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- Elert, Niklas, 1983-
(author)
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Economic dynamism : essays on firm entry and firm growth
- 2014
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The topic of this thesis is economic dynamism. The five articles contribute to the literature on firm entry and firm growth. Studies are based on a dataset covering all Swedish limited liability firms between 1997 and 2010.The first article investigates conditions for firm entry in Sweden, distinguishing regular entrants from entrants that survive for at least two years, modelling the firm entry decision using count data models. While high income and a well-educated population had a positive effect, the effect was more important for surviving entrants. The second article uses a similar method, but focuses on wholesale industries and distinguishes between regular entry and in migration of firms, i.e. when an incumbent firm relocates its operations. Access to a university, many educated workers and low local taxes had positive effects. Better access to infrastructure had a strong positive effect on entrants, but it was smaller for in-migrating firms. The third article investigates if the industry context matters for whether Gibrat’s law holds, i.e. whether firm growth is independent of firm size. The law is found more likely to be rejected in industries with a high minimum efficient scale and a large number of firms located in metropolitan areas, but more likely to hold in industries with high market concentration and more group ownership. The fourth and fifth article contribute to the high-growth firms (HGFs) literature. In the fourth article it is examined whether the way HGFs are defined matters for the policy implications. It is found that the economic contributions of HGFs differ significantly depending on definition. Young firms are however more likely to be HGFs irrespective of definition. The fifth article considers the frequent argument that policymakers should target high-tech firms, i.e., firms with high R&D intensity, because such firms are thought more likely to become HGFs. We examine this assumption by studying the industry distribution of HGFs. Results indicate that industries with high R&D intensity, ceteris paribus, can be expected to have a lower share of HGFs than can industries with lower R&D intensity. By contrast, we find that HGFs are overrepresented in service industries with a high share of human capital.
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- Gad, Helge, et al.
(author)
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MTH1 inhibition eradicates cancer by preventing sanitation of the dNTP pool
- 2014
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In: Nature. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 508:7495, s. 215-221
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cancers have dysfunctional redox regulation resulting in reactive oxygen species production, damaging both DNA and free dNTPs. The MTH1 protein sanitizes oxidized dNTP pools to prevent incorporation of damaged bases during DNA replication. Although MTH1 is non-essential in normal cells, we show that cancer cells require MTH1 activity to avoid incorporation of oxidized dNTPs, resulting in DNA damage and cell death. We validate MTH1 as an anticancer target in vivo and describe small molecules TH287 and TH588 as first-in-class nudix hydrolase family inhibitors that potently and selectively engage and inhibit the MTH1 protein in cells. Protein co-crystal structures demonstrate that the inhibitors bindin the active site of MTH1. The inhibitors cause incorporation of oxidized dNTPs in cancer cells, leading to DNA damage, cytotoxicity and therapeutic responses in patient-derived mouse xenografts. This study exemplifies the non-oncogene addiction concept for anticancer treatment and validates MTH1 as being cancer phenotypic lethal.
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- Johansson, Per, et al.
(author)
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Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: Diagnostic Performance in a Homogeneous Mono-Center Population
- 2011
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In: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 24:3, s. 537-546
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers amyloid-beta (A beta)(1-42), T-tau, and P-tau have good diagnostic accuracy for clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, in multi-center studies, the predictive values of the CSF biomarkers have been lower, possibly due to differences in procedures for lumbar puncture and CSF handling and storage, and to differences in patient populations, clinical evaluations, and diagnostic procedures. Here we investigate the diagnostic accuracy of CSF biomarkers in a well defined homogeneous mono-center population. We also evaluate an extended panel of amyloid related biomarkers. Sixty consecutive patients admitted for cognitive impairment to a memory clinic were recruited. The participants included patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosed with AD upon follow-up (n = 32), patients with stable MCI (n = 13), patients with other dementias diagnosed at primary evaluation or upon follow-up (n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 20). CSF was analyzed for A beta(1-42), T-tau, P-tau, A beta(X-38), A beta(X-40), A beta(X-42), sA beta PP alpha, and sA beta PP beta. In multivariate analysis, the core biomarkers A beta(1-42), T-tau, and P-tau demonstrated a high ability to diagnose AD versus the combined groups of controls and stable MCI, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93-1.00, p < 0.0001). The additional biomarkers only marginally increased AUROC to 0.98 (95% CI 0.95-1.00, p < 0.0001), this increase mainly mediated by A beta(X-42). In conclusion, CSF biomarkers A beta(1-42), T-tau, and P-tau have very high diagnostic accuracy in a well defined cohort of untreated patients, demonstrating the excellent potency of CSF biomarkers to identify pathological processes in AD when a stringent analytical protocol is used.
