1. |
- Falster, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
- 2021
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In: Scientific Data. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2052-4463. ; 8:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
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2. |
- Kurz, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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RHAPSODY - Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia : program design and methods of a pilot study
- 2016
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In: International psychogeriatrics. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 28:12, s. 2091-2099
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group. Methods: The RHAPSODY (Research to Assess Policies and Strategies for Dementia in the Young) project is a European initiative to improve care for people with YOD by providing an internet-based information and skill-building program for family carers. The e-learning program focuses on managing problem behaviors, dealing with role change, obtaining support, and looking after oneself. It will be evaluated in a pilot study in three countries using a randomized unblinded design with a wait-list control group. Participants will be informal carers of people with dementia in Alzheimer's disease or behavioral-variant Frontotemporal degeneration with an onset before the age of 65 years. The primary outcome will be caregiving self-efficacy after 6 weeks of program use. As secondary outcomes, caregivers' stress and burden, carer health-related quality of life, caring-related knowledge, patient problem behaviors, and user satisfaction will be assessed. Program utilization will be monitored and a health-economic evaluation will also be performed. Conclusions: The RHAPSODY project will add to the evidence on the potential and limitations of a conveniently accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive internet-based intervention as an alternative for traditional forms of counseling and support in healthcare, aiming to optimize care and support for people with YOD and their informal caregivers.
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- Forsberg, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Once-only colonoscopy or two rounds of faecal immunochemical testing 2 years apart for colorectal cancer screening (SCREESCO): preliminary report of a randomised controlled trial
- 2022
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In: The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - : ELSEVIER INC. - 2468-1253. ; 7:6, s. 513-521
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Screening for colorectal cancer is done with lower gastrointestinal endoscopy or stool-based tests. There is little evidence from randomised trials to show primary colonoscopy reduces mortality in colorectal cancer We aimed to investigate the effect of screening with once-only colonoscopy or two rounds of faecal immunochemical test screening on colorectal cancer mortality and incidence. Methods We did a randomised controlled trial in Sweden (SCREESCO). Residents in 18 of 21 regions who were age 60 years in the year of randomisation were identified from a population register maintained by the Swedish Tax Agency. A statistician with no further involvement in the trial used a randomised block method to assign individuals to once-only colonoscopy, two rounds of faecal immunochemical testing (OC-Sensor; 2 years apart), or a control group (no intervention; standard diagnostic pathways), in a ratio of 1:6 for colonoscopy versus control and 1:2 for faecal immunochemical testing versus control. Masking was not possible due to the nature of the trial. The primary endpoints of the trial are colorectal cancer mortality and colorectal cancer incidence. Here, we report preliminary participation rates, baseline findings, and adverse events from March, 2014, to December, 2020, in the two intervention groups after completion of recruitment and screening, up to the completion of the second faecal immunochemical testing round. Analyses were done in the intention-to-screen population, defined as all individuals who were randomly assigned to the respective study group. This study is registered with Clinical Trials.gov, NCT02078804. Findings Between March 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2020, 278 280 people were induded in the study; 31 140 were assigned to the colonoscopy group, 60 300 to the faecal immunochemical test group, and 186 840 to the control group. 10 679 (35.1%) of 30 400 people who received an invitation for colonoscopy participated. 33 383 (55.5%) of 60 137 people who received a postal faecal immunochemical test participated. In the intention-to-screen analysis, colorectal cancer was detected in 49 (0.16%) of 31140 people in the colonoscopy group versus 121 (0. 20%) of 60 300 in the faecal immunochemical test group (relative risk [RR] 0.78, 95% CI 0.56-1.09). Advanced adenomas were detected in 637 (2.05%) people in the colonoscopy group and 968 (1.61%) in the faecal immunochemical test group (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.41). Colonoscopy detected more right-sided advanced adenomas than faecal immunochemical testing. There were two perforations and 15 major bleeds in 16 555 colonoscopies. No intervention-related deaths occurred. Interpretation The diagnostic yield and the low number of adverse events indicate that the design from this trial, both for once-only colonoscopy and faecal immunochemical test screening, could be transferred to a population-based screening service if a benefit in disease-specific mortality is subsequently shown. Copyright (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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12. |
- Gärtner, Antje, et al.
