Publikationer från Uppsala Universitet
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Class, genes, and rationality : A gene-environment interaction approach to ideology
No full textVariation in political preferences is increasingly understood to stem from both environmental influences and genetics. Research in political psychology has argued that a pathway for genetic effects on ideology is via cognitive performance, showing a sizable genetic overlap between the traits. Yet the link between actual trait cognitive performance and economic conservatism is itself highly ambiguous, with both positive, null, and negative estimates prevalent in the literature. In this study, I argue that this puzzle can only be understood from a gene-environment interaction (GxE) perspective. Drawing on traditional theories of political preference formation, I argue that genetics associated with cognitive performance should cause more left-wing economic preferences if you grow up in relative poverty, but more right-wing economic preferences if you grow up affluent. Utilizing variation in a polygenic index (PGI) of cognitive performance within dizygotic twin pairs, coupled with unique register data on economic conditions for the twins, their parents, and their childhood neighborhood, I show that the causal effect of the PGI on economic conservatism is zero on average, but indeed sizable and sign-discordant by class background. The GxE perspective thus has wide-ranging implications for future research attempting to integrate genetic methods into political psychology
Frailty and comorbidity in COVID-19 patients with and without ICU admission restrictions : a retrospective observational study
No full textBackground Limited resources during the COVID-19 pandemic made ICU admission decisions ethically complex. In Sweden, where ICU bed availability per capita is among the lowest in Europe, clinical judgment guided triage decisions, as prognostic scoring systems like the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI) were not routinely used. This study aimed to compare patients considered eligible for intensive care with those for whom ICU admission was restricted and to evaluate whether a post hoc assessment of frailty and comorbidity aligned with clinical decision making. Methods This retrospective observational study included 204 COVID-19-positive patients admitted to a Swedish secondary hospital during the first pandemic wave. Patients were categorized as either eligible for intensive care (ICU group) or having a documented ICU admission restriction (ICU restriction group). Electronic medical records were reviewed to assign CFS and ACCI scores, and a combined score was calculated to better reflect overall frailty and comorbidity burden. Results The ICU group had a mean age of 68 years versus 83 years in the ICU restriction group. Of the ICU group, 26 out of 100 patients (26%) were ultimately admitted to intensive care. Median combined CFS + ACCI scores were 5 (IQR 5-6) in the ICU group and 12 (IQR 11-14) in the ICU restriction group; difference in score: 7 (95% CI, 6-8; p < 0.001). The combined score demonstrated clear separation between the groups with minimal overlap: in the ICU group, 95% of patients had a combined score below 8.3, while in the ICU restriction group, 95% of patients had a score above 8.4. Conclusions Marked contrasts in age, frailty, and comorbidity burden distinguished patients eligible for intensive care from those with an ICU admission restriction, reflecting a close correspondence between the prognostic scoring systems and clinical judgment. Integrating the CFS and ACCI into a single combined score sharpened the analysis and may prove useful in future research or as a triage tool, although further validation of this approach is warranted
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) polymorphisms and asthma risk in rural and urban settings : findings from the UK biobank
No full textIntroduction and aim: The risk of asthma and its phenotypes may be modified by gene-environmental interactions. The previous studies on the interactions between genetic variations in the toll like 4 (TLR4), the main receptor for bacterial endotoxin, and asthma were contradictory as they were underpowered and did not consider different asthma phenotypes. The main aim of this study was to identify interactions between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TLR4 gene, Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile, and residential area (urban or rural) in females and males with asthma and different asthma phenotypes. Method: This study was performed on 38,332 asthmatics and 322,852 non-asthma (both British Caucasians) subjects from the UK Biobank database. Asthma was also divided into phenotypes, such as asthma with/without allergy and early/late onset asthma. The residential area was based on the population area density and classified as urban or rural living. Multivariate regression models adjusted for age, body mass index, and smoking status were used to analyze interactions between the SNPs, residential area in asthma, and asthma phenotypes. The association between asthma and residential area or the SNPs was also determined. Result: There were no significant associations between the SNPs and asthma risk (for Asp299Gly: OR (95% CI): 1.00 (0.97–1.02), for Thr399Ile: 0.99 (0.96–1.02) or between the SNPs and asthma phenotypes in either sex or combined cohorts. The effects of the SNPs were not modified by residential area population density in either sex with asthma or across asthma phenotypes. Asthma and its phenotypes were not associated with the SNPs or residential area. Conclusions: Our study found no statistically significant association between TLR4 polymorphisms and asthma, regardless of sex or residential area. Further studies are needed to clarify the functional impact of TLR4 variation in asthma pathophysiology
Interplay between antipredator behavior, parasitism, and gut microbiome in wild stickleback populations
No full textThe impact of microbial composition on stress-related behavior in aquatic organisms is poorly understood. This study explored the link between antipredator behavior, parasitism, and the gut microbiome in wild stickleback from two lakes: clear, spring-fed Galtaból and turbid, glacial-fed Þristikla. Behavioral analysis revealed differences between populations, with each exhibiting unique baseline behaviors. Microbiome analysis showed that a small proportion of its variation was explained by population, likely reflecting differences in lake environments. Only the marine genus Pseudoalteromonas abundance differed between populations. Our findings suggest that behavior and microbiome correlations may primarily reflect environmental adaptations and parasite status rather than direct gut-brain interactions. However, some tentative evidence suggests a potential innate connection between some antipredator behavior and microbiome composition. The study highlights the complexity of the gut-brain axis in wild populations and suggests future research directions, including experimental manipulations to uncover causal relationships between microbiome composition and behavior.These authors contributed equally: Javier Edo Varg, Jaelle C. Brealey.</p
Virulence factors and outcomes in bacteremia caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131-H30Rx in a Swedish county
