1. |
- Araújo, Susana, et al.
(author)
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Lexical and sublexical orthographic processing: An ERP study with skilled and dyslexic adult readers.
- 2015
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In: Brain and Language. - : Elsevier BV. - 1090-2155 .- 0093-934X. ; 141, s. 16-27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This ERP study investigated the cognitive nature of the P1-N1 components during orthographic processing. We used an implicit reading task with various types of stimuli involving different amounts of sublexical or lexical orthographic processing (words, pseudohomophones, pseudowords, nonwords, and symbols), and tested average and dyslexic readers. An orthographic regularity effect (pseudowords-nonwords contrast) was observed in the average but not in the dyslexic group. This suggests an early sensitivity to the dependencies among letters in word-forms that reflect orthographic structure, while the dyslexic brain apparently fails to be appropriately sensitive to these complex features. Moreover, in the adults the N1-response may already reflect lexical access: (i) the N1 was sensitive to the familiar vs. less familiar orthographic sequence contrast; (ii) and early effects of the phonological form (words-pseudohomophones contrast) were also found. Finally, the later N320 component was attenuated in the dyslexics, suggesting suboptimal processing in later stages of phonological analysis.
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2. |
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3. |
- Fiúza Rosa, Fábio, et al.
(author)
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Direct Reprogramming of Mouse and Human Fibroblasts into Conventional Dendritic Cells Type 1
- 2022
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In: Molecular Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9142 .- 0161-5890. ; 150, s. 22-22
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cell fate reprogramming of adult cells towards pluripotency or unrelated somatic cell-types has been explored in the context of regenerative medicine. Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) specialized in the recognition, processing and presentation of antigens to T-cells, inducing adaptive immunity. In particular, the mouse conventional DCs type 1 (cDC1) subset or DC1 human equivalent excel on the ability to perform antigen cross-presentation, a critical step for inducing cytotoxic responses. We hypothesized that the unique properties of cDC1s could be induced in unrelated cell-types, allowing the direct control of immune responses with cell reprogramming.Here, the requirements to induce cDC1s were investigated using combinatorial overexpression of Transcription Factors (TFs) in Clec9a-tdTomato mouse fibroblasts. In the hematopoietic system, Clec9a specifically marks the DC lineage, including all conventional dendritic cells type 1 (cDC1). We have identified PU.1, IRF8 and BATF3 (PIB) as sufficient and necessary to induce Clec9a reporter activation, establish DC morphology and activate a cDC1 transcriptional program in mouse fibroblasts. The over- expression of PIB ignites the expression of DC markers including CD103, XCR1, MHC-I, MHC-II and co-stimulatory molecules. Functionally, Induced DCs (iDCs) secrete inflammatory cytokines and engulf, process, present and cross-present antigens to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, respectively. Additionally, we have demonstrated that combined expression of PIB factors induces DC1 reprogramming in human fibroblasts. Human iDC1s acquire DC morphology, express DC1 markers, including Clec9a, CD141 and the co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80 and CD86, and acquire a DC1 transcriptional signature at the single cell level. Interestingly, DC1 reprogramming efficiency can be enhanced 70-fold by supplementing culture media with inflammatory cytokines, suggesting a regulatory role of inflammation during DC1 reprogramming.Hence, we provide evidence that antigen presentation and cross-presentation can be dynamically programmed by a small combination of TFs. These findings provide insights into cDC1 specification and a platform for developing cancer immunotherapies based on cell reprogramming.
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5. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(author)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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6. |
- Inácio, Filomena, et al.
(author)
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Implicit sequence learning is preserved in dyslexic children
- 2018
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In: Annals of Dyslexia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0736-9387 .- 1934-7243. ; 68:1, s. 1-14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates the implicit sequence learning abilities of dyslexic children using an artificial grammar learning task with an extended exposure period. Twenty children with developmental dyslexia participated in the study and were matched with two control groups—one matched for age and other for reading skills. During 3 days, all participants performed an acquisition task, where they were exposed to colored geometrical forms sequences with an underlying grammatical structure. On the last day, after the acquisition task, participants were tested in a grammaticality classification task. Implicit sequence learning was present in dyslexic children, as well as in both control groups, and no differences between groups were observed. These results suggest that implicit learning deficits per se cannot explain the characteristic reading difficulties of the dyslexics.
