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- Abu Hamdeh, Sami, et al.
(author)
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Rapid amyloid-β oligomer and protofibril accumulation in traumatic brain injury
- 2018
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In: Brain Pathology. - : Wiley. - 1015-6305 .- 1750-3639. ; 28:4, s. 451-462
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) is central to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis and associated with progressive neurodegeneration in traumatic brain injury (TBI). We analyzed predisposing factors for Aβ deposition including monomeric Aβ40, Aβ42 and Aβ oligomers/protofibrils, Aβ species with pronounced neurotoxic properties, following human TBI. Highly selective ELISAs were used to analyze N-terminally intact and truncated Aβ40 and Aβ42, as well as Aβ oligomers/protofibrils, in human brain tissue, surgically resected from severe TBI patients (n = 12; mean age 49.5 ± 19 years) due to life-threatening brain swelling/hemorrhage within one week post-injury. The TBI tissues were compared to post-mortem AD brains (n = 5), to post-mortem tissue of neurologically intact (NI) subjects (n = 4) and to cortical biopsies obtained at surgery for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients (iNPH; n = 4). The levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42 were not elevated by TBI. The levels of Aβ oligomers/protofibrils in TBI were similar to those in the significantly older AD patients and increased compared to NI and iNPH controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, TBI patients carrying the AD risk genotype Apolipoprotein E epsilon3/4 (APOE ε3/4; n = 4) had increased levels of Aβ oligomers/protofibrils (P < 0.05) and of both N-terminally intact and truncated Aβ42 (P < 0.05) compared to APOE ε3/4-negative TBI patients (n = 8). Neuropathological analysis showed insoluble Aβ aggregates (commonly referred to as Aβ plaques) in three TBI patients, all of whom were APOE ε3/4 carriers. We conclude that soluble intermediary Aβ aggregates form rapidly after TBI, especially among APOE ε3/4 carriers. Further research is needed to determine whether these aggregates aggravate the clinical short- and long-term outcome in TBI.
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| 2. |
- Johansson, Ann-Christine, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of pyrolysis products produced from different Nordic biomass types in a cyclone pilot plant
- 2016
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In: Fuel processing technology. - : Elsevier. - 0378-3820 .- 1873-7188. ; 146, s. 9-19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pyrolysis is a promising thermochemical technology for converting biomass to energy, chemicals and/or fuels. The objective of the present paper was to characterize fast pyrolysis products and to study pyrolysis oil fractionation. The products were obtained from different Nordic forest and agricultural feedstocks in a pilot scale cyclone pyrolysis plant at three different reactor temperatures. The results show that the main elements (C, H and O) and chemical compositions of the products produced from stem wood, willow, forest residue and reed canary grass are in general terms rather similar, while the products obtained from bark differ to some extent. The oil produced from bark had a higher H/Ceff ratio and heating value which can be correlated to a higher amount of pyrolytic lignin and extractives when compared with oils produced from the other feedstocks. Regardless of the original feedstock, the composition of the different pyrolysis oil fractions (condensed and aerosol) differs significantly from each other. However this opens up the possibility to use specifically selected fractions in targeted applications. An increased reactor temperature generally results in a higher amount of water and water insoluble material, primarily as small lignin derived oligomers, in the produced oil.