No full textBackground Escherichia coli ST131 and clade H30Rx are the most prevalent extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC) causing bacteremia and urinary tract infections globally and in Sweden. Previous studies have linked ST131-H30Rx with septic shock and mortality, as well as prolonged carriage. In our previous study, ST131 constituted 54% of all ESBL-EC bacteremia originating from the urinary tract. Method Utilizing whole-genome sequencing, we retrospectively compared virulence factors (VFs) and patient outcomes based on medical records among 77 isolates of ESBL-EC from 76 patients with pyelonephritis between 2009 and 2018 in a Swedish county. Results The VFs Ibes and uropathogenic specific protein were associated with ST131 of all clades (p < 0.0001). Serine protease (p < 0.0001) and cnf1 (p = 0.0003) were more common among ST131-H30Rx compared to non-ST131 isolates whereas enterobactin and iss were more common among ST131-H30Rx compared to both other ST131 isolates (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0007, respectively) and non-ST131 isolates (p < 0.0001). Sepsis within 36 h was less common among patients infected with ST131-H30Rx (p = 0.038). Conclusions ST131-H30Rx isolates carried VFs which were associated with recurrence but not uniformly to sepsis. In this explorative study, our results indicate that the ST131-H30Rx clade are not more prone to cause severe infection than other sequence types, but prone to cause recurrence, in addition to ESBL production which limits treatment options. Further studies are warranted to explore the mechanisms driving the success of ST131-H30Rx isolates in causing recurrent infections and colonization, and to form preventive measures
Great expectations : a tale of two transitions-a survey of the evidence on expectations in transition economies
No full textOver a quarter of the world's population lives in countries that have undertaken transitions from central planning to some form of market-based coordination. These transitions entail far-reaching and complex economic and institutional changes and have had widely divergent trajectories. Important strands of literature have emphasised the many strategic complementarities that characterise the transition process. Contrary to a widespread assumption, new functioning economic institutions and a robust legal framework do not necessarily arise when property rights are reconfigured in a highly unstable and uncertain environment. Multiple equilibria emerge and expectations may play a key role in equilibrium selection. In this paper, we review the vast empirical literature on transition economies to provide comprehensive evidence about expectations at the beginning of transition, gathering and organising information from disparate studies across a wide set of countries. We thus provide the first comprehensive survey of the literature on agents' subjective perceptions of transition paths
Defining and refining emplacement by deepening the understanding of embeddedness, situatedness, and enactedness
No full textUsing a transactional frame of reference, this paper situates the concept of emplacement within and between the notions of embeddedness, situatedness, and enactedness. Emplacement recognises how the spaces and places in which we engage in occupations both shape and are shaped by engagement. Hence, the meaning and importance attributed to certain occupations can involve a complex, unbounded, uncertain, and often messy process. Further, embeddedness describes the deep anchoring of individuals to their social and physical contexts. Situatedness emphasises the importance of being 'in-place'. Enactedness delves into the dynamic unfolding of occupations that highlight the role of agency and identity that are reflected in the stories shared. Vignettes from our research projects illustrate these concepts by offering insights into the lived experiences of emplacement. These narratives enrich understandings of the nuanced, transactional nature of emplacement. Additionally, we acknowledge the relevance of emplacement across contexts and suggest avenues for future research. This discussion adds to the existing understanding of emplacement and the growing body of knowledge in occupational science specific to the value of using a transactional frame of occupation to explore the complexities of human-occupation-environment interactions
Plant diversity dynamics over space and time in a warming Arctic
No full textThe Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average1 and plant communities are responding through shifts in species abundance, composition and distribution2, 3-4. However, the direction and magnitude of local changes in plant diversity in the Arctic have not been quantified. Using a compilation of 42,234 records of 490 vascular plant species from 2,174 plots across the Arctic, here we quantified temporal changes in species richness and composition through repeat surveys between 1981 and 2022. We also identified the geographical, climatic and biotic drivers behind these changes. We found greater species richness at lower latitudes and warmer sites, but no indication that, on average, species richness had changed directionally over time. However, species turnover was widespread, with 59% of plots gaining and/or losing species. Proportions of species gains and losses were greater where temperatures had increased the most. Shrub expansion, particularly of erect shrubs, was associated with greater species losses and decreasing species richness. Despite changes in plant composition, Arctic plant communities did not become more similar to each other, suggesting no biotic homogenization so far. Overall, Arctic plant communities changed in richness and composition in different directions, with temperature and plant-plant interactions emerging as the main drivers of change. Our findings demonstrate how climate and biotic drivers can act in concert to alter plant composition, which could precede future biodiversity changes that are likely to affect ecosystem function, wildlife habitats and the livelihoods of Arctic peoples(5,6)
In the End : Associations Between Sleep Disturbance and Functional Impairment in Fibromyalgia-A Path Analysis Study
No full textFibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterised by widespread pain, sleep disturbances and mood disorders, often leading to significant functional impairment. Although sleep problems are recognised as important contributors to fibromyalgia symptoms, the mechanisms linking sleep disturbances, psychological factors and functional impairment remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the direct and indirect relationships among sleep disturbances, pain catastrophising, depression, bodily pain and functional impairment using path analysis. Data were drawn from 253 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Poor sleep quality was directly associated with elevated levels of pain catastrophising and depression, and both psychological factors were, in turn, significantly related to greater functional impairment. Together, these variables accounted for 32.5% of the variance in functional impairment. No significant indirect effects were observed between sleep disturbances and functional impairment through bodily pain, and pain severity was not significantly associated with functional outcomes. These findings underscore the critical role of poor sleep quality in functional impairment among individuals with fibromyalgia. Implementing interventions that target and improve sleep may, in turn, alleviate related psychological distress, reduce disability and enhance quality of life in this population