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7. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(author)
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Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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8. |
- Martins, Ana, et al.
(author)
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Atypical moral judgements following traumatic brain injury
- 2012
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In: Judgment and Decision Making. - 1930-2975. ; 7:4, s. 478-487
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous research has shown an association between emotions, particularly social emotions, and moral judgments. Some studies suggested an association between blunted emotion and the utilitarian moral judgments observed in patients with prefrontal lesions. In order to investigate how prefrontal brain damage affects moral judgment, we asked a sample of 29 TBI patients (12 females and 17 males) and 41 healthy participants (16 females and 25 males) to judge 22 hypothetical dilemmas split into three different categories (non-moral, impersonal and personal moral). The TBI group presented a higher proportion of affirmative (utilitarian) responses for personal moral dilemmas when compared to controls, suggesting an atypical pattern of utilitarian judgements. We also found a negative association between the performance on recognition of social emotions and the proportion of affirmative responses on personal moral dilemmas. These results suggested that the preference for utilitarian responses in this type of dilemmas is accompanied by difficulties in social emotion recognition. Overall, our findings suggest that deontological moral judgments are associated with normal social emotion processing and that frontal lobe plays an important role in both emotion and moral judgment.
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9. |
- Martins, Ana, et al.
(author)
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Changes in social emotion recognition following traumatic frontal lobe injury
- 2012
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In: Neural Regeneration Research. - 1673-5374 .- 1876-7958. ; 7:2, s. 101-108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Changes in social and emotional behaviour have been consistently observed in patients withtraumatic brain injury. These changes are associated with emotion recognition deficits whichrepresent one of the major barriers to a successful familiar and social reintegration. In the presentstudy, 32 patients with traumatic brain injury, involving the frontal lobe, and 41 age- andeducation-matched healthy controls were analyzed. A Go/No-Go task was designed, where eachparticipant had to recognize faces representing three social emotions (arrogance, guilt andjealousy). Results suggested that ability to recognize two social emotions (arrogance and jealousy)was significantly reduced in patients with traumatic brain injury, indicating frontal lesion can reduceemotion recognition ability. In addition, the analysis of the results for hemispheric lesion location(right, left or bilateral) suggested the bilateral lesion sub-group showed a lower accuracy on allsocial emotions.
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10. |
- Martins, Ana, et al.
(author)
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Traumatic brain injury patients : does frontal brain lesion influence basic emotion recognition?
- 2011
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In: Psychology & Neuroscience. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 1984-3054 .- 1983-3288. ; 4:3, s. 377-384
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adequate emotion recognition is relevant to individuals' interpersonal communication. Patients with frontal traumatic brain injury (TBI) exhibit a lower response to facial emotional stimuli, influencing social interactions. In this sense, the main goal of the current study was to assess the ability of TBI patients in recognizing basic emotions. Photographs of facial expressions of five basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and surprise) were presented to 32 TBI patients and 41 healthy controls. Emotion recognition was measured by accuracy and reaction time. Overall performance of the TBI group was poorer than control group for emotion recognition, both in terms of accuracy and reaction time. It is suggested that TBI patients show impairment on emotion recognition, and this relation seems to be moderated by the lesion localization.
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11. |
- Murray, Christopher J. L., et al.
(author)
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Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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12. |
- Primikyri, Alexandra, et al.