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| 3. |
- Jonsson, Eva Lindell, 1982-
(author)
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Biomolecular markers in head and neck cancer
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Head and neck cancer is a heterogeneous group of tumours, of which certain subgroups such as cancer of the mobile tongue frequently are associated with a relatively poor prognosis due to the high risk of regional failure and mortality rates that haven’t improved in a significant way over the last 3 decades, despite advancements in both diagnostics and treatment.Today we lack means to assess the biological aggressiveness of each individual tumour, which varies largely. Treatment comprises of surgery with additional radiotherapy and medical therapies in more advanced tumours.The focus in this thesis is on molecular biomarker expression in head and neck cancer and especially in association with radiotherapy. Increased knowledge paves the way to a more individualized cancer treatment aiming for better outcome and less overtreatment and sequelae.The aims of this thesis was:To map the effects of radiotherapy in both tumour and adjacent tissue for the possible markers hyaluronan, EGFR and mast cells.To investigate whether the expression of hyaluronan in the epithelium and connective tissue stroma and EGFR in the tumour correlates with the risk for developing cervical metastasis in N0 patients, and to find out whether the 3-year tumour-specific survival rates correlates with the expression of HA in the epithelium and EGFR in the tumour.To establish an animal model for radiation-induced mucositis and to use that model to examine the pattern of invading inflammatory cells.To investigate whether the expression of podoplanin in tongue cancer correlates with the risk for cervical metastasis and to determine whether the total amount of lymph vessels in the diagnostic biopsy has any impact on the clinical outcome.To investigate the differences in the metabolome of tongue cancer cell lines with different radiosensitivity.The most important findings of this thesis were:The expression of EGFR and hyaluronan hade the same pattern of expression in both tumour and adjacent tissues before radiotherapy. The expression of EGFR was increased in the epithelium of the adjacent tissue close to the tumour after radiotherapy.The intensity of the staining of hyaluronan was correlated to the 3-year survival rates in patients with tongue cancer.An experimental model for radiation-induced oral mucositis in rat was established and in this model a temporal pattern of macrophage invasion with two different subtypes of macrophages was found.There were no correlation between the expression of podoplanin in the tumour tissue and the cervical metastasis rate in patients with tongue cancer, but the younger patients were more likely to have a higher expression of podoplanin in their tumour than elder patients.Tongue cancer cell lines with different radiosensitivity respond to irradiation with different patterns of metabolic expressions.
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| 4. |
- Sandström, Linda, et al.
(author)
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Pyrolysis of Nordic biomass types in a cyclone pilot plant — Mass balances and yields
- 2016
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In: Fuel processing technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-3820 .- 1873-7188. ; 152, s. 274-284
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fast pyrolysis of biomass results in a renewable product usually denoted pyrolysis oil or bio-oil, which has been suggested to be used as a direct substitute for fuel oil or as a feedstock for production of transportation fuels and/or chemicals. In the present work, fast pyrolysis of stem wood (originated from pine and spruce), willow, reed canary grass, brown forest residue and bark has been performed in a pilot scale cyclone reactor. The experiments were based on a biomass feeding rate of 20 kg/h at three different reactor temperatures. At the reference condition, pyrolysis of stem wood, willow, reed canary grass, and forest residue resulted in organic liquid yields in the range of 41 to 45% w/w, while pyrolysis of bark resulted in lower organic liquid yields. Two fractions of pyrolysis oil were obtained, denoted as the condensed and the aerosol fraction. Most of the water soluble molecules were collected in the condensed fraction, whereas the yield of water insoluble, heavy lignin molecules was higher in the aerosol fraction. Based on the results of the present work, willow, reed canary grass and forest residue are considered as promising raw materials for production of pyrolysis oil in a cyclone reactor.
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| 5. |
- Sivars, Lars, et al.
(author)
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Human papillomavirus DNA detection in fine-needle aspirates as indicator of human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma : A prospective study
- 2017
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In: Head and Neck. - : Wiley. - 1043-3074 .- 1097-0347. ; 39:3, s. 419-426
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has a better outcome than most head neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and an HPV-positive lymph node metastasis likely has an HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC origin. Determining HPV-status in cervical lymph nodes by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) may be useful for diagnosis. Methods. FNACs from 66 patients with neck masses were prospectively examined for HPV DNA and HPV16 mRNA by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay, and the data correlated to diagnosis and HPV-status obtained from histopathological specimens. Results. Aspirates from 17 of 66 patients, later diagnosed with HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC, were HPV16 DNA-positive. HPV16 mRNA was detected in all cases with extractable RNA. All remaining FNACs, including 18 branchial cleft cysts, were HPV DNA-negative. HPV DNA status in the aspirates showed perfect concordance with corresponding biopsies. Conclusion. HPV16 DNA detection in fine-needle aspirations from neck masses is reliable and HPV16 DNA in a metastasis is a strong indicator of an HPV-positive oropharyngeal SCC.
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