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| 2. |
- Serge, M. A., et al.
(author)
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Testing the Effect of Relative Pollen Productivity on the REVEALS Model : A Validated Reconstruction of Europe-Wide Holocene Vegetation
- 2023
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In: Land. - : MDPI. - 2073-445X. ; 12:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reliable quantitative vegetation reconstructions for Europe during the Holocene are crucial to improving our understanding of landscape dynamics, making it possible to assess the past effects of environmental variables and land-use change on ecosystems and biodiversity, and mitigating their effects in the future. We present here the most spatially extensive and temporally continuous pollen-based reconstructions of plant cover in Europe (at a spatial resolution of 1 degrees x 1 degrees) over the Holocene (last 11.7 ka BP) using the 'Regional Estimates of VEgetation Abundance from Large Sites' (REVEALS) model. This study has three main aims. First, to present the most accurate and reliable generation of REVEALS reconstructions across Europe so far. This has been achieved by including a larger number of pollen records compared to former analyses, in particular from the Mediterranean area. Second, to discuss methodological issues in the quantification of past land cover by using alternative datasets of relative pollen productivities (RPPs), one of the key input parameters of REVEALS, to test model sensitivity. Finally, to validate our reconstructions with the global forest change dataset. The results suggest that the RPPs.st1 (31 taxa) dataset is best suited to producing regional vegetation cover estimates for Europe. These reconstructions offer a long-term perspective providing unique possibilities to explore spatial-temporal changes in past land cover and biodiversity.
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- Gunton, L. M., et al.
(author)
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Annelids of the eastern Australian abyss collected by the 2017 RV 'Investigator' voyage
- 2021
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In: Zookeys. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 1313-2989 .- 1313-2970. ; :1020, s. 1-198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Australia, the deep-water (bathyal and abyssal) benthic invertebrate fauna is poorly known in comparison with that of shallow (subtidal and shelf) habitats. Benthic fauna from the deep eastern Australian margin was sampled systematically for the first time during 2017 RV 'Investigator' voyage 'Sampling the Abyss'. Box core, Brenke sledge, and beam trawl samples were collected at one-degree intervals from Tasmania, 42 degrees S, to southern Queensland, 24 degrees S, from 900 to 4800 m depth. Annelids collected were identified by taxonomic experts on individual families around the world. A complete list of all identified species is presented, accompanied with brief morphological diagnoses, taxonomic remarks, and colour images. A total of more than 6000 annelid specimens consisting of 50 families (47 Polychaeta, one Echiura, two Sipuncula) and 214 species were recovered. Twenty-seven species were given valid names, 45 were assigned the qualifier cf., 87 the qualifier sp., and 55 species were considered new to science. Geographical ranges of 16 morphospecies extended along the eastern Australian margin to the Great Australian Bight, South Australia; however, these ranges need to be confirmed with genetic data. This work providing critical baseline biodiversity data on an important group of benthic invertebrates from a virtually unknown region of the world's ocean will act as a springboard for future taxonomic and biogeographic studies in the area.
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| 4. |
- Borisova, Anna, et al.
(author)
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The method of integrated kinetics and its applicability to the exo-glycosidase-catalyzed hydrolyses of p-nitrophenyl glycosides.
- 2015
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In: Carbohydrate Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-426X .- 0008-6215. ; 412, s. 43-49
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present work we suggest an efficient method, using the whole time course of the reaction, whereby parameters kcat, Km and product KI for the hydrolysis of a p-nitrophenyl glycoside by an exo-acting glycoside hydrolase can be estimated in a single experiment. Its applicability was demonstrated for three retaining exo-glycoside hydrolases, β-xylosidase from Aspergillus awamori, β-galactosidase from Penicillium sp. and α-galactosidase from Thermotoga maritima (TmGalA). During the analysis of the reaction course catalyzed by the TmGalA enzyme we had observed that a non-enzymatic process, mutarotation of the liberated α-d-galactose, affected the reaction significantly.
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- Fjaer, Erlend L., et al.
