1. |
- Mahajan, Anubha, et al.
(author)
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Multi-ancestry genetic study of type 2 diabetes highlights the power of diverse populations for discovery and translation
- 2022
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Nature. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 54:5, s. 560-572
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We assembled an ancestrally diverse collection of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in 180,834 affected individuals and 1,159,055 controls (48.9% non-European descent) through the Diabetes Meta-Analysis of Trans-Ethnic association studies (DIAMANTE) Consortium. Multi-ancestry GWAS meta-analysis identified 237 loci attaining stringent genome-wide significance (P < 5 x 10(-9)), which were delineated to 338 distinct association signals. Fine-mapping of these signals was enhanced by the increased sample size and expanded population diversity of the multi-ancestry meta-analysis, which localized 54.4% of T2D associations to a single variant with >50% posterior probability. This improved fine-mapping enabled systematic assessment of candidate causal genes and molecular mechanisms through which T2D associations are mediated, laying the foundations for functional investigations. Multi-ancestry genetic risk scores enhanced transferability of T2D prediction across diverse populations. Our study provides a step toward more effective clinical translation of T2D GWAS to improve global health for all, irrespective of genetic background. Genome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in ancestrally diverse populations implicate candidate causal genes and mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. Trans-ancestry genetic risk scores enhance transferability across populations.
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2. |
- Surendran, Praveen, et al.
(author)
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Discovery of rare variants associated with blood pressure regulation through meta-analysis of 1.3 million individuals
- 2020
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 52:12, s. 1314-1332
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic studies of blood pressure (BP) to date have mainly analyzed common variants (minor allele frequency > 0.05). In a meta-analysis of up to similar to 1.3 million participants, we discovered 106 new BP-associated genomic regions and 87 rare (minor allele frequency <= 0.01) variant BP associations (P < 5 x 10(-8)), of which 32 were in new BP-associated loci and 55 were independent BP-associated single-nucleotide variants within known BP-associated regions. Average effects of rare variants (44% coding) were similar to 8 times larger than common variant effects and indicate potential candidate causal genes at new and known loci (for example, GATA5 and PLCB3). BP-associated variants (including rare and common) were enriched in regions of active chromatin in fetal tissues, potentially linking fetal development with BP regulation in later life. Multivariable Mendelian randomization suggested possible inverse effects of elevated systolic and diastolic BP on large artery stroke. Our study demonstrates the utility of rare-variant analyses for identifying candidate genes and the results highlight potential therapeutic targets.
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3. |
- Ebersole, Charles R., et al.
(author)
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Many Labs 5: Testing Pre-Data-Collection Peer Review as an Intervention to Increase Replicability
- 2020
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In: Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. - : Sage. - 2515-2467 .- 2515-2459. ; 3:3, s. 309-331
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Replication studies in psychological science sometimes fail to reproduce prior findings. If these studies use methods that are unfaithful to the original study or ineffective in eliciting the phenomenon of interest, then a failure to replicate may be a failure of the protocol rather than a challenge to the original finding. Formal pre-data-collection peer review by experts may address shortcomings and increase replicability rates. We selected 10 replication studies from the Reproducibility Project: Psychology (RP:P; Open Science Collaboration, 2015) for which the original authors had expressed concerns about the replication designs before data collection; only one of these studies had yielded a statistically significant effect (p < .05). Commenters suggested that lack of adherence to expert review and low-powered tests were the reasons that most of these RP:P studies failed to replicate the original effects. We revised the replication protocols and received formal peer review prior to conducting new replication studies. We administered the RP:P and revised protocols in multiple laboratories (median number of laboratories per original study = 6.5, range = 3-9; median total sample = 1,279.5, range = 276-3,512) for high-powered tests of each original finding with both protocols. Overall, following the preregistered analysis plan, we found that the revised protocols produced effect sizes similar to those of the RP:P protocols (Delta r = .002 or .014, depending on analytic approach). The median effect size for the revised protocols (r = .05) was similar to that of the RP:P protocols (r = .04) and the original RP:P replications (r = .11), and smaller than that of the original studies (r = .37). Analysis of the cumulative evidence across the original studies and the corresponding three replication attempts provided very precise estimates of the 10 tested effects and indicated that their effect sizes (median r = .07, range = .00-.15) were 78% smaller, on average, than the original effect sizes (median r = .37, range = .19-.50).
