Prebiotic fructans have greater impact on luminal microbiology and CD3+ T cells in healthy siblings than patients with Crohn’s disease : a pilot study investigating the potential for primary prevention of inflammatory bowel disease

Funding This work was supported by a clinical research fellowship granted by the charity Core (Guts UK) (CRH). FMF and PL received financial support from the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services. Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge BENEO-Orafti, Teinen, Belgium who provided the oligofructose-enriched inulin. The authors would like to thank the patients and the siblings who generously participated in this study.Peer reviewedPostprin

Tissue-specific transcriptional imprinting and heterogeneity in human innate lymphoid cells revealed by full-length single-cell RNA-sequencing

The impact of the microenvironment on innate lymphoid cell (ILC)-mediated immunity in humans remains largely unknown. Here we used full-length Smart-seq2 single-cell RNA-sequencing to unravel tissue-specific transcriptional profiles and heterogeneity of CD127+ ILCs across four human tissues. Correlation analysis identified gene modules characterizing the migratory properties of tonsil and blood ILCs, and signatures of tissue-residency, activation and modified metabolism in colon and lung ILCs. Trajectory analysis revealed potential differentiation pathways from circulating and tissue-resident na\uefve ILCs to a spectrum of mature ILC subsets. In the lung we identified both CRTH2+ and CRTH2− ILC2 with lung-specific signatures, which could be recapitulated by alarmin-exposure of circulating ILC2. Finally, we describe unique TCR-V(D)J-rearrangement patterns of blood ILC1-like cells, revealing a subset of potentially immature ILCs with TCR-δ rearrangement. Our study provides a useful resource for in-depth understanding of ILC-mediated immunity in humans, with implications for disease

Dietary intake of inulin-type fructans in active and inactive Crohn’s disease and healthy controls: a case-control study

Background and Aims: Prebiotic inulin-type fructans are widely consumed in the diet and may have contrasting effects in Crohn’s disease by stimulating gut microbiota and/or by generating functional gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to measure fructan and oligofructose intakes in patients with active and inactive Crohn’s disease compared with healthy controls. Methods: Patients with active Crohn’s disease (n=98), inactive Crohn’s (n=99) and healthy controls (n=106) were recruited to a case-control study. Dietary intake of inulin-type fructans was measured using a specific food frequency questionnaire and was compared between the three groups and between patients with different disease phenotypes (Montreal classification). Associations between intakes and disease activity (Harvey Bradshaw Index, HBI) were also undertaken. Results: Patients with active Crohn’s disease had lower fructan intakes (median 2.9 g/d, IQR 1.8) than those with inactive Crohn’s (3.6 g/d, 2.1, P=0.036) or controls (3.9 g/d, 2.1, P=0.003) and lower oligofructose intakes (2.8 g/d, 1.8) than inactive Crohn’s (3.5 g/d, 2.2, P=0.048) or controls (3.8 g/d, 2.1, P=0.003). There were no differences in intakes related to disease site or behaviour. There were negative correlations between HBI wellbeing score and fructan intake (ρ=-0.154, P=0.03) and oligofructose intake (ρ=-0.156, P=0.028) and for the HBI abdominal pain score and fructan (ρ=-0.164, P=0.021) and oligofructose intake (ρ=-0.157, P=0.027). Conclusions: Patients with active Crohn’s disease consume lower quantities of fructans and oligofructose than their inactive counterparts and healthy controls. The impact of lower intakes of prebiotic fructans on gut microbiota are unknown and warrant further research

Siblings of patients with Crohn's disease exhibit a biologically relevant dysbiosis in mucosal microbial metacommunities