(author)
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Temperature and Tree Size Explain the Mean Time to Fall of Dead Standing Trees across Large Scales
- 2023
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In: Forests. - : MDPI. - 1999-4907. ; 14:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AbstractDead standing trees (DSTs) generally decompose slower than wood in contact with the forest floor. In many regions, DSTs are being created at an increasing rate due to accelerating tree mortality caused by climate change. Therefore, factors determining DST fall are crucial for predicting dead wood turnover time but remain poorly constrained. Here, we conduct a re-analysis of published DST fall data to provide standardized information on the mean time to fall (MTF) of DSTs across biomes. We used multiple linear regression to test covariates considered important for DST fall, while controlling for mortality and management effects. DSTs of species killed by fire, insects and other causes stood on average for 48, 13 and 19 years, but MTF calculations were sensitive to how tree size was accounted for. Species’ MTFs differed significantly between DSTs killed by fire and other causes, between coniferous and broadleaved plant functional types (PFTs) and between managed and unmanaged sites, but management did not explain MTFs when we distinguished by mortality cause. Mean annual temperature (MAT) negatively affected MTFs, whereas larger tree size or being coniferous caused DSTs to stand longer. The most important explanatory variables were MAT and tree size, with minor contributions of management and plant functional type depending on mortality cause. Our results provide a basis to improve the representation of dead wood decomposition in carbon cycle assessments.
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13. |
- Jones, Bridget, et al.
(author)
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Availability of information on young onset dementia for patients and carers in six European countries
- 2018
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In: Patient Education and Counseling. - 0738-3991 .- 1873-5134. ; 101:1, s. 159-165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To identify information available in six European countries (England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden) that addresses the specific needs of people with young onset dementia (YOD) and their carers, and identify gaps.METHODS: Search of websites of organisations with potential interest in dementia. Narrative synthesis and comparative analysis.RESULTS: 21 sources of information were identified (Netherlands 6, England 6, France 3, Germany 2, Portugal 2, Sweden 2); 11 were from voluntary sector organisations. Sources dedicated to YOD were limited (4 websites, 4 books); all other YOD information was sub-entries in generic dementia sources, difficult to locate and with limited coverage of relevant topics. Gaps related to implications of living with YOD in Germany, Portugal and Sweden.CONCLUSION: Availability of information varies among countries, some having no dedicated source and incomplete coverage of issues of importance to YOD.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Information is an important means of supporting carers; their needs change as the condition progresses. A comprehensive resource collating key information is needed so that the issues that differentiate the specific needs of people living with YOD from those of people with dementia in older age are available and easily located.
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14. |
- Jones, Bridget, et al.
(author)
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Availability of information on young onset dementia for patients and carers in six European countries
- 2018
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In: Patient Education and Counseling. - : Elsevier Ireland Ltd. - 0738-3991 .- 1873-5134. ; 101:1, s. 159-165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To identify information available in six European countries (England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden) that addresses the specific needs of people with young onset dementia (YOD) and their carers, and identify gaps. METHODS: Search of websites of organisations with potential interest in dementia. Narrative synthesis and comparative analysis. RESULTS: 21 sources of information were identified (Netherlands 6, England 6, France 3, Germany 2, Portugal 2, Sweden 2); 11 were from voluntary sector organisations. Sources dedicated to YOD were limited (4 websites, 4 books); all other YOD information was sub-entries in generic dementia sources, difficult to locate and with limited coverage of relevant topics. Gaps related to implications of living with YOD in Germany, Portugal and Sweden. CONCLUSION: Availability of information varies among countries, some having no dedicated source and incomplete coverage of issues of importance to YOD. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Information is an importantmeans of supporting carers; their needs change as the condition progresses. A comprehensive resource collating key information is needed so that the issues that differentiate the specific needs of people living with YOD from those of people with dementia in older age are available and easily located.
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15. |
- Kurz, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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RHAPSODY - Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia : program design and methods of a pilot study
- 2016
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In: International Psychogeriatrics. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 28:12, s. 2091-2099
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group. Methods: The RHAPSODY (Research to Assess Policies and Strategies for Dementia in the Young) project is a European initiative to improve care for people with YOD by providing an internet-based information and skill-building program for family carers. The e-learning program focuses on managing problem behaviors, dealing with role change, obtaining support, and looking after oneself. It will be evaluated in a pilot study in three countries using a randomized unblinded designwith a wait-list control group. Participants will be informal carers of people with dementia in Alzheimer's disease or behavioral-variant Frontotemporal degeneration with an onset before the age of 65 years. The primary outcome will be caregiving self-efficacy after 6 weeks of program use. As secondary outcomes, caregivers' stress and burden, carer health-related quality of life, caring-related knowledge, patient problem behaviors, and user satisfaction will be assessed. Program utilization will be monitored and a health-economic evaluation will also be performed. Conclusions: The RHAPSODY project will add to the evidence on the potential and limitations of a conveniently accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive internet-based intervention as an alternative for traditional forms of counseling and support in healthcare, aiming to optimize care and support for people with YOD and their informal caregivers.
