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Biomedical subjects

J Eriksson

Publications and source records attributed to J Eriksson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Fate of heavy metals after application of sewage sludge and wood-ash mixtures to short-rotation willow coppice.

Short-rotation willow coppice (SRWC), grown on farmland in Sweden for energy-biomass production, was fertilised with sewage sludge and wood-ash mixtures on the basis of the permitted annual phosphorus supply. Two identical experiments were conducted in central Sweden, on two newly harvested commercial SRWC fields. The maximum legally permitted amount of the sludge-ash mixture, sludge only, ash only, and twice the maximum permitted sludge-ash amount, were applied. The aim was to assess the effect of pH changes following treatment, on the ability of SRWC to take up large amounts of Cd and other metals. The remediation effect of SRWC was also studied. Under the experimental conditions applied, uptake by SRWC was unaffected by pH changes. The differences between the amounts of metals experimentally applied, less the uptake by SRWC after a potential harvest, were broadly within the permitted limits. For Cd, a reduction of total amounts in soil was observed.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2005

Nuclear insertions help and hinder inference of the evolutionary history of gorilla mtDNA.

Numts are fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that have been translocated to the nucleus, where they can persist while their mitochondrial counterparts continue to rapidly evolve. Thus, numts represent 'molecular fossils' useful for comparison with mitochondrial variation, and are particularly suited for studies of the fast-evolving hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial control region (HV1). Here we used information from numts found in western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) to estimate that these two species diverged about 1.3 million years ago (Ma), an estimate similar to recent calculations for the divergence of chimpanzee and bonobo. We also describe the sequence of a gorilla numt still possessing a segment lost from all contemporary gorilla mtDNAs. In contrast to that sequence, many numts of the HV1 are highly similar to authentic mitochondrial organellar sequences, making it difficult to determine whether purported mitochondrial sequences truly derive from that genome. We used all available organellar HV1 and corresponding numt sequences from gorillas in a phylogenetic analysis aimed at distinguishing these two types of sequences. Numts were found in several clades in the tree. This, in combination with the fact that only a limited amount of the extant variation in gorillas has been sampled, suggests that categorization of new sequences by the indirect means of phylogenetic comparison would be prone to uncertainty. We conclude that for taxa such as gorillas that contain numerous numts, direct approaches to the authentication of HV1 sequences, such as amplification strategies relying upon the circularity of the mtDNA molecule, remain necessary.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Coordinated care planning for elderly patients using videoconferencing.

We studied the transfer of information during coordinated care planning between a university hospital and a local health care centre/social welfare department about 35 km away. During a seven-month study period, 10 sessions were conducted by videoconferencing and seven sessions were conducted by face-to-face conferencing. Videoconferencing reduced the time required for each coordinated care-planning session from an average of 60 to 45 min. There was also an increase in the number of participating professional categories. Travel time for the staff in the face-to-face group was 60-180 min each. Use of a care-planning report during the sessions resulted in improved quality of documentation, which contributed to better care following discharge. The technical problems that occurred did not detract from the beneficial experience of participating. Interviews with next of kin showed that they had been able to influence the content of the care during the care-planning sessions. Videoconferencing proved useful in coordinated care planning. It resulted in time saved due to reduced travel time, participation by more staff categories and an enhancement of the documentation quality.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Resolving the challenges of producing small-bore tubing.

Experience shows that sufficient time and resources must be allocated to writing a specification. It is essential to be clear about the intended use of the tubing. Once the preliminary specification has been compiled, trial and error is often a necessary part of the process of making a successful product. Finally, all polymers are affected by the environment and their previous history.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed2004

Association between a deletion/insertion polymorphism in the alpha2B-adrenergic receptor gene and insulin secretion and Type 2 diabetes. The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Impaired insulin secretion has a strong genetic component. In this study we investigated whether the 12Glu9 polymorphism in the gene encoding the alpha2B-adrenergic receptor ( ADRA2B) is associated with insulin secretion and/or the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. METHODS: We investigated a total of 506 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance participating in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS). Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. Anthropometric measurements and an oral glucose tolerance test were performed at baseline and at annual follow-up. In a subgroup of patients (n=83), a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT) was performed at baseline. RESULTS: All patients had similar anthropometric measurements and insulin and glucose levels at baseline. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant interaction (p=0.003) between study group and genotype across the entire study population. In the control group, subjects with the Glu9 allele had an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared with subjects with the Glu12/12 genotype (odds ratio [OR]=2.68, 95% CI 1.02-7.09, p=0.047 for Glu12/12, and OR=5.17, 95% CI 1.76-15.21, p=0.003 for Glu9/9). This increased risk was not observed in the intervention group, who showed significant weight loss during the trial. In the subgroup who underwent the FSIGT, subjects with the Glu9/9 genotype showed the lowest acute insulin response (p=0.005 for trend). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The 12Glu9 polymorphism of ADRA2B is associated with impaired first-phase insulin secretion and may predict the development of Type 2 diabetes in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance who are not subjected to a lifestyle intervention.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2004