© 2016, BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Objective: To determine the existence of mucosal dysbiosis in siblings of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) using 454 pyrosequencing and to comprehensively characterise and determine the influence of genotypical and phenotypical factors, on that dysbiosis. Siblings of patients with CD have elevated risk of developing CD and display aspects of disease phenotype, including faecal dysbiosis. Whether the mucosal microbiota is disrupted in these at-risk individuals is unknown. Design: Rectal biopsy DNA was extracted from 21 patients with quiescent CD, 17 of their healthy siblings and 19 unrelated healthy controls. Mucosal microbiota was analysed by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and were classified into core and rare species. Genotypical risk was determined using Illumina Immuno BeadChip, faecal calprotectin by ELISA and blood T-cell phenotype by flow cytometry. Results: Core microbiota of both patients with CD and healthy siblings was significantly less diverse than controls. Metacommunity profiling (Bray-Curtis (SBC) index) showed the sibling core microbial composition to be more similar to CD (SBC=0.70) than to healthy controls, whereas the sibling rare microbiota was more similar to healthy controls (SBC=0.42). Faecalibacterium prausnitzii contributed most to core metacommunity dissimilarity both between siblings and controls, and between patients and controls. Phenotype/genotype markers of CD risk significantly influenced microbiota variation between and within groups, of which genotype had the largest effect. Conclusions: Individuals with elevated CD-risk display mucosal dysbiosis characterised by reduced diversity of core microbiota and lower abundance of F. prausnitzii. This dysbiosis in healthy people at risk of CD implicates microbiological processes in CD pathogenesis

Respiratory microbiota resistance and resilience to pulmonary exacerbation and subsequent antimicrobial intervention

© 2016 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved. Pulmonary symptoms in cystic fibrosis (CF) begin in early life with chronic lung infections and concomitant airway inflammation leading to progressive loss of lung function. Gradual pulmonary function decline is interspersed with periods of acute worsening of respiratory symptoms known as CF pulmonary exacerbations (CFPEs). Cumulatively, CFPEs are associated with more rapid disease progression. In this study multiple sputum samples were collected from adult CF patients over the course of CFPEs to better understand how changes in microbiota are associated with CFPE onset and management. Data were divided into five clinical periods: pre-CFPE baseline, CFPE, antibiotic treatment, recovery, and post-CFPE baseline. Samples were treated with propidium monoazide prior to DNA extraction, to remove the impact of bacterial cell death artefacts following antibiotic treatment, and then characterised by 16S rRNA gene-targeted high-throughput sequencing. Partitioning CF microbiota into core and rare groups revealed compositional resistance to CFPE and resilience to antibiotics interventions. Mixed effects modelling of core microbiota members revealed no significant negative impact on the relative abundance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa across the exacerbation cycle. Our findings have implications for current CFPE management strategies, supporting reassessment of existing antimicrobial treatment regimens, as antimicrobial resistance by pathogens and other members of the microbiota may be significant contributing factors

Grön logistik : En uppsats om oöverensstämmelser på transportmarknaden

Bakgrund: Den svenska transportmarknaden domineras idag av stora och internationella aktörer. Marknaden är mogen vilket innebär att transportbolagen måste erbjuda andra värden utöver själva transporten. Begrepp som miljö ligger långt ifrån transportsektorns grundtanke och blir därmed inget naturligt konkurrensmedel. Internationella undersökningar visar att transportbolagen lägger stor vikt vid miljöfrågor när det kommer till framtida strategier. Svenskar har en tradition och en image att vara miljövänliga men detta intresse har ännu inte besvarats av transportmarknaden. Problem: Vilka faktorer är viktiga för att svenska transportföretag ska kunna uppnå långsiktig överlevnad med en miljöprofilering? Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att analysera och utvärdera oöverensstämmelser (misfits) mellan transportköparen och transportleverantören med avseende på miljö. Metod: En kvalitativ ansats har använts för att samla empiri. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har utfört med sex stycken transportbolag. För att identifiera var det finns oöverensstämmelser har även två kunder till respektive transportbolag intervjuats. Teori: De teorier som har använts är Nätverkssynsättet, Skapande företagsledning – Affärsidé, Involveringsteori, Kundens upplevda värde – Mervärde och Service profit chain. Resultat: Undersökningen visade att det fanns många ”misfits” på transportmarknaden. Tydligast var dessa på området miljö. Författarna fann att det fanns två olika typer av miljöengagemang. Ett som håller sig inom de lagstadgande ramarna. Det andra typen visar på ett genuint intresse där företagande förenas med samhällsansvar. Slutsats: Om transportbolagen ska kunna överleva med en miljöprofil måste de ta hänsyn till vissa faktorer och med hjälp av dessa vända oöverensstämmelserna till överensstämmelser. Faktorerna som transportbolagen bör implementera är kommunikation, utbildning och ersätta begreppet transport, med logistik

