Showing papers by "University of Gothenburg published in 2003"
TL;DR: The authors reported mutations in two X-linked genes encoding neuroligins NLGN3 and NLGN4 in siblings with autism spectrum disorders, which affect cell-adhesion molecules localized at the synapse and suggest that a defect of synaptogenesis may predispose to autism.
Abstract: Many studies have supported a genetic etiology for autism. Here we report mutations in two X-linked genes encoding neuroligins NLGN3 and NLGN4 in siblings with autism-spectrum disorders. These mutations affect cell-adhesion molecules localized at the synapse and suggest that a defect of synaptogenesis may predispose to autism.
1,732 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared psychophysiological stress recovery and directed attention restoration in natural and urban field settings using repeated measures of ambulatory blood pressure, emotion, and attention collected from 112 randomly assigned young adults.
1,689 citations
TL;DR: In elderly hypertensive patients, a slightly more effective blood pressure reduction during candesartan-based therapy, compared with control therapy, was associated with a modest, statistically non-significant, reduction in major cardiovascular events and with a marked reduction in non-fatal stroke.
Abstract: BackgroundThe prognostic benefits of blood pressure lowering treatment in elderly hypertensive patients were established more than a decade ago, but are less clear in those with mildly to moderately elevated blood pressure.ObjectiveTo assess whether candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment in el
1,402 citations
TL;DR: The CSF biomarkers total tau protein, phosphorylated tauprotein, and the 42 amino-acid residue form of amyloid-beta may, if put in the right clinical context, prove to have high enough diagnostic accuracy to meet the challenge of identifying incipient AD in patients with MCI.
Abstract: Summary Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is needed to initiate symptomatic treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and will be of even greater significance if drugs aimed at slowing down the degenerative process, such as vaccination regimes and β-secretase and γ-secretase inhibitors, prove to affect AD pathology and to have clinical effect. However, there is no clinical method to determine in which patients mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will progress to AD with dementia, and in which patients MCI is benign. Hence, there is a great clinical need for biomarkers to identify incipient AD in patients with MCI. The CSF biomarkers total tau protein, phosphorylated tau protein, and the 42 amino-acid residue form of amyloid-β may, if put in the right clinical context, prove to have high enough diagnostic accuracy to meet this challenge.
1,222 citations
TL;DR: A state-of-the-art system for clinical cartilage evaluation and imaging assessment is presented below and it is important to develop common evaluation measurement tools and standards.
Abstract: Articular cartilage injuries ( Fig. 1 ) are common findings during arthroscopy 1 and diagnostic imaging of the joints 2,3. While there are many techniques for the treatment of cartilage injuries, not enough is known about which lesions need treatment or about the proper treatment modality for a particular lesion. More objective data regarding cartilage injuries and more accurate methods to evaluate the operative outcomes are required, especially since new procedures are becoming increasingly expensive. There are many published reports on the outcomes of total joint replacement based on clinical scores and radiographic evaluations. However, it has been quite difficult to interpret the reported results of the repair of focal cartilage defects as there is no universally accepted system to describe the lesions, the repair tissue, or the clinical symptoms for this category of patients. More studies on clinical articular cartilage resurfacing will appear in the future, making it important to develop common evaluation measurement tools and standards. The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) was founded in 1997 and has been interested in developing a standardization system for the evaluation of cartilage injury and repair 4,5. A working group of the ICRS was established with the aim of developing a common, easy system for clinical and arthroscopic evaluation ( Table I ). Shortly thereafter, the Articular Cartilage Imaging Committee of the ICRS was created to assess the existing clinical imaging techniques, to recommend specific magnetic resonance imaging techniques for the assessment of articular cartilage 6, and to develop a standardized magnetic resonance imaging evaluation system for native and repaired cartilage ( Table I ). A state-of-the-art system for clinical cartilage evaluation and imaging assessment is presented below.
Fig. 1:
A cartilage lesion on a femoral condyle, extending deep down to bone. Note that some calcified …
1,121 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study of an international venture and the observations reported by a number of researchers that the received models of the internationalization process of the firm do not capture some important phenomena in the modern international business world.