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4. |
- Green, David C., 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Dichroic Calcite Reveals the Pathway from Additive Binding to Occlusion
- 2021
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In: Crystal Growth & Design. - Washington, DC : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1528-7483 .- 1528-7505. ; 21:7, s. 3746-3755
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic additives play key roles in controlling the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the environment, industry, and biology, where they can direct polymorphism, alter crystal morphologies, and sometimes even become occluded, modifying bulk properties. However, significant questions remain regarding the pathway from adsorption on crystal surfaces to occlusion. Here, the optical properties of calcite crystals grown in the presence of the dye Congo red are used to characterize the organization of the additives within the crystal. Complemented by the analysis of surface adsorption through in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM), molecular simulations, and changes in crystal morphologies, we show that the occluded dye molecules are randomly oriented under fast growth conditions, but that slow growth engenders ordering of the dye within islands, whose orientation is determined by the dye/terrace interaction free energy. The islands are subsequently overgrown such that their internal structure is preserved. These results reveal that the occlusion of organic macromolecules into calcite can be understood by thermodynamics operating at the adsorption stage. This new insight will ultimately enable the design of additives to give specific material properties.
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5. |
- Hirani, Nikhil, et al.
(author)
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Target inhibition of galectin-3 by inhaled TD139 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- 2021
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 57:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Galectin (Gal)-3 is a profibrotic β-galactoside-binding lectin that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and IPF exacerbations. TD139 is a novel and potent small-molecule inhibitor of Gal-3. A randomised, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 1/2a study was conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of inhaled TD139 in 36 healthy subjects and 24 patients with IPF. Six dose cohorts of six healthy subjects were evaluated (4:2 TD139:placebo ratio) with single doses of TD139 (0.15–50 mg) and three dose cohorts of eight patients with IPF (5:3 TD139: placebo ratio) with once-daily doses of TD139 (0.3–10 mg) for 14 days. Inhaled TD139 was well tolerated with no significant treatment-related side-effects. TD139 was rapidly absorbed, with mean time taken to reach maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) values ranging from 0.6 to 3 h and a plasma half-life (T1/2) of 8 h. The concentration of TD139 in the lung was >567-fold higher than in the blood, with systemic exposure predicting exposure in the target compartment. Gal-3 expression on alveolar macrophages was reduced in the 3 and 10 mg dose groups compared with placebo, with a concentration-dependent inhibition demonstrated. Inhibition of Gal-3 expression in the lung was associated with reductions in plasma biomarkers centrally relevant to IPF pathobiology (platelet-derived growth factor-BB, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, Gal-3, CCL18 and YKL-40). TD139 is safe and well tolerated in healthy subjects and IPF patients. It was shown to suppress Gal-3 expression on bronchoalveolar lavage macrophages and, in a concerted fashion, decrease plasma biomarkers associated with IPF progression.
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6. |
- Holmes, Emily A., et al.