Elevinflytande ur ett elevperspektiv

I denna uppsats undersöks elevinflytande ur ett elevperspektiv, detta för att öka lärares förståelse för hur elever upplever och ser på begreppet elevinflytande. Vi diskuterar också hur elevernas erfarenheter av begreppet elevinflytande ser ut samt vilka positiva respektive negativa tankar det finns hos eleverna kring begreppet. Den bild som framkommer i undersökningen jämförs sedan med tidigare forskning. Teoridelen baseras på begreppen intresse och makt. Undersökningen utgörs av enkäter gjorda i en årskurs 4, en årskurs 5 och en årskurs 6, samt en gruppintervju i varje årskurs. Valet att använda två olika metoder, kvantitativa och kvalitativa, gjordes då dessa två metoder kompletterar varandra bra. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att eleverna tycker att det är viktigt för dem att få vara med och ha inflytande över sin skolgång. Eleverna vill ha inflytande över allt rörande deras skolgång, från raster till skolmat och undervisning. Elevinflytande påverkar elevers skolgång på ett positivt sätt genom att det blir roligare, de lär sig lättare och får bättre översikt över sin skoldag. Ett samband mellan intresse, makt och elevinflytande har till viss del kunnat urskiljas både i tidigare forskning och i resultatet av denna undersökning.This paper examines student participation from a student perspective. This is to increase teachers' understanding of how students experience and looks at the concept of student participation. We also discuss how students' experiences of the concept of student participation look like and what positive and negative thoughts the students have about the concept. The picture that emerges in the study are then compared with previous research. The theoretical part is based on the concepts of interest and power. The study consists of surveys conducted in a grade 4, a grade 5 and a grade 6, and a group interview in each grade. The choice of using two different methods, quantitative and qualitative, were made because these two methods complement each other well. The results of the survey show that students think it's important for them to be involved and have influence over their education. Students want to have control over everything related to their schooling. Student participation affects students' schooling in a positive way by making it more fun, they learn more and get a better view of their school day. A relationship between interest, power, and student participation has been partially observed on both previous research and the results of this study

Brand consistency : A case study of Stadium

A brand has to communicate to its customers in a consistent way to achieve a strong position and to distinguish from competitors on today’s market. Many companies operate and offer their products and services on the current market in physical and virtual environments. Therefore the issue to communicate in a consistent appearance within all channels is an increasing challenge. This thesis work studies the matter of how companiesare working with brand consistency in their business in physical and virtual environments. This was done to analyze the consequences of the problem when a brand isinconsistent in its messages to the customer and in its operations. For this work the qualitative research method and a case study have been chosen. The case study includes observations of three physical Stadium stores, located in the centre of Gothenburg, Sweden and Stadium’s website. This was chosen to analyze this matter in real life in both environments. The theoretical framework consists of two main areas: These are branding and relationship marketing, which support this research. Brand includes the theories of brand identity and brand image, and relationship marketing comprises the theories of customer loyalty, brand communities and additional value. These areas have been used throughout the whole work as tools to research the issue of brand consistency. The empirical data has also been recorded according to these areas. As the conclusion, the findings of the thesis work have shown that brand consistency builds an important part in a company’s communication channels. For the case of Stadium it can be stated that it has positive approaches in working with brand consistency but also points out parts that are lacking and indicating inconsistency.Program: Magisterutbildning i Fashion Managemen