Postglacial species arrival and diversity buildup of northern ecosystems took millennia.

What drives ecosystem buildup, diversity, and stability? We assess species arrival and ecosystem changes across 16 millennia by combining regional-scale plant sedimentary ancient DNA from Fennoscandia with near-complete DNA and trait databases. We show that postglacial arrival time varies within and between plant growth forms. Further, arrival times were mainly predicted by adaptation to temperature, disturbance, and light.

Sedimentary ancient DNA shows terrestrial plant richness continuously increased over the Holocene in northern Fennoscandia.

The effects of climate change on species richness are debated but can be informed by the past. Here, we generated a sedimentary ancient DNA dataset covering 10 lakes and applied novel methods for data harmonization. We assessed the impact of Holocene climate changes and nutrients on terrestrial plant richness in northern Fennoscandia.

Giant invasive : Friend or foe of plant diversity?

The impact of invasion on diversity varies widely and remains elusive. Despite the considerable attempts to understand mechanisms of biological invasion, it is largely unknown whether some communities' characteristics promote biological invasion, or whether some inherent characteristics of invaders enable them to invade other communities. Our aims were to assess the impact of one of the massive plant invaders of Scandinavia on vascular plant species diversity, disentangle attributes of invasible and noninvasible communities, and evaluate the relationship between invasibility and genetic diversity of a dominant invader.

A subcellular map of the human proteome.

Resolving the spatial distribution of the human proteome at a subcellular level can greatly increase our understanding of human biology and disease. Here we present a comprehensive image-based map of subcellular protein distribution, the Cell Atlas, built by integrating transcriptomics and antibody-based immunofluorescence microscopy with validation by mass spectrometry. Mapping the in situ localization of 12,003 human proteins at a single-cell level to 30 subcellular structures enabled the definition of the proteomes of 13 major organelles.

Fern rhizomes as fodder in Norway.

Background: Although ferns are often known under collective names in Norway, e.g. blom, a substantial number of vernacular names for individual fern species are known, in particular for useful or poisonous taxa.

Introducing the Affinity Binder Knockdown Initiative⿿A public⿿private partnership for validation of affinity reagents.

The newly launched Affinity Binder Knockdown Initiative encourages antibody suppliers and users to join this public⿿private partnership, which uses crowdsourcing to collect characterization data on antibodies. Researchers are asked to share validation data from experiments where gene-editing techniques (such as siRNA or CRISPR) have been used to verify antibody binding. The initiative is launched under the aegis of Antibodypedia, a database designed to allow comparisons and scoring of publicly available antibodies towards human protein targets.

Scented grasses in Norway--identity and uses.

Background: Some grass species are richer in coumarin and thus more sweetly scented than others. These have been eagerly sought after in parts of Norway, but the tradition has been weakly documented, both in terms of the species collected, their vernacular names, and uses.

Methods: Based on literature data and a substantial body of information collected during my own ethnobotanical field work, artefacts and voucher specimens, the grass species are identified, and their uses clarified.

Reconstructing the invasion history of Heracleum persicum (Apiaceae) into Europe.

Sparse, incomplete and inappropriate historical records of invasive species often hamper invasive species management interventions. Population genetic analyses of invaders might provide a suitable context for the identification of their source populations and possible introduction routes. Here, we describe the population genetics of Heracleum persicum Desf.

Plant species introduced by foreigners according to folk tradition in Norway and some other European countries: xenophobic tales or not?

Background: In their quest to understand and interpret nature, people have frequently sought religious or divine origins for plant species and their characteristics. Less often, historical events or persons are involved. This study comprises eleven cases of the latter kind, all claiming that plant species have been introduced by foreigners or at least from foreign lands.

Proteomics. Tissue-based map of the human proteome.

Resolving the molecular details of proteome variation in the different tissues and organs of the human body will greatly increase our knowledge of human biology and disease. Here, we present a map of the human tissue proteome based on an integrated omics approach that involves quantitative transcriptomics at the tissue and organ level, combined with tissue microarray-based immunohistochemistry, to achieve spatial localization of proteins down to the single-cell level. Our tissue-based analysis detected more than 90% of the putative protein-coding genes.