Abstract: This paper is based on a case study of an international venture and on the observations reported by a number of researchers that the received models of the internationalization process of the firm do not capture some important phenomena in the modern international business world. As several researchers argue that networks play an important role in the early internationalization the paper outlines a network model of the internationalization process of the firm. It combines the experiential learning–commitment interplay as the driving mechanism from the old internationalization process model with a similar experiential learning–commitment mechanism focusing on business network relationships. In the resulting model we can see firms learning in relationships, which enables them to enter new country markets in which they can develop new relationships which give them a platform for entering other country markets.
1,068 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that human subcutaneous adipose cells, like 3T3-L1 cells, are target cells for IL-6 and that it may act in concert with other cytokines that also are up-regulated in adipose Cells in insulin resistance.
1,046 citations
TL;DR: This pilot phase 2 study supports further investigation of this novel treatment strategy using a metal-protein-attenuating compound, and the effect of treatment was significant in the more severely affected group.
Abstract: Background Alzheimer disease (AD) may be caused by the toxic accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ). Objective To test this theory, we developed a clinical intervention using clioquinol, a metal-protein–attenuating compound (MPAC) that inhibits zinc and copper ions from binding to Aβ, thereby promoting Aβ dissolution and diminishing its toxic properties. Methods A pilot phase 2 clinical trial in patients with moderately severe Alzheimer disease. Results Thirty-six subjects were randomized. The effect of treatment was significant in the more severely affected group (baseline cognitive subscale score of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, ≥25), due to a substantial worsening of scores in those taking placebo compared with minimal deterioration for the clioquinol group. Plasma Aβ 42 levels declined in the clioquinol group and increased in the placebo group. Plasma zinc levels rose in the clioquinol-treated group. The drug was well tolerated. Conclusion Subject to the usual caveats inherent in studies with small sample size, this pilot phase 2 study supports further investigation of this novel treatment strategy using a metal-protein–attenuating compound.
950 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, conditional null alleles of both the Sonic hedgehog and Smoothened genes were examined to directly test the requirement for hedgehog signaling in the telencephalon from early neurogenesis.
657 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that retention of PDGF-B in microvessels is essential for proper recruitment and organization of pericytes and for renal and retinal function in adult mice.
Abstract: Several platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members display C-terminal protein motifs that confer retention of the secreted factors within the pericellular space. To address the role of PDGF-B retention in vivo, we deleted the retention motif by gene targeting in mice. This resulted in defective investment of pericytes in the microvessel wall and delayed formation of the renal glomerulus mesangium. Long-term effects of lack of PDGF-B retention included severe retinal deterioration, glomerulosclerosis, and proteinuria. We conclude that retention of PDGF-B in microvessels is essential for proper recruitment and organization of pericytes and for renal and retinal function in adult mice.
639 citations
TL;DR: Findings suggest that a genetically determined, Sir2p-dependent asymmetric inheritance of oxidatively damaged proteins may contribute to free-radical defense and the fitness of newborn cells.
Abstract: Carbonylated proteins were visualized in single cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing that they accumulate with replicative age. Furthermore, carbonylated proteins were not inherited by daughter cells during cytokinesis. Mother cells of a yeast strain lacking the sir2 gene, a life-span determinant, failed to retain oxidatively damaged proteins during cytokinesis. These findings suggest that a genetically determined, Sir2p-dependent asymmetric inheritance of oxidatively damaged proteins may contribute to free-radical defense and the fitness of newborn cells.
TL;DR: In this article, the fourth mandibular premolars were selected for study and were divided into one mesial and one distal portion, the distal root was removed and the socket with surrounding soft and mineralized tissue was denoted as experimental unit.
Abstract: Objectives: The aim of the present experiment was to study events involved in the healing of marginal, central and apical compartments of an extraction socket, from the formation of a blood clot, to bone tissue formation and remodeling of the newly formed hard tissue.
Material and Methods: Nine mongrel dogs were used for the experiment. The fourth mandibular premolars were selected for study and were divided into one mesial and one distal portion. The distal root was removed and the socket with surrounding soft and mineralized tissue was denoted “experimental unit”. The dogs were killed 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 days after the root extractions. Biopsies including the experimental units were demineralized in EDTA, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections 7 μm thick were cut in a mesio-distal plane. From each biopsy, three sections representing the central part of the socket were selected for histological examination. Morphometric measurements were performed to determine the volume occupied by different types of tissues in the marginal, central and apical compartments of the extraction socket at different intervals.
