| 1. |
- Mishra, A, et al.
(author)
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Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents' growth and development
- 2023
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 615:7954, s. 874-883
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.
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| 2. |
- Backman, Agneta, et al.
(author)
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Degradation of 4-chlorophenol at low temperature and during extreme temperature fluctuations by Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6
- 2004
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In: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 48:2, s. 246-253
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low average temperatures and temperature fluctuations in temperate soils challenge the efficacy of microbial strains used for clean up of pollutants. In this study, we investigated the cold tolerance of Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6, a microorganism previously shown to degrade high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol at 28degreesC. Luciferase activity from a luc-tagged derivative of the strain (A6L) was used to monitor the metabolic status of the population during 4-chlorophenol degradation. The A6L strain could degrade 200-300 mug mL(-1) 4-chlorophenol in pure cultures incubated at 5degreesC, although rates of degradation, growth and the metabolic status of the cells were lower at 5degreesC compared to 28degreesC. When subjected to temperature fluctuations between 5 and 28degreesC, A6L continued to degrade 4-chlorophenol and remained active. In soil microcosm experiments, the degradation rates were significantly faster the first week at 28degreesC, compared to 5degreesC. However, this difference was no longer seen after 7 days, and equally low 4-chlorophenol concentrations were reached after 17 days at both temperatures. During 4-chlorophenol degradation in soil, CFU and luciferase activity values remained constant at both 5 and 28degreesC. However, once most of the 4-chlorophenol was degraded, both values decreased by 1-1.5 logarithmic values at 28degreesC, whereas they remained constant at 5degreesC, indicating a high survival of the cells at low temperatures. Because of the ability of A. chlorophenolicus A6 to degrade high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol at 5degreesC, together with its tolerance to temperature fluctuations and stress conditions found in soil, this strain is a promising candidate for bioaugmentation of chlorophenol-contaminated soil in temperate climates.
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| 3. |
- Backman, Agneta, et al.
(author)
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Impact of temperature on the physiological status of a potential bioremediation inoculant, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6
- 2004
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In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 70:5, s. 2952-2958
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 (A6) can degrade large amounts of 4-chlorophenol in soil at 5 and 28degreesC. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature on the physiological status of this bacterium in pure culture and in soil. A derivative of A6 tagged with the gfp gene (encoding green fluorescent protein [GFP]) was used to specifically quantify A6 cells in soil. In addition, cyano-ditolyl-tetrazoliumchloride was used to stain GFP-fluorescent cells with an active electron transfer system ("viable cellis") whereas propidium iodide (PI) was used to stain cells with damaged membranes ("dead cells"). Another derivative of the strain (tagged with the firefly luciferase gene [luc]) was used to monitor the metabolic activity of the cell population, since the bioluminescence phenotype is dependent on cellular energy reserves. When the cells were incubated in soil at 28degreesC, the majority were stained with PI, indicating that they had lost their cell integrity. In addition, there was a corresponding decline in metabolic activity and in the ability to be grown in cultures on agar plates after incubation in soil at 28degreesC, indicating that the cells were dying under those conditions. When the cells were incubated in soil at 5degreesC, by contrast, the majority of the cells remained intact and a large fraction of the population remained metabolically active. A similar trend towards better cell survival at lower temperatures was found in pure-culture experiments. These results make A. chlorophenolicus A6 a good candidate for the treatment of chlorophenol-contaminated soil in cold climates.
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| 4. |
- Fagman, Johan Bourghardt, 1980, et al.
(author)
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The androgen receptor confers protection against diet-induced atherosclerosis, obesity, and dyslipidemia in female mice.