(author)
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Subjective perceptions of unmet need for health care in Europe among social groups : Findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health
- 2017
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In: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 27:S1, s. 82-89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Unmet need can be defined as the individually perceived subjective differences between services judged necessary to deal with health problems and the services actually received. This study examines what factors are associated with unmet need, as well as how reasons for unmet need are distributed across socioeconomic and demographic groups in Europe.Methods: Multilevel logistic regression models were employed using data from the 7th round of the European Social Survey, on people aged 25–75. Self-reported unmet need measured whether respondents had been unable to get medical consultation or treatment in the last 12 months. Reasons for unmet need were grouped into three categories: availability, accessibility and acceptability. Health status was measured by self-reported health, non-communicable diseases and depressive symptoms.Results: Two-thirds of all unmet need were due waiting lists and appointment availability. Females and young age groups reported more unmet need. We found no educational inequalities, while financial strain was found to be an important factor for all types of unmet need for health care in Europe. All types of health care use and poor health were associated with unmet need. Low physician density and high out-of-pocket payments were found to be associated with unmet need due to availability.Conclusion: Even though health care coverage is universal in many European welfare states, financial strain appeared as a major determinant for European citizens’ access to health care. This may suggest that higher income groups are able to bypass waiting lists. European welfare states should, therefore, intensify their efforts in reducing barriers for receiving care.
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| 6. |
- Heywood, W. E., et al.
(author)
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Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain levels in CLN2 disease patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy normalise after two years on treatment
- 2022
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In: F1000Research. - : F1000 Research Ltd. - 2046-1402. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Classic late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN2 disease) is caused by a deficiency of tripeptidyl-peptidase-1. In 2017, the first CLN2 enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) cerliponase alfa (Brineura) was approved by the FDA and EMA. The CLN2 disease clinical rating scale (CLN2 CRS) was developed to monitor loss of motor function, language and vision as well as frequency of generalised tonic clonic seizures. Using CLN2 CRS in an open label clinical trial it was shown that Brineura slowed down the progression of CLN2 symptoms. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a protein highly expressed in myelinated axons. An increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood NfL is found in a variety of neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative, traumatic, and cerebrovascular diseases. We analysed CSF NfL in CLN2 patients treated with Brineura to establish whether it can be used as a possible biomarker of response to therapy. Newly diagnosed patients had CSF samples collected and analysed at first treatment dose and up to 12 weeks post-treatment to look at acute changes. Patients on a compassionate use programme who were already receiving ERT for approximately 1yr had CSF samples collected and NfL analysed over the following 1.3 years (2.3 years post-initiation of ERT) to look at long-term changes. All newly diagnosed patients we investigated with classical late infantile phenotype had high NfL levels >2000 pg/ml at start of treatment. No significant change was observed in NfL up to 12 weeks post-treatment. After one year of ERT, two out of six patients still had high NfL levels, but all patients showed a continued decrease, and all had low NfL levels after two years on ERT. NfL levels appear to correspond and predict improved clinical status of patients on ERT and could be useful as a biomarker to monitor neurodegeneration and verify disease modification in CLN2 patients on ERT. © 2022 Iwan K et al.
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| 7. |
- Kirillova, Irina V., et al.
(author)
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'Semi-dwarf' woolly mammoths from the East Siberian Sea coast, continental Russia
- 2020
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In: Boreas. - : Wiley. - 0300-9483 .- 1502-3885. ; 49:2, s. 269-285
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A pioneer comprehensive study of several diminutive last-generation woolly mammoth teeth (M3) found on the coast of the East Siberian Sea between the mouths of the Alazeya and Malaya Kuropatoch'ya rivers was conducted. Two teeth belonged to one individual. These teeth have a similar lamellar frequency and enamel thickness as teeth of Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach. The molar crowns from the lower Alazeya region are similar in size to those of the small Late Pleistocene-Holocene mammoths from Wrangel Island. However, the number of plates (17-19, excluding talons) is much lower than that in the teeth of typical Late Pleistocene M. primigenius (23-25). The age data of the examined teeth are beyond the limits of the C-14 dating method (>45 000 years BP). Nevertheless, palaeobotanical data allow correlation of the enclosing sediments with the warm Kazantsevo Interglacial (Eemian, MIS 5e) and reconstruction of the average annual temperature, which was warmer than present-day temperatures. These conditions are confirmed by the delta O-18 isotopes from the structurally bound carbonate in tooth enamel. The ancient landscape was wetter and more forested than modern landscapes. The diminution of M3 size and loss of posterior plates were a result of the overall decrease in body size, likely in response to landscape change and narrowing of resource space. Mammoths from the lower Alazeya region demonstrate a stage of significant size reduction, although the dwarfing was not finalized. Their teeth are the oldest amongst the small teeth found in west Beringia.
