författare)
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Exercise in pregnancy : 1-year and 7-year follow-ups of mothers and offspring after a randomized controlled trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are limited data on long-term outcomes of mothers or their offspring following exercise interventions during pregnancy. We assessed long-term effects of an exercise intervention (home-based stationary cycling) between 20-36 weeks of gestation on anthropometry and body composition in mothers and offspring after 1 and 7 years. 84 women were randomised to intervention or usual activity, with follow-up data available for 61 mother-child pairs (38 exercisers) at 1 year and 57 (33 exercisers) at 7 years. At 1 year, there were no observed differences in measured outcomes between mothers and offspring in the two groups. At the 7-year follow-up, mothers were mostly similar, except that exercisers had lower systolic blood pressure (-6.2 mmHg; p = 0.049). However, offspring of mothers who exercised during pregnancy had increased total body fat (+3.2%; p = 0.034) and greater abdominal (+4.1% android fat; p = 0.040) and gynoid (+3.5% gynoid fat; p = 0.042) adiposity compared with controls. Exercise interventions beginning during pregnancy may be beneficial to long-term maternal health. However, the initiation of exercise during pregnancy amongst sedentary mothers may be associated with adverse effects in the offspring during childhood. Larger follow-up studies are required to investigate long-term effects of exercise in pregnancy.
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| 21. |
- Derakhshan, M., et al.
(författare)
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The pedagogical challenges of creating information literate librarians
- 2017
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Ingår i: Library Review. - : Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.. - 0024-2535 .- 1758-793X. ; 66:6-7, s. 570-583
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: This study aims to investigate the challenges of developing information literacy (IL) competencies and approaches to overcome the challenges among library and information science (LIS) students in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: Taking an exploratory approach, the study used semi-structured interviews to gather the data. Using the 2000 ACRL standards as a framework, the fieldwork questions were designed around the five areas of IL competencies. A total of 15 academics teaching 18 different LIS courses from six universities were interviewed. They were asked the challenges they faced in teaching these competencies and the approaches they took or suggested in overcoming the challenge(s). A thematic approach was used to analyze the data. Findings: Some of the challenges for students mentioned by the interviewees were ambiguity about the discipline, inability to match subject relevance with appropriate sources of information and lack of familiarity with databases. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited to LIS academics; studying students’ reflections can bring broader perspectives to IL education in LIS programs. Owing to the nature of the design of this study, which is a single case study, the teaching experiences of IL are limited to the ones which emerged and were addressed in the context of the case. Although the case selection was made in a way that can be representative of the “general” in the “particular” bounded system of the case (Stake, 1998), studying more cases could certainly have brought broader perspectives to IL which could have been to wider contexts. Originality/value: The results of this study contribute to our understanding of challenges in teaching IL in the LIS discipline, an area that has not been researched directly. This contributes to IL teaching in disciplinary areas and it brings new perspectives to the elements of IL teaching which emerged from the experiences of people who are directly experienced in the context of the discipline.
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| 22. |
- Hampton, Stephanie E., et al.
(författare)
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Ecology under lake ice
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 20:1, s. 98-111
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Winter conditions are rapidly changing in temperate ecosystems, particularly for those that experience periods of snow and ice cover. Relatively little is known of winter ecology in these systems, due to a historical research focus on summer ‘growing seasons’. We executed the first global quantitative synthesis on under-ice lake ecology, including 36 abiotic and biotic variables from 42 research groups and 101 lakes, examining seasonal differences and connections as well as how seasonal differences vary with geophysical factors. Plankton were more abundant under ice than expected; mean winter values were 43.2% of summer values for chlorophyll a, 15.8% of summer phytoplankton biovolume and 25.3% of summer zooplankton density. Dissolved nitrogen concentrations were typically higher during winter, and these differences were exaggerated in smaller lakes. Lake size also influenced winter-summer patterns for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with higher winter DOC in smaller lakes. At coarse levels of taxonomic aggregation, phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition showed few systematic differences between seasons, although literature suggests that seasonal differences are frequently lake-specific, species-specific, or occur at the level of functional group. Within the subset of lakes that had longer time series, winter influenced the subsequent summer for some nutrient variables and zooplankton biomass.
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| 23. |
- Higgins, D., et al.
