Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Glob Chang Biol 2021 Jun 12. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.

High latitude regions of the globe are experiencing higher warming rates than many other areas and are expected to undergo dramatic change with future warming (Carpenter et al., 2011; Kuhn et al., 2021). Read More

Nat Commun 2021 Jun 11;12(1):3442. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.

Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. Read More

Sci Adv 2021 Jun 11;7(24). Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

The southern boundary (SB) of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the southernmost extent of the upper overturning circulation, regulates the Antarctic thermal conditions. The SB's behavior remains unconstrained because it does not have a clear surface signature. Revisited hydrographic data from off East Antarctica indicate full-depth warming from 1996 to 2019, concurrent with an extensive poleward shift of the SB subsurface isotherms (>50 km), which is most prominent at 120°E off the Sabrina Coast. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2021 ;2344:163-179

Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.

Systematic exploration of the dynamic human plasma proteome enables the discovery of novel protein biomarkers. Using state-of-the-art technologies holds the promise to facilitate a better diagnosis and risk prediction of diseases. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology is characterized for unbalancing of processes such as vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, or lipid profiles among others. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2021 ;2344:65-78

Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

Protein biomarkers in biological fluids represent an important resource for improving the clinical management of diseases. Current proteomics technologies are capable of performing high-throughput and multiplex profiling in different types of fluids, often leading to the shortlisting of tens of candidate biomarkers per study. However, before reaching any clinical setting, these discoveries require thorough validation and an assay that would be suitable for routine analyses. Read More

Int J Circumpolar Health 2021 Dec;80(1):1936974

Department of Social Sciences, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland.

Physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support are a part of cancer patients well-being and their ability to cope. Physical geography and healthcare provider barriers may have negative influences on patients' health outcomes. To explore the perceptions and experiences of cancer rehabilitation in a rural area in northern Iceland. Read More

Heart Rhythm O2 2020 Aug 28;1(3):173-179. Epub 2020 May 28.

Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia.

Background: Although there are considerable data on the safety of cryoablation, data on the rare but severe complication of atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) following cryoballoon ablation are limited.

Objective: To report the global, user-reported incidence of AEF associated with cryoballoon ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation using Medtronic's complaint database.

Methods: User-reported cryoballoon ablation complications occurring between July 1, 2009, and March 31, 2019, were reviewed to identify cases of AEF. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Jun 10;11(1):12266. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Silkeborg, Denmark.

Determining the mechanisms driving range-wide reductions in Atlantic salmon marine survival is hindered by an insufficient understanding of their oceanic ecology and distribution. We attached 204 pop-up satellite archival tags to post-spawned salmon when they migrated to the ocean from seven European areas and maiden North American salmon captured at sea at West Greenland. Individuals migrated further north and east than previously reported and displayed increased diving activity near oceanographic fronts, emphasizing the importance of these regions as feeding areas. Read More

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2021 Jun 10;21(1):185. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

Department of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.

Background: The use of information technology can make pulmonary rehabilitation interventions in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) more flexible and thereby has the potential to reach a larger proportion of the population. However, the success of using information technology in pulmonary rehabilitation is dependent on the end-user's competence in information technology and access to the Internet. The aim was to describe the access to, and the use, knowledge, and preferences of information technology and technical equipment among people with COPD. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 Jun 1;790:148144. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon S7N 5E5, SK, Canada. Electronic address:

Bones represent a valuable biological archive of environmental lead (Pb) exposure for modern and archaeological populations. Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence imaging (SR-XFI) generates maps of Pb in bone on a microstructural scale, potentially providing insights into an individual's history of Pb exposure and, in the context of archaeological bone, the biogenic or diagenetic nature of its uptake. The aims of this study were to (1) examine biogenic spatial patterns for Pb from bone samples of modern cadavers compared with patterns observed archaeologically, and (2) test the hypothesis that there are spatial differences in the distribution of Pb for diagenetic and biogenic modes of uptake in bone. Read More

Ann Work Expo Health 2021 Jun 10. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

University Hospital of North Norway, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sykehusveien, Tromsoe, Norway.

Objectives: The main objective was to gain more knowledge on exposure to bioaerosols in the processing area on board fishing trawlers.

Methods: Exposure sampling was carried out during the work shifts when processing fish in the processing area on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (trawlers 1-5). Exposure samples were collected from 64 fishermen breathing zone and from stationary sampling stations on board five deep-sea fishing trawlers (1-5). Read More

Environ Microbiol Rep 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

College of the Sciences and Mathematics, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.

