| 1. |
- Herbertsson, Lina, et al.
(author)
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Bees increase seed set of wild plants while the proportion of arable land has a variable effect on pollination in European agricultural landscapes
- 2021
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In: Plant Ecology and Evolution. - : Societe Royale de Botanique de Belgique. - 2032-3913 .- 2032-3921. ; 154:3, s. 341-350
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aims: Agricultural intensification and loss of farmland heterogeneity have contributed to population declines of wild bees and other pollinators, which may have caused subsequent declines in insect-pollinated wild plants.Material and methods: Using data from 37 studies on 22 pollinator-dependent wild plant species across Europe, we investigated whether flower visitation and seed set of insect-pollinated plants decline with an increasing proportion of arable land within 1 km.Key results: Seed set increased with increasing flower visitation by bees, most of which were wild bees, but not with increasing flower visitation by other insects. Increasing proportion of arable land had a strongly variable effect on seed set and flower visitation by bees across studies.Conclusion:Factors such as landscape configuration, local habitat quality, and temporally changing resource availability (e.g. due to mass-flowering crops or honey bee hives) could have modified the effect of arable land on pollination. While our results highlight that the persistence of wild bees is crucial to maintain plant diversity, we also show that pollen limitation due to declining bee populations in homogenized agricultural landscapes is not a universal driver causing parallel losses of bees and insect-pollinated plants.
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| 2. |
- Lindström, Jonas, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Uppgifter om mäns och kvinnors försörjningsaktiviteter i häradsrättens protokoll, Snevringe (Västmanland), perioden 1720-1880
- 2020
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Other publicationabstract
- Uppgifter om mäns och kvinnors försörjningsaktiviteter i Snevringe (Västmanland) häradsrätts protokoll har transkriberats och analyserats, och källtext och källtrogna variabler registrerats bokstavstroget, av Jonas Lindström, Benny Jacobsson, Carl Mikael Carlsson, Karin Hassan Jansson, Linnea Henningsson, Maria Ågren, Sarah Vorminder och Örjan Kardell, inom forskningsprojektet Gender and Work.Kvalitetskontroll är utförd av Sofia Ling och Jonas Lindström.Analys av källmaterialet har gjorts av Benny Jacobsson, Carl Mikael Carlsson, Karin Hassan Jansson, Linnea Henningsson, Maria Ågren, Sarah Vorminder, Örjan Kardell inom projektet Gender and Work https://www.uu.se/gawMaterialet är sökbart i databasen GAW - https://gotham.ddb.umu.se/
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| 3. |
- Locke, Adam E, et al.
(author)
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Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology.
- 2015
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7538, s. 197-401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.
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| 4. |
- Ahnquist, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Social determinants of health - A question of social or economic capital? Interaction effects of socioeconomic factors on health outcomes
- 2012
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In: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5347 .- 0277-9536. ; 74:6, s. 930-939
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Social structures and socioeconomic patterns are the major determinants of population health. However, very few previous studies have simultaneously analysed the "social" and the "economic" indicators when addressing social determinants of health. We focus on the relevance of economic and social capital as health determinants by analysing various indicators. The aim of this paper was to analyse independent associations, and interactions, of lack of economic capital (economic hardships) and social capital (social participation, interpersonal and political/institutional trust) on various health outcomes. Data was derived from the 2009 Swedish National Survey of Public Health, based on a randomly selected representative sample of 23,153 men and 28,261 women aged 16-84 year, with a participation rate of 53.8%. Economic hardships were measured by a combined economic hardships measure including low household income, inability to meet expenses and lacking cash reserves. Social capital was measured by social participation, interpersonal (horizontal) trust and political (vertical/institutional trust) trust in parliament. Health outcomes included; (i) self-rated health, (i) psychological distress (GHQ-12) and (iii) musculoskeletal disorders. Results from multivariate logistic regression show that both measures of economic capital and low social capital were significantly associated with poor health status, with only a few exceptions. Significant interactive effects measured as synergy index were observed between economic hardships and all various types of social capital. The synergy indices ranged from 1.4 to 2.3. The present study adds to the evidence that both economic hardships and social capital contribute to a range of different health outcomes. Furthermore, when combined they potentiate the risk of poor health. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Ahnquist, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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What has trust in the health-care system got to do with psychological distress? Analyses from the national Swedish survey of public health
- 2010
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In: International Journal for Quality in Health Care. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1464-3677 .- 1353-4505. ; 22:4, s. 250-258
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mental health disorders are a rapidly growing public health problem. Despite the fact that lack of trust in the health-care system is considered to be an important determinant of health, there is scarcity of empirical evidence demonstrating its associations with health outcomes. This is the first study which aims to evaluate the association between trust in the health-care system and psychological distress. Cross-sectional study. The association between trust in the health-care system and psychological distress was analysed with multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for other factors. A randomly selected representative sample of women and men aged 16-84 years from the Swedish population who responded to the 2006 Swedish National Survey of Public Health. A total of 26 305 men and 30 584 women participated in the study. None. The main outcome measure was psychological distress measured by the General Health Questionnaire. Very low trust in health-care services was associated with an increased risk for psychological distress among men (odds ratio = 1.59, 95% confidence intervals 1.25-2.02) and among women (odds ratio = 1.83, 95% confidence intervals 1.47-2.27) after controlling for age, country of birth, socioeconomic circumstances, long-term illness and interpersonal trust. Our results suggest that health-care system mistrust is associated with an increased likelihood of psychological distress. Although causal relationships cannot be established, patient mistrust of health-care providers may have detrimental implications on health. Public health policies should include strategies aimed at increasing access to health-care services, where trust plays a substantial role.
