| 1. |
- Fretland, Asmund Avdem, et al.
(author)
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Inflammatory Response After Laparoscopic Versus Open Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases : Data From the Oslo-CoMet Trial.
- 2015
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In: Medicine. - 0025-7974 .- 1536-5964. ; 94:42, s. 1-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laparoscopic and open liver resection have not been compared in randomized trials. The aim of the current study was to compare the inflammatory response after laparoscopic and open resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) in a randomized controlled trial.This was a predefined exploratory substudy within the Oslo CoMet-study. Forty-five patients with CLM were randomized to laparoscopic (n = 23) or open (n = 22) resection. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-plasma samples were collected preoperatively and at defined time points during and after surgery and snap frozen at -80 C. A total of 25 markers were examined using luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques: high-mobility box group 1(HMGB-1), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), cytokines, and terminal C5b-9 complement complex complement activation.Eight inflammatory markers increased significantly from baseline: HMGB-1, cfDNA, interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein, macrophage inflammatory protein -1β, monocyte chemotactic protein -1, IL-10, and terminal C5b-9 complement complex. Peak levels were reached at the end of or shortly after surgery. Five markers, HMGB-1, cfDNA, IL-6, C-reactive protein, and macrophage inflammatory protein -1β, showed significantly higher levels in the open surgery group compared with the laparoscopic surgery group.Laparoscopic resection of CLM reduced the inflammatory response compared with open resection. The lower level of HMGB-1 is interesting because of the known association with oncogenesis.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Long-range angular correlations on the near and away side in p-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV
- 2013
-
In: Physics Letters. Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693. ; 719:1-3, s. 29-41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angular correlations between charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV for transverse momentum ranges within 0.5 < P-T,P-assoc < P-T,P-trig < 4 GeV/c. The correlations are measured over two units of pseudorapidity and full azimuthal angle in different intervals of event multiplicity, and expressed as associated yield per trigger particle. Two long-range ridge-like structures, one on the near side and one on the away side, are observed when the per-trigger yield obtained in low-multiplicity events is subtracted from the one in high-multiplicity events. The excess on the near-side is qualitatively similar to that recently reported by the CMS Collaboration, while the excess on the away-side is reported for the first time. The two-ridge structure projected onto azimuthal angle is quantified with the second and third Fourier coefficients as well as by near-side and away-side yields and widths. The yields on the near side and on the away side are equal within the uncertainties for all studied event multiplicity and p(T) bins, and the widths show no significant evolution with event multiplicity or p(T). These findings suggest that the near-side ridge is accompanied by an essentially identical away-side ridge. (c) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of prompt J/psi and beauty hadron production cross sections at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV
- 2012
-
In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALICE experiment at the LHC has studied J/psi production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV through its electron pair decay on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity L-int = 5.6 nb(-1). The fraction of J/psi from the decay of long-lived beauty hadrons was determined for J/psi candidates with transverse momentum p(t) > 1,3 GeV/c and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section for prompt J/psi mesons, i.e. directly produced J/psi and prompt decays of heavier charmonium states such as the psi(2S) and chi(c) resonances, is sigma(prompt J/psi) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 8.3 +/- 0.8(stat.) +/- 1.1 (syst.)(-1.4)(+1.5) (syst. pol.) mu b. The cross section for the production of b-hadrons decaying to J/psi with p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c and vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 is a sigma(J/psi <- hB) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 1.46 +/- 0.38 (stat.)(-0.32)(+0.26) (syst.) mu b. The results are compared to QCD model predictions. The shape of the p(t) and y distributions of b-quarks predicted by perturbative QCD model calculations are used to extrapolate the measured cross section to derive the b (b) over bar pair total cross section and d sigma/dy at mid-rapidity.
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| 5. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC
- 2012
-
In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
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| 6. |
- Ayoglu, Burcu, et al.
(author)
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Anoctamin 2 identified as an autoimmune target in multiple sclerosis
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences of the USA. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 113:8, s. 2188-2193
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and also is regarded as an autoimmune condition. However, the antigenic targets of the autoimmune response in MS have not yet been deciphered. In an effort to mine the autoantibody repertoire within MS, we profiled 2,169 plasma samples from MS cases and population-based controls using bead arrays built with 384 human protein fragments selected from an initial screening with 11,520 antigens. Our data revealed prominently increased autoantibody reactivity against the chloride-channel protein anoctamin 2 (ANO2) in MS cases compared with controls. This finding was corroborated in independent assays with alternative protein constructs and by epitope mapping with peptides covering the identified region of ANO2. Additionally, we found a strong interaction between the presence of ANO2 autoantibodies and the HLA complex MS-associated DRB1*15 allele, reinforcing a potential role for ANO2 autoreactivity in MS etiopathogenesis. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis in human MS brain tissue showed ANO2 expression as small cellular aggregates near and inside MS lesions. Thus this study represents one of the largest efforts to characterize the autoantibody repertoire within MS. The findings presented here demonstrate that an ANO2 autoimmune subphenotype may exist in MS and lay the groundwork for further studies focusing on the pathogenic role of ANO2 autoantibodies in MS.
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| 7. |
- Cederholm, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetes : further findings from the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR-BP II)
- 2012
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In: Journal of Hypertension. - 0263-6352 .- 1473-5598. ; 30:10, s. 2020-2030
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Estimate risks of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD) with updated mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in an observational study of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Thirty-five thousand and forty-one patients treated with antihypertensive drugs, and 18 512 untreated patients, aged 30-75 years, without previous heart failure, followed for 6 years until 2009. Results: In treated patients, nonlinear splines for 6-year risk of fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD by BP as a continuous variable showed a progressive increase with higher SBP from 140 mmHg and higher, and with DBP from 80 mmHg, with a J-shaped risk curve at lowest SBP levels, but not obviously at lowest DBP levels. Analysing intervals of SBP with 130-134 mmHg as reference at Cox regression, adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with at least 140 mmHg were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.39], 1,43 (1.18-1.72), 1.26 (1.13-1.41), all P<0.001. HR with 115-129 and 135-139 mmHg were nonsignificant, whereas increased with 100-114 mmHg, 1.96 (P<0.001), 1.75 (P=0.02), 2.08 (P < 0.001), respectively. With DBP 75-79 mmHg as reference, adjusted HR for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with DBP 80-84 mmHg were 1.42 (1.26-1.59), 1.46 (1.24-1.72), 1.39 (1.26-1.53), all P< 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP at least 85 mmHg were 1.70 (1.50-1.92), 2.35 (1.99-2.77), 1..87 (1.69-2.07), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP 60-69 and 70-74 mmHg were nonsignificant. The picture was similar in 7059 patients with previous CVD and in untreated patients. Conclusion: BP around 130-135/75-79 mmHg showed lower risks of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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| 8. |
- Danielsson, Olof, et al.
(author)
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Expression of apoptosis related proteins in normal and diseased muscle : A possible role for Bcl-2 in protection of striated muscle
- 2009
-
In: NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-8966. ; 19:6, s. 412-417
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The unique absence of major histocompatibility complex class I antigen (MHC-I) expression in normal muscle is one possible mechanism protecting striated muscle. In order to define their possible involvement in protection of normal muscle. we investigated the expression of molecules involved in muscle fibre death and survival mechanisms (Bcl-2, Fas, Fas-ligand and TRAIL), focusing on disorders with possible involvement of cytotoxic T cells. We studied muscle biopsies from 20 healthy volunteers, from 10 patients affected by polymyositis and 10 by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. By using immunohistochemistry, Western blot and real-time PCR we detected a constitutional expression of Bcl-2 in healthy muscle, whereas the expression was weaker in disease processes. Fas-L and TRAIL were not detected in muscle fibres, and Fas only in muscle affected by disease. Our findings indicate that the major apoptotic protein Bcl-2 might have a hitherto unrecognized role in the protection of normal muscle.