Two related salmonids, Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) sampled from the high Arctic region of Nunavut, Canada are anadromous fish, migrating annually from the same ice-covered freshwater waterbodies to spend summers in the marine waters of the Arctic Ocean. Microbiota associated with the skin-associated mucus undergo community change coincident with migration, and irrespective of this turnover, antibiotic resistance was detected in mixed bacterial cultures initiated with mucus samples. Although as expected most bacteria were unculturable, however, 5/7 isolates showed susceptibility to a panel of five common antibiotics. Read More

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 53B, Postbox 7803, 5020, Bergen, Norway.

Bull World Health Organ 2021 Jun 19;99(6):455-463A. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Clinical Medicine, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.

Objective: To review misinformation related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on social media during the first phase of the pandemic and to discuss ways of countering misinformation.

Methods: We searched PubMed®, Scopus, Embase®, PsycInfo and Google Scholar databases on 5 May 2020 and 1 June 2020 for publications related to COVID-19 and social media which dealt with misinformation and which were primary empirical studies. We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and the guidelines for using a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews. Read More

PLoS One 2021 9;16(6):e0252125. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.

Marine sources of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) are in high demand for use in health supplements. Mass cultivated marine microalgae is a promising and sustainable source of LC n-3 PUFA, which relieves pressure on natural fish stocks. The lipid class profile from cultivated photosynthetic algae differ from the marine organisms currently used for the production of LC n-3 PUFA. Read More

New Phytol 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Department of Wildland Resources and The Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, 84322, USA.

Dryland net primary productivity (NPP) is sensitive to temporal variation in precipitation (PPT), but the magnitude of this 'temporal sensitivity' varies spatially. Hypotheses for spatial variation in temporal sensitivity have often emphasized abiotic factors, such as moisture limitation, while overlooking biotic factors, such as vegetation structure. We tested these hypotheses using spatiotemporal models fit to remote sensing datasets to assess how vegetation structure and climate influence temporal sensitivity across five dryland ecoregions of the western United States. Read More

Addiction 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.

Aim: To test the association of alcohol consumption with total and cause-specific mortality risk DESIGN: Prospective observational multicentre population-based study SETTING: Sixteen cohorts (15 from Europe) in the MOnica Risk, Genetics, Archiving and Monograph (MORGAM) Project PARTICIPANTS: A total of 142,960 individuals (mean age 50±13 y, 53.9% men) MEASUREMENTS: Average alcohol intake by food frequency questionnaire. Total and cause-specific mortality FINDINGS: In comparison with lifetime abstainers, consumption of alcohol less than 10 gr/d was associated with an average 11% (95%CI: 7%-14%) reduction in the risk of total mortality, while intake >20 gr/d was associated with a 13% (7%-20%) increase in the risk of total mortality. Read More

J Environ Qual 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Rio Tinto - Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc. 5201-50th Avenue Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, X1A 2P8, Canada.

Dust produced from mining has the potential to reduce plant cover, alter plant communities, and increase metal concentrations in vegetation, changes that may affect the amount, type, and quality of forage for barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). We quantified dust deposition from Diavik Diamond Mine (NWT, Canada) and investigated the changes on forage quality, type, and quantity for caribou. From 2002 to 2016, dust deposition was measured and vegetation cover and richness were assessed in permanent plots established adjacent to the mine and in reference areas 1 to 6 km from the mine. Read More

Arch Virol 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.

Canine circovirus (canineCV) has been found to be associated with vasculitis, hemorrhage, hemorrhagic enteritis, and diarrhea of canines. CanineCV, like other circoviruses, may also be associated with lymphoid depletion and immunosuppression. This circovirus has been detected worldwide in different countries and species. Read More

Behav Ecol 2021 May-Jun;32(3):539-552. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.

Climate warming advances the optimal timing of breeding for many animals. For migrants to start breeding earlier, a concurrent advancement of migration is required, including premigratory fueling of energy reserves. We investigate whether barnacle geese are time constrained during premigratory fueling and whether there is potential to advance or shorten the fueling period to allow an earlier migratory departure. Read More

Biodivers Data J 2021 28;9:e68131. Epub 2021 May 28.

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, United States of America New Mexico State University Las Cruces United States of America.

