1. |
- Bjegovic-Mikanovic, Vesna, et al.
(author)
-
Developing The Publichealth Workforce
- 2015
-
In: Eurohealth. - : London School of Economics and Political Science. - 1356-1030. ; 21:1, s. 24-27
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The development of the public health workforce is acornerstone in WHO's Action Plan for Strengthening Public HealthServices and Capacities. Public health education shall combineEssential Public Health Operations – surveillance; monitoring; healthprotection and promotion; disease prevention; service delivery;communication and research – with the competences needed within:public health methods; population health and its social, economicand environmental determinants; and man-made systems andinterventions to improve population health. An authorised publichealth profession founded on graduation from comprehensive publichealth education is needed. The capacity and standards of Schoolsof Public Health should accordingly be continuously developed.
|
|
2. |
- Bramsen, Jesper B., et al.
(author)
-
A large-scale chemical modification screen identifies design rules to generate siRNAs with high activity, high stability and low toxicity
- 2009
-
In: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 37:9, s. 2867-2881
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of chemically synthesized short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is currently the method of choice to manipulate gene expression in mammalian cell culture, yet improvements of siRNA design is expectably required for successful application in vivo. Several studies have aimed at improving siRNA performance through the introduction of chemical modifications but a direct comparison of these results is difficult. We have directly compared the effect of 21 types of chemical modifications on siRNA activity and toxicity in a total of 2160 siRNA duplexes. We demonstrate that siRNA activity is primarily enhanced by favouring the incorporation of the intended antisense strand during RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) loading by modulation of siRNA thermodynamic asymmetry and engineering of siRNA 3'-overhangs. Collectively, our results provide unique insights into the tolerance for chemical modifications and provide a simple guide to successful chemical modification of siRNAs with improved activity, stability and low toxicity.
|
|
3. |
- Cederquist, Kristina, et al.
(author)
-
Mutation analysis of the MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 genes in patients with double primary cancers of the colorectum and the endometrium: a population-based study in northern Sweden
- 2004
-
In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 109:3, s. 370-376
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant disorder that predisposes to predominantly colorectal and endometrial cancers due to germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes, mainly MLH1, MSH2 and in families with excess endometrial cancer also MSH6. In this population-based study, we analysed the mutation spectrum of the MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 genes in a cohort of patients with microsatellite unstable double primary tumours of the colorectum and the endometrium by PCR, DHPLC and sequencing. Fourteen of the 23 patients (61%) had sequence variants in MLH1, MSH2 or MSH6 that likely affect the protein function. A majority (10/14) of the mutations was found among probands diagnosed before age 50. Five of the mutations (36%) were located in MLH1, 3 (21%) in MSH2 and 6 (43%) in MSH6. MSH6 seem to have larger impact in our population than in other populations, due to a founder effect since all of the MSH6 families originate from the same geographical area. MSH6 mutation carriers have later age of onset of both colorectal cancer (62 vs. 51 years) and endometrial cancer (58 vs. 48 years) and a larger proportion of endometrial cancer than MLH1 or MSH2 mutation carriers. We can conclude that patients with microsatellite unstable double primary cancers of the colorectum and the endometrium have a very high risk of carrying a mutation not only in MLH1 or MSH2 but also in MSH6, especially if they get their first cancer diagnosis before the age of 50. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
|
|
4. |
- Dasgupta, Indranil, et al.
(author)
-
Validating the use of bioimpedance spectroscopy for assessment of fluid status in children.
- 2018
-
In: Pediatric nephrology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-198X .- 0931-041X. ; 33:9, s. 1601-1607
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) with a whole-body model to distinguish excess fluid from major body tissue hydration can provide objective assessment of fluid status. BIS is integrated into the Body Composition Monitor (BCM) and is validated in adults, but not children. This study aimed to (1) assess agreement between BCM-measured total body water (TBW) and a gold standard technique in healthy children, (2) compare TBW_BCM with TBW from Urea Kinetic Modelling (UKM) in haemodialysis children and (3) investigate systematic deviation from zero in measured excess fluid in healthy children across paediatric age range.TBW_BCM and excess fluid was determined from standard wrist-to-ankle BCM measurement. TBW_D2O was determined from deuterium concentration decline in serial urine samples over 5days in healthy children. UKM was used to measure body water in children receiving haemodialysis. Agreement between methods was analysed using paired t test and Bland-Altman method comparison.In 61 healthy children (6-14years, 32 male), mean TBW_BCM and TBW_D2O were 21.1±5.6and 20.5±5.8L respectively. There was good agreement between TBW_BCM and TBW_D2O (R2=0.97). In six haemodialysis children (4-13years, 4 male), 45 concomitant measurements over 8months showed good TBW_BCM and TBW_UKM agreement (mean difference -0.4L, 2SD=±3.0L). In 634 healthy children (2-17years, 300 male), BCM-measured overhydration was -0.1±0.7L (10-90th percentile -0.8 to+0.6L). There was no correlation between age and OH (p=0.28).These results suggest BCM can be used in children as young as 2years to measure normally hydrated weight and assess fluid status.