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| 6. |
- Ali, Sadiq Mohammad, et al.
(author)
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Gender differences in daily smoking prevalence in different age strata: A population-based study in southern Sweden.
- 2009
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 37:2, s. 146-152
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate gender differences in daily smoking prevalence in different age groups in southern Sweden. Methods: The 2004 public-health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional study. A total of 27,757 persons aged 18-80 years answered a postal questionnaire, which represents 59% of the random sample. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between gender and daily smoking according to age. The multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the importance of possible confounders (country of origin, education, snus use, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity, and BMI) on the gender differences in daily smoking in different age groups. Results: 14.9% of the men and 18.1% of the women were daily smokers. Middle-aged respondents were daily smokers to a significantly higher extent than young and old respondents. The prevalence of daily smoking also varied according to other demographic, socioeconomic, health related behaviour, and BMI characteristics. The crude odds ratios of daily smoking were 1.79 (1.42-2.26) among women compared to men in the 18-24 years age group, and 0.95 (0.80-1.12) in the 65-80 years age group. These odds ratios changed to 2.00 (1.49-2.67) and 0.95 (0.76-1.18), respectively, when all confounders were included. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time in Sweden women have a higher prevalence of daily smoking than men. The odds ratios of daily smoking are highest among women compared to men in the youngest age group of 18-24 years and the odds ratios decrease with increasing age. The findings point to a serious public health problem. Strategic interventions targeting young women's tobacco smoking are needed.
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| 7. |
- Gietzen, Dorothy W., et al.
(author)
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Indispensable Amino Acid-Deficient Diets Induce Seizures in Ketogenic Diet-Fed Rodents, Demonstrating a Role for Amino Acid Balance in Dietary Treatments for Epilepsy
- 2018
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In: Journal of Nutrition. - : AMER SOC NUTRITION-ASN. - 0022-3166 .- 1541-6100. ; 148:3, s. 480-489
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Low protein amounts are used in ketogenic diets (KDs), where an essential (indispensable) amino acid (IAA) can become limiting. Because the chemically sensitive, seizurogenic, anterior piriform cortex (APC) is excited by IAA limitation, an imbalanced KD could exacerbate seizure activity. Objective: We questioned whether dietary IAA depletion worsens seizure activity in rodents fed KDs. Methods: In a series of 6 trials, male rats or gerbils of both sexes (6-8/group) were given either control diets (CDs) appropriate for each trial, a KD, or a threonine-devoid (ThrDev) diet for amp;gt;= 7 d, and tested for seizures using various stimuli. Microchip analysis of rat APCs was also used to determine if changes in transcripts for structures relevant to seizurogenesis are affected by a ThrDev diet. Glutamate release was measured in microdialysis samples from APCs during the first meal after 7 d on a CD or a ThrDev diet. Results: Adult rats showed increased susceptibility to seizures in both chemical (58%) and electroshock (doubled) testing after 7 d on a ThrDev diet compared with CD (each trial, P amp;lt;= 0.05). Seizure-prone Mongolian gerbils had fewer seizures after receiving a KD, but exacerbated seizures (68%) after 1 meal of KD minus Thr (KD-T compared with CD, P amp;lt; 0.05). In kindled rats fed KD-T, both counts (19%) and severities (77%) of seizures were significantly elevated (KD-T compared with CD, P amp;lt; 0.05). Gene transcript changes were consistent with enhanced seizure susceptibility (7-21 net-fold increases, P = 0.045-0.001) and glutamate release into the APC was increased acutely (4-fold at 20 min, 2.6-fold at 60 min, P amp;lt; 0.05) after 7 d on a ThrDev diet. Conclusion: Seizure severity in rats and gerbils was reduced after KDs and exacerbated by ThrDev, both in KD- and CD-fed animals, consistent with the mechanistic studies. We suggest that a complete protein profile in KDs may improve IAA balance in the APC, thereby lowering the risk of seizures.
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| 8. |
- Graham, Emily B., et al.
(author)
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Microbes as Engines of Ecosystem Function : When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions of Ecosystem Processes?