(author)
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Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic : a call for action for mental health science
- 2020
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In: Lancet psychiatry. - 2215-0374 .- 2215-0366. ; 7:6, s. 547-560
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound effect on all aspects of society, including mental health and physical health. We explore the psychological, social, and neuroscientific effects of COVID-19 and set out the immediate priorities and longer-term strategies for mental health science research. These priorities were informed by surveys of the public and an expert panel convened by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the mental health research charity, MQ: Transforming Mental Health, in the first weeks of the pandemic in the UK in March, 2020. We urge UK research funding agencies to work with researchers, people with lived experience, and others to establish a high level coordination group to ensure that these research priorities are addressed, and to allow new ones to be identified over time. The need to maintain high-quality research standards is imperative. International collaboration and a global perspective will be beneficial. An immediate priority is collecting high-quality data on the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across the whole population and vulnerable groups, and on brain function, cognition, and mental health of patients with COVID-19. There is an urgent need for research to address how mental health consequences for vulnerable groups can be mitigated under pandemic conditions, and on the impact of repeated media consumption and health messaging around COVID-19. Discovery, evaluation, and refinement of mechanistically driven interventions to address the psychological, social, and neuroscientific aspects of the pandemic are required. Rising to this challenge will require integration across disciplines and sectors, and should be done together with people with lived experience. New funding will be required to meet these priorities, and it can be efficiently leveraged by the UK's world-leading infrastructure. This Position Paper provides a strategy that may be both adapted for, and integrated with, research efforts in other countries.
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7. |
- Jandrić, Petar, et al.
(author)
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Teaching in the Age of Covid-19
- 2020
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In: Postdigital Science and Education. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-4868 .- 2524-485X. ; 2:3, s. 1069-1230
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A collection of 84 author's testimonies and workspace photographs between 18 March and 5 May 2020.
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8. |
- Jandrić, Petar, et al.
(author)
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Teaching in the Age of Covid-19 : The New Normal
- 2022
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In: Postdigital Science and Education. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-485X .- 2524-4868. ; 4:3, s. 877-1015
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- On 17 March 2020, Postdigital Science and Education launched a call for testimonies about teaching and learning during very frst Covid-19 lockdowns. The resulting article, ‘Teaching in the Age of Covid-19’ (attached), presents 81 written testimonies and 80 workspace photographs submitted by 84 authors from 19 countries. On 17 March 2021, Postdigital Science and Education launched a call for a sequel article of testimonies about teaching and learning during very first Covid-19 lockdowns. The resulting article, ‘Teaching in the Age of Covid-19—1 Year Later’(attached), consists of 74 textual testimonies and 76 workspace photographs submitted by 77 authors from 20 countries.These two articles have been downloaded almost 100,000 times and have been cited more than 100 times. This shows their value as historical documents. Recent analyses, such as ‘Teaching in the Age of Covid-19—A Longitudinal Study ’(attached), also indicate their strong potential for educational research. As the Covid-19 pandemic seems to wind down, pandemic experiences have entered the mainstream. They shape all educational research of today and arguably do not require special treatment. Yet, our unique series of pandemic testimonies provides a unique opportunity to longitudinally trace what happens to the same people over the years—and this opportunity should not be missed.Today, we launch a call for fnal sequel: Teaching in the Age of Covid-19—The New Normal. In this sequel, we would like to hear about ways in which you—contributors to the previous articles—have established your own new normal. We hope that this will be the last iteration in this series of testimony articles. Unless the world faces another strong pandemic outburst, we would like to end the series with this last article.
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10. |
- Lagou, Vasiliki, et al.
(author)
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Sex-dimorphic genetic effects and novel loci for fasting glucose and insulin variability
- 2021
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In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2041-1723. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Differences between sexes contribute to variation in the levels of fasting glucose and insulin. Epidemiological studies established a higher prevalence of impaired fasting glucose in men and impaired glucose tolerance in women, however, the genetic component underlying this phenomenon is not established. We assess sex-dimorphic (73,089/50,404 women and 67,506/47,806 men) and sex-combined (151,188/105,056 individuals) fasting glucose/fasting insulin genetic effects via genome-wide association study meta-analyses in individuals of European descent without diabetes. Here we report sex dimorphism in allelic effects on fasting insulin at IRS1 and ZNF12 loci, the latter showing higher RNA expression in whole blood in women compared to men. We also observe sex-homogeneous effects on fasting glucose at seven novel loci. Fasting insulin in women shows stronger genetic correlations than in men with waist-to-hip ratio and anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, waist-to-hip ratio is causally related to insulin resistance in women, but not in men. These results position dissection of metabolic and glycemic health sex dimorphism as a steppingstone for understanding differences in genetic effects between women and men in related phenotypes.
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