| 1. |
- Bekris, L. M., et al.
(författare)
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GAD65 autoantibody epitopes in adult patients with latent autoimmune diabetes following GAD65 vaccination
- 2007
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1464-5491 .- 0742-3071. ; 24:5, s. 521-526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims Subcutaneous injection of recombinant human GAD65 (rhGAD65) in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) correlates with an increase in C-peptide levels. In this study we analysed the effect of rhGAD65 administration on the GAD65-specific autoimmune response. Methods Longitudinal serum samples obtained from LADA patients (n = 47) who received 4, 20, 100 or 500 mu g alum-formulated rhGAD65 or placebo by subcutaneous injection twice (4 weeks apart) were analysed for their epitope recognition using GAD65-specific recombinant Fab and GAD65/67 fusion proteins. Results Overall, minor changes in the epitope pattern were observed using either approach. Only in the 500-mu g dosage group was an increase in GAD65Ab level associated with a significant increase in the binding to a conformational epitope located at the middle part of GAD65. Conclusions Our data suggest that the apparent beneficial effects of 20 mu g alum-formulated recombinant human GAD65 is not explained by changes in the GAD65Ab epitope pattern.
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| 2. |
- Bertling, Lina, et al.
(författare)
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RADPOW development and documentation
- 2008
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- This report summarizes the status of the computer program RADPOW. RADPOW is a program for Reliability Assessment of electrical Distribution POWer systems. It was developed at KTH School of Electrical Engineering, within the research program EKC and the research project on reliability of new electrical distribution systems. Further on, RADPOW has been used and further developed within the RCAM research group at KTH School of Electrical Engineering. This status report contains a brief description of the RADPOW_2006 version, the Loadflow module from the RADPOW_1999_PH version and a description of the work done in the resulting RADPOW_2007 version. This version now includes a tested load flow module and the ability to calculate the latest component importance indices developed within the RCAM research group. The source code for the program has also been restructured and commented in a more detailed level than before.
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| 3. |
- Elinder, Carl-Gustaf, et al.
(författare)
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Variations in graft and patient survival after kidney transplantation in Sweden: caveats in interpretation of center effects when benchmarking.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1432-2277 .- 0934-0874. ; 22:11, s. 1051-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Benchmarking and comparisons between transplantation centers are becoming more common. A crude comparison indicated a 50% difference in patient survival between centers in Sweden. A 'task group' was formed to refute or confirm and learn from this observation. Patient survival and graft survival of 5 933 patients transplanted at three different transplantation centers in Sweden (Stockholm, Göteborg, and Malmö) were followed up until February 2007. Patient survival and graft survival were compared between the centers with and without consideration being given to important covariates such as time period, type of donation (living or deceased donor), gender, and age. A refined cohort of 2,956 adult patients that had been transplanted for the first time between 1991 and 2007 was assessed in more detail using Cox regression analysis. The difference in patient and transplant outcome observed in the crude comparison diminished considerably after adjustment for differences in case mix and time period of transplantation, and was neither evident nor significant after 1999. Patient survival and graft survival have improved considerably during the time period since 1991. The adjusted hazards ratio for mortality was 0.39 (95% CI 0.29-0.53) for patients who were transplanted after 1999 when compared with those transplanted between 1991 and 1994. Crude comparisons between results from transplantation centers may be severely confounded not only by case mix but also by differences in the proportion of patients transplanted during different time periods. Patient outcome and graft outcome have improved considerably since 1991, and after 1999 center effects were no longer apparent in Sweden.
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| 4. |
- Elsik, Christine G., et al.
(författare)
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The Genome Sequence of Taurine Cattle : A Window to Ruminant Biology and Evolution
- 2009
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 324:5926, s. 522-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To understand the biology and evolution of ruminants, the cattle genome was sequenced to about sevenfold coverage. The cattle genome contains a minimum of 22,000 genes, with a core set of 14,345 orthologs shared among seven mammalian species of which 1217 are absent or undetected in noneutherian (marsupial or monotreme) genomes. Cattle-specific evolutionary breakpoint regions in chromosomes have a higher density of segmental duplications, enrichment of repetitive elements, and species-specific variations in genes associated with lactation and immune responsiveness. Genes involved in metabolism are generally highly conserved, although five metabolic genes are deleted or extensively diverged from their human orthologs. The cattle genome sequence thus provides a resource for understanding mammalian evolution and accelerating livestock genetic improvement for milk and meat production.
