| 1. |
- Gross, C. P., et al.
(författare)
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The biogeography of community assembly: latitude and predation drive variation in community trait distribution in a guild of epifaunal crustaceans
- 2022
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 1471-2954 .- 0962-8452. ; 289:1969
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While considerable evidence exists of biogeographic patterns in the intensity of species interactions, the influence of these patterns on variation in community structure is less clear. Studying how the distributions of traits in communities vary along global gradients can inform how variation in interactions and other factors contribute to the process of community assembly. Using a model selection approach on measures of trait dispersion in crustaceans associated with eelgrass (Zostera marina) spanning 30° of latitude in two oceans, we found that dispersion strongly increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude. Ocean and epiphyte load appeared as secondary predictors; Pacific communities were more overdispersed while Atlantic communities were more clustered, and increasing epiphytes were associated with increased clustering. By examining how species interactions and environmental filters influence community structure across biogeographic regions, we demonstrate how both latitudinal variation in species interactions and historical contingency shape these responses. Community trait distributions have implications for ecosystem stability and functioning, and integrating large-scale observations of environmental filters, species interactions and traits can help us predict how communities may respond to environmental change.
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| 2. |
- Kawauchi, K., et al.
(författare)
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Validation and atmospheric exploration of the sub-Neptune TOI-2136b around a nearby M3 dwarf
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The NASA space telescope TESS is currently in the extended mission of its all-sky search for new transiting planets. Of the thousands of candidates that TESS is expected to deliver, transiting planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs are particularly interesting targets since they provide a great opportunity to characterize their atmospheres by transmission spectroscopy. Aims. We aim to validate and characterize the new sub-Neptune-sized planet candidate TOI-2136.01 orbiting a nearby M dwarf (d = 33.36 +/- 0.02 pc, T-eff = 3373 +/- 108 K) with an orbital period of 7.852 days. Methods. We use TESS data, ground-based multicolor photometry, and radial velocity measurements with the InfraRed Doppler (IRD) instrument on the Subaru Telescope to validate the planetary nature of TOI-2136.01, and estimate the stellar and planetary parameters. We also conduct high-resolution transmission spectroscopy to search for helium in its atmosphere. Results. We confirm that TOI-2136.01 (now named TOI-2136b) is a bona fide planet with a planetary radius of R-p = 2.20 +/- 0.07 R-circle plus and a mass of M-p = 4.7(-2.6)(+3.1) M-circle plus. We also search for helium 10830 angstrom absorption lines and place an upper limit on the equivalent width of <7.8 m angstrom and on the absorption signal of <1.44% with 95% confidence. Conclusions. TOI-2136b is a sub-Neptune transiting a nearby and bright star (J = 10.8 mag), and is a potentially hycean planet, which is a new class of habitable planets with large oceans under a H-2-rich atmosphere, making it an excellent target for atmospheric studies to understand the formation, evolution, and habitability of the small planets.
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| 3. |
- Duffy, J. Emmett, et al.
(författare)
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A Pleistocene legacy structures variation in modern seagrass ecosystems
- 2022
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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. ; 119:32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Distribution of Earth's biomes is structured by the match between climate and plant traits, which in turn shape associated communities and ecosystem processes and services. However, that climate-trait match can be disrupted by historical events, with lasting ecosystem impacts. As Earth's environment changes faster than at any time in human history, critical questions are whether and how organismal traits and ecosystems can adjust to altered conditions. We quantified the relative importance of current environmental forcing versus evolutionary history in shaping the growth form (stature and biomass) and associated community of eelgrass (Zostera marina), a widespread foundation plant of marine ecosystems along Northern Hemisphere coastlines, which experienced major shifts in distribution and genetic composition during the Pleistocene. We found that eelgrass stature and biomass retain a legacy of the Pleistocene colonization of the Atlantic from the ancestral Pacific range and of more recent within-basin bottlenecks and genetic differentiation. This evolutionary legacy in turn influences the biomass of associated algae and invertebrates that fuel coastal food webs, with effects comparable to or stronger than effects of current environmental forcing. Such historical lags in phenotypic acclimatization may constrain ecosystem adjustments to rapid anthropogenic climate change, thus altering predictions about the future functioning of ecosystems.
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| 4. |
- Fukui, Akihiko, et al.
(författare)
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TOI-2285b: A 1.7 Earth-radius planet near the habitable zone around a nearby M dwarf
- 2022
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Ingår i: Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2053-051X .- 0004-6264. ; 74:1, s. L1-L8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery of TO1-2285b, a sub-Neptune-sized planet transiting a nearby (42 pc) M dwarf with a period of 27.3 d. We identified the transit signal from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite photometric data, which we confirmed with ground-based photometric observations using the multiband imagers MuSCAT2 and MuSCAT3. Combining these data with other follow-up observations including high-resolution spectroscopy with the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph, high-resolution imaging with the SPeckle Polarimeter, and radial velocity (RV) measurements with the InfraRed Doppler instrument, we find that the planet has a radius of 1.74 +/- 0.08 R-circle plus, a mass of <19.5 M-circle plus + (95% c.I.), and an insolation flux of 1.54 +/- 0.14 times that of the Earth. Although the planet resides just outside the habitable zone for a rocky planet, if the planet harbors an H2O layer under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, then liquid water could exist on the surface of the H2O layer depending on the planetary mass and water mass fraction. The bright host star in the near-infrared (K-s = 9.0) makes this planet an excellent target for further RV and atmospheric observations to improve our understanding of the composition, formation, and habitability of sub-Neptune-sized planets.