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16. |
- Nord, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Avian red blood cell mitochondria produce more heat in winter than in autumn
- 2021
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In: FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. - 1530-6860. ; 35:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Endotherms in cold regions improve heat-producing capacity when preparing for winter. We know comparatively little about how this change is fueled by seasonal adaptation in cellular respiration. Thus, we studied the changes of mitochondrial function in red blood cells in sympatric Coal (Periparus ater), Blue (Cyanistes caeruleus), and Great (Parus major) tits between autumn and winter. These species differ more than twofold in body mass and in several aspects of their foraging ecology and social dominance, which could require differential seasonal adaptation of energy expenditure. Coal and Great tits in particular upregulated the mitochondrial respiration rate and mitochondrial volume in winter. This was not directed toward ATP synthesis, instead reflecting increased uncoupling of electron transport from ATP production. Because uncoupling is exothermic, this increased heat-producing capacity at the sub-cellular level in winter. This previously unexplored the route of thermogenesis in birds should be addressed in future work.
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17. |
- Palm, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Assessing the environmental fate of chemicals of emerging concern: a case study of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers
- 2002
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In: Environmental Pollution. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 117:2, s. 195-213
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is suggested that assessments of chemicals of emerging concern can be rationally structured around a multistage process in which fate and risk are evaluated with increasing accuracy as new data become available. An initial tentative and approximate assessment of fate and risk can identify key data gaps and justify and direct further investigations, which progressively improve the reliability of the assessment. This approach is demonstrated for a class of chemicals, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which is of increasing concern, but about which there is presently a lack of comprehensive data on properties, sources, fate and effects. Specifically, 20 PBDE congeners are investigated using the suggested approach and research needs are identified.For chemicals of emerging concern, an initial and approximate assessment of fate and risk can identify key data gaps.
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18. |
- Simpkin, Andrew J., et al.
(author)
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Prostate-specific antigen patterns in US and European populations : comparison of six diverse cohorts
- 2016
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In: BJU International. - : Wiley. - 1464-4096 .- 1464-410X. ; 118:6, s. 911-918
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are differences in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels at diagnosis or changes in PSA levels between US and European populations of men with and without prostate cancer (PCa).SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We analysed repeated measures of PSA from six clinically and geographically diverse cohorts of men: two cohorts with PSA-detected PCa, two cohorts with clinically detected PCa and two cohorts without PCa. Using multilevel models, average PSA at diagnosis and PSA change over time were compared among study populations.RESULTS: The annual percentage PSA change of 4-5% was similar between men without cancer and men with PSA-detected cancer. PSA at diagnosis was 1.7 ng/mL lower in a US cohort of men with PSA-detected PCa (95% confidence interval 1.3-2.0 ng/mL), compared with a UK cohort of men with PSA-detected PCa, but there was no evidence of a different rate of PSA change between these populations.CONCLUSION: We found that PSA changes over time are similar in UK and US men diagnosed through PSA testing and even in men without PCa. Further development of PSA models to monitor men on active surveillance should be undertaken in order to take advantage of these similarities. We found no evidence that guidelines for using PSA to monitor men cannot be passed between US and European studies.
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19. |
- Tilling, Kate, et al.