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| 9. |
- de Jong, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Effect of rare coding variants in the CFI gene on Factor I expression levels
- 2020
-
In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 29:14, s. 2313-2324
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Factor I (FI) is one of the main inhibitors of complement activity, and numerous rare coding variants have been reported in patients with age-related macular degeneration, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome and C3 glomerulopathy. Since many of these variants are of unknown clinical significance, this study aimed to determine the effect of rare coding variants in the complement factor I (CFI) gene on FI expression. We measured FI levels in plasma samples of carriers of rare coding variants and in vitro in the supernatants of epithelial cells expressing recombinant FI. FI levels were measured in 177 plasma samples of 155 individuals, carrying 24 different rare coding variants in CFI. In carriers of the variants p.Gly119Arg, p.Leu131Arg, p.Gly188Ala and c.772G>A (r.685_773del), significantly reduced FI plasma levels were detected. Furthermore, recombinant FI expression levels were determined for 126 rare coding variants. Of these variants 68 (54%) resulted in significantly reduced FI expression in supernatant compared to wildtype (WT). The recombinant protein expression levels correlated significantly with the FI level in plasma of carriers of CFI variants. In this study, we performed the most comprehensive FI expression level analysis of rare coding variants in CFI to date. More than half of CFI variants lead to reduced FI expression, which might impair complement regulation in vivo. Our study will aid the interpretation of rare coding CFI variants identified in clinical practice, which is in particular important in light of patient inclusion in ongoing clinical trials for CFI gene supplementation in AMD.
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| 10. |
- de Jong, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Functional Analysis of Variants in Complement Factor I Identified in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
- 2022
-
In: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Complement factor I (FI) is a central inhibitor of the complement system, and impaired FI function increases complement activation, contributing to diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Genetic variation in complement factor I (CFI) has been identified in both AMD and aHUS, with more than half of these variants leading to reduced FI secretion levels. For many of the variants with normal FI secretion, however, functional implications are not yet known. Here we studied 11 rare missense variants, with FI secretion levels comparable to wildtype, but a predicted damaging effects based on the Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) score. Three variants (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, and p.Ser570Thr) were analyzed in plasma and serum samples of carriers affected by AMD. All 11 variants (nine for the first time in this study) were recombinantly expressed and the ability to degrade C3b was studied with the C3b degradation assay. The amount of degradation was determined by measuring the degradation product iC3b with ELISA. Eight of 11 (73%) mutant proteins (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, p.Ile340Thr, p.Gly342Glu, p.Gly349Arg, p.Arg474Gln, p.Gly487Cys, and p.Gly512Ser) showed significantly impaired C3b degradation, and were therefore classified as likely pathogenic. Our data indicate that genetic variants in CFI with a CADD score >20 are likely to affect FI function, and that monitoring iC3b in a degradation assay is a useful tool to establish the pathogenicity of CFI variants in functional studies.
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| 11. |
- Forsström, Bjorn, et al.
(author)
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Proteome-wide Epitope Mapping of Antibodies Using Ultra-dense Peptide Arrays
- 2014
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In: Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. - 1535-9476 .- 1535-9484. ; 13:6, s. 1585-1597
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Antibodies are of importance for the field of proteomics, both as reagents for imaging cells, tissues, and organs and as capturing agents for affinity enrichment in mass-spectrometry-based techniques. It is important to gain basic insights regarding the binding sites (epitopes) of antibodies and potential cross-reactivity to nontarget proteins. Knowledge about an antibody's linear epitopes is also useful in, for instance, developing assays involving the capture of peptides obtained from trypsin cleavage of samples prior to mass spectrometry analysis. Here, we describe, for the first time, the design and use of peptide arrays covering all human proteins for the analysis of antibody specificity, based on parallel in situ photolithic synthesis of a total of 2.1 million overlapping peptides. This has allowed analysis of on-and off-target binding of both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, complemented with precise mapping of epitopes based on full amino acid substitution scans. The analysis suggests that linear epitopes are relatively short, confined to five to seven residues, resulting in apparent off-target binding to peptides corresponding to a large number of unrelated human proteins. However, subsequent analysis using recombinant proteins suggests that these linear epitopes have a strict conformational component, thus giving us new insights regarding how antibodies bind to their antigens.
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| 12. |
- Franzen, Oscar, et al.
(author)
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The Short Non-Coding Transcriptome of the Protozoan Parasite Trypanosoma cruzi
- 2011
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In: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1935-2727 .- 1935-2735. ; 5:8, s. e1283-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The pathway for RNA interference is widespread in metazoans and participates in numerous cellular tasks, from gene silencing to chromatin remodeling and protection against retrotransposition. The unicellular eukaryote Trypanosoma cruzi is missing the canonical RNAi pathway and is unable to induce RNAi-related processes. To further understand alternative RNA pathways operating in this organism, we have performed deep sequencing and genome-wide analyses of a size-fractioned cDNA library (16-61 nt) from the epimastigote life stage. Deep sequencing generated 582,243 short sequences of which 91% could be aligned with the genome sequence. About 95-98% of the aligned data (depending on the haplotype) corresponded to small RNAs derived from tRNAs, rRNAs, snRNAs and snoRNAs. The largest class consisted of tRNA-derived small RNAs which primarily originated from the 3' end of tRNAs, followed by small RNAs derived from rRNA. The remaining sequences revealed the presence of 92 novel transcribed loci, of which 79 did not show homology to known RNA classes.
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| 13. |
- Geerlings, Maartje J., et al.
(author)
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The functional effect of rare variants in complement genes on C3b degradation in patients with age-related macular degeneration
- 2017
-
In: JAMA Ophthalmology. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2168-6165. ; 135:1, s. 39-46
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IMPORTANCE In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), rare variants in the complement system have been described, but their functional consequences remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES To identify new rare variants in complement genes and determine the functional effect of identified variants on complement levels and complement regulation in serum samples from carriers and noncarriers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This study evaluated affected (n = 114) and unaffected (n = 60) members of 22 families with AMD and a case-control cohort consisting of 1831 unrelated patients with AMD and 1367 control individuals from the European Genetic Database from March 29, 2006, to April 26, 2013, in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and Cologne, Germany. Exome sequencing data of families were filtered for rare variants in the complement factor H (CFH), complement factor I (CFI), complement C9 (C9), and complement C3 (C3) genes. The case-control cohort was genotyped with allele-specific assays. Serum samples were obtained from carriers of identified variants (n = 177) and age-matched noncarriers (n = 157). Serum concentrations of factor H (FH), factor I (FI), C9, and C3 were measured, and C3b degradation ability was determined. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Association of rare variants in the CFH, CFI, C9, and C3 genes with AMD, serum levels of corresponding proteins, and C3b degradation ability of CFH and CFI variant carriers. RESULTS The 1831 unrelated patients with AMD had a mean (SD) age of 75.0 (9.4) years, and 60.5%were female. The 1367 unrelated control participants had a mean (SD) age of 70.4 (7.0), and 58.7%were female. All individuals were of European descent. Rare variants in CFH, CFI, C9, and C3 contributed to an increased risk of developing AMD (odds ratio, 2.04; 95%CI, 1.47-2.82; P < .001). CFI carriers had decreased median FI serum levels (18.2 μg/mL in Gly119Arg carriers and 16.2 μg/mL in Leu131Arg carriers vs 27.2 and 30.4 μg/mL in noncarrier cases and controls, respectively; both P < .001). Elevated C9 levels were observed in Pro167Ser carriers (10.7 μg/mL vs 6.6 and 6.1 μg/mL in noncarrier cases and controls, respectively; P < .001). The median FH serum levels were 299.4 μg/mL for CFH Arg175Gln and 266.3 μg/mL for CFH Ser193Leu carriers vs 302.4 and 283.0 μg/mL for noncarrier cases and controls, respectively. The median C3 serum levels were 943.2 μg/mL for C3 Arg161Trp and 946.7 μg/mL for C3 Lys155Gln carriers vs 874.0 and 946.7 μg/mL for noncarrier cases and controls, respectively. The FH and FI levels correlated with C3b degradation in noncarriers (R2 = 0.35 and R2 = 0.31, respectively; both P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Reduced serum levels were associated with C3b degradation in carriers of CFI but not CFH variants, suggesting that CFH variants affect functional activity of FH rather than serum levels. Carriers of CFH (Arg175Gln and Ser193Leu) and CFI (Gly119Arg and Leu131Arg) variants have an impaired ability to regulate complement activation and may benefit more from complement-inhibiting therapy than patients with AMD in general.
