Aims/hypothesis: Galectin-1 modulates inflammation and angiogenesis, and cross-sectional studies indicate that galectin-1 may be a uniting factor between obesity, type 2 diabetes and kidney function. We examined whether circulating galectin-1 can predict incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes in a middle-aged population, and if Mendelian randomisation (MR) can provide eviden

Background: Unhealthy diets, the rise of non-communicable diseases, and the declining health of the planet are highly intertwined, where food production and consumption are major drivers of increases in greenhouse gas emissions, substantial land use, and adverse health such as cancer and mortality. To assess the potential co-benefits from shifting to more sustainable diets, we aimed to investigate

Energy metabolism dyshomeostasis is associated with multiple health problems. For example, abundant epidemiological data show that obesity and overweight increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and early mortality. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), characterized by chronically elevated blood glucose, is also associated with debilitating complications, high healthcare costs and mortality, with cardiovas

Land-use intensification of agricultural soils and increased occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events like drought periods are two of the main threats responsible for soil biodiversity declines. These changes in soil biodiversity can alter ecosystem functions performed especially by soil microbial communities that could further contribute to those threats. Microbial diversity is an essen

Aims/hypothesis: Five clusters based on clinical characteristics have been suggested as diabetes subtypes: one autoimmune and four subtypes of type 2 diabetes. In the current study we replicate and cross-validate these type 2 diabetes clusters in three large cohorts using variables readily measured in the clinic. Methods: In three independent cohorts, in total 15,940 individuals were clustered bas

BACKGROUND: Food biodiversity, encompassing the variety of plants, animals, and other organisms consumed as food and drink, has intrinsic potential to underpin diverse, nutritious diets and improve Earth system resilience. Dietary species richness (DSR), which is recommended as a crosscutting measure of food biodiversity, has been positively associated with the micronutrient adequacy of diets in w

Improved understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes (T2D) is needed, and so are new treatments.A new T2D risk variant was recently identified in ADRA2A, which encodes the α2A-adrenergic receptor. The risk allele leads to receptor overexpression in β-cells that causes increased adrenergic signaling and impaired insulin secretion. We showed that the α2A-adrenergic receptor an

Atmosfäriska partiklar (aerosoler) finns överallt i jordens atmosfär. Masskoncentrationen av dessa varierar kraftigt beroende på i vilken miljö man mäter. I stadsluft kan man uppmäta tiotals mikrogram per kubikmeter medan man i arktiska områden uppmäter nanogram per kubikmeter. Den kolhaltiga aerosolen utgör en betydande del av atmosfärsaerosolens massa och är känd för att påverka människors och dCarbonaceous aerosols are known to affect human health negatively and to affect the climate of Earth. As specific types of aerosols originate from specific sources, it is important to know the amount of aerosols emitted from each source. Aerosol source apportionment is an important tool in mitigating air pollution and improving air quality. The subject of this thesis was the evaluation and develop

ABSTRACTAs a part of a democratic demand for transparency in urban development processes it is important that design professionals hold the ability to scrutinise their own work process, and at certain stages let go of predefined ideas of future realities. This work revolves around how design professionals perceive options for design in such situations. A basic assumption in this work is that a des

Lunds universitet fick i uppdrag av Kemikalieinspektionen att kartlägga och beskriva ansatser till metoder som bedömer indirekta effekter av växtskyddsmedel på individer och populationer och studier som utvärderar om nuvarande riskbedömningsmetoder är tillräckliga för att bedöma direkta effekter av växtskyddsmedel på biologisk mångfald. Uppdraget utfördes i två delar. För det första inventerade vi

Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by hyperthyroidism and is caused by an interplayof genetic and environmental factors. One-third of patients with GD develop Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). Keyprocesses in the pathogenesis of GO are inflammation and adipogenesis in orbital tissue. Strong risk factorsassociated with the development of GO are smoking and radioiodine treatment

Boreal forests and peatlands are globally significant carbon stores but they are threatened by rising air temperatures and changes in precipitation regimes and the frequency of natural disturbances. Predicting how the boreal biome will respond to climate change depends on being able to accurately model and upscale the greenhouse gas fluxes between these ecosystems and the atmosphere. This thesis f

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and intravascular ultrasound are promising imaging modalities to identify non-obstructive plaques likely to cause coronary-related events. We aimed to assess whether combined NIRS and intravascular ultrasound can identify high-risk plaques and patients that are at risk for future major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Methods: PROSPECT II is an investig

In Germany, the UK, the US and the Scandinavian countries there is a distinct difference between direct and indirect (also referred to as contributory) statutory patent infringement. The patent laws that regulate incursions on the exclusive rights of patent holders in these jurisdictions generally distinguish between direct patent infringement on the one hand, which is based on wholly objective cr

Epigenetic modifications triggered by high glucose may predispose to diabetes risk by regulating gene expression activity. A growing body of evidence suggests that histone modification which is an essential component of epigenetic mechanism may play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications. In this thesis, the overarching aim is to map histone modificatio

Background: Potent antithrombotic therapy has significantly improved prognosis for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), however, at a price of increased bleeding risk. Chronic gastric infection with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) commonly causes upper gastrointestinal bleeding and is proposed as a risk factor for subsequent bleeding post AMI. The prevalence of active Hp in a current AMI popu

Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease affecting the large arteries caused by the accumulation of lipids in the vessel wall. Cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis is today the most common cause of death globally through its end consequences: myocardial infarctions and stroke. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of structural fibrous proteins, proteoglycans and glycoproteins. ECM pro