|
|
5. |
- Gawlik, Darius, et al.
(author)
-
Molecular investigations on a chimeric strain of Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 80
- 2020
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 15:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A PVL-positive, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from pus from cervical lymphadenitis of a patient of East-African origin. Microarray hybridisation assigned the isolate to clonal complex (CC) 80 but revealed unusual features, including the presence of the ORF-CM14 enterotoxin homologue and of an ACME-III element as well as the absence of etD and edinB. The isolate was subjected to both, Illumina and Nanopore sequencing allowing characterisation of deviating regions within the strain´s genome. Atypical features of this strain were attributable to the presence of two genomic regions that originated from other S. aureus lineages and that comprised, respectively, 3% and 1.4% of the genome. One deviating region extended from walJ to sirB. It comprised ORF-CM14 and the ACME-III element. A homologous but larger fragment was also found in an atypical S. aureus CC1/ST567 strain whose lineage might have served as donor of this genomic region. This region itself is a chimera comprising fragments from CC1 as well as fragments of unknown origin. The other deviating region comprised the region from htsB to ecfA2, i.e., another 3% of the genome. It was very similar to CC1 sequences. Either this suggests an incorporation of CC1 DNA into the study strain, or alternatively a recombination event affecting "canonical" CC80. Thus, the study strain bears witness of several recombination events affecting supposedly core genomic genes. Although the exact mechanism is not yet clear, such chimerism seems to be an additional pathway in the evolution of S. aureus. This could facilitate also a transmission of virulence and resistance factors and therefore offer an additional evolutionary advantage.
|
|
6. |
- Hagger, Martin S., et al.
(author)
-
A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect
- 2016
-
In: Perspectives on Psychological Science. - : Sage Publications. - 1745-6916 .- 1745-6924. ; 11:4, s. 546-573
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Good self-control has been linked to adaptive outcomes such as better health, cohesive personal relationships, success in the workplace and at school, and less susceptibility to crime and addictions. In contrast, self-control failure is linked to maladaptive outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms by which self-control predicts behavior may assist in promoting better regulation and outcomes. A popular approach to understanding self-control is the strength or resource depletion model. Self-control is conceptualized as a limited resource that becomes depleted after a period of exertion resulting in self-control failure. The model has typically been tested using a sequential-task experimental paradigm, in which people completing an initial self-control task have reduced self-control capacity and poorer performance on a subsequent task, a state known as ego depletion. Although a meta-analysis of ego-depletion experiments found a medium-sized effect, subsequent meta-analyses have questioned the size and existence of the effect and identified instances of possible bias. The analyses served as a catalyst for the current Registered Replication Report of the ego-depletion effect. Multiple laboratories (k = 23, total N = 2,141) conducted replications of a standardized ego-depletion protocol based on a sequential-task paradigm by Sripada et al. Meta-analysis of the studies revealed that the size of the ego-depletion effect was small with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that encompassed zero (d = 0.04, 95% CI [-0.07, 0.15]. We discuss implications of the findings for the ego-depletion effect and the resource depletion model of self-control.
|
|
7. |
- Horneck, Gerda, et al.
(author)
-
AstRoMap European Astrobiology Roadmap
- 2016
-
In: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070. ; 16:3, s. 201-243
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European AstRoMap project (supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme) surveyed the state of the art of astrobiology in Europe and beyond and produced the first European roadmap for astrobiology research. In the context of this roadmap, astrobiology is understood as the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond. The AstRoMap Roadmap identifies five research topics, specifies several key scientific objectives for each topic, and suggests ways to achieve all the objectives. The five AstRoMap Research Topics are• Research Topic 1: Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems• Research Topic 2: Origins of Organic Compounds in Space• Research Topic 3: Rock-Water-Carbon Interactions, Organic Synthesis on Earth, and Steps to Life• Research Topic 4: Life and Habitability• Research Topic 5: Biosignatures as Facilitating Life DetectionIt is strongly recommended that steps be taken towards the definition and implementation of a European Astrobiology Platform (or Institute) to streamline and optimize the scientific return by using a coordinated infrastructure and funding system.