Background: Knowledge about the distribution of organisms on Earth is important backbone of biological sciences and especially for deeper understanding of biogeography. However, much of the existing distributional data are scattered throughout a multitude of sources (including in different languages), such as taxonomic publications, checklists and natural history collections and often, bringing them together is difficult. Development of the digital storage facilities may prevent loss of important data (Ruchin et al. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 Jun 8;12(1):3461. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Greenland ice sheet has been one of the largest sources of sea-level rise since the early 2000s. However, basal melt has not been included explicitly in assessments of ice-sheet mass loss so far. Here, we present the first estimate of the total and regional basal melt produced by the ice sheet and the recent change in basal melt through time. Read More

Mar Pollut Bull 2021 Jun 5;169:112577. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia. Electronic address:

This work elaborates an approach to the ecological risk model assessment in marine systems exposed to intense impacts and accompanying pollution. This approach was applied to the marine ecosystems of the Arctic shelf for two types of ecosystems, i.e. Read More

Curr Biol 2021 Jun;31(11):R712-R713

Soil Cryology Laboratory, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Institutskaya 2, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.

In natural, permanently frozen habitats, some organisms may be preserved for hundreds to tens of thousands of years. For example, stems of Antarctic moss were successfully regrown from an over millennium-old sample covered by ice for about 400 years. Likewise, whole campion plants were regenerated from seed tissue preserved in relict 32,000-year-old permafrost, and nematodes were revived from the permafrost of two localities in northeastern Siberia, with source sediments dated over 30,000 years BP. Read More

Protein Eng Des Sel 2021 Feb;34

Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.

β-Lactamases represent one of the most prevalent resistance mechanisms against β-lactam antibiotics. Beyond their clinical importance, they have also become key models in enzymology and evolutionary biochemistry. A global understanding of their evolution and sequence and functional diversity can therefore aid a wide set of different disciplines. Read More

Gynecol Oncol 2021 Jun 5. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Background: Endometrial cancer is strongly associated with obesity and dysregulation of metabolic factors such as estrogen and insulin signaling are causal risk factors for this malignancy. To identify additional novel metabolic pathways associated with endometrial cancer we performed metabolomic analyses on pre-diagnostic plasma samples from 853 case-control pairs from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Methods: A total of 129 metabolites (acylcarnitines, amino acids, biogenic amines, glycerophospholipids, hexoses, and sphingolipids) were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 May 26;790:148012. Epub 2021 May 26.

International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin 150090, China; International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy/School of Environment, HIT, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), HIT, Harbin 150090, China; IJRC-PTS, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China. Electronic address:

Multimedia fugacity models have long been used to address the fate of toxic organic chemical emissions by providing a quantitative account of the sources, transport processes, and sinks. Recently, we have examined three level-III fugacity models (E4F (equilibrium six-compartment four-fugacity), S6F (steady-state six-compartment six-fugacity) and S4F (steady-state six-compartment four-fugacity) Models), in the context of their performance set against real-world data, and their practicality of application. Here, we discuss how the balance between gaseous and aerosol phases of emissions assumed for initial conditions affects the different model outcomes. Read More

Resuscitation 2021 Jun 4. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Østfold Hospital Trust, Norway; Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Pediatric Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.

Aim: To explore and compare expired CO (ECO) and heart rate (HR), during newborn resuscitation with bag-mask ventilation, as predictors of 24-h outcome.

Methods: Observational study from March 2013 to June 2017 in a rural Tanzanian hospital. Side-stream measures of ECO, ventilation parameters, HR, clinical information, and 24-h outcome were recorded in live born bag-mask ventilated newborns with initial HR < 120 bpm. Read More

Med Teach 2021 Jun 7:1-5. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Educational Development Unit, Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Introduction: The literature on faculty development programs for mentors is scarce. This study examines mentors' experiences and challenges, with the aim of identifying threshold concepts in mentoring. It also discusses the implications for the faculty development of mentors. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021 Jun 7. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology - CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of measuring fetal atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) using an automated analysis software. The secondary objectives were to establish reference ranges for AVPD during the second half of normal pregnancy, assess fetal AVPD in prolonged pregnancies in relation to adverse perinatal outcome and in fetuses with a suspicion of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Methods: The reference population consisted of women with uncomplicated pregnancies at 18-42 weeks of gestation (n=201). Read More