- 2015
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In: FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. - : Wiley. - 1530-6860 .- 0892-6638. ; 29:4, s. 1540-1550
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Androgens have important cardiometabolic actions in males, but their metabolic role in females is unclear. To determine the physiologic androgen receptor (AR)-dependent actions of androgens on atherogenesis in female mice, we generated female AR-knockout (ARKO) mice on an atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient background. After 8 weeks on a high-fat diet, but not on a normal chow diet, atherosclerosis in aorta was increased in ARKO females (+59% vs. control apoE-deficient mice with intact AR gene). They also displayed increased body weight (+18%), body fat percentage (+62%), and hepatic triglyceride levels, reduced insulin sensitivity, and a marked atherogenic dyslipidemia (serum cholesterol, +52%). Differences in atherosclerosis, body weight, and lipid levels between ARKO and control mice were abolished in mice that were ovariectomized before puberty, consistent with a protective action of ovarian androgens mediated via the AR. Furthermore, the AR agonist dihydrotestosterone reduced atherosclerosis (-41%; thoracic aorta), subcutaneous fat mass (-44%), and cholesterol levels (-35%) in ovariectomized mice, reduced hepatocyte lipid accumulation in hepatoma cells in vitro, and regulated mRNA expression of hepatic genes pivotal for lipid homeostasis. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the AR protects against diet-induced atherosclerosis in female mice and propose that this is mediated by modulation of body composition and lipid metabolism.-Fagman, J. B., Wilhelmson, A. S., Motta, B. M., Pirazzi, C., Alexanderson, C., De Gendt, K., Verhoeven, G., Holmäng, A., Anesten, F., Jansson, J. -O., Levin, M., Borén, J., Ohlsson, C., Krettek, A., Romeo, S., Tivesten, A. The androgen receptor confers protection against diet-induced atherosclerosis, obesity, and dyslipidemia in female mice.
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| 5. |
- Jansson, Agneta K., et al.
(author)
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The BH3-only member Noxa may not be involved in the development of unselected colorectal cancer
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Noxa is an BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family, upregulated by p53 as a response to DNA damage. Mutations in the BH3-only region of other BH3-only members lead to an inactive protein. We have investigated the mRNA expression of Noxa with real-time PCR in 94 unselected colorectal adenocarcinomas and the corresponding normal mucosa. Further, we searched for mutations in the Noxa gene using single stranded conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing. The mRNA expression of Noxa was weak in 9% and strong in 2% of the tumours and decreased in 9% and increased in 16% of the tumours compared to the normal mucosa, but these changes did not have any clinical or pathological significance. We did not find any mutations in the gene. Thus, our observations suggest that the variations in Noxa gene may not be of particular importance in the development of unselected colorectal cancer.
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| 6. |
- Maraha, Ninwe, et al.
(author)
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Monitoring physiological status of GFP-tagged Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 under different nutrient conditions and in soil by flow cytometry
- 2004
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In: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6496 .- 1574-6941. ; 51:1, s. 123-132
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, a plant growth promoting bacterium. has been widely studied due to its potential as an inoculum for improving crop yields. Environmental inoculants are usually applied oil seeds or directly to soil and to effectively promote plant growth they need to be viable and active. However, it is difficult to study the physiological status of specific microorganisms in complex environments, such as soil. In this study, our aim was to use molecular tools to specifically monitor the physiological status of P. fluorescens SBW25 in soil and ill pure cultures incubated under different nutritional conditions. The cells were previously tagged with marker genes (encoding green fluorescent protein and bacterial luciferase) to specifically track the cells in environmental samples. The physiological status of the cells was determined using the viability stains 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride (CTC) and propidium iodide (PI), which stain active and dead cells, respectively. Luciferase activity was used to monitor the metabolic activity of the population. Most of the cells died after incubation for nine days in nutrient rich medium. By contrast when incubated under starvation conditions, most of the population was not stained with CTC or PI (i.e. intact but inactive cells), indicating that most of the cells were presumably dormant. In soil, a large fraction of the SBW25 cell population became inactive and died, as determined by a decline in luciferase activity and CTC-stained cells, an increase in PI-stained cells, and an inability of the cells to be cultured oil agar medium. However, approximately 60% of the population was unstained, presumably indicating that the cells entered a state of dormancy in soil similar to that observed under starvation conditions in pure cultures. These results demonstrate the applicability of this approach for monitoring the physiological status of specific cells under stress conditions, such as those experienced by environmental inoculants in soil.
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