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| 5. |
- Miah, S., et al.
(författare)
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The provision of prostate cancer patient information leaflets on an electronic tablet: A further step to paperless health-care provision
- 2022
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Ingår i: Urology Annals. - 0974-7796. ; 14:2, s. 156-161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The provision of patient information leaflets (PILs) for cancer treatment options is primarily via a paper format. PILs can now be provided on an electronic tablet with the added benefits of providing audio-visual information.& nbsp;Materials and Methods: Between February 2017 and August 2019, 112 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) were enrolled into our prospective cohort study. The control group (n = 56) were all given PILs on a paper as the standard of care (SoC). The intervention (tablet) group (n = 56) were given the same paper PILs as that of the control group plus an electronic tablet computer with an application containing all SoC paper PILs in an electronic format and supplementary videos detailing treatments. Both groups were asked to complete a validated questionnaire (Telemedicine, Satisfaction and Usefulness questionnaire) with regard to satisfaction with care, provided information, and tablet usage.& nbsp;Results: The response rate for our study was 78/112 (70%). The control and tablet groups were highly satisfied with their care (91%-100% agreed or strongly agreed) and with the information they received (80%-100% agreed or strongly agreed). In the tablet group, 41/46 (89%) reported its utilization. Of those 41, 38 (92%) considered the tablet easy to use and 13 (32%) reported a preference for the paper format.& nbsp;Conclusions: The provision of electronic PILs in PCa treatment is an innovative method of providing oncological care, with positive feedback from our patients. With further development as a mobile application, electronic PILs may allow a more environmentally and fiscally advantageous method of providing PCa care.
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| 6. |
- Sharma, Sapna, et al.
(författare)
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Increased winter drownings in ice-covered regions with warmer winters
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 15:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Winter activities on ice are culturally important for many countries, yet they constitute a high safety risk depending upon the stability of the ice. Because consistently cold periods are required to form stable and thick ice, warmer winters could degrade ice conditions and increase the likelihood of falling through the ice. This study provides the first large-scale assessment of winter drowning from 10 Northern Hemisphere countries. We documented over 4000 winter drowning events. Winter drownings increased exponentially in regions with warmer winters when air temperatures neared 0 degrees C. The largest number of drownings occurred when winter air temperatures were between -5 degrees C and 0 degrees C, when ice is less stable, and also in regions where indigenous traditions and livelihood require extended time on ice. Rates of drowning were greatest late in the winter season when ice stability declines. Children and adults up to the age of 39 were at the highest risk of winter drownings. Beyond temperature, differences in cultures, regulations, and human behaviours can be important additional risk factors. Our findings indicate the potential for increased human mortality with warmer winter air temperatures. Incorporating drowning prevention plans would improve adaptation strategies to a changing climate.
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| 7. |
- Suiter, Chase C., et al.
(författare)
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Massively parallel variant characterization identifies NUDT15 alleles associated with thiopurine toxicity
- 2020
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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. ; 117:10, s. 5394-5401
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As a prototype of genomics-guided precision medicine, individualized thiopurine dosing based on pharmacogenetics is a highly effective way to mitigate hematopoietic toxicity of this class of drugs. Recently, NUDT15 deficiency was identified as a genetic cause of thiopurine toxicity, and NUDT15-informed preemptive dose reduction was quickly adopted in clinical settings. To exhaustively identify pharmacogenetic variants in this gene, we developed massively parallel NUDT15 function assays to determine the variants' effect on protein abundance and thiopurine cytotoxicity. Of the 3,097 possible missense variants, we characterized the abundance of 2,922 variants and found 54 hotspot residues at which variants resulted in complete loss of protein stability. Analyzing 2,935 variants in the thiopurine cytotoxicity-based assay, we identified 17 additional residues where variants altered NUDT15 activity without affecting protein stability. We identified structural elements key to NUDT15 stability and/or catalytical activity with single amino acid resolution. Functional effects for NUDT15 variants accurately predicted toxicity risk alleles in patients treated with thiopurines with far superior sensitivity and specificity compared to bioinformatic prediction algorithms. In conclusion, our massively parallel variant function assays identified 1,152 deleterious NUDT15 variants, providing a comprehensive reference of variant function and vastly improving the ability to implement pharmacogenetics-guided thiopurine treatment individualization.
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