Common polymorphisms in the genes regulating the early insulin signalling pathway: effects on weight change and the conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to Type 2 diabetes. The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 2 diabetes is a complex disorder with strong heritability. The aim of our study was to investigate whether common polymorphisms in the genes regulating the early insulin signalling pathway (insulin; A-23T, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor [IGF-1R]; GAG1013GAA, plasma cell membrane glycoprotein 1 [PC-1]; K121Q, insulin receptor substrate [IRS-1]; G972R, insulin receptor substrate 2 [IRS-2]; G1057D and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85 alpha [PI3K]; M326I) affect the weight change and development of Type 2 diabetes in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. METHODS: We screened for the polymorphisms in 490 overweight subjects with impaired glucose tolerance whose DNA was available from the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. These subjects were randomly allocated into a control group and an intervention group characterised by intensive, individualised diet and exercise. RESULTS: In carriers of the GAA1013GAA genotype of IGF-1R, the R972 allele of IRS-1 and the D1057D genotype of IRS-2, lifestyle intervention did not lead to significant differences in weight loss between the intervention and control groups, implying a role of these risk genotypes in the regulation of body weight. We observed a statistically significant difference in the conversion rate from IGT to diabetes between the genotypes of the IGF-1R gene (GAG1013GAG: 18.6%, GAG1013GAA: 10.4%, GAA1013GAA: 19.5%, p=0.033). Common polymorphisms in the insulin, PC-1 and PI3K genes did not regulate weight change or conversion to diabetes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The common polymorphisms of the IGF-1R, IRS-1 and IRS-2 genes may modify the weight change response to a lifestyle intervention but not the conversion from IGT to Type 2 diabetes, whereas IGF-1R may also regulate the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed2004

Rivers influence the population genetic structure of bonobos (Pan paniscus).

Bonobos are large, highly mobile primates living in the relatively undisturbed, contiguous forest south of the Congo River. Accordingly, gene flow among populations is assumed to be extensive, but may be impeded by large, impassable rivers. We examined mitochondrial DNA control region sequence variation in individuals from five distinct localities separated by rivers in order to estimate relative levels of genetic diversity and assess the extent and pattern of population genetic structure in the bonobo. Diversity estimates for the bonobo exceed those for humans, but are less than those found for the chimpanzee. All regions sampled are significantly differentiated from one another, according to genetic distances estimated as pairwise FSTs, with the greatest differentiation existing between region East and each of the two Northern populations (N and NE) and the least differentiation between regions Central and South. The distribution of nucleotide diversity shows a clear signal of population structure, with some 30% of the variance occurring among geographical regions. However, a geographical patterning of the population structure is not obvious. Namely, mitochondrial haplotypes were shared among all regions excepting the most eastern locality and the phylogenetic analysis revealed a tree in which haplotypes were intermixed with little regard to geographical origin, with the notable exception of the close relationships among the haplotypes found in the east. Nonetheless, genetic distances correlated with geographical distances when the intervening distances were measured around rivers presenting effective current-day barriers, but not when straight-line distances were used, suggesting that rivers are indeed a hindrance to gene flow in this species.

Africa↗
PubMed2003

The effects of the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPARgamma-2 gene on lipid metabolism interact with body size at birth.

Body size at birth is an indicator of the intrauterine environment. The effects of the Pro12Pro genotype and the 12Ala allele of the PPARgamma-2 gene on glucose and insulin metabolism in adult life depend on body size at birth. A low birth weight is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgammas) are also regulators of adipocyte differentiation, and the PPARgamma-2 gene could also contribute to the development of dyslipidemia. Therefore, the effects of the Pro12Ala polymorphisms of the PPARgamma-2 gene on lipid metabolism were measured in 476 elderly persons whose birth weight was known. The Ala12 allele was associated with increased serum total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol concentrations but only among those who had birth weights below 3000 g. These interactions between the effects of the PPARgamma-2 gene on adult traits and the effects of birth weight may be interpreted as examples of gene-environmental interactions, which underlie plasticity during development.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Obesity from cradle to grave.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is known to track from early life into adult life. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation of obesity in adult life to growth and living conditions during childhood. DESIGN: Birth cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 4515 people (2135 men and 2380 women) who were born at Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1934 and 1944, who attended child welfare clinics and were still resident in Finland in the year 2000. MEASUREMENTS: Incidence of obesity based upon lifetime maximum body mass index (BMI) ascertained from a postal questionnaire and defined as a BMI>or=30 kg/m(2). The main explanatory measurements were size at birth, childhood growth, and socioeconomic status in childhood and in adult life. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of obesity was 33.8% in men and 32.4% in women. The incidence rose with increasing body size at birth. From birth the mean weight and BMI of people who later became obese exceeded the average and remained above average at a statistically significant level at all ages from 6 months to 12 y. Childhood BMI was a stronger predictor of adult obesity than body size at birth. A higher maternal BMI in pregnancy was associated with a more rapid childhood growth and an increased risk of becoming obese in adult life. Higher socioeconomic status and better educational attainment were associated with a lower prevalence of obesity. There was no association between the duration of breastfeeding and later obesity. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize the importance of early life factors in the pathogenesis of adult obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