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| 10. |
- Persson, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Structural effects of naturally occurring human blood group B galactosyltransferase mutations adjacent to the DXD motif
- 2007
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In: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 1083-351X. ; 282:13, s. 9564-9570
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human blood group A and B antigens are produced by two closely related glycosyltransferase enzymes. An N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GTA) utilizes UDP-GalNAc to extend H antigen acceptors (Fuc alpha(1-2)Gal beta-OR) producing A antigens, whereas a galactosyltransferase (GTB) utilizes UDP-Gal as a donor to extend H structures producing B antigens. GTA and GTB have a characteristic (DVD213)-D-211 motif that coordinates to a Mn2+ ion shown to be critical in donor binding and catalysis. Three GTB mutants, M214V, M214T, and M214R, with alterations adjacent to the (211)DVD213 motif have been identified in blood banking laboratories. From serological phenotyping, individuals with the M214R mutation show the B,1 variant expressing very low levels of B antigens, whereas those with M214T and M214V mutations give rise to A(weak)B phenotypes. Kinetic analysis of recombinant mutant GTB enzymes revealed that M214R has a 1200-fold decrease in k(cat) compared with wild type GTB. The crystal structure of M214R showed that DVD motif coordination to Mn2+ was disrupted by Arg-214 causing displacement of the metal by a water molecule. Kinetic characterizations of the M214T and M214V mutants revealed they both had GTA and GTB activity consistent with the serology. The crystal structure of the M214T mutant showed no change in DVD coordination to Mn2+. Instead a critical residue, Met-266, which is responsible for determining donor specificity, had adopted alternate conformations. The conformation with the highest occupancy opens up the active site to accommodate the larger A-specific donor, UDP-GalNAc, accounting for the dual specificity.
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| 11. |
- Troll, Valentin, et al.
(author)
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Magmatic differentiation processes at Merapi Volcano : inclusion petrology and oxygen isotopes
- 2013
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In: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. - : Elsevier. - 0377-0273 .- 1872-6097. ; 261:SI, s. 38-49
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Indonesian volcano Merapi is one of the most hazardous volcanoes on the planet and is characterised by periods of active dome growth and intermittent explosive events. Merapi currently degasses continuously through high temperature fumaroles and erupts basaltic-andesite dome lavas and associated block-and-ash-flows that carry a large range of magmatic, coarsely crystalline plutonic, and meta-sedimentary inclusions. These inclusions are useful in order to evaluate magmatic processes that act within Merapi's plumbing system, and to help an assessment of which phenomena could trigger explosive eruptions. With the aid of petrological, textural, and oxygen isotope analysis we record a range of processes during crustal magma storage and transport, including mafic recharge, magma mixing, crystal fractionation, and country rock assimilation. Notably, abundant calc-silicate inclusions (true xenoliths) and elevated δ18O values in feldspar phenocrysts from 1994, 1998, 2006, and 2010 Merapi lavas suggest addition of limestone and calc-silicate materials to the Merapi magmas. Together with high δ13C values in fumarole gas, crustal additions to mantle and slab-derived magma and volatile sources are likely a steady state process at Merapi. This late crustal input could well represent an eruption trigger due to sudden over-pressurisation of the shallowest parts of the magma storage system independently of magmatic recharge and crystal fractionation. Limited seismic precursors may be associated with this type of eruption trigger, offering a potential explanation for the sometimes erratic behaviour of Merapi during volcanic crises.
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