| 1. |
- Byström, JW, et al.
(author)
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Serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in northern Sweden by the use of at-home sampling to meet geographical challenges in rural regions
- 2022
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In: medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted a need for easy and safe blood sampling in combination with accurate serological methodology. Venipuncture is usually performed by trained staff at health care centers. Long travel distances may introduce a bias of testing towards relatively large communities with close access to health care centers. Rural regions may thus be overlooked. Here, we demonstrate a sensitive method to measure antibodies to the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2. We adapted and optimized this assay for clinical use together with capillary blood sampling to meet the geographical challenges of serosurveillance. Finally, we tested remote at-home capillary blood sampling together with centralized assessment of S-specific IgG in a rural region of northern Scandinavia that encompasses 55,185 sq kilometers. We conclude that serological assessment from capillary blood sampling gives comparable results as analysis of venous blood. Importantly, at-home sampling enabled citizens living in remote rural areas access to centralized and sensitive laboratory antibody tests.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Boschker, J. E., et al.
(author)
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In-plane structural order of domain engineered La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films
- 2013
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In: Philosophical Magazine. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-6435 .- 1478-6443. ; 93:13, s. 1549-1562
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a detailed structural study of tensile-strained La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films. We use the substrate miscut to control the number of rhombohedral variants in the films and study the in-plane order and structural distortions. Using high-resolution X-ray diffraction, we demonstrate that step-edge induced lattice modulations occur in 4-variant films, whereas periodic twinning is the dominant in-plane order for 2-variant films. We show that the in-plane twinning angle is almost completely relaxed. However, the relaxation of shear strain by the out-of-plane twinning angle and the monoclinic distortion is only partial. Furthermore, the film thickness dependence of the domain width reveals that domain formation is a universal mechanism for shear strain relaxation. Finally, we show that the structural response to the transition from the paramagnetic to the ferromagnetic phase of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 at 345K is smaller in 4-variant films compared to 2-variant films.
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| 4. |
- Collins, M D, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of Actinomyces isolates from infected root canals of teeth: description of Actinomyces radicidentis sp. nov.
- 2000
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In: Journal of clinical microbiology. - 0095-1137. ; 38:9, s. 3399-403
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two strains of a previously undescribed Actinomyces-like bacterium were recovered in pure culture from infected root canals of teeth. Analysis by biochemical testing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins indicated that the strains closely resembled each other phenotypically but were distinct from previously described Actinomyces and Arcanobacterium species. Comparative 16S rRNA gene-sequencing studies showed the bacterium to be a hitherto unknown subline within a group of Actinomyces species which includes Actinomyces bovis, the type species of the genus. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, we propose that the unknown bacterium isolated from human clinical specimens be classified as Actinomyces radicidentis sp. nov. The type strain of Actinomyces radicidentis is CCUG 36733.
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| 5. |
- Ejrnaes, K, et al.
(author)
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Characteristics of Escherichia coli causing persistence or relapse of urinary tract infections Phylogenetic groups, virulence factors and biofilm formation
- 2011
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In: VIRULENCE. - 2150-5594. ; 2:6, s. 528-537
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract: Recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) pose a major problem but little is known about characteristics of Escherichia coli associated with RUTI. This study includes E. coli from 155 women with community-acquired lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) randomized to one of three dosing regiments of pivmecillinam and aimed to identify associations between the presence of 29 virulence factor genes (VFGs), phylogenetic groups and biofilm formation and the course of infection during follow-up visits at 8-10 and 35-49 d post-inclusion, respectively. E. coli causing persistence or relapse were more often of phylogenetic group B2 and had a significantly higher aggregate VFG score than E. coli that were not detectable at follow-up. Specifically, these E. coli causing persistence or relapse were characterized by a higher prevalence of hemolysis and 12 VFGs (sfa/focDE, papAH, agn43, chuA, fyuA, iroN, kpsM II, kpsM II K2, cnf1, hlyD, malX and usp). KpsM II K2 and agn43a(CFT073) were independently associated with persistence or relapse. No specific combination of presence/absence of VFGs could serve as a marker to predict RUTI. Stratifying for VFGs, seven days of pivmecillinam treatment reduced the prevalence of persistence or relapse of UTI compared with three days. In vitro biofilm formation was not higher among E. coli causing persistence or relapse. The presence of agn43a(CFT073) or agn43b(CFT073) was associated with biofilm forming capacity. In conclusion, our results show potential targets for prevention and treatment of persistence/relapse of UTI and potential markers for selecting treatment lengths and warrant studies of these and new VFGs.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Lagerqvist, Nina, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of 11 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests by using samples from patients with defined IgG antibody titers
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We evaluated the performance of 11 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests using a reference set of heat-inactivated samples from 278 unexposed persons and 258 COVID-19 patients, some of whom contributed serial samples. The reference set included samples with a variation in SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers, as determined by an in-house immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The five evaluated rapid diagnostic tests had a specificity of 99.0% and a sensitivity that ranged from 56.3 to 81.6% and decreased with low IFA IgG titers. The specificity was > 99% for five out of six platform-based tests, and when assessed using samples collected ≥ 22 days after symptom onset, two assays had a sensitivity of > 96%. These two assays also detected samples with low IFA titers more frequently than the other assays. In conclusion, the evaluated antibody tests showed a heterogeneity in their performances and only a few tests performed well with samples having low IFA IgG titers, an important aspect for diagnostics and epidemiological investigations.