A comparative study of surfactant adsorption on model surfaces using the quartz crystal microbalance and the ellipsometer.

The nature of hexaethylene glycol mono-n-tetradecyl ether (C(14)EO(6)) layers adsorbed onto different model surfaces was systematically investigated by means of QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation) and ellipsometry. The amount of non-ionic surfactant adsorbed is determined both at hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. In particular, the substrates employed were hydrophilic silica, hydrophobized silica (using dimethyldichlorosilane), and hydrophobized gold surfaces (using 10-thiodecane and 16-thiohexadecane). It was shown that the frequency shift obtained from the QCM-D experiments results in an overestimation of the adsorbed mass. This is attributed to two different effects, viz. water that is coupled to the adsorbed layer due to hydration of the polar region of the surfactant and second water that for other reasons is trapped within the adsorbed layer. Furthermore, from the ellipsometry data the adsorbed layer thickness is determined. By combining the thickness information and the dissipation parameter (obtained from the QCM-D experiments), we note that the dissipation parameter is insufficient in describing the viscoelastic character of thin surfactant films.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Size at birth, fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate in adult life.

Resting metabolic rate is an important predictor of obesity and is closely related to fat-free mass. There is evidence that fat-free mass may be partly determined during critical periods of growth before and after birth. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between size at birth, childhood growth and fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate in adult life. 318 men and women with detailed records of body size at birth and growth during school years participated in the study. Fat-free mass correlated positively with birth weight among both sexes (r = 0.264, p < 0.001). Those having a higher birth weight had a higher fat-free mass at any adult BMI. Fat-free mass among men increased by 2.2 kg (95 % Cl 0.5 to 3.9; p = 0.01) for every kg increase in birth weight and by 1.5 kg (95 % Cl 1.3 to 1.7, p < 0.0001) for every kg/m(2) BMI in adult life. In women, fat-free mass increased by 2.7 kg (95 % Cl 1.6 - 3.9; p < 0.001) for every kg increase in birth weight and by 0.8 kg (95 % CI 0.7 to 1.0, p < 0.001) for every kg/m(2) of BMI in adult life. Height, weight and body mass index at each age from 7 to 15 years were also strongly, positively associated with fat-free mass. A negative correlation between birth weight and resting metabolic rate expressed per unit of fat-free mass (r = - 0.158; p < 0.001) was found. Fat-free mass may be determined during critical periods of muscle growth in utero and during childhood. The muscle tissue of people who had a lower birth weight is more metabolically active than those with a higher birth weight. This may protect them from the increased risk of obesity associated with low fat-free mass.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

International online support to process optimisation and operation decisions.

The information level at all technical facilities has developed from almost nothing 30-40 years ago to advanced IT--Information Technology--systems based on both chemical and mechanical on-line sensors for process and equipment. Still the basic part of information is to get the right data at the right time for the decision to be made. Today a large amount of operational data is available at almost any European wastewater treatment plant, from laboratory and SCADA. The difficult part is to determine which data to keep, which to use in calculations and how and where to make data available. With the STARcontrol system it is possible to separate only process relevant data to use for on-line control and reporting at engineering level, to optimise operation. Furthermore, the use of IT makes it possible to communicate internationally, with full access to the whole amount of data on the single plant. In this way, expert supervision can be both very local in local language e.g. Polish and at the same time very professional with Danish experts advising on Danish processes in Poland or Sweden where some of the 12 STARcontrol systems are running.

Decision Making↗
PubMed2001

2,2',6,6'-Tetrachloro-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol, 2,2',6-tribromo-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol and 2,2',6,6'-tetrabromo-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol.