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| 14. |
- Gennemark, Peter, et al.
(author)
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An oral antisense oligonucleotide for PCSK9 inhibition
- 2021
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In: Science Translational Medicine. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 13:593
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inhibitors of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and are used for treatment of dyslipidemia. Current PCSK9 inhibitors are administered via subcutaneous injection. We present a highly potent, chemically modified PCSK9 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) with potential for oral delivery. Past attempts at oral delivery using earlier-generation ASO chemistries and transient permeation enhancers provided encouraging data, suggesting that improving potency of the ASO could make oral delivery a reality. The constrained ethyl chemistry and liver targeting enabled by N-acetylgalactosamine conjugation make this ASO highly potent. A single subcutaneous dose of 90 mg reduced PCSK9 by >90% in humans with elevated LDL cholesterol and a monthly subcutaneous dose of around 25 mg is predicted to reduce PCSK9 by 80% at steady state. To investigate the feasibility of oral administration, the ASO was coformulated in a tablet with sodium caprate as permeation enhancer. Repeated oral daily dosing in dogs resulted in a bioavailability of 7% in the liver (target organ), about fivefold greater than the plasma bioavailability. Target engagement after oral administration was confirmed by intrajejunal administration of a rat-specific surrogate ASO in solution with the enhancer to rats and by plasma PCSK9 and LDL cholesterol lowering in cynomolgus monkey after tablet administration. On the basis of an assumption of 5% liver bioavailability after oral administration in humans, a daily dose of 15 mg is predicted to reduce circulating PCSK9 by 80% at steady state, supporting the development of the compound for oral administration to treat dyslipidemia.
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| 15. |
- Hall-Wilton, Richard, et al.
(author)
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Detectors for the European Spallation Source
- 2012
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In: 2012 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Record (NSS/MIC). - 1082-3654. ; , s. 4283-4289
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden will become the world's leading neutron source for the study of materials by 2025. First neutrons will be produced in 2019. It will be a long pulse source, with an average beam power of 5 MW delivered to the target station. The pulse length will be 2.86 ms and the repetition rate 14 Hz. The ESS is presently in a design update phase, which ends in February 2013 with a Technical Design Report (TDR). Construction will subsequently start with the goal of bringing the first seven instruments into operation in 2019 at the same time as the source. The full baseline suite of 22 instruments will be brought online by 2025. These instruments present numerous challenges for detector technology in the absence of the availability of Helium-3, which is the default choice for detectors for instruments built until today. Additionally a new generation of source requires a new generation of detector technologies to fully exploit the opportunities that this source provides. This contribution presents briefly the current status of the ESS, and outlines the timeline to completion. The number of instruments and the framework for the decisions on which instruments should be built are shown. For a conjectured full instrument suite, which has been chosen for demonstration purposes for the TDR, a snapshot of the current expected detector requirements is presented. An outline as to how some of these requirements might be tackled is shown. Given that the delivery of the ESS TDR is only a few months away, this contribution reflects strongly the content of the TDR.
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| 16. |
- Hoffman, Tove, et al.
(author)
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Co-Occurrence of Francisella, Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia, and Midichloria in Avian-Associated Hyalomma rufipes
- 2022
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In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI. - 2076-2607. ; 10:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The migratory behavior of wild birds contributes to the geographical spread of ticks and their microorganisms. In this study, we aimed to investigate the dispersal and co-occurrence of Francisella and spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) in ticks infesting birds migrating northward in the African-Western Palaearctic region (AWPR). Birds were trapped with mist nests across the Mediterranean basin during the 2014 and 2015 spring migration. In total, 575 ticks were collected from 244 birds. We screened the ticks for the species Francisella tularensis, the genus Francisella, and SFGR by microfluidic real-time PCR. Confirmatory analyses and metagenomic sequencing were performed on tick samples that putatively tested positive for F. tularensis during initial screenings. Hyalomma rufipes was the most common tick species and had a high prevalence of Francisella, including co-occurrence of Francisella and SFGR. Metagenomic analysis of total DNA extracted from two H. rufipes confirmed the presence of Francisella, Rickettsia, and Midichloria. Average nucleotide identity and phylogenetic inference indicated the highest identity of the metagenome-assembled genomes to a Francisella-like endosymbiont (FLE), Rickettsia aeschlimannii, and Midichloria mitochondrii. The results of this study suggest that (i) FLE- and SFGR-containing ticks are dispersed by northbound migratory birds in the AWPR, (ii) H. rufipes likely is not involved in transmission of F. tularensis in the AWPR, and (iii) a dual endosymbiosis of FLEs and Midichloria may support some of the nutritional requirements of H. rufipes.
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| 17. |
- Holt, Margrethe, et al.
(author)
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Selective and marked decrease of complement receptor C5aR2 in human thoracic aortic aneurysms : a dysregulation with potential inflammatory effects
- 2019
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In: Open heart. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2053-3624. ; 6:2, s. 1-8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The aetiology of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is largely unknown, but inflammation is likely to play a central role in the pathogenesis. In this present study, we aim to investigate the complement receptors in TAA. Methods Aortic tissue and blood from 31 patients with non-syndromic TAA undergoing thoracic aortic repair surgery were collected. Aortic tissue and blood from 36 patients with atherosclerosis undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery or aortic valve replacement were collected and served as control material. The expression of the complement anaphylatoxin receptors C3aR1, C5aR1 and C5aR2 in aortic tissue were examined by quantitative RT-PCR and C5aR2 protein by immunohistochemistry. Colocalisation of C5aR2 to different cell types was analysed by immunofluorescence. Complement activation products C3bc and sC5b-9 were measured in plasma. Results Compared with controls, TAA patients had substantial (73%) downregulated gene expression of C5aR2 as seen both at the mRNA (p=0.005) level and protein (p=0.03) level. In contrast, there were no differences in the expression of C3aR1 and C5aR1 between the two groups. Immunofluorescence examination showed that C5aR2 was colocalised to macrophages and T cells in the aortic media. There were no differences in the degree of systemic complement activation between the two groups. Conclusion Our findings suggest downregulation of the C5aR2, regarded to act mainly anti-inflammatory, in electively operated TAA as compared with non-aneurysmatic aortas of patients with aortic stenosis and/or coronary artery disease. This may tip the balance towards a relative increase in the inflammatory responses induced by C5aR1 and thus enhance the inflammatory processes in TAA.
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| 18. |
- Hong, Seung-Sun, et al.
