| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
- Pironi, Loris, et al.
(author)
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Characteristics of adult patients with chronic intestinal failure due to short bowel syndrome: An international multicenter survey
- 2021
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In: Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-4577. ; 45, s. 433-441
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aims: The case-mix of patients with intestinal failure due to short bowel syndrome (SBS-IF) can differ among centres and may also be affected by the timeframe of data collection. Therefore, the ESPEN international multicenter cross-sectional survey was analyzed to compare the characteristics of SBS-IF cohorts collected within the same timeframe in different countries. Methods: The study included 1880 adult SBS-IF patients collected in 2015 by 65 centres from 22 countries. The demographic, nutritional, SBS type (end jejunostomy, SBS-J; jejuno-colic anastomosis, SBS-JC; jejunoileal anastomosis with an intact colon and ileocecal valve, SBS-JIC), underlying disease and intravenous supplementation (IVS) characteristics were analyzed. IVS was classified as fluid and electrolyte alone (FE) or parenteral nutrition admixture (PN). The mean daily IVS volume, calculated on a weekly basis, was categorized as <1, 1–2, 2–3 and >3 L/day. Results: In the entire group: 60.7% were females and SBS-J comprised 60% of cases, while mesenteric ischaemia (MI) and Crohn’ disease (CD) were the main underlying diseases. IVS dependency was longer than 3 years in around 50% of cases; IVS was infused ≥5 days/week in 75% and FE in 10% of cases. Within the SBS-IF cohort: CD was twice and thrice more frequent in SBS-J than SBS-JC and SBS-JIC, respectively, while MI was more frequent in SBS-JC and SBS-JIC. Within countries: SBS-J represented 75% or more of patients in UK and Denmark and 50-60% in the other countries, except Poland where SBS-JC prevailed. CD was the main underlying disease in UK, USA, Denmark and The Netherlands, while MI prevailed in France, Italy and Poland. Conclusions: SBS-IF type is primarily determined by the underlying disease, with significant variation between countries. These novel data will be useful for planning and managing both clinical activity and research studies on SBS.
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| 3. |
- Azevedo, Flavio, et al.
(author)
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Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries
- 2023
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In: Scientific Data. - : NATURE PORTFOLIO. - 2052-4463. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behaviour change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behaviour, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of moral and psychological measures and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; personality traits; and demographic variables. We report both raw and cleaned data, along with all survey materials, data visualisations, and psychometric evaluations of key variables.
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| 4. |
- Daniels, Mats, 1956-, et al.
(author)
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Why Don't You Tell Me What I Need to Know? : Self-Flipped Classroom and Students' Personal Epistemology
- 2021
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In: 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 9781665438513
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This is a full research paper addressing the crucial element of understanding students when creating learning environments. It is for instance important to be aware of how students appreciate our way of teaching and to consider consequences of students not understanding or plainly disliking a setup. This paper addresses the negative experiences of students in a peer-learning environment named the self-flipped classroom. Through the lens of a theory of personal epistemology we investigate course evaluation reports and observations from anonymous students. Results indicate that the personal epistemology framework indeed gives some answers to students disliking the self-flipped aspect of the course, and that some students would rather be told what to learn in detail as in the quote: “why don't you tell me what I need to know?”. Finally the paper presents some ideas on ways forward.
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| 5. |
- Delios, A., et al.
(author)
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Examining the generalizability of research findings from archival data
- 2022
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 119:30
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This initiative examined systematically the extent to which a large set of archival research findings generalizes across contexts. We repeated the key analyses for 29 original strategic management effects in the same context (direct reproduction) as well as in 52 novel time periods and geographies; 45% of the reproductions returned results matching the original reports together with 55% of tests in different spans of years and 40% of tests in novel geographies. Some original findings were associated with multiple new tests. Reproducibility was the best predictor of generalizability-for the findings that proved directly reproducible, 84% emerged in other available time periods and 57% emerged in other geographies. Overall, only limited empirical evidence emerged for context sensitivity. In a forecasting survey, independent scientists were able to anticipate which effects would find support in tests in new samples.
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| 6. |
- Levin, Johannes, et al.
(author)
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α-Synuclein seed amplification assay detects Lewy body co-pathology in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease late in the disease course and dependent on Lewy pathology burden
- 2024
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In: Alzheimer's and Dementia. - 1552-5260. ; 20:6, s. 4351-4365
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Amyloid beta and tau pathology are the hallmarks of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and autosomal dominant AD (ADAD). However, Lewy body pathology (LBP) is found in ≈ 50% of AD and ADAD brains. METHODS: Using an α-synuclein seed amplification assay (SAA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from asymptomatic (n = 26) and symptomatic (n = 27) ADAD mutation carriers, including 12 with known neuropathology, we investigated the timing of occurrence and prevalence of SAA positive reactivity in ADAD in vivo. RESULTS: No asymptomatic participant and only 11% (3/27) of the symptomatic patients tested SAA positive. Neuropathology revealed LBP in 10/12 cases, primarily affecting the amygdala or the olfactory areas. In the latter group, only the individual with diffuse LBP reaching the neocortex showed α-synuclein seeding activity in CSF in vivo. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that in ADAD LBP occurs later than AD pathology and often as amygdala- or olfactory-predominant LBP, for which CSF α-synuclein SAA has low sensitivity. Highlights: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) detects misfolded α-synuclein in ≈ 10% of symptomatic autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) patients. CSF RT-QuIC does not detect α-synuclein seeding activity in asymptomatic mutation carriers. Lewy body pathology (LBP) in ADAD mainly occurs as olfactory only or amygdala-predominant variants. LBP develops late in the disease course in ADAD. CSF α-synuclein RT-QuIC has low sensitivity for focal, low-burden LBP.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Patterson, Nick, et al.