(author)
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Development of a new method for monitoring prostate-specific antigen changes in men with localised prostate cancer : a comparison of observational cohorts
- 2010
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In: European Urology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0302-2838 .- 1873-7560. ; 57:3, s. 446-452
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements are increasingly used to monitor men with localised prostate cancer (PCa), but there is little consensus about the method to use. OBJECTIVE: To apply age-specific predictions of PSA level (developed in men without cancer) to one cohort of men with clinically identified PCa and one cohort of men with PSA-detected PCa. We hypothesise that among men with clinically identified cancer, the annual increase in PSA level would be steeper than in men with PSA-detected cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group 4 (SPCG-4) cohort consisted of 321 men assigned to the watchful waiting arm of the SPCG-4 trial. The UK cohort consisted of 320 men with PSA-detected PCa in the Prostate testing for cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) study who opted for monitoring. Multilevel models describing changes in PSA level were fitted to the two cohorts, and average PSA level at age 50, change in PSA level with age, and predicted PSA values were derived. MEASUREMENTS: PSA level. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: In the SPCG-4 cohort, mean PSA at age 50 was similar to the cancer-free cohort but with a steeper yearly increase in PSA level (16.4% vs 4.0%). In the UK cohort, mean PSA level was higher than that in the cancer-free cohort (due to a PSA biopsy threshold of 3.0 ng/ml) but with a similar yearly increase in PSA level (4.1%). Predictions were less accurate for the SPCG-4 cohort (median difference between observed and predicted PSA level: -2.0 ng/ml; interquartile range [IQR]: -7.6-0.7 ng/ml) than for the UK cohort (median difference between observed and predicted PSA level: -0.8 ng/ml; IQR: -2.1-0.1 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: In PSA-detected men, yearly change in PSA was similar to that in cancer-free men, whereas in men with symptomatic PCa, the yearly change in PSA level was considerably higher. Our method needs further evaluation but has promise for refining active monitoring protocols.
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- Virkkala, Anna-maria Ilona, et al.
(author)
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Identifying multidisciplinary research gaps across Arctic terrestrial gradients
- 2019
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In: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 14:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Global warming is driving environmental change in the Arctic. However, our current understanding of this change varies strongly among different environmental disciplines and is limited by the number and distribution of field sampling locations. Here, we use a quantitative framework based on multivariate statistical modeling to present the current state of sampling across environmental disciplines in the Arctic. We utilize an existing database of georeferenced Arctic field studies to investigate how sampling locations and citations of disciplines are distributed across Arctic topographical, soil and vegetation conditions, and highlight critical regions for potential new research areas in different disciplines. Continuous permafrost landscapes, and the northernmost Arctic bioclimatic zones are studied and cited the least in relation to their extent in many disciplines. We show that the clusters of sampling locations and citations are not uniform across disciplines. Sampling locations in Botany and Biogeochemistry cover environmental gradients the best, and Microbiology, Meteorology, Geosciences and Geographic Information Systems / Remote Sensing / Modeling have the worst coverage. We conclude that across all disciplines, more research is needed particularly in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, northern Greenland, central and eastern Siberia, and in some disciplines, in Canadian mainland, central Alaska, western Siberia and northern Taimyr region. We provide detailed maps of potential new sampling locations for each environmental discipline that consider multiple variables simultaneously. These results will help prioritize future research efforts, thus increasing our knowledge about the Arctic environmental change.
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23. |
- Westerberg, Marcus, 1990-, et al.
(author)
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The role of endoscopist adenoma detection rate in in sex differences in colonoscopy findings : cross-sectional analysis of the SCREESCO randomized controlled trial
- 2024
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 59:4, s. 503-511
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundFewer adenomas are detected at colonoscopy in women compared to men and failure to detect adenomas and sessile serrated polyps is associated with an increased risk of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this was in part due to the greater difficulty of conducting colonoscopy in women, with the difference being more apparent in colonoscopies conducted by less skilled endoscopists.Material and methodsCross-sectional exploratory analysis of data on 16,551 individuals undergoing a primary colonoscopy (PCOL group) or colonoscopy after positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT group) within the randomized controlled trial SCREESCO. Endoscopist adenoma detection rate (ADR; low or high) was determined based on each endoscopist's colonoscopies performed in SCREESCO. In each study group, the relationship between the sex difference in colonoscopy outcome and endoscopist ADR was assessed using multiplicative interaction tests.ResultsEndoscopists performed equally many colonoscopies in men and women (median 52% men). There were no signs of effect modification of the risk ratio of any finding (men vs women) by endoscopist ADR in the PCOL group (p = 0.33) or the FIT group (p = 0.30). The proportion of incomplete index colonoscopies was lower in men than in women in both groups and there was no effect modification by endoscopist ADR in either the PCOL group (p = 0.41) or the FIT group (p = 0.96).ConclusionsThis study provides no evidence that endoscopist skill measured by ADR underlies the sex difference in adenoma detection at colonoscopy. This study has trial number NCT02078804 and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov.
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24. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2015
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In: Physical Review C (Nuclear Physics). - 0556-2813 .- 1089-490X. ; 92:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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25. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2015
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In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479 .- 1126-6708. ; :8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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26. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2015
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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