| 1. |
- Franz, D, et al.
(author)
-
Towards long-term standardised carbon and greenhouse gas observations for monitoring Europe´s terrestrial ecosystems: a review
- 2018
-
In: International Agrophysics. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 0236-8722 .- 2300-8725. ; 32, s. 439-455
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Research infrastructures play a key role in launching a new generation of integrated long-term, geographically distributed observation programmes designed to monitor climate change, better understand its impacts on global ecosystems, and evaluate possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. The pan-European Integrated Carbon Observation System combines carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O) observations within the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems and oceans. High-precision measurements are obtained using standardised methodologies, are centrally processed and openly available in a traceable and verifiable fashion in combination with detailed metadata. The Integrated Carbon Observation System ecosystem station network aims to sample climate and land-cover variability across Europe. In addition to GHG flux measurements, a large set of complementary data (including management practices, vegetation and soil characteristics) is collected to support the interpretation, spatial upscaling and modelling of observed ecosystem carbon and GHG dynamics. The applied sampling design was developed and formulated in protocols by the scientific community, representing a trade-off between an ideal dataset and practical feasibility. The use of open-access, high-quality and multi-level data products by different user communities is crucial for the Integrated Carbon Observation System in order to achieve its scientific potential and societal value.
|
|
| 2. |
- Cuni-Sanchez, Aida, et al.
(author)
-
High aboveground carbon stock of African tropical montane forests
- 2021
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 596:7873, s. 536-542
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tropical forests store 40–50per cent of terrestrial vegetation carbon. However, spatial variations in aboveground live tree biomass carbon (AGC) stocks remain poorly understood, in particular in tropical montane forests. Owing to climatic and soil changes with increasing elevation, AGC stocks are lower in tropical montane forests compared with lowland forests. Here we assemble and analyse a dataset of structurally intact old-growth forests (AfriMont) spanning 44 montane sites in 12 African countries. We find that montane sites in the AfriMont plot network have a mean AGC stock of 149.4megagrams of carbon per hectare (95% confidence interval 137.1–164.2), which is comparable to lowland forests in the African Tropical Rainforest Observation Network4 and about 70per cent and 32per cent higher than averages from plot networks in montane and lowland forests in the Neotropics, respectively. Notably, our results are two-thirds higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change default values for these forests in Africa8. We find that the low stem density and high abundance of large trees of African lowland forests is mirrored in the montane forests sampled. This carbon store is endangered: we estimate that 0.8 million hectares of old-growth African montane forest have been lost since 2000. We provide country-specific montane forest AGC stock estimates modelled from our plot network to helpto guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. Our findings highlight the need for conserving these biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Taipale, K, et al.
(author)
-
Predictive and prognostic clinical variables in cancer patients treated with adenoviral oncolytic immunotherapy
- 2016
-
In: Molecular Therapy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-0024 .- 1525-0016. ; 24:7, s. 1323-1332
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The development of oncolytic viruses has recently made great progress towards being available to cancer patients. With the breakthrough into clinics, it is crucial to analyze the existing clinical experience and use it as a basis for treatment improvements. Here we report clinical data from 290 patients treated with oncolytic adenovirus. Using clinical variables and treatment characteristics, we constructed statistical models with regard to treatment response and overall survival. Additionally, we investigated effects of neutralizing antibodies, tumor burden and peripheral blood leucocyte counts on these outcomes. We found the absence of liver metastases to correlate with an improved rate of disease control (p=0.021). In multivariate evaluation, patients treated with viruses coding for immunostimulatory granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor were linked to better prognosis (HR 0.378, p<0.001), as well as women with any cancer type (HR 0.694, p=0.017). In multivariate analysis for imaging response, patients treated via intraperitoneal injection were more likely to achieve disease control (OR 3.246, p=0.027). Patients with low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio before treatment, had significantly longer overall survival (p<0.001). These findings could explain some of the variation seen in treatment outcomes after virotherapy. Furthermore, the results offer hypotheses for treatment optimization and patient selection in oncolytic adenovirus immunotherapy.Molecular Therapy (2016); doi:10.1038/mt.2016.67.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Cunha, André B., et al.
(author)
-
Development of a Smart Wireless Multisensor Platform for an Optogenetic Brain Implant
- 2024
-
In: Sensors. - 1424-8220. ; 24:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Implantable cell replacement therapies promise to completely restore the function of neural structures, possibly changing how we currently perceive the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. One of the major clinical hurdles for the routine implementation of stem cell therapies is poor cell retention and survival, demanding the need to better understand these mechanisms while providing precise and scalable approaches to monitor these cell-based therapies in both pre-clinical and clinical scenarios. This poses significant multidisciplinary challenges regarding planning, defining the methodology and requirements, prototyping and different stages of testing. Aiming toward an optogenetic neural stem cell implant controlled by a smart wireless electronic frontend, we show how an iterative development methodology coupled with a modular design philosophy can mitigate some of these challenges. In this study, we present a miniaturized, wireless-controlled, modular multisensor platform with fully interfaced electronics featuring three different modules: an impedance analyzer, a potentiostat and an optical stimulator. We show the application of the platform for electrical impedance spectroscopy-based cell monitoring, optical stimulation to induce dopamine release from optogenetically modified neurons and a potentiostat for cyclic voltammetry and amperometric detection of dopamine release. The multisensor platform is designed to be used as an opto-electric headstage for future in vivo animal experiments.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Heiskanen, Annamari, et al.
(author)
-
N-glycolylneuraminic acid xenoantigen contamination of human embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells is substantially reversible.
- 2007
-
In: Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1066-5099 .- 1549-4918. ; 25:1, s. 197-202
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human embryonic and mesenchymal stem cell therapies may offer significant benefit to a large number of patients. Recently, however, human embryonic stem cell lines cultured on mouse feeder cells were reported to be contaminated by the xeno-carbohydrate N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and considered potentially unfit for human therapy. To determine the extent of the problem of Neu5Gc contamination for the development of stem cell therapies, we investigated whether it also occurs in cells cultured on human feeder cells and in mesenchymal stem cells, what are the sources of contamination, and whether the contamination is reversible. We found that N-glycolylneuraminic acid was present in embryonic stem cells cultured on human feeder cells, correlating with the presence of Neu5Gc in components of the commercial serum replacement culture medium. Similar contamination occurred in mesenchymal stem cells cultured in the presence of fetal bovine serum. The results suggest that the Neu5Gc is present in both glycoprotein and lipid-linked glycans, as detected by mass spectrometric analysis and monoclonal antibody staining, respectively. Significantly, the contamination was largely reversible in the progeny of both cell types, suggesting that decontaminated cells may be derived from existing stem cell lines. Although major complications have not been reported in the clinical trials with mesenchymal stem cells exposed to fetal bovine serum, the immunogenic contamination may potentially be reflected in the viability and efficacy of the transplanted cells and thus bias the published results. Definition of safe culture conditions for stem cells is essential for future development of cellular therapies.
|
|
