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- Blösch, Günter, et al.
(author)
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Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) - a community perspective
- 2019
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In: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 64:10, s. 1141-1158
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through online media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focused on the process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come.
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- Fransen, M. F., et al.
(author)
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A Restricted Role for FcgammaR in the Regulation of Adaptive Immunity
- 2018
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In: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 200:8, s. 2615-2626
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- By their interaction with IgG immune complexes, FcgammaR and complement link innate and adaptive immunity, showing functional redundancy. In complement-deficient mice, IgG downstream effector functions are often impaired, as well as adaptive immunity. Based on a variety of model systems using FcgammaR-knockout mice, it has been concluded that FcgammaRs are also key regulators of innate and adaptive immunity; however, several of the model systems underpinning these conclusions suffer from flawed experimental design. To address this issue, we generated a novel mouse model deficient for all FcgammaRs (FcgammaRI/II/III/IV(-/-) mice). These mice displayed normal development and lymphoid and myeloid ontogeny. Although IgG effector pathways were impaired, adaptive immune responses to a variety of challenges, including bacterial infection and IgG immune complexes, were not. Like FcgammaRIIb-deficient mice, FcgammaRI/II/III/IV(-/-) mice developed higher Ab titers but no autoantibodies. These observations indicate a redundant role for activating FcgammaRs in the modulation of the adaptive immune response in vivo. We conclude that FcgammaRs are downstream IgG effector molecules with a restricted role in the ontogeny and maintenance of the immune system, as well as the regulation of adaptive immunity.
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- Grabski, M, et al.
(author)
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Drug Use Changes at the Individual Level: Results from a Longitudinal, Multisite Survey in Young Europeans Frequenting the Nightlife Scene
- 2022
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In: European addiction research. - : S. Karger AG. - 1421-9891 .- 1022-6877. ; 28:2, s. 155-160
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- <b><i>Background:</i></b> Monitoring emerging trends in the increasingly dynamic European drug market is vital; however, information on change at the individual level is scarce. In the current study, we investigated changes in drug use over 12 months in European nightlife attendees. <b><i>Method:</i></b> In this longitudinal online survey, changes in substances used, use frequency in continued users, and relative initiation of use at follow-up were assessed for 20 different substances. To take part, participants had to be aged 18–34 years; be from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, or the UK; and have attended at least 6 electronic music events in the past 12 months at baseline. Of 8,045 volunteers at baseline, 2,897 completed the survey at both time points (36% follow-up rate), in 2017 and 2018. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The number of people using ketamine increased by 21% (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in those continuing use increased by 15% (<i>p</i> < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.07–0.23). 4-Fluoroamphetamine use decreased by 27% (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in continuing users decreased by 15% (<i>p</i> < 0.001, 95% CI: −0.48 to −0.23). The drugs with the greatest proportion of relative initiation at follow-up were synthetic cannabinoids (73%, <i>N</i> = 30), mephedrone (44%, <i>N</i> = 18), alkyl nitrites (42%, <i>N</i> = 147), synthetic dissociatives (41%, <i>N</i> = 15), and prescription opioids (40%, <i>N</i> = 48). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In this European nightlife sample, ketamine was found to have the biggest increase in the past 12 months, which occurred alongside an increase in frequency of use in continuing users. The patterns of uptake and discontinuation of alkyl nitrates, novel psychoactive substances, and prescription opioids provide new information that has not been captured by existing cross-sectional surveys. These findings demonstrate the importance of longitudinal assessments of drug use and highlight the dynamic nature of the European drug landscape.
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- Sakornsakolpat, Phuwanat, et al.
(author)
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Genetic landscape of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease identifies heterogeneous cell-type and phenotype associations
- 2019
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 51:3, s. 494-505
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the leading cause of respiratory mortality worldwide. Genetic risk loci provide new insights into disease pathogenesis. We performed a genome-wide association study in 35,735 cases and 222,076 controls from the UK Biobank and additional studies from the International COPD Genetics Consortium. We identified 82 loci associated with P < 5 x 10-8; 47 of these were previously described in association with either COPD or population-based measures of lung function. Of the remaining 35 new loci, 13 were associated with lung function in 79,055 individuals from the SpiroMeta consortium. Using gene expression and regulation data, we identified functional enrichment of COPD risk loci in lung tissue, smooth muscle, and several lung cell types. We found 14 COPD loci shared with either asthma or pulmonary fibrosis. COPD genetic risk loci clustered into groups based on associations with quantitative imaging features and comorbidities. Our analyses provide further support for the genetic susceptibility and heterogeneity of COPD.
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- van Dijk, B. J., et al.
(author)
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Complement C5 Contributes to Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- 2020
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In: Translational Stroke Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1868-4483 .- 1868-601X. ; 11, s. 678-688
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous studies showed that complement activation is associated with poor functional outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We investigated whether complement activation is underlying brain injury after aneurysmal SAH (n=7) and if it is an appropriate treatment target. We investigated complement expression in brain tissue of aneurysmal SAH patients (n =930) and studied the role of common genetic variants in C3 and C5 genes in outcome. We analyzed plasma levels (n =229) to identify the functionality of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with outcome. The time course of C5a levels was measured in plasma (n =31) and CSF (n =10). In an SAH mouse model, we studied the extent of microglia activation and cell death in wild-type mice, mice lacking the C5a receptor, and in mice treated with C5-specific antibodies (n=15 per group). Brain sections from aneurysmal SAH patients showed increased presence of complement components C1q and C3/C3b/iC3B compared to controls. The complement component 5 (C5) SNP correlated with C5a plasma levels and poor disease outcome. Serial measurements in CSF revealed that C5a was >1400-fold increased 1 day after aneurysmal SAH and then gradually decreased. C5a in plasma was 2-fold increased at days 3–10 after aneurysmal SAH. In the SAH mouse model, we observed a ≈40% reduction in both microglia activation and cell death in mice lacking the C5a receptor, and in mice treated with C5-specific antibodies. These data show that C5 contributes to brain injury after experimental SAH, and support further study of C5-specific antibodies as novel treatment option to reduce brain injury and improve prognosis after aneurysmal SAH.
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