Results: During the first 3 days of healing, a blood clot was found to occupy most of the extraction site. After seven days this clot was in part replaced with a provisional matrix (PCT). On day 14, the tissue of the socket was comprised of PM and woven bone. On day 30, mineralized bone occupied 88% of the socket volume. This tissue had decreased to 15% on day 180. The portion occupied by bone marrow(BM) in the day 60 specimens was about 75%, but had increased to 85% on day 180.
Conclusion: The healing of an extraction socket involved a series of events including the formation of a coagulum that was replaced by (i) a provisional connective tissue matrix, (ii) woven bone, and (iii) lamellar bone and BM. During the healing process a hard tissue bridge – cortical bone – formed, which “closed” the socket.
TL;DR: The evidence for cancer-related fatigue and its treatment in adults and important gaps in knowledge remain are critically assessed.
TL;DR: It is indicated that persistent low serum concentrations of IGF-I after premature birth are associated with later development of ROP and other complications of prematurity and is at least as strong a determinant of risk for ROP as postmenstrual age at birth and birth weight.
Abstract: Objective. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is necessary for normal development of retinal blood vessels in mice and humans. Because retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is initiated by abnormal postnatal retinal development, we hypothesized that prolonged low IGF-I in premature infants might be a risk factor for ROP. Design. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study measuring serum IGF-I concentrations weekly in 84 premature infants from birth (postmenstrual ages: 24–32 weeks) until discharge from the hospital. Infants were evaluated for ROP and other morbidity of prematurity: bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Results. Low serum IGF-I values correlated with later development of ROP. The mean IGF-I ± SEM level during postmenstrual ages 30–33 weeks was lowest with severe ROP (25 ± 2.41 μg/L), 29 ± 1.76 μg/L with moderate ROP, and 33 ± 1.72 μg/L with no ROP. The duration of low IGF-I also correlated strongly with the severity of ROP. The interval from birth until serum IGF-I levels reached >33 μg/L was 23 ± 2.6 days for no ROP, 44 ± 4.8 days for moderate ROP, and 52 ± 7.5 days for severe ROP. Each adjusted stepwise increase of 5 μg/L in mean IGF-I during postmenstrual ages 30 to 33 weeks decreased the risk of proliferative ROP by 45%. Other complications (NEC, BPD, IVH) were correlated with ROP and with low IGF-I levels. The relative risk for any morbidity (ROP, BPD, IVH, or NEC) was increased 2.2-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.41–3.43) if IGF-I was ≤33 μg/L at 33 weeks’ postmenstrual age. Conclusions. These results indicate that persistent low serum concentrations of IGF-I after premature birth are associated with later development of ROP and other complications of prematurity. IGF-I is at least as strong a determinant of risk for ROP as postmenstrual age at birth and birth weight.
TL;DR: The objective is to review the scientific literature regarding the impact of early feeding (breast milk and or cow's milk and/or formula) on development of atopic disease.
Abstract: Background: Strategies to prevent children from developing allergy have been elaborated on the basis of state-of-the-art reviews of the scientific literature regarding pets and allergies, building dampness and health, and building ventilation and health. A similar multidisciplinary review of infant feeding mode in relation to allergy has not been published previously. Here, the objective is to review the scientific literature regarding the impact of early feeding (breast milk and/or cow's milk and/or formula) on development of atopic disease. The work was performed by a multidisciplinary group of Scandinavian researchers. Methods: The search in the literature identified 4323 articles that contained at least one of the exposure and health effect terms. A total of 4191 articles were excluded mainly because they did not contain information on both exposure and health effects. Consequently, 132 studies have been scrutinized by this review group. Results: Of the 132 studies selected, 56 were regarded as conclusive. Several factors contributed to the exclusions. The studies considered conclusive by the review group were categorized according to population and study design. Conclusions: The review group concluded that breastfeeding seems to protect from the development of atopic disease. The effect appears even stronger in children with atopic heredity. If breast milk is unavailable or insufficient, extensively hydrolysed formulas are preferable to unhydrolysed or partially hydrolysed formulas in terms of the risk of some atopic manifestations.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a brief account of the role of habit in travel behavior, discuss more generally what habitual choice is, and briefly review the issues addressed in the solicited papers.
Abstract: In this introduction to the special issue on habitual travel choice, we provide a brief account of the role of habit in travel behaviour, discuss more generally what habitual choice is, and briefly review the issues addressed in the solicited papers. These issues include how habitual travel behaviour should be measured, how to model the learning process that makes travel choice habitual, and how to break and replace car-use habits.