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| 9. |
- Monsen, A. F., et al.
(author)
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Surface stoichiometry of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 during in vacuo preparation; A synchrotron photoemission study
- 2012
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In: Surface Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0039-6028. ; 606:17-18, s. 1360-1366
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a study of the surface stoichiometry and contamination of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films following exposure to air and subsequent in vacuo preparation. Samples were studied using both soft X-ray synchrotron photoemission (hv = 150 to 350 eV) and traditional Mg-K alpha XPS (hv = 1253.6 eV) whilst annealing incrementally to approximate to 510 degrees C in low pressures of O-2. In all cases, a Mn depleted and Sr rich surface oxide layer is observed, it is of reduced crystalline quality and is charge depleted. This surface layer is weakly affected by subsequent annealing, and is partially reversed by annealing in higher O-2 pressure. Surface carbon contamination is incrementally removed by annealing at increased temperatures, and at 270 degrees C, it is reduced to approximate to 0.4% of the topmost unit cell. The modification of the surface stoichiometry and electronic properties is consistent with the reported loss of magnetic properties in thin LSMO films. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 11. |
- Niemiec, Maria Joanna, et al.
(author)
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Augmented enterocyte damage during Candida albicans and Proteus mirabilis coinfection
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2235-2988. ; 12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human gut acts as the main reservoir of microbes and a relevant source of life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. There, the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans adapts to the host environment and additionally interacts with residing bacteria. We investigated fungal-bacterial interactions by coinfecting enterocytes with the yeast Candida albicans and the Gram-negative bacterium Proteus mirabilis resulting in enhanced host cell damage. This synergistic effect was conserved across different P. mirabilis isolates and occurred also with non-albicans Candida species and C. albicans mutants defective in filamentation or candidalysin production. Using bacterial deletion mutants, we identified the P. mirabilis hemolysin HpmA to be the key effector for host cell destruction. Spatially separated coinfections demonstrated that synergism between Candida and Proteus is induced by contact, but also by soluble factors. Specifically, we identified Candida-mediated glucose consumption and farnesol production as potential triggers for Proteus virulence. In summary, our study demonstrates that coinfection of enterocytes with C. albicans and P. mirabilis can result in increased host cell damage which is mediated by bacterial virulence factors as a result of fungal niche modification via nutrient consumption and production of soluble factors. This supports the notion that certain fungal-bacterial combinations have the potential to result in enhanced virulence in niches such as the gut and might therefore promote translocation and dissemination.
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| 12. |
- Nissen-Lie, Helene A., et al.
(author)
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Does it make a difference to be more "on the same page"? Investigating the role of alliance convergence for outcomes in two different samples
- 2021
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In: Psychotherapy Research. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 1050-3307 .- 1468-4381. ; 31:5, s. 573-588
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To better understand the complexity of dyadic processes, such as the mechanisms of the working alliance, researchers recommend taking advantage of innovations in data analytic procedures when studying the interactions between therapists and patients that are associated with favorable therapeutic outcomes. Inspired by a recent line of alliance research using dyadic multilevel modeling, the present study investigated the hypothesis that convergence in the patient-therapist working alliance (i.e., increased similarity in ratings of the alliance across treatment) would be associated with better outcomes. Method: Data were retrieved from two samples: 1. A randomized controlled trial for treatment resistant depression (N = 96 dyads), and 2. An archival dataset of naturalistic psychotherapies from public health care (N = 139 dyads). Multilevel growth curve analysis was employed to investigate the degree of change in session-to-session agreement of global WAI ratings between therapists and patients (i.e., alliance convergence) as a predictor of symptom reduction in the BDI-II and the SCL-90R. Results: Contrary to our expectations, alliance convergence did not predict outcome in either sample, but was negatively associated with symptom severity in Study 2. Implications for understanding the complexity of dyadic processes and alliance work in psychotherapy are discussed.
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