The Effects of Combined Exposure to Simulated Microgravity, Ionizing Radiation, and Cortisol on the In Vitro Wound Healing Process

Human spaceflight is associated with several health-related issues as a result of long-term exposure to microgravity, ionizing radiation, and higher levels of psychological stress. Frequent reported skin problems in space include rashes, itches, and a delayed wound healing. Access to space is restricted by financial and logistical issues; as a consequence, experimental sample sizes are often small, which limits the generalization of the results. Earth-based simulation models can be used to investigate cellular responses as a result of exposure to certain spaceflight stressors. Here, we describe the development of an in vitro model of the simulated spaceflight environment, which we used to investigate the combined effect of simulated microgravity using the random positioning machine (RPM), ionizing radiation, and stress hormones on the wound-healing capacity of human dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were exposed to cortisol, after which they were irradiated with different radiation qualities (including X-rays, protons, carbon ions, and iron ions) followed by exposure to simulated microgravity using a random positioning machine (RPM). Data related to the inflammatory, proliferation, and remodeling phase of wound healing has been collected. Results show that spaceflight stressors can interfere with the wound healing process at any phase. Moreover, several interactions between the different spaceflight stressors were found. This highlights the complexity that needs to be taken into account when studying the effect of spaceflight stressors on certain biological processes and for the aim of countermeasures development

Space Radiobiology

The study of the biologic effects of space radiation is considered a “hot topic,” with increased interest in the past years. In this chapter, the unique characteristics of the space radiation environment will be covered, from their history, characterization, and biological effects to the research that has been and is being conducted in the field. After a short introduction, you will learn the origin and characterization of the different types of space radiation and the use of mathematical models for the prediction of the radiation doses during different mission scenarios and estimate the biological risks due to this exposure. Following this, the acute, chronic, and late effects of radiation exposure in the human body are discussed before going into the detailed biomolecular changes affecting cells and tissues, and in which ways they differ from other types of radiation exposure. The next sections of this chapter are dedicated to the vast research that has been developed through the years concerning space radiation biology, from small animals to plant models and 3D cell cultures, the use of extremophiles in the study of radiation resistance mechanisms to the importance of ground-based irradiation facilities to simulate and study the space environment

GWAS of Follicular Lymphoma Reveals Allelic Heterogeneity at 6p21.32 and Suggests Shared Genetic Susceptibility with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) represents a diverse group of hematological malignancies, of which follicular lymphoma (FL) is a prevalent subtype. A previous genome-wide association study has established a marker, rs10484561 in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II region on 6p21.32 associated with increased FL risk. Here, in a three-stage genome-wide association study, starting with a genome-wide scan of 379 FL cases and 791 controls followed by validation in 1,049 cases and 5,790 controls, we identified a second independent FL–associated locus on 6p21.32, rs2647012 (ORcombined = 0.64, Pcombined = 2×10−21) located 962 bp away from rs10484561 (r2<0.1 in controls). After mutual adjustment, the associations at the two SNPs remained genome-wide significant (rs2647012:ORadjusted = 0.70, Padjusted = 4×10−12; rs10484561:ORadjusted = 1.64, Padjusted = 5×10−15). Haplotype and coalescence analyses indicated that rs2647012 arose on an evolutionarily distinct haplotype from that of rs10484561 and tags a novel allele with an opposite (protective) effect on FL risk. Moreover, in a follow-up analysis of the top 6 FL–associated SNPs in 4,449 cases of other NHL subtypes, rs10484561 was associated with risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ORcombined = 1.36, Pcombined = 1.4×10−7). Our results reveal the presence of allelic heterogeneity within the HLA class II region influencing FL susceptibility and indicate a possible shared genetic etiology with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. These findings suggest that the HLA class II region plays a complex yet important role in NHL

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Large-scale association analysis provides insights into the genetic architecture and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes

To extend understanding of the genetic architecture and molecular basis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), we conducted a meta-analysis of genetic variants on the Metabochip involving 34,840 cases and 114,981 controls, overwhelmingly of European descent. We identified ten previously unreported T2D susceptibility loci, including two demonstrating sex-differentiated association. Genome-wide analyses of these data are consistent with a long tail of further common variant loci explaining much of the variation in susceptibility to T2D. Exploration of the enlarged set of susceptibility loci implicates several processes, including CREBBP-related transcription, adipocytokine signalling and cell cycle regulation, in diabetes pathogenesis