(author)
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Method development and validation for the quantitation of the complement inhibitor Cp40 in human and cynomolgus monkey plasma by UPLC-ESI-MS
- 2017
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In: Journal of chromatography. B. - : Elsevier BV. - 1570-0232 .- 1873-376X. ; 1041, s. 19-26
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cp40 is a 14-amino acid cyclic analog of the peptidic complement inhibitor compstatin that binds with sub-nanomolar affinity to complement component C3 and has already shown promise in various models of complement-related diseases. The preclinical and clinical development of this compound requires a robust, accurate, and sensitive method for quantitatively monitoring Cp40 in biological samples. In this study, we describe the development and validation of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry method for the quantitation of Cp40 in human and non-human primate (NHP) plasma. Isotope-labeled Cp40 was used as an internal standard, allowing for the accurate and absolute quantitation of Cp40. Labeled and non-labeled Cp40 were extracted from plasma using reversed phase-solid phase extraction, with recovery rates exceeding 80%, indicating minor matrix effects. The triply charged states of Cp40 and isotope-labeled Cp40 were detected at m/z 596.60 and 600.34, respectively, via a Q-TOF mass spectrometer and were used for quantitation. The method was linear in the range of 0.18-3.58 mu g/mL (r(2) >= 0.99), with precision values below 0.71% in NHP and 0.77% in human plasma. The accuracy of the method ranged from -2.17% to 17.99% in NHP and from -0.26% to 15.75% in 'human plasma. The method was successfully applied to the quantitation of Cp40 in cynomolgus monkey plasma after an initial intravenous bolus of 2 mg/kg followed by repetitive subcutaneous administration at 1 mg/kg. The high reproducibility, accuracy, and robustness of the method developed here render it suitable for drug monitoring of Cp40, and potentially other compstatin analogs, in both human and NHP plasma samples during pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.
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13. |
- Rosa, Fábio F., et al.
(author)
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Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into antigen-presenting dendritic cells
- 2018
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In: Science Immunology. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2470-9468. ; 3:30
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ectopic expression of transcription factors has been used to reprogram differentiated somatic cells toward pluripotency or to directly reprogram them to other somatic cell lineages. This concept has been explored in the context of regenerative medicine. Here, we set out to generate dendritic cells (DCs) capable of presenting antigens from mouse and human fibroblasts. By screening combinations of 18 transcription factors that are expressed in DCs, we have identified PU.1, IRF8, and BATF3 transcription factors as being sufficient to reprogram both mouse and human fibroblasts to induced DCs (iDCs). iDCs acquire a conventional DC type 1-like transcriptional program, with features of interferon-induced maturation. iDCs secrete inflammatory cytokines and have the ability to engulf, process, and present antigens to T cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that murine iDCs generated here were able to cross-present antigens to CD8+ T cells. Our reprogramming system should facilitate better understanding of DC specification programs and serve as a platform for the development of patient-specific DCs for immunotherapy.
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14. |
- Sator, Lea, et al.
(author)
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Overdiagnosis of COPD in Subjects With Unobstructed Spirometry A BOLD Analysis
- 2019
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In: Chest. - : Elsevier BV. - 0012-3692 .- 1931-3543. ; 156:2, s. 277-288
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There are several reports on underdiagnosis of COPD, while little is known about COPD overdiagnosis and overtreatment. We describe the overdiagnosis and the prevalence of spirometrically defined false positive COPD, as well as their relationship with overtreatment across 23 population samples in 20 countries participating in the BOLD Study between 2003 and 2012.METHODS: A false positive diagnosis of COPD was considered when participants reported a doctor's diagnosis of COPD, but postbronchodilator spirometry was unobstructed (FEV1/FVC > LLN). Additional analyses were performed using the fixed ratio criterion (FEV1/FVC < 0.7).RESULTS: Among 16,177 participants, 919 (5.7%) reported a previous medical diagnosis of COPD. Postbronchodilator spirometry was unobstructed in 569 subjects (61.9%): false positive COPD. A similar rate of overdiagnosis was seen when using the fixed ratio criterion (55.3%). In a subgroup analysis excluding participants who reported a diagnosis of "chronic bronchitis" or "emphysema" (n = 220), 37.7% had no airflow limitation. The site-specific prevalence of false positive COPD varied greatly, from 1.9% in low- to middle-income countries to 4.9% in high-income countries. In multivariate analysis, overdiagnosis was more common among women, and was associated with higher education; former and current smoking; the presence of wheeze, cough, and phlegm; and concomitant medical diagnosis of asthma or heart disease. Among the subjects with false positive COPD, 45.7% reported current use of respiratory medication. Excluding patients with reported asthma, 34.4% of those with normal spirometry still used a respiratory medication.CONCLUSIONS: False positive COPD is frequent. This might expose nonobstructed subjects to possible adverse effects of respiratory medication.
