| 1. |
- Kanoni, Stavroula, et al.
(författare)
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Implicating genes, pleiotropy, and sexual dimorphism at blood lipid loci through multi-ancestry meta-analysis.
- 2022
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Ingår i: Genome biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-760X .- 1465-6906 .- 1474-7596. ; 23:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic variants within nearly 1000 loci are known to contribute to modulation of blood lipid levels. However, the biological pathways underlying these associations are frequently unknown, limiting understanding of these findings and hindering downstream translational efforts such as drug target discovery.To expand our understanding of the underlying biological pathways and mechanisms controlling blood lipid levels, we leverage a large multi-ancestry meta-analysis (N=1,654,960) of blood lipids to prioritize putative causal genes for 2286 lipid associations using six gene prediction approaches. Using phenome-wide association (PheWAS) scans, we identify relationships of genetically predicted lipid levels to other diseases and conditions. We confirm known pleiotropic associations with cardiovascular phenotypes and determine novel associations, notably with cholelithiasis risk. We perform sex-stratified GWAS meta-analysis of lipid levels and show that 3-5% of autosomal lipid-associated loci demonstrate sex-biased effects. Finally, we report 21 novel lipid loci identified on the X chromosome. Many of the sex-biased autosomal and X chromosome lipid loci show pleiotropic associations with sex hormones, emphasizing the role of hormone regulation in lipid metabolism.Taken together, our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms through which associated variants lead to altered lipid levels and potentially cardiovascular disease risk.
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| 2. |
- Fang, K., et al.
(författare)
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Wind speed reconstruction from a tree-ring difference index in northeastern Inner Mongolia
- 2022
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Ingår i: Dendrochronologia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1125-7865. ; 72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The lack of instrumental wind speed data beyond the industrial era limits our ability to evaluate the contributions of natural versus anthropogenic processes on long-term changes in wind speed. It is thus desirable to find proxies for historical changes in wind speed. Persistent and strong winds can cause compression wood composed of wider and denser rings in conifer trees at leeward sides. This work hypothesizes that the asymmetric wind impact on tree radial growth provides information about wind speed changes. To test the hypothesis, we developed a Tree-Ring Difference Index (TRDI) representing the differences between tree ring widths at the windward and leeward sides. Thirty-four trees subjected to strong and persistent winds in a Picea mongolica forest in northeastern Inner Mongolia were analyzed. The TRDI based on 124 cores correlates significantly with the maximum wind speeds recorded from May to August, indicating that this proxy can be used for wind speed reconstruction. Our reconstruction reveals long-term changes in wind speed including an upward trend from 1940 to 1954, followed by continually decreasing wind speeds from 1955 to 1990 and increasing values from 1991 to 2010. The reconstructed wind speeds include strong multi-decadal variability and significant correlations with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). © 2022 Elsevier GmbH
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| 3. |
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Fieldwork Education in Social Work as One Way of Building Bridges between China and Europe : In Rajendra Baikady, Sajid S.M., Varoshini Nadesan, and M. Rezaul Islam (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work
- 2022
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work is a welcome addition to the lit- erature on social work education and comparative research. It offers a wealth of contributions on field education across four continents.The book comes at a time of increased interest in international social work and in learning from others. It is also a time when educators in diverse contexts are struggling to provide quality field education for students, as field education across the globe is facing both old and new challenges. As the editors point out early in their introduction, field education is an essential part of the preparation of social workers; indeed, it is now sometimes referred to by the US Council on Social Work Education and others as the ‘signature pedagogy’ of the field. From the earliest days, educators have recognised that practical experience must accompany academic learning to prepare social work practitioners.This differentiates a profession from a purely academic subject. A review of the history of social work education bears this out. Between 1950 and 1972, the United Nations (UN) conducted five world surveys of social work education. In the very first of these, issues and variations in ‘practical training’ were dis- cussed (UN, 1950). Supervision, the need to integrate theory and practice, and the balance between observation and learning by doing were highlighted in the overview and in country summaries.The International Association of Schools of Social Work continued the global survey of educational programmes,issuing the World Guide to SocialWork Education in 1984.The crite- ria for