- 2016
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In: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microorganisms are vital in mediating the earth's biogeochemical cycles; yet, despite our rapidly increasing ability to explore complex environmental microbial communities, the relationship between microbial community structure and ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. Here, we address a fundamental and unanswered question in microbial ecology: 'When do we need to understand microbial community structure to accurately predict function?' We present a statistical analysis investigating the value of environmental data and microbial community structure independently and in combination for explaining rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes within 82 global datasets. Environmental variables were the strongest predictors of process rates but left 44% of variation unexplained on average, suggesting the potential for microbial data to increase model accuracy. Although only 29% of our datasets were significantly improved by adding information on microbial community structure, we observed improvement in models of processes mediated by narrow phylogenetic guilds via functional gene data, and conversely, improvement in models of facultative microbial processes via community diversity metrics. Our results also suggest that microbial diversity can strengthen predictions of respiration rates beyond microbial biomass parameters, as 53% of models were improved by incorporating both sets of predictors compared to 35% by microbial biomass alone. Our analysis represents the first comprehensive analysis of research examining links between microbial community structure and ecosystem function. Taken together, our results indicate that a greater understanding of microbial communities informed by ecological principles may enhance our ability to predict ecosystem process rates relative to assessments based on environmental variables and microbial physiology.
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| 9. |
- Granseth, Björn, et al.
(author)
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The initial stage of reversal learning is impaired in mice hemizygous for the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGluT1)
- 2015
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In: Genes, Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley: 12 months. - 1601-1848 .- 1601-183X. ; 14:6, s. 477-485
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Behavioral flexibility is a complex cognitive function that is necessary for survival in changeable environments. Patients with schizophrenia or Parkinsons disease often suffer from cognitive rigidity, reducing their capacity to function in society. Patients and rodent models with focal lesions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) show similar rigidity, owing to the loss of PFC regulation of subcortical reward circuits involved in behavioral flexibility. The vesicular glutamate transporter (VGluT1) is preferentially expressed at modulatory synapses, including PFC neurons that project to components of the reward circuit (such as the nucleus accumbens, NAc). VGluT1(+/-) mice display behavioral phenotypes matching many symptoms of schizophrenia, and VGluT1 expression is reduced in the PFC of patients with schizophrenia and Parkinsons disease. Thus, it appears likely that VGluT1-expressing synapses from PFC play a key role in behavioral flexibility. To examine this hypothesis, we studied behavioral flexibility in VGluT1(+/-) mice by testing reversal learning in a visual discrimination task. Here, we show that VGluT1(+/-) mice acquired the initial visual discrimination at the same rate as controls. However, they failed to suppress responses to the previously rewarded stimulus following reversal of reward contingencies. Thus, our genetic disruption of modulatory glutamatergic signaling, including that arising from PFC, appears to have impaired the first stage of reversal learning (extinguishing responses to previously rewarded stimuli). Our data show that this deficit stems from a preservative phenotype. These findings suggest that glutamatergic regulation from the cortex is important for behavioral flexibility and the disruption of this pathway may be relevant in diseases such as schizophrenia.
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| 10. |
- Klawonn, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Muscarinic M4 Receptors on Cholinergic and Dopamine D1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Have Opposing Functionality for Positive Reinforcement and Influence Impulsivity
- 2018
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In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 1662-5099. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The neurotransmitter acetylcholine has been implicated in reward learning and drug addiction. However, the roles of the various cholinergic receptor subtypes on different neuron populations remain elusive. Here we study the function of muscarinic M4 receptors (M4Rs) in dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) expressing neurons and cholinergic neurons (expressing choline acetyltransferase; ChAT), during various reward-enforced behaviors and in a "waiting"-impulsivity test. We applied cell-type-specific gene deletions targeting M4Rs in D1RCre or ChATCre mice. Mice lacking M4Rs in D1R-neurons displayed greater cocaine seeking and drug-primed reinstatement than their littermate controls in a Pavlovian conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Furthermore, the M4R-D1RCre mice initiated significantly more premature responses (PRs) in the 5-choice-serial-reaction-time-task (5CSRTT) than their littermate controls, indicating impaired waiting impulse control. In contrast, mice lacking M4Rs in cholinergic neurons did not acquire cocaine Pavlovian conditioning. The M4R-ChATCre mice were also unable to learn positive reinforcement to either natural reward or cocaine in an operant runway paradigm. Immediate early gene (IEG) expression (cFos and FosB) induced by repeated cocaine injections was significantly increased in the forebrain of M4R-D1RCre mice, whereas it remained normal in the M4R-ChATCre mice. Our study illustrates that muscarinic M4Rs on specific neural populations, either cholinergic or D1R-expressing, are pivotal for learning processes related to both natural reward and drugs of abuse, with opposing functionality. Furthermore, we found that neurons expressing both M4Rs and D1Rs are important for signaling impulse control.
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