(author)
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TCPtransform : Property-Oriented TCP Traffic Transformation
- 2005
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A TCPdump file captures not only packets but also various "properties" related to the live TCP sessions on the Internet. It is still an open problem to identify all the possible properties, if ever possible, and more importantly, which properties really matter for the consumers of this particular TCPdump file and how they are related to each other. However, it is quite clear that existing traffic replay tools, for the purpose of system evaluation, such as TCPreplay destroyed at least some of critical properties such as "ghost acknowledgment" (while the origin packet has never been delivered), which is a critical issue in conducting experimental evaluations for intrusion detection systems. In this paper, we present a software tool to transform an existing TCPdump file into another traffic file with different "properties". For instance, if the original traffic is being captured in a laboratory environment, the new file might "appear" to be captured in between US and Sweden. The transformation we have done here is "heuristically consistent" as there might be some hidden properties still being destroyed in the transformation process. One interesting application of our tool is to build long-term profiles to detect anomalous TCP attacks without really running the target application over the Internet. While, in this paper, we only focus on property-oriented traffic transformation, we have built and evaluated an interactive version of this tool, called TCPopera, to evaluate commercial intrusion prevention systems.
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| 19. |
- Jensen, Kim Steen, et al.
(author)
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FoxO3A promotes metabolic adaptation to hypoxia by antagonizing Myc function
- 2011
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In: EMBO Journal. - : Wiley. - 1460-2075 .- 0261-4189. ; 30:22, s. 4554-4570
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exposure of metazoan organisms to hypoxia engages a metabolic switch orchestrated by the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 mediates induction of glycolysis and active repression of mitochondrial respiration that reduces oxygen consumption and inhibits the production of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we show that FoxO3A is activated in hypoxia downstream of HIF-1 and mediates the hypoxic repression of a set of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes. FoxO3A is required for hypoxic suppression of mitochondrial mass, oxygen consumption, and ROS production and promotes cell survival in hypoxia. FoxO3A is recruited to the promoters of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes where it directly antagonizes c-Myc function via a mechanism that does not require binding to the consensus FoxO recognition element. Furthermore, we show that FoxO3A is activated in human hypoxic tumour tissue in vivo and that FoxO3A shor-thairpin RNA (shRNA)-expressing xenograft tumours are decreased in size and metabolically changed. Our findings define a novel mechanism by which FoxO3A promotes metabolic adaptation and stress resistance in hypoxia. The EMBO Journal (2011) 30, 4554-4570. doi:10.1038/emboj.2011.323; Published online 13 September 2011
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| 20. |
- Jonsson, Stefan, et al.
(author)
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Identification of sequence variants influencing immunoglobulin levels
- 2017
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 49:8, s. 1182-1191
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Immunoglobulins are the effector molecules of the adaptive humoral immune system. In a genome-wide association study of 19,219 individuals, we found 38 new variants and replicated 5 known variants associating with IgA, IgG or IgM levels or with composite immunoglobulin traits, accounted for by 32 loci. Variants at these loci also affect the risk of autoimmune diseases and blood malignancies and influence blood cell development. Notable associations include a rare variant at RUNX3 decreasing IgA levels by shifting isoform proportions (rs188468174[C>T]: P = 8.3 × 10(-55), β = -0.90 s.d.), a rare in-frame deletion in FCGR2B abolishing IgG binding to the encoded receptor (p.Asn106del: P = 4.2 × 10(-8), β = 1.03 s.d.), four IGH locus variants influencing class switching, and ten new associations with the HLA region. Our results provide new insight into the regulation of humoral immunity.
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| 21. |
- Jung, Christian, et al.
(author)
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A comparison of very old patients admitted to intensive care unit after acute versus elective surgery or intervention
- 2019
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In: Journal of critical care. - : W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC. - 0883-9441 .- 1557-8615. ; 52, s. 141-148
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: We aimed to evaluate differences in outcome between patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) after elective versus acute surgery in a multinational cohort of very old patients (80 years; VIP). Predictors of mortality, with special emphasis on frailty, were assessed.Methods: In total, 5063 VIPs were induded in this analysis, 922 were admitted after elective surgery or intervention, 4141 acutely, with 402 after acute surgery. Differences were calculated using Mann-Whitney-U test and Wilcoxon test. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess associations with mortality.Results: Compared patients admitted after acute surgery, patients admitted after elective surgery suffered less often from frailty as defined as CFS (28% vs 46%; p < 0.001), evidenced lower SOFA scores (4 +/- 5 vs 7 +/- 7; p < 0.001). Presence of frailty (CFS >4) was associated with significantly increased mortality both in elective surgery patients (7% vs 12%; p = 0.01), in acute surgery (7% vs 12%; p = 0.02).Conclusions: VIPs admitted to ICU after elective surgery evidenced favorable outcome over patients after acute surgery even after correction for relevant confounders. Frailty might be used to guide clinicians in risk stratification in both patients admitted after elective and acute surgery.
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| 22. |
- Kremlitzka, Mariann, et al.
(author)
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Functional analyses of rare genetic variants in complement component C9 identified in patients with age-related macular degeneration
- 2018
-
In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 27:15, s. 2678-2688
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease of the central retina and the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the western world. The involvement of abnormal complement activation in AMD has been suggested by association of variants in genes encoding complement proteins with disease development. A low-frequency variant (p.P167S) in the complement component C9 (C9) gene was recently shown to be highly associated with AMD; however, its functional outcome remains largely unexplored. In this study, we reveal five novel rare genetic variants (p.M45L, p.F62S, p.G126R, p.T170I and p.A529T) in C9 in AMD patients, and evaluate their functional effects in vitro together with the previously identified (p.R118Wand p.P167S) C9 variants. Our results demonstrate that the concentration of C9 is significantly elevated in patients' sera carrying the p.M45L, p.F62S, p.P167S and p.A529T variants compared with non-carrier controls. However, no difference can be observed in soluble terminal complement complex levels between the carrier and non-carrier groups. Comparing the polymerization of the C9 variants we reveal that the p.P167S mutant spontaneously aggregates, while the other mutant proteins (except for C9 p.A529T) fail to polymerize in the presence of zinc. Altered polymerization of the p.F62S and p.P167S proteins associated with decreased lysis of sheep erythrocytes and adult retinal pigment epithelial-19 cells by carriers' sera. Our data suggest that the analyzed C9 variants affect only the secretion and polymerization of C9, without influencing its classical lytic activity. Future studies need to be performed to understand the implications of the altered polymerization of C9 in AMD pathology.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Lunde, Ngoc Nguyen, et al.
(author)
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Legumain is upregulated in acute cardiovascular events and associated with improved outcome - potentially related to anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages
- 2020
-
In: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier. - 0021-9150 .- 1879-1484. ; 296, s. 74-82
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aims: We have previously found increased levels of the cysteine protease legumain in plasma and plaques from patients with carotid atherosclerosis. This study further investigated legumain during acute cardiovascular events.Methods: Circulating levels of legumain from patients and legumain released from platelets were assessed by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay. Quantitative PCR and immunoblotting were used to study expression, while localization was visualized by immunohistochemistry.Results: In the SUMMIT Malmo cohort (n = 339 with or without type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease [CVD], and 64 healthy controls), the levels of circulating legumain were associated with the presence of CVD in non-diabetics, with no relation to outcome. In symptomatic carotid plaques and in samples from both coronary and intracerebral thrombi obtained during acute cardiovascular events, legumain was co-localized with macrophages in the same regions as platelets. In vitro, legumain was shown to be present in and released from platelets upon activation. In addition, THP-1 macrophages exposed to releasate from activated platelets showed increased legumain expression. Interestingly, primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with recombinant legumain promoted anti-inflammatory responses. Finally, in a STEMI population (POSTEMI; n = 272), patients had significantly higher circulating legumain before and immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention compared with healthy controls (n = 67), and high levels were associated with improved outcome.Conclusions: Our data demonstrate for the first time that legumain is upregulated during acute cardiovascular events and is associated with improved outcome.
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| 25. |
- Malmlof, Torun, et al.