Sex-stratified Genome-wide Association Studies Including 270,000 Individuals Show Sexual Dimorphism in Genetic Loci for Anthropometric Traits

Peer reviewe

Undersöker utmaningarna med omskolning i byggbranschen : En fallstudie av ett svenskt golvföretag

The construction industry is facing problems with labour shortages. These problems have occurred because of a declining image, leading to fewer applicants to vocational schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges that small organisations in the Swedish construction industry have to face when conducting reskilling programs. In addition to this the study also wanted to explore if there are any potential solutions to help mitigate the impact of these challenges. The goal of this study was to explore the gaps left by previous research and by that contribute with valuable research. The area that this study aims to help explore is how reskilling can be used in a labour-intensive industry, in this case, the construction industry. The study also wanted to explore reskilling from the perspective of smaller organisations in Sweden. A case study was performed at a small flooring company in Sweden to achieve this purpose. Two forms of data collection methods were completed to gather the primary data for the study. The first data collection method consisted of observations from the case company. Secondly, semi-structured interviews were conducted with several stakeholders in the construction industry, both at the case company and with experts outside the case company. This data was gathered to answer the following research question: RQ1: What are the challenges to reskilling programs in the Swedish construction industry? The challenges found by this study could be divided into three aggregate dimensions: Before, During and After. These aggregate dimensions were chosen to help properly show what challenges reskilling programs face during different phases of the program.Byggbranschen står inför en brist på arbetskraft. Detta problem har uppstått dels till följd av en sämre bild av branschen, vilket har resulterat i färre sökande till yrkesutbildningar. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka de utmaningar som små organisationer inom den svenska byggbranschen måste möta när de genomför omskolningsprogram. Utöver detta undersöker studien även om det finns några potentiella lösningar för att mildra effekten av dessa utmaningar. Målet med denna studie var att utforska de luckor som tidigare forskning lämnat och därigenom bidra med värdefull forskning. Området som denna studie avser att undersöka är hur omskolning kan användas inom en arbetsintensiv bransch, i detta fall byggbranschen. Studien ville även undersöka omskolning ur perspektivet av mindre organisationer i Sverige. En fallstudie genomfördes på ett litet golvföretag i Sverige. Två former av datainsamlingsmetoder genomfördes för att samla primärdata till studien. Den första datainsamlingsmetoden bestod av observationer från fallföretaget. För den andra metoden användes semistrukturerade intervjuer med flera intressenter inom byggbranschen, både på fallföretaget och med experter utanför fallföretaget. Denna data samlades in för att besvara följande forskningsfråga: RQ1: Vilka utmaningar finns det för omskolningsprogram inom den svenska byggbranschen? Utmaningarna som identifierades i denna studie kunde delas in i tre övergripande dimensioner: Före, Under och Efter. Dessa övergripande dimensioner valdes för att tydligt visa vilka utmaningar omskolningsprogram står inför under olika faser av programmet

How industrial robots affect different resources in industry : A study of how social and financial resources are affected by industrial robots