(författare)
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Application of high-throughput pyrosequencing in the analysis of microbiota of food commodities procured from small and large retail outlets in a U.S. metropolitan area – A pilot study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Food Research International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0963-9969. ; 105, s. 29-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, it is possible to comprehensively analyze the microbial community of foods without culturing them in the laboratory. The estimation of all microbes inhabiting a food commodity (food microbiota) therefore may shed light on the microbial quality and safety of foods. In this study, we utilized high-throughput pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes as well as traditional microbiological methods to evaluate the bacterial diversity and the predicted metabolic pathways associated with the bacterial communities of selected foods (romaine lettuce, cabbage, deli meat, and chicken legs, total 200 samples) procured from small and large retail outlets located in Memphis-Shelby County, Tennessee, USA. For high-throughput sequencing, microbial genomic DNA was directly extracted from the food products and subjected to genetic sequencing. Aerobic plate count of all food samples was also performed. Foods from small stores (such as corner stores) were found to contain higher bacterial counts as compared to large stores (such as supermarkets). High-throughput pyrosequencing in tandem with bioinformatics analyses revealed a comprehensive picture of the bacterial ecology of foods at different taxonomic levels. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla across all products. At the genus level, Enterobacter and Pantoea in vegetables, and Bacillus and Aeromonas in animal products were found to be the most abundant. The bacterial predicted metabolic pathways such as inosine-5′-phosphate biosynthesis I, methylglyoxal (MG) degradation pathways, urea cycle, dTDP-L-rhamnose biosynthesis I, and mevalonate pathway I differed in foods procured from small stores as compared to large groceries or supermarkets. The results from this study revealed that the bacterial ecology (both in terms of numbers and types of bacteria) of food commodities might differ based on the vending outlet type (large vs. small) of retail stores. The overall estimation bacterial communities in foods by high-throughput sequencing method may be useful to identify potential taxa responsible for food spoilage. Moreover, the data from pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes can also be applied to infer major metabolic pathways in bacteria inhabiting different foods. This may reflect the role of these pathways in food-bacteria interaction and adaptation.
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| 24. |
- Higgins, Michael J., et al.
(författare)
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Improving massive experiments with threshold blocking
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 13:27, s. 7369-7376
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inferences from randomized experiments can be improved by blocking: assigning treatment in fixed proportions within groups of similar units. However, the use of the method is limited by the difficulty in deriving these groups. Current blocking methods are restricted to special cases or run in exponential time; are not sensitive to clustering of data points; and are often heuristic, providing an unsatisfactory solution in many common instances. We present an algorithm that implements a widely applicable class of blocking-threshold blocking-that solves these problems. Given a minimum required group size and a distance metric, we study the blocking problem of minimizing the maximum distance between any two units within the same group. We prove this is a nondeterministic polynomial-time hard problem and derive an approximation algorithm that yields a blocking where the maximum distance is guaranteed to be, at most, four times the optimal value. This algorithm runs in O(n log n) time with O(n) space complexity. This makes it, to our knowledge, the first blocking method with an ensured level of performance that works in massive experiments. Whereas many commonly used algorithms form pairs of units, our algorithm constructs the groups flexibly for any chosen minimum size. This facilitates complex experiments with several treatment arms and clustered data. A simulation study demonstrates the efficiency and efficacy of the algorithm; tens of millions of units can be blocked using a desktop computer in a few minutes.
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| 25. |
- Lamb, G. P., et al.
(författare)
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Short GRB 160821B : A Reverse Shock, a Refreshed Shock, and a Well-sampled Kilonova
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 883:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report our identification of the optical afterglow and host galaxy of the short-duration gamma-ray burst sGRB 160821B. The spectroscopic redshift of the host is z = 0.162, making it one of the lowest redshift short-duration gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) identified by Swift. Our intensive follow-up campaign using a range of ground-based facilities as well as Hubble Space Telescope, XMM-Newton, and Swift, shows evidence for a late-time excess of optical and near-infrared emission in addition to a complex afterglow. The afterglow light curve at X-ray frequencies reveals a narrow jet, theta(j) similar to 1.9(-0.03)(+0.10) deg, that is refreshed at >1 day post-burst by a slower outflow with significantly more energy than the initial outflow that produced the main GRB. Observations of the 5 GHz radio afterglow shows a reverse shock into a mildly magnetized shell. The optical and near-infrared excess is fainter than AT2017gfo associated with GW170817, and is well explained by a kilonova with dynamic ejecta mass M-dyn = (1.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(-3) M-circle dot and a secular (post-merger) ejecta mass with M-pm = (1.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(-2) M-circle dot, consistent with a binary neutron star merger resulting in a short-lived massive neutron star. This optical and near-infrared data set provides the best-sampled kilonova light curve without a gravitational wave trigger to date.