(author)
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Deuterium substitutions in the L-DOPA molecule improve its anti-akinetic potency without increasing dyskinesias
- 2010
-
In: Experimental Neurology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0014-4886 .- 1090-2430. ; 225:2, s. 408-415
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Treatment of Parkinson's disease is complicated by a high incidence of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID). Strategies to prevent the development of LID aim at providing more stable dopaminergic stimulation. We have previously shown that deuterium substitutions in the L-DOPA molecule (D3-L-DOPA) yield dopamine that appears more resistant to enzymatic breakdown. We here investigated the effects of D3-L-DOPA on motor performance and development of dyskinesias in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease. Through acute experiments, monitoring rotational behavior, dose effect curves were established for D3-L-DOPA and L-DOPA. The equipotent dose of D3-L-DOPA was estimated to be 60% of L-DOPA. Subsequently, animals were treated with either the equipotent dose of D3-L-DOPA (5 mg/kg), the equivalent dose of D3-L-DOPA (8 mg/kg), L-DOPA (8 mg/kg) or vehicle. The equivalent dose of D3-L-DOPA produced superior anti-akinetic effects compared to L-DOPA in the cylinder test (p<0.05), whereas the equipotent dose of D3-L-DOPA produced an anti-akinetic effect similar to L-DOPA. Dyskinesias developed to the same degree in the groups treated with equivalent doses of D3-L-DOPA and L-DOPA. The equipotent dose of D3-L-DOPA induced fewer dyskinesias than L-DOPA (p<0.05). In conclusion, our study provides evidence for improved potency and reduced side-effects of L-DOPA by deuterium substitutions in the molecule. These results are of clinical interest since the occurrence of LID is related to the total L-DOPA dose administered. D3-L-DOPA may thus represent a novel strategy to reduce the total dose requirement and yet achieve an effective control of parkinsonian symptoms. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 26. |
- Maria Psonka-Antonczyk, Katarzyna, et al.
(author)
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Nanoscopic and Photonic Ultrastructural Characterization of Two Distinct Insulin Amyloid States
- 2012
-
In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI AG, POSTFACH, CH-4005 BASEL, SWITZERLAND. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 13:2, s. 1461-1480
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two different conformational isoforms or amyloid strains of insulin with different cytotoxic capacity have been described previously. Herein these filamentous and fibrillar amyloid states of insulin were investigated using biophysical and spectroscopic techniques in combination with luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCO). This new class of fluorescent probes has a well defined molecular structure with a distinct number of thiophene units that can adopt different dihedral angles depending on its binding site to an amyloid structure. Based on data from surface charge, hydrophobicity, fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging, along with atomic force microscopy (AFM), we deduce the ultrastructure and fluorescent properties of LCO stained insulin fibrils and filaments. Combined total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) and AFM revealed rigid linear fibrous assemblies of fibrils whereas filaments showed a short curvilinear morphology which assemble into cloudy deposits. All studied LCOs bound to the filaments afforded more blue-shifted excitation and emission spectra in contrast to those corresponding to the fibril indicating a different LCO binding site, which was also supported by less efficient hydrophobic probe binding. Taken together, the multi-tool approach used here indicates the power of ultrastructure identification applying AFM together with LCO fluorescence interrogation, including TIRFM, to resolve structural differences between amyloid states.
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| 27. |
- Nilsson, Anders K., 1982, et al.
(author)
-
PSB33 protein sustains photosystem II in plant chloroplasts under UV-A light
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Experimental Botany. - OXFORD ENGLAND : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0022-0957 .- 1460-2431. ; 71:22, s. 7210-7223
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plants can quickly and dynamically respond to spectral and intensity variations of the incident light. These responses include activation of developmental processes, morphological changes, and photosynthetic acclimation that ensure optimal energy conversion and minimal photoinhibition. Plant adaptation and acclimation to environmental changes have been extensively studied, but many details surrounding these processes remain elusive. The photosystem II (PSII)-associated protein PSB33 plays a fundamental role in sustaining PSII as well as in the regulation of the light antenna in fluctuating light. We investigated how PSB33 knock-out Arabidopsis plants perform under different light qualities. psb33 plants displayed a reduction of 88% of total fresh weight compared to wild type plants when cultivated at the boundary of UV-A and blue light. The sensitivity towards UV-A light was associated with a lower abundance of PSII proteins, which reduces psb33 plants' capacity for photosynthesis. The UV-A phenotype was found to be linked to altered phytohormone status and changed thylakoid ultrastructure. Our results collectively show that PSB33 is involved in a UV-A light-mediated mechanism to maintain a functional PSII pool in the chloroplast.
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| 28. |
- Nilsson, Anna-Lena, et al.
(author)
-
Relationship between Ljungan virus antibodies, HLA-DQ8, and insulin autoantibodies in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes children
- 2013
-
In: Viral immunology. - : Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. - 0882-8245 .- 1557-8976. ; 26:3, s. 207-215
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental factors, including viral infections, may explain an increasing and fluctuating incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D). Ljungan virus (LV) isolated from bank voles have been implicated, but it is unclear whether LV contributes to islet autoimmunity, progression to clinical onset, or both, of T1D. The aim was to test whether LV antibodies (LVAb) were related to HLA-DQ and islet autoantibodies in newly diagnosed T1D patients (n = 676) and controls (n = 309). Patients, 0-18 years of age, diagnosed with T1D in 1996-2005 were analyzed for LVAb, HLA-DQ genotypes, and all seven known islet autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A, IAA, ICA, ZnT8RA, ZnT8WA, and ZnT8QA). LVAb at 75th percentile, defined as cut off, was 90 (range 6-3936) U/mL and 4th quartile LVAb were found in 25% (170/676) of which 64% were < 10 (n = 108, p < 0.0001), and 27% were < 5 (n = 45; p < 0.0001) years old. The 4th quartile LVAb in children < 10 years of age correlated to HLA DQ2/8, 8/8, and 8/X (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, in the group with 4th quartile LVAb, 55% were IAA positive (p = 0.01) and correlation was found between 4th quartile LVAb and IAA in children < 10 years of age (p = 0.035). It is concluded that 1) LVAb were common among the young T1D patients and LVAb levels were higher in the younger age groups; 2) 4th quartile LVAb correlated with IAA; and 3) there was a correlation between 4th quartile LVAb and HLA-DQ8, particularly in the young patients. The presence of LVAb supports the notion that prior exposure to LV may be associated with T1D.
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| 29. |
- Nilsson, Anna-Lena, et al.
(author)
-
Relationship Between Ljungan Virus Antibodies, HLA-DQ8, and Insulin Autoantibodies in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Children
- 2013
-
In: Viral Immunology. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 0882-8245 .- 1557-8976. ; 26:3, s. 207-215
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental factors, including viral infections, may explain an increasing and fluctuating incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D). Ljungan virus (LV) isolated from bank voles have been implicated, but it is unclear whether LV contributes to islet autoimmunity, progression to clinical onset, or both, of T1D. The aim was to test whether LV antibodies (LVAb) were related to HLA-DQ and islet autoantibodies in newly diagnosed T1D patients (n = 676) and controls (n = 309). Patients, 0-18 years of age, diagnosed with T1D in 1996-2005 were analyzed for LVAb, HLA-DQ genotypes, and all seven known islet autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A, IAA, ICA, ZnT8RA, ZnT8WA, and ZnT8QA). LVAb at 75th percentile, defined as cut off, was 90 (range 6-3936) U/mL and 4th quartile LVAb were found in 25% (170/676) of which 64% were < 10 (n = 108, p < 0.0001), and 27% were < 5 (n = 45; p < 0.0001) years old. The 4th quartile LVAb in children < 10 years of age correlated to HLA DQ2/8, 8/8, and 8/X (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, in the group with 4th quartile LVAb, 55% were IAA positive (p = 0.01) and correlation was found between 4th quartile LVAb and IAA in children < 10 years of age (p = 0.035). It is concluded that 1) LVAb were common among the young T1D patients and LVAb levels were higher in the younger age groups; 2) 4th quartile LVAb correlated with IAA; and 3) there was a correlation between 4th quartile LVAb and HLA-DQ8, particularly in the young patients. The presence of LVAb supports the notion that prior exposure to LV may be associated with T1D.