Världens industrier genomgår en stor förändring. Fler delar av industrins processer automatiserar. Detta påverkar bland annat industrins ekonomi samt dess personal. Syftet med denna rapport är att identifiera hur industrirobotar påverkar företagets ekonomi samt hur företagets personal påverkas. För att genomföra detta har dels information inhämtas från äldre akademiska handlingar. Även fältstudier har genomförts. Litteraturstudien genomfördes först för att införskaffa den kunskap som krävs för att kunna jämföras med den empiriska-/fältstudien. Den empiriska studien bestod av två delar. Del ett består av ett frågeformulär, detta frågeformulär skickades ut till både robottillverkare och industrier som använder industrirobotar. Denna del gjordes för att inhämta mycket data till rapporten. Del två består av tre intervjuer med anställda på företag som arbetar med industrirobotar samt en intervju med en doktorand som forskar om industrirobotar. Denna del genomfördes för att få en mer detaljerad beskrivning av frågeställningarna. Del ett och två har sedan diskuteras för att sedan komma fram till slutsatsen att jobben i industrin påverkas mer positivt än man tidigare befarat. Industrirobotarna räddar dels jobb som annars hade försvunnit, dels gör det möjligt att ta hem produktionen till Sverige och därav generera fler jobb. Ytterligare en slutsats som kunnat konstateras är att den primärt avgörande faktorn för investeringar i industrirobotar är att företaget gynnas ekonomiskt samt att den till största del enbart ses som en bonus att de anställdas arbetsmiljö förbättras.The world's industries are undergoing a major change. More parts of the industry's processes are automated. This affects, among other things, the industry's finances, and its staff. The purpose of this report is to identify how industrial robots affect the company's finances and how the company's personnel are affected. To implement this, information has been obtained from older academic documents and field studies have been carried out. The literature study was first conducted to acquire the knowledge required to be able to be compared with the empirical / field study. The empirical study consisted of two parts. Part one consists of a questionnaire, this questionnaire was sent out to both robot manufacturers and industries that use industrial robots. This part was done to gather a lot of data for the report. Part two consists of three interviews with employees of companies that work with industrial robots and one interview with a researcher at KTH that focus on industrial robots. This part was carried out to get a more detailed description of the issues. Part one and two have then been discussed to then conclude that jobs in the industry are affected more positively than previously feared. The industrial robots save jobs that would otherwise have disappeared and make it possible to bring production home to Sweden and thereby generate more jobs. Another conclusion that has been established is that the primarily decisive factor for investments in industrial robots is that the company benefits financially and that it is for the most part only seen as a bonus that the employees' working environment is improved

Undersöker utmaningarna med omskolning i byggbranschen : En fallstudie av ett svenskt golvföretag

The construction industry is facing problems with labour shortages. These problems have occurred because of a declining image, leading to fewer applicants to vocational schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges that small organisations in the Swedish construction industry have to face when conducting reskilling programs. In addition to this the study also wanted to explore if there are any potential solutions to help mitigate the impact of these challenges. The goal of this study was to explore the gaps left by previous research and by that contribute with valuable research. The area that this study aims to help explore is how reskilling can be used in a labour-intensive industry, in this case, the construction industry. The study also wanted to explore reskilling from the perspective of smaller organisations in Sweden. A case study was performed at a small flooring company in Sweden to achieve this purpose. Two forms of data collection methods were completed to gather the primary data for the study. The first data collection method consisted of observations from the case company. Secondly, semi-structured interviews were conducted with several stakeholders in the construction industry, both at the case company and with experts outside the case company. This data was gathered to answer the following research question: RQ1: What are the challenges to reskilling programs in the Swedish construction industry? The challenges found by this study could be divided into three aggregate dimensions: Before, During and After. These aggregate dimensions were chosen to help properly show what challenges reskilling programs face during different phases of the program.Byggbranschen står inför en brist på arbetskraft. Detta problem har uppstått dels till följd av en sämre bild av branschen, vilket har resulterat i färre sökande till yrkesutbildningar. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka de utmaningar som små organisationer inom den svenska byggbranschen måste möta när de genomför omskolningsprogram. Utöver detta undersöker studien även om det finns några potentiella lösningar för att mildra effekten av dessa utmaningar. Målet med denna studie var att utforska de luckor som tidigare forskning lämnat och därigenom bidra med värdefull forskning. Området som denna studie avser att undersöka är hur omskolning kan användas inom en arbetsintensiv bransch, i detta fall byggbranschen. Studien ville även undersöka omskolning ur perspektivet av mindre organisationer i Sverige. En fallstudie genomfördes på ett litet golvföretag i Sverige. Två former av datainsamlingsmetoder genomfördes för att samla primärdata till studien. Den första datainsamlingsmetoden bestod av observationer från fallföretaget. För den andra metoden användes semistrukturerade intervjuer med flera intressenter inom byggbranschen, både på fallföretaget och med experter utanför fallföretaget. Denna data samlades in för att besvara följande forskningsfråga: RQ1: Vilka utmaningar finns det för omskolningsprogram inom den svenska byggbranschen? Utmaningarna som identifierades i denna studie kunde delas in i tre övergripande dimensioner: Före, Under och Efter. Dessa övergripande dimensioner valdes för att tydligt visa vilka utmaningar omskolningsprogram står inför under olika faser av programmet