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| 5. |
- Fosmark, Dag S., et al.
(författare)
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Increased retinopathy occurrence in type 1 diabetes patients with increased serum levels of the advanced glycation endproduct hydroimidazolone
- 2009
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Ingår i: Acta Ophthalmologica. - : Wiley. - 1755-3768 .- 1755-375X. ; 87:5, s. 498-500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: We aimed to investigate associations between serum levels of the advanced glycation endproduct methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone (MG-H1) and retinopathy in a sample of patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a Scandinavian ophthalmology outpatient clinic on 61 randomly selected patients with type 1 diabetes. Blood samples and retinal photographs were taken at the same visit. Serum levels of hydroimidazolone immunoreactivity were determined using an immunoassay, and levels of retinopathy were determined from seven standard field stereo photographs of each eye according to the ETDRS method. Results were compared between patients with and without retinopathy. Results: Hydroimidazolone quartiles were significantly associated with retinopathy (p = 0.013). The most profound increase in occurrence of retinopathy was observed from the lowest to the second-lowest hydroimidazolone quartile. Adjusted for duration of diabetes using logistic regression, a significant difference in the presence of retinopathy was found when comparing the lowest quartile with the rest (p = 0.022). Conclusions: In our patients with type 1 diabetes, serum levels of hydroimidazolone were found to be associated with retinopathy. This is in keeping with findings in a larger sample of patients with type 2 diabetes.
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| 6. |
- Håkansson, Jennie, et al.
(författare)
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Behavioural differences between two captive populations of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) with different genetic background, raised under identical conditions
- 2007
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Ingår i: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 102:1-2, s. 24-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ex situ conservation of threatened species may lead to behavioural adaptation, which can affect success of reintroduction attempts. In previous studies, we investigated the effects of captivity on the behaviour of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) and found that captive populations differed behaviourally as well as genetically. The aim of the present study was to compare the behaviour of two of the previously studied populations, raised under identical conditions. Eggs were collected from birds at Copenhagen zoo (Cop) and Götala research station (Got) and were incubated and hatched together. Twenty-eight birds (16 Got and 12 Cop) were reared together and tested in eight different behavioural tests, measuring different aspects of fear-related behaviours as well as exploratory and social behaviours. The study revealed several differences in fear-related behaviours between the populations but none in exploratory or social behaviours. In general, one of the populations (Cop) showed more intense fear behaviours than the other (Got), which instead were less fearful in their behaviours. This indicates that breeding animals in captivity may lead to behavioural modifications, which can affect the outcome of reintroductions. The results further suggest that fear-related behaviours are dependent on the genetic background of the animals while social behaviours may be more influenced by the social environment. Since fear-related behaviours, such as predator avoidance and fear of humans, are essential for a life in the wild, these aspects are crucial for the breeding of animals in captivity for conservation purposes.
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| 7. |
- Jones, Owen R., et al.
(författare)
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Senescence rates are determined by ranking on the fast-slow life-history continuum
- 2008
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 11:7, s. 664-673
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comparative analyses of survival senescence by using life tables have identified generalizations including the observation that mammals senesce faster than similar-sized birds. These generalizations have been challenged because of limitations of life-table approaches and the growing appreciation that senescence is more than an increasing probability of death. Without using life tables, we examine senescence rates in annual individual fitness using 20 individual-based data sets of terrestrial vertebrates with contrasting life histories and body size. We find that senescence is widespread in the wild and equally likely to occur in survival and reproduction. Additionally, mammals senesce faster than birds because they have a faster life history for a given body size. By allowing us to disentangle the effects of two major fitness components our methods allow an assessment of the robustness of the prevalent life-table approach. Focusing on one aspect of life history - survival or recruitment - can provide reliable information on overall senescence.