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| 30. |
- Nilsson, Jonas, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Expression of influenza A virus glycan receptor candidates in mallard, chicken, and tufted duck
- 2024
-
In: GLYCOBIOLOGY. - 0959-6658 .- 1460-2423. ; 34:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Influenza A virus (IAV) pandemics result from interspecies transmission events within the avian reservoir and further into mammals including humans. Receptor incompatibility due to differently expressed glycan structures between species has been suggested to limit zoonotic IAV transmission from the wild bird reservoir as well as between different bird species. Using glycoproteomics, we have studied the repertoires of expressed glycan structures with focus on putative sialic acid-containing glycan receptors for IAV in mallard, chicken and tufted duck; three bird species with different roles in the zoonotic ecology of IAV. The methodology used pinpoints specific glycan structures to specific glycosylation sites of identified glycoproteins and was also used to successfully discriminate alpha 2-3- from alpha 2-6-linked terminal sialic acids by careful analysis of oxonium ions released from glycopeptides in tandem MS/MS (MS2), and MS/MS/MS (MS3). Our analysis clearly demonstrated that all three bird species can produce complex N-glycans including alpha 2-3-linked sialyl Lewis structures, as well as both N- and O- glycans terminated with both alpha 2-3- and alpha 2-6-linked Neu5Ac. We also found the recently identified putative IAV receptor structures, Man-6P N-glycopeptides, in all tissues of the three bird species. Furthermore, we found many similarities in the repertoires of expressed receptors both between the bird species investigated and to previously published data from pigs and humans. Our findings of sialylated glycan structures, previously anticipated to be mammalian specific, in all three bird species may have major implications for our understanding of the role of receptor incompatibility in interspecies transmission of IAV.
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| 31. |
- Nilsson, Markus, et al.
(author)
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Influence of polydispersity on the micellization of triblock copolymers investigated by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance
- 2007
-
In: Macromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0024-9297 .- 1520-5835. ; 40:23, s. 8250-8258
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The molecular motion in water of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer with the nominal composition EO97PO68EO97 (F127) was investigated with the aid of pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR). The signal decays in the PFG experiments have been recorded for 1 wt % F127 in the temperature range from 288 to 313 K and in the concentration range 0.1-35 wt % at 298 K. Below the critical micellization temperature (cmt) or the critical micellization concentration (cmc), the PFG signal decays approximately linearly when the intensities are plotted on a logarithmic scale versus the experimentally relevant parameter. At the cmt or cmc, the signal decays are curved. The NMR data were processed using inverse Laplace transformation to obtain the distribution of self-diffusion coefficients, P(D). At 288 K for a I wt % solution, a narrow distribution was observed, while at 362 K a bimodal distribution was observed. This observation can be explained by the polydispersity of the polymer. It implies that, at a given temperature, only the more hydrophobic compound of F127 takes part in the aggregation process, while the more hydrophilic components diffuse as free nonassociated polymer. Increasing the temperature to 313 K resulted in a monomodal distribution, suggesting that all the polymers are aggregated. It is suggested that an ideal mixing model for the Pluronic micelles can explain the self-diffusion data. The NMR self-diffusion raw data were also analyzed with the COmponent REsolved (CORE; Stilbs, P.; Paulsen, K. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1996, 67, 43804386) algorithm, resulting in spectra for free block copolymer and micellized block copolymer. With an increase in temperature, the intensity of the peaks for free block copolymer is reduced, whereas the intensity of the peaks for aggregated block copolymer. increases. The ratios between the size of the PEO and PPO blocks (mEO/nPO) show a marked increase in free polymer compared to the ratio observed in micellized polymer when the temperature is increased. The effect of added salts to a I wt % F 127 solution at 303 K was investigated to determine how the populations of free and micellized surfactant were changed on account of the ions present. Finally, the diffusion behavior of Pluronic F68 (EO76PO29EO76) at 35 wt % has been investigated from 298 to 313 K. Both the diffusion time and the time of the gradient have been varied. The data show that the diffusion is Gaussian in the temperature range.
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| 32. |
- Nilsson, Peter, et al.
(author)
-
Metabola syndromet i blåsväder. Internationell strid om riskfaktorkomplexets vetenskapliga grund
- 2005
-
In: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205. ; 102:44, s. 3-3202
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- En ansamling av riskfaktorerna bukfetma, hypertoni, dyslipidemi och glukosintolerans på basis av insulinresistens brukar ofta betecknas som metabola syndromet, men denna term är för närvarande omstridd i den internationella vetenskapliga debatten. Oavsett benämning finns denna riskfaktoransamling hos många individer och bör inte ignoreras. Rådgivning och hjälp till en förbättrad livsstil med kost, motion, rökstopp och stresshantering utgör grunden för behandling av detta riskfaktorkomplex.
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| 33. |
- Nilsson, Susanna, et al.
(author)
-
Cross-Organizational Collaboration Supported by Augmented Reality
- 2011
-
In: IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1077-2626 .- 1941-0506. ; 17:10, s. 1380-1392
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a study where Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been used as a tool for supporting collaboration between the rescue services, the police and military personnel in a crisis management scenario. There are few studies on how AR systems should be designed to improve cooperation between actors from different organizations while at the same time supporting individual needs. In the present study, an AR system was utilized for supporting joint planning tasks by providing organization specific views of a shared map. The study involved a simulated emergency event conducted in close to real settings with representatives from the organizations for which the system is developed. As a baseline, a series of trials without the AR system was carried out. Results show that the users were positive toward the AR system and would like to use it in real work. They also experience some performance benefits of using the AR system compared to their traditional tools. Finally, the problem of designing for collaborative work as well as the benefits of using an iterative design processes is discussed.
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| 34. |
- Nilsson, Susanna, et al.
(author)
-
Cross-Organizational Collaboration Supported by Augmented Reality
- 2011
-
In: IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1077-2626 .- 1941-0506. ; 17:10, s. 1380-1392
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a study where Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been used as a tool for supporting collaboration between the rescue services, the police and military personnel in a crisis management scenario. There are few studies on how AR systems should be designed to improve cooperation between actors from different organizations while at the same time supporting individual needs. In the present study, an AR system was utilized for supporting joint planning tasks by providing organization specific views of a shared map. The study involved a simulated emergency event conducted in close to real settings with representatives from the organizations for which the system is developed. As a baseline, a series of trials without the AR system was carried out. Results show that the users were positive toward the AR system and would like to use it in real work. They also experience some performance benefits of using the AR system compared to their traditional tools. Finally, the problem of designing for collaborative work as well as the benefits of using an iterative design processes is discussed.
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| 35. |
- Nyström, Sofie, et al.
(author)
-
Evidence for Age-Dependent in Vivo Conformational Rearrangement within A beta Amyloid Deposits
- 2013
-
In: ACS Chemical Biology. - : American Chemical Society. - 1554-8929 .- 1554-8937. ; 8:6, s. 1128-1133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deposition of aggregated A beta peptide in the brain is one of the major hallmarks of Alzheimers disease. Using a combination of two structurally different, but related, hypersensitive fluorescent amyloid markers, LCOs, reporting on separate ultrastructural elements, we show that conformational rearrangement occurs within A beta plaques of transgenic mouse models as the animals age. This important mechanistic insight should aid the design and evaluation of experiments currently using plaque load as readout.