(author)
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Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age
- 2022
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In: Nature. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; , s. 588-594
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Present-day people from England and Wales harbour more ancestry derived from Early European Farmers (EEF) than people of the Early Bronze Age1. To understand this, we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to Late Bronze and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and Western and Central Europe by 3.5-fold. Between 1000 and 875 BC, EEF ancestry increased in southern Britain (England and Wales) but not northern Britain (Scotland) due to incorporation of migrants who arrived at this time and over previous centuries, and who were genetically most similar to ancient individuals from France. These migrants contributed about half the ancestry of Iron Age people of England and Wales, thereby creating a plausible vector for the spread of early Celtic languages into Britain. These patterns are part of a broader trend of EEF ancestry becoming more similar across central and western Europe in the Middle to Late Bronze Age, coincident with archaeological evidence of intensified cultural exchange2-6. There was comparatively less gene flow from continental Europe during the Iron Age, and Britain's independent genetic trajectory is also reflected in the rise of the allele conferring lactase persistence to ~50% by this time compared to ~7% in central Europe where it rose rapidly in frequency only a millennium later. This suggests that dairy products were used in qualitatively different ways in Britain and in central Europe over this period.
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| 9. |
- Röijezon, Ulrik, et al.
(author)
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Proprioceptive Disturbance in Chronic Neck Pain: Discriminate Validity and Reliability of Performance of the Clinical Cervical Movement Sense Test
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Pain Research. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-561X. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic neck pain is associated with sensorimotor dysfunctions, which may develop symptoms, affect daily activities, and prevent recovery. Feasible, reliable, and valid objective methods for the assessment of sensorimotor functions are important to identify movement impairments and guide interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the discriminative validity of a clinical cervical movement sense test, using a laser pointer and an automatic video-based scoring system. Individuals with chronic neck pain of idiopathic onset (INP), traumatic onset (TNP), and healthy controls (CON) were tested. Associations between movement sense and neck disability were examined and the repeatability of the test was investigated. A total of 106 participants (26 INP, 28 TNP, and 52 CON) were included in a cross-sectional study. Acuity, Speed, Time, and NormAcuity (i.e., normalized acuity by dividing acuity with movement time) were used as outcome measures. ANOVAs were used for group comparisons and Pearson correlations for associations between movement sense variables and neck disability index (NDI). Notably, 60 of the participants (30 CON, 17 INP, and 13 TNP) performed the test on a second occasion to explore test-retest reliability. Results revealed a reduced NormAcuity for both INP and TNP compared with CON (p < 0.05). The neck pain groups had similar Acuity but longer Time compared with CON. Among TNP, there was a fair positive correlation between Acuity and NDI, while there was a negative correlation between Acuity and NDI among INP. Reliability measures showed good to excellent ICC values between tests, but standard error of measurements (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were high. The results showed that NormAcuity is a valuable measure to identify disturbed cervical movement sense among INP and TNP. While Acuity was similar between the groups, different strategies, such as longer Time, to perform the task among neck patient groups were used. Few differences were identified between the neck pain groups, but altered strategies may exist. Reliability was acceptable, and the test is feasible to perform in the clinic. However, the technical complexity of the automated image analysis is a concern. Future developments will provide more feasible solutions.
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| 10. |
- Van Bavel, Jay J., et al.
(author)
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National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic
- 2022
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In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic. Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = -0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.
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| 11. |
- Vasilchenko, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Students as Prosumers : Learning from Peer-Produced Materials in a Computing Science Course
- 2020
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In: 2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). - 9781728189628 - 9781728189611
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents an investigation of a pedagogical approach where student act as prosumers of peergenerated knowledge. A cohort of computing science students were tasked to interview field experts, and then produced a report of the interview results in the form of a short video accompanied by a written summary. The reports were used to facilitate learning about aspects and phases of IT systems life cycle. This paper investigates student and instructor attitudes to and experiences of this pedagogical approach. Our findings suggest that the students were generally not ready for this learning method, which led to the “love it or hate it” split within the observed cohort. While the instructing team was convinced of the benefits of the used pedagogical approach and planned to continue using it in future, they were faced with a number of challenges. The biggest of those challenges was that the instructors had no control over the quality of teaching materials, which affected learning experience of the students. This paper’s findings contribute to the understanding of CS student and instructor expectations, attitudes, and experiences of nontraditional teaching and learning activities such as creating videos and reusing student-produced multi-media materials.
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