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
- Krause, Andreas, et al.
(author)
-
Large uncertainty in carbon uptake potential of land-based climate-change mitigation efforts
- 2018
-
In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013. ; 24:7, s. 3025-3038
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most climate mitigation scenarios involve negative emissions, especially those that aim to limit global temperature increase to 2°C or less. However, the carbon uptake potential in land-based climate change mitigation efforts is highly uncertain. Here, we address this uncertainty by using two land-based mitigation scenarios from two land-use models (IMAGE and MAgPIE) as input to four dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs; LPJ-GUESS, ORCHIDEE, JULES, LPJmL). Each of the four combinations of land-use models and mitigation scenarios aimed for a cumulative carbon uptake of ~130 GtC by the end of the century, achieved either via the cultivation of bioenergy crops combined with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) or avoided deforestation and afforestation (ADAFF). Results suggest large uncertainty in simulated future land demand and carbon uptake rates, depending on the assumptions related to land use and land management in the models. Total cumulative carbon uptake in the DGVMs is highly variable across mitigation scenarios, ranging between 19 and 130 GtC by year 2099. Only one out of the 16 combinations of mitigation scenarios and DGVMs achieves an equivalent or higher carbon uptake than achieved in the land-use models. The large differences in carbon uptake between the DGVMs and their discrepancy against the carbon uptake in IMAGE and MAgPIE are mainly due to different model assumptions regarding bioenergy crop yields and due to the simulation of soil carbon response to land-use change. Differences between land-use models and DGVMs regarding forest biomass and the rate of forest regrowth also have an impact, albeit smaller, on the results. Given the low confidence in simulated carbon uptake for a given land-based mitigation scenario, and that negative emissions simulated by the DGVMs are typically lower than assumed in scenarios consistent with the 2°C target, relying on negative emissions to mitigate climate change is a highly uncertain strategy.
|
|
10. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(author)
-
Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
-
In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
|
|
11. |
- Lyngfelt, Anders, 1955, et al.
(author)
-
Reversed air staging - a method to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from circulating fluidized bed boilers
- 1997
-
In: Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Nitrous Oxide Emissions, Cologne, Ber. Bergische Univ. Gesamthochsch. Wuppertal Fachbereich 9 Phys. Chem.. ; :41, s. 75-82
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reversed air staging is a method to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O)emissions from circulating fluidized bed boilers (FBBs). Tests in a 12 MW circulating FBB show that the N20 emission can be lowered to one fourth without affecting the emissions of NO,SO2 or CO and without adverse effects on the combustion efficiency. The focus of the paper is on the conditions in the combustion chamber. Measurements inside the combustion chamber reveal how the combustion conditions are affected by reversed air staging compared to normal air staging. These measurements confirm the working principle of reversed air staging, namely to provide more oxidizing conditions in the lower part of the combustion chamber and lower stoichiometry in the upper part of the combustion chamber.
|
|
12. |
- Monecke, Stefan, et al.
(author)
-
Rapid detection of Panton-Valentine leukocidin in Staphylococcus aureus cultures by use of a lateral flow assay based on monoclonal antibodies
- 2013
-
In: Journal of Clinical Microbiology. - Washington, USA : American society of microbiology. - 0095-1137 .- 1098-660X. ; 51:2, s. 487-95
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus, which is associated with skin and soft-tissue infections and necrotizing pneumonia. To develop a rapid phenotypic assay, recombinant PVL F component was used to generate monoclonal antibodies by phage display. These antibodies were spotted on protein microarrays and screened using different lukF-PV preparations and detection antibodies. This led to the identification of the optimal antibody combination that was then used to establish a lateral flow assay. This test was used to detect PVL in S. aureus cultures. The detection limit of the assay with purified native and recombinant antigens was determined to be around 1 ng/ml. Overnight cultures from various solid and liquid media proved suitable for PVL detection. Six hundred strains and clinical isolates from patients from America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East were tested. Isolates were genotyped in parallel by DNA microarray hybridization for confirmation of PVL status and assignment to clonal complexes. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the assay in this trial were 99.7, 98.3, 98.4, and 99.7%, respectively. A total of 302 clinical isolates and reference strains were PVL positive and were assigned to 21 different clonal complexes. In summary, the lateral flow test allows rapid and economical detection of PVL in a routine bacteriology laboratory. As the test utilizes cultures from standard media and does not require sophisticated equipment, it can be easily integrated into a laboratory's workflow and might contribute to timely therapy of PVL-associated infections.
|
|
13. |
- Munder, Matthias, et al.