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| 8. |
- Monazzam, Azita, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of the Hsp90 inhibitor NVP-AUY922 in multicellular tumour spheroids with respect to effects on growth and PET tracer uptake
- 2009
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Ingår i: Nuclear Medicine and Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-8051 .- 1872-9614. ; 36:3, s. 335-342
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Molecular targeting has become a prominent concept in cancer treatment and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors are suggested as promising anticancer drugs. The Hsp90 complex is one of the chaperones that facilitate the refolding of unfolded or misfolded proteins and plays a role for key oncogenic proteins such as Her2, Raf-1, Akt/PKB, and mutant p53. NVP-AUY922 is a novel low-molecular Hsp90 inhibitor, currently under clinical development as an anticancer drug. Disruption of the Hsp90-client protein complexes leads to proteasome-mediated degradation of client proteins and cell death. The aim of the current study was to use a combination of the multicellular tumour spheroid (MTS) model and positron emission tomography (PET) to investigate the effects of NVP-AUY922 on tumour growth and its relation to PET tracer uptake for the selection of appropriate PET tracer. A further aim was to evaluate the concentration and time dependence in the relation between growth inhibition and PET tracer uptake as part of translational imaging activities. METHODS: MTS of two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and BT474), one glioblastoma cell line (U87MG) and one colon carcinoma cell line (HCT116) were prepared. Initially, we investigated MTS growth pattern and (3)H-thymidine incorporation in MTS after continuous exposure to NVP-AUY922 in order to determine dose response. Then the short-term effect of the drug on the four PET tracers 2-[(18)F] fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG), 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (FLT), methionine and choline was correlated to the long-term effect (changes in growth pattern) to determine the adequate PET tracer with high predictability. Next, the growth inhibitory effect of different dose schedules was evaluated to determine the optimal dose and time. Finally, the effect of a 2-h exposure to the drug on growth pattern and FDG/FLT uptake was evaluated. RESULTS: A dose-dependent inhibition of growth and decrease of (3)H-thymidine uptake was observed with 100% growth cessation in the dose range 7-52 nM and 50% (3)H-thymidine reduction in the range of 10-23 nM, with the most pronounced effect on BT474 cells. The effect of the drug was best detected by FLT. The results suggested that a complete cessation of growth of the viable cell volume was achieved with about 50% inhibition of FLT uptake 3 days after continuous treatment. Significant growth inhibition was observed at all doses and all exposure time spans. Two-hour exposure to NVP-AUY922 generated a growth inhibition which persisted dose dependently up to 10 days. The uptake of FDG per viable tumour volume was reduced by just 25% with 300 nM treatment of the drug, whereas the FLT uptake decreased up to 75% in correlation with the growth inhibition and recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a prolonged action of NVP-AUY922 in this cell culture, FLT is a suitable tracer for the monitoring of the effect and a FLT PET study within 3 days after treatment can predict the treatment outcome in this model. If relevant in vivo, this information can be used for efficient planning of animal PET studies and later human PET trial.
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| 9. |
- Rubin, Carl-Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Differential gene expression in femoral bone from red junglefowl and domestic chicken, differing for bone phenotypic traits
- 2007
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Ingår i: BMC Genomics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2164. ; 8, s. 208-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Osteoporosis is frequently observed among aging hens from egg-producing strains (layers) of domestic chicken. White Leghorn (WL) has been intensively selected for egg production and it manifests striking phenotypic differences for a number of traits including several bone phenotypes in comparison with the wild ancestor of chicken, the red junglefowl (RJ). Previously, we have identified four Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) affecting bone mineral density and bone strength in an intercross between RJ and WL. With the aim of further elucidating the genetic basis of bone traits in chicken, we have now utilized cDNA-microarray technology in order to compare global RNA-expression in femoral bone from adult RJ and WL (five of each sex and population). Results: When contrasting microarray data for all WL-individuals to that of all RJ-individuals we observed differential expression (False discovery rate adjusted p-values < 0.015) for 604 microarray probes. In corresponding male and female contrasts, differential expression was observed for 410 and 270 probes, respectively. Altogether, the three contrasts between WL and RJ revealed differential expression of 779 unique transcripts, 57 of which are located to previously identified QTL-regions for bone traits. Some differentially expressed genes have previously been attributed roles in bone metabolism and these were: WNT inhibitory factor I (WIFI), WD repeat-containing protein 5 (WDR5) and Syndecan 3 (SDC3). Among differentially expressed transcripts, those encoding structural ribosomal proteins were highly enriched and all 15 had lower expression in WL. Conclusion: We report the identification of 779 differentially expressed transcripts, several residing within QTL-regions for bone traits. Among differentially expressed transcripts, those encoding structural ribosomal proteins were highly enriched and all had lower expression levels in WL. In addition, transcripts encoding four translation initiation and translation elongation factor proteins also had lower expression levels in WL, possibly indicating perturbation of protein biosynthesis pathways between the two populations. Information derived from this study could be relevant to the bone research field and may also aid in further inference of genetic changes accompanying animal domestication.