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| 26. |
- Ritscher, Amélie, et al.
(författare)
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Zurich Statement on Future Actions on Per - and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 126:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that contain at least one perfluoroalkyl moiety, -CnF2n-. To date, over 4,000 unique PFASs have been used in technical applications and consumer products, and some of them have been detected globally in human and wildlife biomonitoring studies. Because of their extraordinary persistence, human and environmental exposure to PFASs will be a long-term source of concern. Some PFASs such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been investigated extensively and thus regulated, but for many other PFASs, knowledge about their current uses and hazards is still very limited or missing entirely. To address this problem and prepare an action plan for the assessment and management of PFASs in the coming years, a group of more than 50 international scientists and regulators held a two-day workshop in November, 2017. The group identified both the respective needs of and common goals shared by the scientific and the policy communities, made recommendations for cooperative actions, and outlined how the science-policy interface regarding PFASs can be strengthened using new approaches for assessing and managing highly persistent chemicals such as PFASs.
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- Sutherland, William J., et al.
(författare)
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A Horizon Scan of Global Conservation Issues for 2016
- 2016
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Ingår i: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-5347 .- 1872-8383. ; 31:1, s. 44-53
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the results of our seventh annual horizon scan, in which we aimed to identify issues that could have substantial effects on global biological diversity in the future, but are not currently widely well known or understood within the conservation community. Fifteen issues were identified by a team that included researchers, practitioners, professional horizon scanners, and journalists. The topics include use of managed bees as transporters of biological control agents, artificial superintelligence, electric pulse trawling, testosterone in the aquatic environment, building artificial oceanic islands, and the incorporation of ecological civilization principles into government policies in China.
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- Wu, X. N., et al.
(författare)
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Increased EZH2 expression in prostate cancer is associated with metastatic recurrence following external beam radiotherapy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Prostate. - : Wiley. - 0270-4137. ; 79:10, s. 1079-1089
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) promotes prostate cancer progression. We hypothesized that increased EZH2 expression is associated with postradiotherapy metastatic disease recurrence, and may promote radioresistance. Methods EZH2 expression was investigated using immunohistochemistry in diagnostic prostate biopsies of 113 prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy with curative intent. Associations between EZH2 expression in malignant and benign tissue in prostate biopsy cores and outcomes were investigated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. LNCaP and PC3 cell radiosensitivity was investigated using colony formation and gamma H2AX assays following UNC1999 chemical probe-mediated EZH2 inhibition. Results While there was no significant association between EZH2 expression and biochemical recurrence following radiotherapy, univariate analysis revealed that prostate cancer cytoplasmic and total EZH2 expression were significantly associated with metastasis development postradiotherapy (P = 0.034 and P = 0.003, respectively). On multivariate analysis, the prostate cancer total EZH2 expression score remained statistically significant (P = 0.003), while cytoplasmic EZH2 expression did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.053). No association was observed between normal adjacent prostate EZH2 expression and biochemical recurrence or metastasis. LNCaP and PC3 cell treatment with UNC1999 reduced histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation levels. Irradiation of LNCaP or PC3 cells with a single 2 Gy fraction with UNC1999-mediated EZH2 inhibition resulted in a statistically significant, though modest, reduction in cell colony number for both cell lines. Increased gamma H2AX foci were observed 24 hours after ionizing irradiation in LNCaP cells, but not in PC3, following UNC1999-mediated EZH2 inhibition vs controls. Conclusions Taken together, these results reveal that high pretreatment EZH2 expression in prostate cancer in diagnostic biopsies is associated with an increased risk of postradiotherapy metastatic disease recurrence, but EZH2 function may only at most play a modest role in promoting prostate cancer cell radioresistance.
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