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16. |
- van Griensven, Martijn, et al.
(author)
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PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE COMPLEMENT INHIBITOR COMPSTATIN CP40 IN HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK
- 2019
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In: Shock. - Alphen aan den Rijn : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 1073-2322 .- 1540-0514. ; 51:1, s. 78-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Trauma-induced hemorrhagic shock (HS) plays a decisive role in the development of immune, coagulation, and organ dysfunction often resulting in a poor clinical outcome. Imbalanced complement activation is intricately associated with the molecular danger response and organ damage after HS. Thus, inhibition of the central complement component C3 as turnstile of both inflammation and coagulation is hypothesized as a rational strategy to improve the clinical course afterHS. Applying intensive care conditions, anaesthetized, monitored, and protectively ventilated nonhuman primates (NHP; cynomolgusmonkeys) received a pressure-controlled severe HS (60min at mean arterial pressure 30 mmHg) with subsequent volume resuscitation. Thirty minutes after HS, animals were randomly treated with either an analog of the C3 inhibitor compstatin (i.e., Cp40) in saline (n =4) or with saline alone (n =4). The observation period lasted 300 min after induction of HS. We observed improved kidney function in compstatin Cp40-treated animals after HS as determined by improved urine output, reduced damage markers and a tendency of less histopathological signs of acute kidney injury. Sham-treated animals revealed classical signs ofmucosal edema, especially in the ileum and colon reflected by worsened microscopic intestinal injury scores. In contrast, Cp40-treated HS animals exhibited only minor signs of organ edema and significantly less intestinal damage. Furthermore, early systemic inflammation and coagulation dysfunction were both ameliorated by Cp40. The data suggest that therapeutic inhibition of C3 is capable to significantly improve immune, coagulation, and organ function and to preserve organ-barrier integrity early after traumatic HS. C3-targeted complement inhibition may therefore reflect a promising therapeutic strategy in fighting fatal consequences of HS.
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18. |
- Zieritz, Alexandra, et al.
(author)
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A global synthesis of ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalve molluscs
- 2022
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In: Biological Reviews. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1464-7931 .- 1469-185X. ; 97, s. 1967-1998
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Identification of ecosystem services, i.e. the contributions that ecosystems make to human well-being, has proven instrumental in galvanising public and political support for safeguarding biodiversity and its benefits to people. Here we synthesise the global evidence on ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalves, a heterogenous group of >1200 species, including some of the most threatened (in Unionida) and invasive (e.g. Dreissena polymorpha) taxa globally. Our systematic literature review resulted in a data set of 904 records from 69 countries relating to 24 classes of provisioning (N = 189), cultural (N = 491) and regulating (N = 224) services following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). Prominent ecosystem services included (i) the provisioning of food, materials and medicinal products, (ii) knowledge acquisition (e.g. on water quality, past environments and historical societies), ornamental and other cultural contributions, and (iii) the filtration, sequestration, storage and/or transformation of biological and physico-chemical water properties. About 9% of records provided evidence for the disruption rather than provision of ecosystem services. Synergies and trade-offs of ecosystem services were observed. For instance, water filtration by freshwater bivalves can be beneficial for the cultural service 'biomonitoring', while negatively or positively affecting food consumption or human recreation. Our evidence base spanned a total of 91 genera and 191 species, dominated by Unionida (55% of records, 76% of species), Veneroida (21 and 9%, respectively; mainly Corbicula spp.) and Myoida (20 and 4%, respectively; mainly Dreissena spp.). About one third of records, predominantly from Europe and the Americas, related to species that were non-native to the country of study. The majority of records originated from Asia (35%), with available evidence for 23 CICES classes, as well as Europe (29%) and North America (23%), where research was largely focused on 'biomonitoring'. Whilst the earliest record (from 1949) originated from North America, since 2000, annual output of records has increased rapidly in Asia and Europe. Future research should focus on filling gaps in knowledge in lesser-studied regions, including Africa and South America, and should look to provide a quantitative valuation of the socio-economic costs and benefits of ecosystem services shaped by freshwater bivalves.
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