inclusion as a social work programme were few in number and quite modest. It clearly stated, however, that ‘The course of study should include theoretical study as well as substantial continuing field practicum with an arrangement for appropriate instruction in both class and field’ (p. ix).This volume profiled social work programs in 61 countries across six continents, an expansion from the 46 countries listed in the 1950 UN publication. In 2004, the International Association of Schools of Social Work and the International Federation of Social Workers issued the first ever Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession. The standards were revised in 2020 (IASSW/IFSW, 2020). Both versions include lengthy sections on field education under curricula and state that field education must ‘be sufficient in duration and complexity of tasks and learning opportunities to ensure that students are prepared for professional practice’ (IASSW/IFSW, 2020, p. 13). Other standards include pro- viding qualified supervision, training for field instructors, a field manual with clear policies, and methods of evaluating students and field settings. New to the 2020 version is an aspirational stand- ard that programmes should ‘Create practice placement opportunities that correspond to at least 25% of the overall education activity within the courses (counted in either credits, days, or hours)’ (p. 14).This is clearly an effort to reduce the variability in attention paid to the field component. Organising and delivering quality field education continues to be a challenge for schools of social work. Many of the issues identified 70 years ago continue, including providing regular, xxvii Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 20:32 15 Jun 2022; For: 9781032164946, Prelims, 10.4324/9781032164946 Foreword professionally competent supervision and the need to help students integrate their classwork with field education. Over the past three decades, social work has expanded to numerous new locales,most notably to the countries of the former Soviet Union and China.The 2020 world census of social work education identified more than 3,500 programs in 159 countries (IASSW, 2021). In some places, social work is a completely new subject, and educators have had to initiate placements in areas without trained supervisors or even settings that defined them- selves as social work settings (Healy & Thomas, 2021). In other countries, including such diverse places as Jamaica and Ethiopia, expansion in the number of schools of social work and increases in the number of students enrolled has outpaced the availability of suitable field placements (Kebede, 2019). Mentoring students into the profession is less likely to occur if experienced social work supervision is missing. The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work includes overviews of field education and treatment of special subjects in 26 countries ranging from the United Kingdom to China, Slovenia,Turkey, Canada, and New Zealand. Several chapters provide student perspec- tives on their learning in the field. Special topics addressed include the experiences of indig- enous students in field placement and considerations for ensuring that international placements are optimally designed and supported. Reflexivity as a component of learning and way of inte- grating learning is addressed by several authors. Finally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is covered in three chapters at the end of the volume. Field education faced disruptions and unusual challenges, in terms of the needs and demands of service users, threats to the health of students and field instructors, and widespread closures of in-person services. Learning from these experiences will inform education in future emergencies. In their conclusion, the editors lament that the topic of technology is not adequately addressed in the present book. Presumably, the expansion of virtual service delivery during the pandemic will offer lessons for future considera- tion of technologies in field education. In concluding the book, the editors remind readers that ‘Competency of students and graduates from a school of social work largely depends on the quality of the field education agency, availability of faculty support, competent supervisors, and expertise in introducing an innovative fieldwork practicum’. In the United States, and perhaps other contexts, increased pressures for research and publication have diminished the involvement of full-time faculty in field liaison and engagement, widening the divide between classroom instruction and field learning and severing what was, in earlier times, a close collaboration between academia and the field. At the same time, neoliberal pressures push agencies to meet higher efficiency stand- ards through increased caseloads and outputs.This leaves less time for field instruction and is resulting in fewer available placements for the growing social work student population.These trends may heighten the stresses on the dominant model of field education for social work and call out for creative solutions. Comparative study and increased sharing across borders can help in developing new models.This volume is an excellent start and a most welcome addition to the literature. Lynne M. Healy, MSW, PhD Board ofTrustees Distinguished Professor Emerita University of Connecticut School of Social Work, USA
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| 4. |
- Zhao, Hongxing, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in serum and dried blood spot samples of vaccinated individuals using a sensitive homogeneous proximity extension assay.