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| 36. |
- Oddsson, Asmundur, et al.
(author)
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Deficit of homozygosity among 1.52 million individuals and genetic causes of recessive lethality
- 2023
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genotypes causing pregnancy loss and perinatal mortality are depleted among living individuals and are therefore difficult to find. To explore genetic causes of recessive lethality, we searched for sequence variants with deficit of homozygosity among 1.52 million individuals from six European populations. In this study, we identified 25 genes harboring protein-altering sequence variants with a strong deficit of homozygosity (10% or less of predicted homozygotes). Sequence variants in 12 of the genes cause Mendelian disease under a recessive mode of inheritance, two under a dominant mode, but variants in the remaining 11 have not been reported to cause disease. Sequence variants with a strong deficit of homozygosity are over-represented among genes essential for growth of human cell lines and genes orthologous to mouse genes known to affect viability. The function of these genes gives insight into the genetics of intrauterine lethality. We also identified 1077 genes with homozygous predicted loss-of-function genotypes not previously described, bringing the total set of genes completely knocked out in humans to 4785.
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| 37. |
- Olafsson, S, et al.
(author)
-
Fourteen sequence variants that associate with multiple sclerosis discovered by meta-analysis informed by genetic correlations
- 2017
-
In: NPJ genomic medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2056-7944. ; 2, s. 24-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A meta-analysis of publicly available summary statistics on multiple sclerosis combined with three Nordic multiple sclerosis cohorts (21,079 cases, 371,198 controls) revealed seven sequence variants associating with multiple sclerosis, not reported previously. Using polygenic risk scores based on public summary statistics of variants outside the major histocompatibility complex region we quantified genetic overlap between common autoimmune diseases in Icelanders and identified disease clusters characterized by autoantibody presence/absence. As multiple sclerosis-polygenic risk scores captures the risk of primary biliary cirrhosis and vice versa (P = 1.6 × 10−7, 4.3 × 10−9) we used primary biliary cirrhosis as a proxy-phenotype for multiple sclerosis, the idea being that variants conferring risk of primary biliary cirrhosis have a prior probability of conferring risk of multiple sclerosis. We tested 255 variants forming the primary biliary cirrhosis-polygenic risk score and found seven multiple sclerosis-associating variants not correlated with any previously established multiple sclerosis variants. Most of the variants discovered are close to or within immune-related genes. One is a low-frequency missense variant in TYK2, another is a missense variant in MTHFR that reduces the function of the encoded enzyme affecting methionine metabolism, reported to be dysregulated in multiple sclerosis brain.
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| 38. |
- Orrem, Hilde L., et al.
(author)
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IL-6 Receptor Inhibition by Tocilizumab Attenuated Expression of C5a Receptor 1 and 2 in Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
- 2018
-
In: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and complement activation are associated with detrimental effects of inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD). The complement anaphylatoxins C5a and C3a interact with their receptors; the highly inflammatory C5aR1, and the C5aR2 and C3aR. We evaluated the effect of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R)-antagonist tocilizumab on the expression of the anaphylatoxin receptors in whole blood from non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients. Separately, anaphylatoxin receptor expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with different entities of CAD was investigated. Materials and Methods: NSTEMI patients were randomized to one dose of tocilizumab (n = 28) or placebo (n = 32) and observed for 6 months. Whole blood samples drawn at inclusion, at day 2, 3 and after 6 months were used for mRNA isolation. Plasma was prepared for analysis of complement activation measured as sC5b-9 by ELISA. Furthermore, patients with different CAD entities comprising stable angina pectoris (SAP, n = 22), non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS, n = 21) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI, n = 20) were included. PBMC was isolated from blood samples obtained at admission to hospital and mRNA isolated. Anaphylatoxin-receptor-expression was analyzed with qPCR using mRNA from whole blood and PBMC, respectively. Results: Our main findings were (i) Tocilizumab decreased C5aR1 and C5aR2 mRNA expression significantly (p < 0.001) and substantially (> 50%) at day 2 and 3, whereas C3aR expression was unaffected. (ii) Tocilizumab did not affect complement activation. (iii) In analyzes of different CAD entities, C5aR1 expression was significantly increased in all CAD subgroups compared to controls with the highest level in the STEMI patients (p < 0.001). For C5aR2 and C3aR the expression compared to controls were more moderate with increased expression of C5aR2 in the STEMI group (p < 0.05) and C3aR in the NSTE-ACS group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Expression of C5aR1 and C5aR2 in whole blood was significantly attenuated by IL-6R-inhibition in NSTEMI patients. These receptors were significantly upregulated in PBMC CAD patients with particularly high levels of C5aR1 in STEMI patients.
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| 39. |
- Parikh, Hemang, et al.
(author)
-
TXNIP regulates peripheral glucose metabolism in humans
- 2007
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In: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1676. ; 4:5, s. 868-879
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM) is characterized by defects in insulin secretion and action. Impaired glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is believed to be one of the earliest features in the natural history of T2DM, although underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Methods and Findings We combined human insulin/glucose clamp physiological studies with genome-wide expression profiling to identify thioredoxin interacting protein ( TXNIP) as a gene whose expression is powerfully suppressed by insulin yet stimulated by glucose. In healthy individuals, its expression was inversely correlated to total body measures of glucose uptake. Forced expression of TXNIP in cultured adipocytes significantly reduced glucose uptake, while silencing with RNA interference in adipocytes and in skeletal muscle enhanced glucose uptake, confirming that the gene product is also a regulator of glucose uptake. TXNIP expression is consistently elevated in the muscle of prediabetics and diabetics, although in a panel of 4,450 Scandinavian individuals, we found no evidence for association between common genetic variation in the TXNIP gene and T2DM. Conclusions TXNIP regulates both insulin-dependent and insulin- independent pathways of glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle. Combined with recent studies that have implicated TXNIP in pancreatic beta-cell glucose toxicity, our data suggest that TXNIP might play a key role in defective glucose homeostasis preceding overt T2DM.
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| 40. |
- Schmidt, Amand F., et al.
(author)
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Phenome-wide association analysis of LDL-cholesterol lowering genetic variants in PCSK9
- 2019
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In: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. - : BMC. - 1471-2261 .- 1471-2261. ; 19:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: We characterised the phenotypic consequence of genetic variation at the PCSK9 locus and compared findings with recent trials of pharmacological inhibitors of PCSK9. Methods: Published and individual participant level data (300,000+ participants) were combined to construct a weighted PCSK9 gene-centric score (GS). Seventeen randomized placebo controlled PCSK9 inhibitor trials were included, providing data on 79,578 participants. Results were scaled to a one mmol/L lower LDL-C concentration. Results: The PCSK9 GS (comprising 4 SNPs) associations with plasma lipid and apolipoprotein levels were consistent in direction with treatment effects. The GS odds ratio (OR) for myocardial infarction (MI) was 0.53 (95% CI 0.42; 0.68), compared to a PCSK9 inhibitor effect of 0.90 (95% CI 0.86; 0.93). For ischemic stroke ORs were 0.84 (95% CI 0.57; 1.22) for the GS, compared to 0.85 (95% CI 0.78; 0.93) in the drug trials. ORs with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were 1.29 (95% CI 1.11; 1.50) for the GS, as compared to 1.00 (95% CI 0.96; 1.04) for incident T2DM in PCSK9 inhibitor trials. No genetic associations were observed for cancer, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or Alzheimer's disease - outcomes for which large-scale trial data were unavailable. Conclusions: Genetic variation at the PCSK9 locus recapitulates the effects of therapeutic inhibition of PCSK9 on major blood lipid fractions and MI. While indicating an increased risk of T2DM, no other possible safety concerns were shown; although precision was moderate.
