| 1. |
- Göransson, J., et al.
(author)
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Performance of a System for Rapid Phenotypic Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Gram-Negative Bacteria Directly from Positive Blood Culture Bottles
- 2023
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In: Journal of Clinical Microbiology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 0095-1137 .- 1098-660X. ; 61:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rapid administration of optimal antimicrobial treatment is paramount for the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSIs), and rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results are essential. Q-linea has developed the ASTar system, a rapid phenotypic AST device. Here, we report the performance of the ASTar BC G- (Gram-negative) kit when assessed according to the ISO 20776-2:2007 standard for performance evaluation of in vitro diagnostic AST devices. The evaluated ASTar BC G- kit uses a broad panel of 23 antimicrobials for the treatment of BSIs caused by Gram-negative fastidious and nonfastidious bacteria across a range of 6 to 14 2-fold dilutions, including cefoxitin as a screening agent for AmpC-producing Enterobacterales. The ASTar system processes blood culture samples to generate data on MICs and susceptible, intermediate, or resistant (SIR) category. The automated protocol includes concentration determination and concentration adjustment to enable a controlled inoculum, followed by broth microdilution (BMD) and microscopy performed continuously to generate MIC values within approximately 6 h once the test is run on the ASTar system. The performance of the ASTar system was assessed against the ISO 20776-2:2007 standard BMD reference method. Testing was performed across three sites, with results from 412 contrived blood cultures and 74 fresh clinical blood cultures. The ASTar system was also tested for reproducibility, with triplicate testing of 11 strains. The accuracy study comprised 8,650 data points of bacterium-antimicrobial tests. The ASTar system demonstrated an overall essential agreement (EA) of 95.8% (8,283/8,650) and a categorical agreement (CA) of 97.6% (8,433/8,639) compared to the reference BMD method. The overall rate of major discrepancies (MDs) was 0.9% (62/6,845), and that of very major discrepancies (VMDs) was 2.4% (30/1,239). This study shows that the ASTar system delivers reproducible results with overall EA and CA of >95%.
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| 2. |
- Hermansen, E. A. T., et al.
(author)
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Post-Paris policy relevance: lessons from the IPCC SR15 process
- 2021
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In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 169:1-2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Policy relevance is the raison d'etre for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), yet few studies have analysed what the concept entails, not least from the perspective of key target groups for the IPCC. We present a framework which enables analysis of how different actor strategies (heating up and cooling down) contribute to shape relevance-making in specific political situations when IPCC knowledge is interpreted and used. Drawing on empirical evidence from the reception and use of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees C (SR15) across three policy making levels, the paper demonstrates different examples of creating policy relevance. First, the paper analyses the origin of SR15 and the failed attempts to formally acknowledge SR15 in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. Second, it investigates how SR15 has been used to develop and legitimize the EU net-zero target and the European Green Deal. Third, the paper demonstrates how SR15 has been used both for legitimizing and challenging climate policy at the national level, using the example of Norway. In sum, the reception of SR15 demonstrates that while IPCC outputs have resulted in controversy at the international level, they have been highly relevant at regional and national levels. The analysis shows that policy relevance is context-dependent and indirect-created through processes involving many actors, institutions, and types of knowledge. Situating these findings within the larger shift in the international climate regime implied by the Paris Agreement, the paper concludes with a set of empirically grounded recommendations for how the IPCC may approach the goal of policy relevance post-Paris.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Asayama, Shinichiro, et al.
(author)
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Three institutional pathways to envision the future of the IPCC
- 2023
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In: Nature Climate Change. - : Nature Portfolio. - 1758-678X .- 1758-6798. ; 13:9, s. 877-880
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The IPCC has been successful at building its scientific authority, but it will require institutional reform for staying relevant to new and changing political contexts. Exploring a range of alternative future pathways for the IPCC can help guide crucial decisions about redefining its purpose.
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| 6. |
- Borrega, M., et al.
(author)
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Utilizing and Valorizing Oat and Barley Straw as an Alternative Source of Lignocellulosic Fibers
- 2022
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In: Materials. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1944. ; 15:21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The transition to sustainable, biodegradable, and recyclable materials requires new sources of cellulose fibers that are already used in large volumes by forest industries. Oat and barley straws provide interesting alternatives to wood fibers in lightweight material applications because of their similar chemical composition. Here we investigate processing and material forming concepts, which would enable strong fiber network structures for various applications. The idea is to apply mild pretreatment processing that could be distributed locally so that the logistics of the raw material collection could be made efficient. The actual material production would then combine foam-forming and hot-pressing operations that allow using all fractions of fiber materials with minimal waste. We aimed to study the technical features of this type of processing on a laboratory scale. The homogeneity of the sheet samples was very much affected by whether the raw material was mechanically refined or not. Straw fibers did not form a bond spontaneously with one another after drying the sheets, but their effective bonding required a subsequent hot pressing operation. The mechanical properties of the formed materials were at a similar level as those of the conventional wood-fiber webs. In addition to the technical aspects of materials, we also discuss the business opportunities and system-level requirements of using straw as an alternative source of lignocellulosic fibers.
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| 7. |
- Flockhart, Mikael, et al.
(author)
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Glucosinolate-rich broccoli sprouts protect against oxidative stress and improve adaptations to intense exercise training.