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- Johansson, Per, et al.
(author)
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Convergence of chromogranin and amyloid metabolism in the brain.
- 2010
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In: Alzheimer's & Dementia. - : Wiley. - 1552-5279 .- 1552-5260. ; 6:4, s. 511-511
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Much is unknown regarding the regulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing in the human central nervous system. It has been hypothesized that amyloidogenic APP-processing preferentially occurs in the regulated secretory pathway of neurons. To test this hypothesis we looked for correlations of APP-derived molecules in CSF with chromogranin (Cg) derived peptides, representing the regulated secretion. Methods: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD, N = 32), multiple sclerosis (MS, N = 50) and healthy controls (N = 70) were enrolled. CSF was analyzed for the amyloid peptides Aβ1-42, Aβx-42, Aβx-40, Aβx-38, α-cleaved soluble APP (α-sAPP), β-cleaved soluble APP (β-sAPP), and peptides derived from CgB and SgII (Secretogranin-II, CgC). We investigated CSF levels of the protease BACE1, which processes APP into Aβ, in relation to Cg-levels. Finally, we measured Cg levels in cell media from untreated and BACE1-inhibited SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Results: CSF Cg levels correlated to sAPP and Aβ peptides in AD, MS and controls, and to CSF BACE1. Cell medium from BACE1-inhibited cells had decreased CgB levels. Conclusions: These results suggest that a large part of APP in the human central nervous system is processed in the regulated secretory pathway of neurons.
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- Johansson, Per, 1966, et al.
(author)
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Mild dementia is associated with increased adrenal secretion of cortisol and precursor sex steroids in women.
- 2011
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In: Clinical endocrinology. - : Wiley. - 1365-2265 .- 0300-0664. ; 75:3, s. 301-308
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Sex steroid levels decrease with increasing age, but little is known whether this is of importance for the age-related decline in cognitive function. Design and patients A cross-sectional study of 50 (26 men) consecutive patients under primary evaluation of cognitive impairment (D group) and 18 (9 men) matched healthy controls (C group). Measurements Sex steroid and precursor levels were determined in serum and, when measurable, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and cortisol concentrations were measured using conventional assays. Results Patients in the D group had higher 24-h urine cortisol levels and increased serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate ester dihydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), androsterone (ADT), and oestrone (E1) and its sulphate ester E1S, compared with the controls. When men and women were analysed separately, increased serum concentrations of E1 and E1S were observed in both D men and D women, whereas increased levels of other sex steroids and cortisol were seen only in D women. Conclusions In both D men and women, serum E1 and E1S levels were increased, whereas other changes were gender specific and only seen in D women. Further studies are needed to determine whether these changes are a cause of, or merely a consequence of, cognitive impairment in elderly subjects.
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- Johansson, Per, et al.
(author)
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Reduced cerebrospinal fluid level of thyroxine in patients with Alzheimer's disease
- 2013
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In: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-3360 .- 0306-4530. ; 38:7, s. 1058-1066
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Little is known of the association between thyroid hormones in the central nervous system and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We determined thyroid hormone levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a well-defined homogeneous mono-center population. Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive patients under primary evaluation for cognitive impairment were recruited. The participants included patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosed with AD upon follow-up (n = 31), patients with stable MCI (SMCI, n = 13), patients with other dementias (n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 19). Thyroid hormones in serum and CSF and AD biomarkers in CSF were analyzed using established immunochemical assays. Cognitive impairment was estimated using mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Results: Serum levels of free and total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were similar in all groups whereas a marginal increase in serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level was observed in the AD patients. The CSF level of total T4 was decreased in patients with AD and other dementias compared to SMCI (both P = 0.01) and healthy controls (both P = 0.001), whereas CSF levels of TSH and total T3 were unchanged. In the total study population, CSF total 14 level correlated positively with MMSE score (r = 0.26, P < 0.05) and negatively with CSF total-tau (T-Tau) level (r = -0.23, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with AD as well as other dementias had signs of mild brain hypothyroidism, which could only to a small extent be detected in serum values. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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- Johansson, Rolf, et al.
(author)
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Bokslutet från början
- 2013
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Book (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Bokslutet från början är en kombinerad fakta- och övningsbok. Steg för steg behandlas de olika områden man måste behärska för att kunna upprätta ett fullständigt bokslut med årsredovisning i enlighet med årsredovisningslagens krav.
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