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| 41. |
- Schmidt, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Expression of the Hutchinson-Gilford progeria mutation during osteoblast development results in loss of osteocytes, irregular mineralization, and poor biomechanical properties.
- 2012
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In: The Journal of biological chemistry. - 1083-351X. ; 287:40, s. 33512-33522
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a very rare genetic disorder that is characterized by multiple features of premature aging and largely affects tissues of mesenchymal origin. In this study, we describe the development of a tissue-specific mouse model that overexpresses the most common HGPS mutation (LMNA, c.1824C>T, p.G608G) in osteoblasts. Already at the age of 5 weeks, HGPS mutant mice show growth retardation, imbalanced gait and spontaneous fractures. Histopathological examination revealed an irregular bone structure, characterized by widespread loss of osteocytes, defects in mineralization, and a hypocellular red bone marrow. Computerized tomography analysis demonstrated impaired skeletal geometry and altered bone structure. The skeletal defects, which resemble the clinical features reported for bone disease in HGPS patients, was associated with an abnormal osteoblast differentiation. The osteoblast-specific expression of the HGPS mutation increased DNA damage and affected Wnt signaling. In the teeth, irregular dentin formation, as was previously demonstrated in human progeria cases, caused severe dental abnormalities affecting the incisors. The observed phenotype also shows similarities to reported bone abnormalities in aging mice and may therefore help to uncover general principles of the aging process.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- Stenstrom, Bjorn, et al.
(author)
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Swedish moist snuff accelerates gastric cancer development in Helicobacter pylori-infected wild-type and gastrin transgenic mice
- 2007
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In: Carcinogenesis. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0143-3334 .- 1460-2180. ; 28:9, s. 2041-2046
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Swedish variant of moist oral smokeless tobacco (snus) is popular in Sweden and Norway, banned from sale within the European Union and is currently being introduced in USA. The aim of the present study was to determine if snus is carcinogenic to the stomach, particularly in Helicobacter pylori (H.P.)-infected hosts at increased risk for gastric cancer development. Snus (General (TM); Swedish Match, Sweden) was mixed with powdered standard mouse chow at a concentration of 5-9% (wt/wt) and given to wild-type (WT, FVB) and gastrin transgenic (INS-GAS, FVB) mice for 6 months with or without H.P. (strain 67:21, CagA(+), VacA(+)) infection. At necropsy, pathological evaluation of stomachs from uninfected snus-treated WT mice showed mild morphological changes, whereas 50% snus-treated INS-GAS mice developed carcinoma in situ (CIS), compared with 25% not exposed to snus. When snus was given to H.P.-infected mice, 9 of 17 WT mice developed CIS with intramucosal invasion, and the remaining 8 of 17 WT mice developed high-grade dysplasia (score > 1.5) that was associated with increased gastritis, epithelial defects, oxyntic atrophy, hyperplasia and intestinal metaplasia. Twelve of 12 H.P.-infected INS-GAS mice developed CIS with intramucosal invasion and submucosal herniation. We suggest that snus is a potential gastric carcinogen in mice. The development of CIS was associated with increased rates of the epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis, common features of gastric carcinogenesis.
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| 45. |
- Ström, Daniel, 1971, et al.
(author)
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A new device for coating single particles under controlled conditions
- 2005
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In: Chemical Engineering Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-2509. ; 60, s. 4647-4653
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new device for coating a single levitated particle in a controllable environment is designed and tested. This enables fluidized bed processing to be simulated experimentally on a single-particle level. The device consists of a coating chamber, which contains a capillary tube for levitating the particle, a micro-dispenser for producing discrete drops of controlled size and velocity and a device for supplying gas with specified temperature and humidity. The coating chamber consists of two parts, a confined space where the particle is levitated and a droplet insertion cone where the coating solution is injected into the particle suspending gas flow. A capillary with a well-defined diameter connects the droplet insertion cone and the area where the particle is levitated. The device is equipped with a piezo-actuated flow-through micro-dispenser that has the ability to produce discrete droplets with high reproducibility in terms of droplet size and velocity. The gas required for the coating process is taken from a gas container where the water content is analysed and kept at a minimum. A liquid flow is then introduced into the gas flow at a well-defined flow rate, mixed and evaporated in a three-way mixing vault. The humidified gas flow is then split into two separate flows; a suspending gas flow and a protecting gas flow for the inside of the coating chamber. The device is equipped with a high-speed video camera for monitoring both droplet production and droplet impact. Temperatures and flow rates throughout the device are measured and logged. Preliminary results show the influence of solvent, gas quality and coating procedure on the quality of the coating.
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| 46. |
- Tesfa, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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The role of BAFF and G-CSF for rituximab-induced late-onset neutropenia (LON) in lymphomas
- 2021
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In: Medical Oncology. - : Humana Press. - 1357-0560 .- 1559-131X. ; 38:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mechanisms for late-onset neutropenia (LON) after rituximab treatment are poorly defined both for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and for autoimmune disorders. We performed a case-control analysis of a prospective cohort of 169 evaluable consecutive rituximab-treated NHL patients to assess cytokines involved in neutro- and lymphopoiesis (G-CSF, SDF1, BAFF, APRIL) and inflammation (CRP) as possible LON mechanisms. Fifteen patients (9%) developed LON (peripheral blood /PB/ absolute neutrophil counts /ANC/<0.5 G/L, all with marked depletion of CD20(+) B-lymphocytes in bone marrows); they were compared with 20 matched NHL controls without LON. At start of LON, significantly higher PB G-CSF and BAFF levels (P=0.0004 and 0.006, respectively), as well as CRP rises were noted compared to controls; these G-CSF and BAFF and most CRP values returned to levels of the controls in post-LON samples. G-CSF (but not BAFF) changes correlated to CRP rises (but not to ANC levels). BAFF levels correlated significantly to absolute monocyte counts and PB large granular lymphocyte counts (but not to ANC, C-CSF or CRP values). No changes of SDF1 or APRIL levels were noted. Neither LON cases nor controls displayed anti-neutrophil autoantibodies. Collectively, LON in NHL patients was timewise related to transient bursts of blood G-CSF and BAFF concentrations, suggesting that these neutro- and lymphopoiesis growth factors play a role in emergence of rituximab-induced LON, and that inflammation may be a trigger for G-CSF production during LON.
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| 47. |
- van de Ven, Johannes P. H., et al.
(author)
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A functional variant in the CFI gene confers a high risk of age-related macular degeneration
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 45:7, s. 813-813
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Up to half of the heritability of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is explained by common variants(1-5). Here, we report the identification of a rare, highly penetrant missense mutation in CFI encoding a p.Gly119Arg substitution that confers high risk of AMD (P = 3.79 x 10(-6); odds ratio (OR) = 22.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.98-164.49). Plasma and sera from cases carrying the p.Gly119Arg substitution mediated the degradation of C3b, both in the fluid phase and on the cell surface, to a lesser extent than those from controls. Recombinant protein studies showed that the Gly119Arg mutant protein is both expressed and secreted at lower levels than wild-type protein. Consistent with these findings, human CFI mRNA encoding Arg119 had reduced activity compared to wild-type mRNA encoding Gly119 in regulating vessel thickness and branching in the zebrafish retina. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that rare, highly penetrant mutations contribute to the genetic burden of AMD.
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| 48. |
- Weissmann, Mikael, Docent, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Hybrid Threats and Hybrid Warfare : Time for a Comprehensive Approach?
- 2021
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Hybrid warfare strategies blend conventional warfare, irregular warfare and cyber-attacks with other influencing methods, such as disinformation, diplomacy and foreign political inteference. There is a need for novel comprehensive approaches to counter them.
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