- 2023
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In: Redox Biology. - : Elsevier. - 2213-2317. ; 67
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oxidative stress plays a vital role for the adaptive responses to physical training. However, excessive oxidative stress can precipitate cellular damage, necessitating protective mechanisms to mitigate this effect. Glucosinolates, found predominantly in cruciferous vegetables, can be converted into isothiocyanates, known for their antioxidative properties. These compounds activate crucial antioxidant defence pathways and support mitochondrial function and protein integrity under oxidative stress, in both Nrf2-dependent and independent manners. We here administered glucosinolate-rich broccoli sprouts (GRS), in a randomized double-blinded cross-over fashion to 9 healthy subjects in combination with daily intense exercise training for 7 days. We found that exercise in combination with GRS significantly decreased the levels of carbonylated proteins in skeletal muscle and the release of myeloperoxidase into blood. Moreover, it lowered lactate accumulation during submaximal exercise, and attenuated the severe nocturnal hypoglycaemic episodes seen during the placebo condition. Furthermore, GRS in combination with exercise improved physical performance, which was unchanged in the placebo condition.
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| 8. |
- Fredriksson, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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GRK2 selectively attenuates the neutrophil NADPH-oxidase response triggered by beta-arrestin recruiting GPR84 agonists
- 2022
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In: Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Cell Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4889. ; 1869:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to avoid a prolonged pro-inflammatory neutrophil response, signaling downstream of an agonist-activated G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) has to be rapidly terminated. Among the family of GPCR kinases (GRKs) that regulate receptor phosphorylation and signaling termination, GRK2, which is highly expressed by immune cells, plays an important role. The medium chain fatty acid receptor GPR84 as well as formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), receptors expressed in neutrophils, play a key role in regulating inflammation. In this study, we investigated the effects of GRK2 inhibitors on neutrophil functions induced by GPR84 and FPR2 agonists. GRK2 was shown to be expressed in human neutrophils and analysis of subcellular fractions revealed a cytosolic localization. The GRK2 inhibitors enhanced and prolonged neutrophil production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by GPR84-but not FPR2-agonists, suggesting a receptor selective function of GRK2. This suggestion was supported by beta-arrestin recruitment data. The ROS production induced by a non beta-arrestin recruiting GPR84 agonist was not affected by the GRK2 inhibitor. Termination of this beta-arrestin independent response relied, similar to the response induced by FPR2 agonists, primarily on the actin cytoskeleton. In summary, we show that GPR84 utilizes GRK2 in concert with beta-arrestin and actin cytoskeleton dependent processes to fine-tune the activity of the ROS generating NADPH-oxidase in neutrophils.
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| 9. |
- Gavazov, Konstantin, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Plant-microbial linkages underpin carbon sequestration in contrasting mountain tundra vegetation types
- 2022
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In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0038-0717 .- 1879-3428. ; 165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tundra ecosystems hold large stocks of soil organic matter (SOM), likely due to low temperatures limiting rates of microbial SOM decomposition more than those of SOM accumulation from plant primary productivity and microbial necromass inputs. Here we test the hypotheses that distinct tundra vegetation types and their carbon supply to characteristic rhizosphere microbes determine SOM cycling independent of temperature. In the subarctic Scandes, we used a three-way factorial design with paired heath and meadow vegetation at each of two elevations, and with each combination of vegetation type and elevation subjected during one growing season to either ambient light (i.e., ambient plant productivity), or 95% shading (i.e., reduced plant productivity). We assessed potential above- and belowground ecosystem linkages by uni- and multivariate analyses of variance, and structural equation modelling. We observed direct coupling between tundra vegetation type and microbial community composition and function, which underpinned the ecosystem's potential for SOM storage. Greater primary productivity at low elevation and ambient light supported higher microbial biomass and nitrogen immobilisation, with lower microbial mass-specific enzymatic activity and SOM humification. Congruently, larger SOM at lower elevation and in heath sustained fungal-dominated microbial communities, which were less substrate-limited, and invested less into enzymatic SOM mineralisation, owing to a greater carbon-use efficiency (CUE). Our results highlight the importance of tundra plant community characteristics (i.e., productivity and vegetation type), via their effects on soil microbial community size, structure and physiology, as essential drivers of SOM turnover. The here documented concerted patterns in above- and belowground ecosystem functioning is strongly supportive of using plant community characteristics as surrogates for assessing tundra carbon storage potential and its evolution under climate and vegetation changes.
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| 10. |
- Hermansen, E. A. T., et al.
(author)
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Top-down or bottom-up? Norwegian climate mitigation policy as a contested hybrid of policy approaches
- 2022
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In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 171:3-4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is widely accepted that the Paris Agreement implies a shift in global climate mitigation policy from a top-down approach focused on global distribution of emission cuts and international cost-effectiveness to a bottom-up approach based on national efforts. Less is known about how this shift at the global level trickles down and manifests in national climate mitigation policy. Norway is in this respect an interesting example, since it has long been portrayed as an important driver of an international top-down approach. In this paper, we demonstrate that Norwegian policy cannot be characterised as a 'pure' top-down regime; policy instruments and measures directed at specific technology investments and deployment to complement cost-effective (international) policy instruments have been an explicit government ambition for a long time. Second, by using the case of biofuels, we analyse how the two approaches have been combined in practice over the past decade. Using the notion of 'hybrid management', we demonstrate that the top-down approach has left a lasting imprint on Norwegian mitigation policy, but also that this approach has increasingly been challenged by bottom-up thinking, leaving Norwegian climate mitigation policy as a contested hybrid of policy approaches. We conclude that inadequate institutional arrangements for productively managing the tensions between the two approaches have hampered progress in Norwegian policy in curbing domestic emissions. We expect that Norwegian climate mitigation will become increasingly hybridised in the coming decades, and suggest that cultivating hybridisation can be a productive approach for policy progress.
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