Three flame retardants with very similar molecular structures showing three different packing patterns have been studied. The crystal structure of 2,2',6,6'-tetrachloro-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol, C(15)H(12)Cl(4)O(2), can be described as a packing of sheets. The packing shows a very short intermolecular Cl.Cl contact distance of 3.094 (2) A between pairs of molecules inside each sheet. The crystal structure of 2,2',6-tribromo-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol, C(15)H(13)Br(3)O(2), can be described as a packing of doubly stranded helical square tubes. These square helices are interconnected through Br...Br contacts between different helices. Finally, a previously known structure, 2,2',6,6'-tetrabromo-4,4'-propane-2,2-diyldiphenol [Simonov, Cheban, Rotaru & Bels'skii (1986). Kristallografiya, 31, 397-399], C(15)H(12)Br(4)O(2), which is the most commonly used flame retardant and which has twofold rotational symmetry, has been refined in the correct absolute configuration. The structure shows large differences from the chloro analogue with regard to packing, van der Waals distances and hydrogen-bond distances.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗
PubMed2001

Method for real-time detection of inorganic pyrophosphatase activity.

A sensitive and simple method for real-time detection of inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) (EC 3.6.1.1) activity has been developed. The method is based on PPase-induced activation of the firefly luciferase activity in the presence of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi). PPi inhibits the luciferase activity, but in the presence of PPase the luciferase activity is restored and the luminescence output increases. The assay yields linear responses between 8 and 500 mU. The detection limit was found to be 8 mU PPase. The method was used to detect the hydrolytic activity of PPases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus stearothermophilus. As substrate for the luciferase, adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate can replace ATP, which is an advantage for detection of PPase activity in crude extracts containing ATP-hydrolyzing activities. The method can be used for kinetic and inhibition studies as well as for detection of PPase activity during different purification procedures.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2001

Heritability of leptin levels and the shared genetic effects on body mass index and leptin in adult Finnish twins.

OBJECTIVES: Leptin is involved in the regulation of body weight, but the relative role of genetic and environmental influences on inter-individual variation in leptin levels is unknown. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: To investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to the association of body mass index (BMI) with serum leptin levels, 58 monozygotic (MZ, 27M, 31F), and 74 like-sexed dizygotic (DZ, 32M, 42F) Finnish twin pairs aged 50--76 y were studied. MEASUREMENTS: Serum leptin levels, weight, height, hip and waist measurements. RESULTS: Women had higher mean leptin levels (16.8+/-9.5 ng/ml), and more overall variability in leptin levels than men (6.4+/-3.5 ng/ml; P<0.0001). Leptin levels correlated highly with BMI in men and women. Among women, the MZ and DZ pairwise correlations for leptin were 0.41 (P=0.009) and 0.07 (P=0.32), respectively. Among men the MZ and DZ pairwise correlations for leptin were 0.47 (P=0.006) and 0.23 (P=0.10). Univariate twin analysis indicated that, among women, 34% and, among men, 45% of the variance in leptin can be attributed to additive genetic effects, and the remainder to unique environmental effects. Significant non-additive genetic or shared familial effects could not be demonstrated. A bivariate twin analysis of leptin and BMI indicated that the correlation between additive genetic effects on leptin and BMI was 0.79 (95% CI 0.68--0.86) in women, and 0.68 (0.51--0.80) in men. The correlation between environmental effects on leptin and BMI was 0.77 (95% CI 0.66--0.85) in women, and 0.48 (0.26--0.66) in men. CONCLUSION: Leptin levels are moderately heritable in older adults, and a substantial proportion of genetic effects are in common on leptin levels and obesity in both women and men. International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 132-137

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Size at birth, childhood growth and obesity in adult life.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown tracking of obesity from childhood to adult life. People who develop obesity in adult life may therefore have had a particular path of growth from birth through childhood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of obesity to size at birth and childhood growth. DESIGN: Birth cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5210 individuals alive and living in Finland in 1997, who were born at the Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1924 and 1933 and who went to school in Helsinki were sent a questionnaire in order to get information about adult weight and height. Detailed birth and school health records were available for all subjects. In all, 3847 responded and 3659 (1552 men and 2107 women) with adequate data are included in the present study. MEASUREMENTS: Incidence of obesity based upon lifetime maximum body mass index (BMI) ascertained from a postal questionnaire and defined as a BMI>30 kg/m(2). The main explanatory measurements were size at birth and childhood growth in height, weight and BMI. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of obesity was 34.2% in men and 33.9% in women. The incidence rose with increasing birth weight and ponderal index (birthweight/length(3); P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively). These associations were statistically significant only among males. By the age of 7 y the mean weights, heights and BMI of people who later became obese exceeded the average and remained above average at all ages from 7 to 15 y. In both men and women there was a 3-fold increase in obesity associated with a BMI>16 kg/m(2) at age 7 compared with a BMI<14.5 kg/m(2) (P<0.0001). Boys and girls whose mothers had a high BMI in pregnancy had more rapid childhood growth and an increased risk of becoming obese. This effect was stronger among boys (P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is initiated early in life. These results emphasise the importance of early preventive measures for its treatment.

Adolescent↗