(author)
-
A pH-driven transition of the cytoplasm from a fluid- to a solid-like state promotes entry into dormancy
- 2016
-
In: eLife. - 2050-084X.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cells can enter into a dormant state when faced with unfavorable conditions. However, how cells enter into and recover from this state is still poorly understood. Here, we study dormancy in different eukaryotic organisms and find it to be associated with a significant decrease in the mobility of organelles and foreign tracer particles. We show that this reduced mobility is caused by an influx of protons and a marked acidification of the cytoplasm, which leads to widespread macromolecular assembly of proteins and triggers a transition of the cytoplasm to a solid-like state with increased mechanical stability. We further demonstrate that this transition is required for cellular survival under conditions of starvation. Our findings have broad implications for understanding alternative physiological states, such as quiescence and dormancy, and create a new view of the cytoplasm as an adaptable fluid that can reversibly transition into a protective solid-like state.
|
|
14. |
- Murray, Christopher J. L., et al.
(author)
-
Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
-
In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
|
|
15. |
- Stanaway, Jeffrey D., et al.
(author)
-
Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
-
In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1923-1994
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk-outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk-outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk- outcome associations. Methods We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk-outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017.
|
|
16. |
- Thunberg, Ulrica, 1967-, et al.
(author)
-
Anti-Staphylococcal humoral immune response in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis
- 2019
-
In: Rhinology Online. - : European Rhinologic Society. - 2589-5613. ; 2, s. 50-58
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) can behave both as a harmless commensal and as a pathogen. Its significance in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to determine serum antibody re-sponses to specific staphylococcal antigens in patients with CRS and healthy controls, and to investigate the correlation between specific antibody response and severity of symptoms.Methodology: Serum samples from 39 patients with CRS and 56 healthy controls were analysed using a protein microarray to investigate the antibody response to S. aureus specific antigens, with a focus on immunoglobulin G (IgG) directed toward stap-hylococcal components accessible to the immune system. Holm-Bonferroni corrections were applied in all analyses. Information about growth of S. aureus in nares and maxillary sinus was taken from a previous study based on the same individuals. Clinical symptoms were assessed using a scoring system.Results: IgG antibody levels toward staphylococcal TSST-1 and LukF-PV were significantly higher in the CRS patient group com-pared to healthy controls, and levels of anti-TSST-1 antibodies were significantly higher in the CRS patient group with S. aureus in maxillary sinus than in controls. There were no correlations between the severity of symptoms and levels of serum anti-staphylo-coccal IgG antibody levels for LukF-PV and TSST-1.Conclusions: TSST-1 and LukF-PV could be interesting markers for future studies of the pathogenesis of CRS.
|
|
17. |
|
|
18. |
- Thunberg, Ulrica, et al.
(author)
-
Long-Term Sinonasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Anti-Staphylococcal Humoral Immune Response in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis
- 2021
-
In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 9:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We investigated Staphylococcus aureus diversity, genetic factors, and humoral immune responses against antigens via genome analysis of S. aureus isolates from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients in a long-term follow-up. Of the 42 patients who provided S. aureus isolates and serum for a previous study, 34 could be included for follow-up after a decade. Clinical examinations were performed and bacterial samples were collected from the maxillary sinus and nares. S. aureus isolates were characterized by whole-genome sequencing, and specific anti-staphylococcal IgG in serum was determined using protein arrays. S. aureus was detected in the nares and/or maxillary sinus at both initial inclusion and follow-up in 15 of the 34 respondents (44%). Three of these (20%) had S. aureus isolates from the same genetic lineage as at inclusion. A low number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified when comparing isolates from nares and maxillary sinus collected at the same time point. The overall change of antibody responses to staphylococcal antigens over time showed great variability, and no correlation was found between the presence of genes encoding antigens and the corresponding anti-staphylococcal IgG in serum; thus our findings did not support a role, in CRS, of the specific S. aureus antigens investigated.
|
|