TL;DR: Results even demonstrate that dissimilarly acting chemicals can show significant joint effects, predictable by independent action, when combined in concentrations below individual NOEC values, statistically estimated to elicit insignificant individual effects of only 1%.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify attributes that increase and decrease citizens perceived value of wetlands and find that biodiversity and walking facilities are the two greatest contributors to welfare, while a fenced waterline and introduction of crayfish decrease welfare.
TL;DR: The universal stress protein A (UspA) superfamily encompasses an ancient and conserved group of proteins that are found in bacteria, Archea, fungi, flies and plants and appear, in some cases, to be linked to resistance to DNA-damaging agents and to respiratory uncouplers.
TL;DR: In this paper, a sample of 524 car owners living in a metropolitan area of Sweden answered survey questions measuring intention to perform collective proenvironmental behavior, awareness of egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric environmental consequences, personal norm, and ascribed responsibility.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested the hypothesis that exposure to nature stimuli restores depleted voluntary attention capacity and affects selective attention and found that reduced autonomic arousal during the video engendered less spatially selective attention in the nature group compared to the urban group.
TL;DR: Meal pattern with omission of breakfast or breakfast and lunch was related to a clustering of less healthy lifestyle factors and food choice leading to a poorer nutrient intake.
Abstract: Objective: To relate meal pattern of Swedish adolescents to food choice, nutrient intake and other lifestyle factors. Design: Cross-sectional study including diet history and interview about smoking, ethnicity, social factors and retrospectively collected data of menarche and growth. Setting: School setting, Goteborg, Sweden. Subjects: A total of 611 boys and 634 girls in grade 9 (15–16 y). Results: The majority of the students, 65% of the boys and 52% of the girls, consumed three main meals daily. The in-between meals, however, contributed the major part of the energy intake. The energy intake was 12.9±3.5 MJ (mean±s.d.) for boys and 9.0±2.5 MJ for girls. Irregular breakfast eating, 12% of the boys and 24% of the girls, was related to negative lifestyle factors where smoking was the strongest, odds ratio 3.8 (95% CI: 2.6–5.4) and to irregular intake of lunch and dinner. These boys and girls had a food choice including a higher percentage of energy from snack food (26% vs 20% and 19% in boys and girls respectively, all P<0.001), mostly consumed between the main meals. These groups had significantly lower intakes of micronutrients, but higher intakes of sucrose and alcohol compared to the groups with regular breakfast intake. Girls omitting breakfasts and lunches (8%) also had a less healthy food choice and the poorest nutrient intake. These girls had matured earlier, with menarche age of 12.2±1.1 y vs 12.9±1.0 y (P<0.001) in girls with regular main meal intake. Conclusions: Meal pattern with omission of breakfast or breakfast and lunch was related to a clustering of less healthy lifestyle factors and food choice leading to a poorer nutrient intake. Sponsorship: The Swedish Medical Research Council (project B94-19X-04721-19A), the Swedish Mill Industry and the Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren Foundation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the anthropological analysis of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner is used to find theoretical support for the idea of liminality as applied to the consulting activity.
Abstract: The growing literature on management consulting views consultants as allies of management, in temporary positions of power. This article attempts to complement this perspective by assuming a metaphor of consulting as a liminal space. Liminality is a condition where the usual practice and order are suspended and replaced by new rites and rituals. We build on the anthropological analyses of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner to find theoretical support for the idea of liminality as applied to the consulting activity. This article is based on our experience as consultants and observers. It collects on-the-job reflections - ours and those of other consultants we have met. These participating observations support the suggestion that consulting can be represented as a liminal space for both consultants and their client organizations.
TL;DR: Ectomycorrhizal fungi occupy different niches and show variable distribution patterns, and CWD plays an important role as a habitat both for roots and ECM fungi.
Abstract: Summary
• Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are widespread plant root symbionts in boreal forests, but information is lacking on the fine scale distribution of roots and fungi in substrate patches of different quality, including coarse woody debris (CWD).
• Wood and soil cores were taken systematically both horizontally and vertically through decayed logs and underlying soil layers in a mixed forest. Root tips were counted and ECM fungi identified by morphotyping and sequencing.