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| 10. |
- Rubin, Carl-Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Quantitative trait loci for BMD and bone strength in an intercross between domestic and wildtype chickens.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. - : Wiley. - 0884-0431. ; 22:3, s. 375-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With chicken used as a model species, we used QTL analysis to examine the genetic contribution to bone traits. We report the identification of four QTLs for femoral traits: one for bone strength, one for endosteal circumference, and two affecting mineral density of noncortical bone. INTRODUCTION: BMD is a highly heritable phenotype, governed by elements at numerous loci. In studies examining the genetic contribution to bone traits, many loci have been identified in humans and in other species. The goal of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling BMD and bone strength in an intercross between wildtype and domestic chickens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A set of 164 markers, covering 30 chromosomes (chr.), were used to genotype 337 F2-individuals from an intercross of domesticated white Leghorn and wildtype red junglefowl chicken. DXA and pQCT were used to measure BMD and bone structure. Three-point bending tests and torsional strength tests were performed to determine the biomechanical strength of the bone. QTLs were mapped using forward selection for loci with significant marginal effects. RESULTS: Four QTLs for femoral bone traits were identified in QTL analysis with body weight included as a covariate. A QTL on chr. 1 affected female noncortical BMD (LOD 4.6) and is syntenic to human 12q21-12q23. Also located on chr. 1, a locus with synteny to human 12q13-14 affected endosteal circumference (LOD 4.6). On chr. 2, a QTL corresponding to human 5p13-p15, 7p12, 18q12, 18q21, and 9q22-9q31 affected BMD in females; noncortical (LOD 4.0) and metaphyseal (LOD 7.0) BMD by pQCT and BMD by DXA (LOD 5.9). A QTL located on chr. 20 (LOD 5.2) affected bone biomechanical strength and had sex-dependent effects. In addition to the significant QTLs, 10 further loci with suggestive linkage to bone traits were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Four QTLs were identified: two for noncortical BMD, one for endosteal circumference, and one affecting bone biomechanical strength. The future identification of genes responsible for these QTLs will increase the understanding of vertebrate skeletal biology.
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| 11. |
- Rubin, Carl-Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Quantitative Trait Loci for BMD and Bone Strength in an Intercross Between Domestic and Wildtype Chickens
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. - : Wiley. - 0884-0431 .- 1523-4681. ; 22:3, s. 375-384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With chicken used as a model species, we used QTL analysis to examine the genetic contribution to bone traits. We report the identification of four QTLs for femoral traits: one for bone strength, one for endosteal circumference, and two affecting mineral density of noncortical bone. Introduction: BMD is a highly heritable phenotype, governed by elements at numerous loci. In studies examining the genetic contribution to bone traits, many loci have been identified in humans and in other species. The goal of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling BMD and bone strength in an intercross between wildtype and domestic chickens. Materials and Methods: A set of 164 markers, covering 30 chromosomes (chr.), were used to genotype 337 F 2-individuals from an intercross of domesticated white Leghorn and wildtype red junglefowl chicken. DXA and pQCT were used to measure BMD and bone structure. Three-point bending tests and torsional strength tests were performed to determine the biomechanical strength of the bone. QTLs were mapped using forward selection for loci with significant marginal effects. Results: Four QTLs for femoral bone traits were identified in QTL analysis with body weight included as a covariate. A QTL on chr. 1 affected female noncortical BMD (LOD 4.6) and is syntenic to human 12q21-12q23. Also located on chr. 1, a locus with synteny to human 12q 13-1.4 affected endosteal circumference (LOD 4.6). On chr. 2, a QTL corresponding to human 5p13-p15, 7p12, 18q12, 18q21, and 9q22-9q31 affected BMD in females; noncortical (LOD 4.0) and metaphyseal (LOD 7.0) BMD by pQCT and BMD by DXA (LOD 5.9). A QTL located on chr. 20 (LOD 5.2) affected bone biomechanical strength and had sex-dependent effects. In addition to the significant QTLs, 10 further loci with suggestive linkage to bone traits were identified. Conclusions: Four QTLs were identified: two for noncortical BMD, one for endosteal circumference, and one affecting bone biomechanical strength. The future identification of genes responsible for these QTLs will increase the understanding of vertebrate skeletal biology.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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