- 2022
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Ingår i: New biotechnology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1871-6784 .- 1876-4347. ; 72, s. 139-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A homogeneous PCR-based assay for sensitive and specific detection of antibodies in serum or dried blood spots (DBS) is presented and the method is used to monitor individuals infected with or vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Detection probes were prepared by conjugating the recombinant spike protein subunit 1 (S1), containing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, to each of a pair of specific oligonucleotides. The same was done for the nucleocapsid protein (NP). Upon incubation with serum or DBS samples, the bi- or multivalency of the antibodies (IgG, IgA or IgM) brings pairs of viral proteins with their conjugated oligonucleotides in proximity, allowing the antibodies to be detected by a modified proximity extension assay (PEA). Anti-S1 and anti-NP antibodies could be detected simultaneously from one incubation reaction. This Antibody PEA (AbPEA) test uses only 1µl of neat or up to 100,000-fold diluted serum or one ø1.2mm disc cut from a DBS. All 100 investigated sera and 21 DBS collected prior to the COVID-19 outbreak were negative, demonstrating a 100% specificity. The area under the curve, as evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis reached 0.998 (95%CI: 0.993-1) for samples taken from 11 days after symptoms onset. The kinetics of antibody responses were monitored after a first and second vaccination using serially collected DBS from 14 individuals. AbPEA offers highly specific and sensitive solution-phase antibody detection without requirement for secondary antibodies, no elution step when using DBS sample in a simple procedure that lends itself to multiplex survey of antibody responses.
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| 5. |
- Zhao, Yang, et al.
(författare)
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Provincial heterogeneity in the management of care cascade for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia in China: Analysis of nationally representative population-based survey.
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2297-055X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims to examine (1) province-level variations in the levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and behavioral risk for CVDs, (2) province-level variations in the management of cascade of care for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia, and (3) the association of province-level economic development and individual factors with the quality of care for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia.We used nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2015, which included 12,597 participants aged 45 years. Using a care cascade framework, we examined the quality of care provided to patients with three prevalent NCDs: hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. The proportion of WHO CVD risk based on the World Health Organization CVD risk prediction charts, Cardiovascular Risk Score (CRS) and Behavior Risk Score (BRS) were calculated. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to determine the individual-level drivers of NCD risk variables and outcomes. To examine socio-demographic relationships with CVD risk, linear regression models were applied.In total, the average CRS was 4.98 (95% CI: 4.92, 5.05), while the average BRS was 3.10 (95% confidence interval: 3.04, 3.15). The weighted mean CRS (BRS) in Fujian province ranged from 4.36 to 5.72 (P < 0.05). Most of the provinces had a greater rate of hypertension than diabetes and dyslipidaemia awareness and treatment. Northern provinces had a higher rate of awareness and treatment of all three diseases. Similar patterns of regional disparity were seen in diabetes and dyslipidaemia care cascades. There was no evidence of a better care cascade for CVDs in patients who reside in more economically advanced provinces.Our research found significant provincial heterogeneity in the CVD risk scores and the management of the cascade of care for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia for persons aged 45 years or more. To improve the management of cascade of care and to eliminate regional and disparities in CVD care and risk factors in China, local and population-based focused interventions are necessary.
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| 6. |
- Zhou, F. F., et al.
(författare)
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Teleconnections between large-scale oceanic-atmospheric patterns an interannual surface wind speed variability across China: Regional and seasonal patterns
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 838
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Great attention has been paid to the long-term decline in terrestrial near-surface wind speed (SWS) in China. However, how the SWS varies with regions and seasons and what modulates these changes remain unclear. Based on quality-controlled and homogenized terrestrial SWS data from 596 stations, the covarying SWS patterns during the Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) and the Asian Winter Monsoon (AWM) seasons are defined for China using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis for 1961-2016. The dominant SWS features represented by EOF1 patterns in both seasons show a clear decline over most regions of China. The interannual variability of the EOF1 patterns is closely related to the Northeast Asia Low Pressure (NFAIP) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO), respectively. The EOF2 and EOF3 patterns during ASM (AWM) season describe a dipole mode of SWS between Fast Tibetan Plateau and Fast China Plain (between Fast Tibetan Plateau and Northeast China), and between Southeast and Northeast China (between Northeast China and the coastal areas of Southeast China), respectively. These dipole structures of SWS changes arc closely linked with the oceanic-atmospheric oscillations on interannual scale.
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