• The abundance of root tips and ECM fungi was highly variable on a 5-cm scale. Most species were replaced on a 50-cm scale. Detrended correspondence analysis demonstrated strong preference of resupinate thelephoroid and athelioid fungi and Sebacinaceae for CWD, whereas ascomycetes and euagarics appeared more frequently in mineral soil. Clavulicium delectabile was determined to be an ECM fungus for the first time.
• ECM fungi occupy different niches and show variable distribution patterns. CWD plays an important role as a habitat both for roots and ECM fungi. We suggest sampling larger soil cores and selecting random root tips in future studies. Sequencing is a powerful tool in ECM community studies.
TL;DR: An inventory of life cycle energy inputs for 150 food items available in Sweden is presented and how energy efficient meals and diets can be composed are discussed.
TL;DR: The designs are evaluated according to their ability to predict the true marginal willingness to pay under different specifications of the utility function in Monte Carlo simulations and suggest that the designs produce unbiased estimations, but orthogonal designs result in larger mean square error in comparison to D-optimal designs.
Abstract: This paper discusses different design techniques for stated preference surveys in health economic applications. In particular, we focus on different design techniques, i.e. how to combine the attribute levels into alternatives and choice sets, for choice experiments. Design is a vital issue in choice experiments since the combination of alternatives in the choice sets will determine the degree of precision obtainable from the estimates and welfare measures. In this paper we compare orthogonal, cyclical and D-optimal designs, where the latter allows expectations about the true parameters to be included when creating the design. Moreover, we discuss how to obtain prior information on the parameters and how to conduct a sequential design procedure during the actual experiment in order to improve the precision in the estimates. The designs are evaluated according to their ability to predict the true marginal willingness to pay under different specifications of the utility function in Monte Carlo simulations. Our results suggest that the designs produce unbiased estimations, but orthogonal designs result in larger mean square error in comparison to D-optimal designs. This result is expected when using correct priors on the parameters in D-optimal designs. However, the simulations show that welfare measures are not very sensitive if the choice sets are generated from a D-optimal design with biased priors.
TL;DR: Some of the recent data on this gene family are presented with reference to selected phenotypes observed in patients and model organisms, and the sensitivity of developmental processes to alterations in forkhead gene dosage.
TL;DR: Analysis of the physiology and molecular biology of stationary-phase E. coli cells has revealed interesting similarities to the aging process of higher organisms, including increased oxidation of cellular constituents and its target specificity, the role of antioxidants and oxygen tension in determining life span, and an apparent trade-off between activities related to reproduction and survival.
Abstract: Bacteria enjoy an infinite capacity for reproduction as long as they reside in an environment supporting growth. However, their rapid growth and efficient metabolism ultimately results in depletion of growth-supporting substrates and the population of cells enters a phase defined as the stationary phase of growth. In this phase, their reproductive ability is gradually lost. The molecular mechanism underlying this cellular degeneration has not been fully deciphered. Still, recent analysis of the physiology and molecular biology of stationary-phase E. coli cells has revealed interesting similarities to the aging process of higher organisms. The similarities include increased oxidation of cellular constituents and its target specificity, the role of antioxidants and oxygen tension in determining life span, and an apparent trade-off between activities related to reproduction and survival.
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to investigate the healing of human extraction sockets filled with Bio-Oss particles (Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland), and found that in 21 subjects, providing a total of 31 healing sites, at least one tooth was scheduled for extraction and the extraction sites for implant therapy.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the healing of human extraction sockets filled with Bio-Oss® particles (Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland). In 21 subjects, providing a total of 31 healing sites, at least one tooth was scheduled for extraction and the extraction sites for implant therapy. The dimensions of the alveolar ridge at the extraction sites were considered insufficient and required augmentation concomitant with tooth extraction. There were three treatment groups. In group A, the extraction sockets were covered with a Bio-Gide® membrane (Geistlich Pharma AG) and in group B the extraction sockets were filled with Bio-Oss®. The extraction sockets in group C were left to heal spontaneously. Biopsies from the extraction sites were collected at the time of implant installation. Samples from group A showed large amounts of lamellar bone and bone marrow and small proportions of woven bone. Sites grafted with Bio-Oss® (group B) were comprised of connective tissue and small amounts of newly formed bone surrounding the graft particles. Only 40% of the circumference of the Bio-Oss® particles was in contact with woven bone. Sites from group C were characterized by the presence of mineralized bone and bone marrow.