Ergotism in Norway. Part 2: The symptoms and their interpretation from the eighteenth century onwards.

Ergotism, the disease caused by consuming Claviceps purpurea, a highly poisonous, grain-infecting fungus, occurred at various places scattered throughout Norway during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By focusing on these cases we chart the changing interpretations of the peculiar disease, frequently understood within a religious context or considered as a supernatural (e.g.

Ergotism in Norway. Part 1: The symptoms and their interpretation from the late Iron Age to the seventeenth century.

Ergotism is a horrendous disease with grotesque symptoms caused by ingesting specific ergot alkaloids. Mass poisoning episodes are attributable to consumption of grain - usually rye - infected with the fungus Claviceps purpurea. By focusing on possible cases of ergotism, we re-examine Norwegian history from the sagas through to the end of the seventeenth century.

A chromosome-centric analysis of antibodies directed toward the human proteome using Antibodypedia.

Antibodies are crucial for the study of human proteins and have been defined as one of the three pillars in the human chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP). In this article the chromosome-centric structure has been used to analyze the availability of antibodies as judged by the presence within the portal Antibodypedia, a database designed to allow comparisons and scoring of publicly available antibodies toward human protein targets. This public database displays antibody data from more than one million antibodies toward human protein targets.

Ethnobotany of Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fisch., an invasive species in Norway, or how plant names, uses, and other traditions evolve.

Background: Heracleum persicum was introduced to Norway as an ornamental in the 1830's. Towards the end of the 19th century, it started spreading outside gardens, later to become a frequent sight in the major towns and settlements of North Norway - and a veritable pest plant. During the last 100 years or so, a substantial ethnobotanical tradition related to the species has evolved, demonstrating that folk knowledge is not only forgotten and lost, but also charting new terrain.

Glacial survival of boreal trees in northern Scandinavia.

It is commonly believed that trees were absent in Scandinavia during the last glaciation and first recolonized the Scandinavian Peninsula with the retreat of its ice sheet some 9000 years ago. Here, we show the presence of a rare mitochondrial DNA haplotype of spruce that appears unique to Scandinavia and with its highest frequency to the west-an area believed to sustain ice-free refugia during most of the last ice age. We further show the survival of DNA from this haplotype in lake sediments and pollen of Trøndelag in central Norway dating back ~10,300 years and chloroplast DNA of pine and spruce in lake sediments adjacent to the ice-free Andøya refugium in northwestern Norway as early as ~22,000 and 17,700 years ago, respectively.

Orthogonal protein purification facilitated by a small bispecific affinity tag.

Due to the high costs associated with purification of recombinant proteins the protocols need to be rationalized. For high-throughput efforts there is a demand for general methods that do not require target protein specific optimization . To achieve this, purification tags that genetically can be fused to the gene of interest are commonly used.

Engineering bispecificity into a single albumin-binding domain.

Bispecific antibodies as well as non-immunoglobulin based bispecific affinity proteins are considered to have a very high potential in future biotherapeutic applications. In this study, we report on a novel approach for generation of extremely small bispecific proteins comprised of only a single structural domain. Binding to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was engineered into an albumin-binding domain while still retaining the original affinity for albumin, resulting in a bispecific protein composed of merely 46 amino acids.

A small bispecific protein selected for orthogonal affinity purification.

A novel protein domain with dual affinity has been created by randomization and selection. The small alkali-stabilized albumin-binding domain (ABD*), used as scaffold to construct the library, has affinity to human serum albumin (HSA) and is constituted of 46 amino acids of which 11 were randomized. To achieve a dual binder, the binding site of the inherent HSA affinity was untouched and the randomization was made on the opposite side of the molecule.

High-throughput protein purification under denaturating conditions by the use of cation exchange chromatography.

A high-throughput protein purification strategy using the polycationic Z(basic) tag has been developed. In order for the strategy to be useful both for soluble and less soluble proteins, a denaturating agent, urea, was used in all purification steps. First, four target proteins were genetically fused to the purification tag, Z(basic).

Single-step recovery and solid-phase refolding of inclusion body proteins using a polycationic purification tag.

A strategy for purification of inclusion body-forming proteins is described, in which the positively charged domain Z(basic) is used as a fusion partner for capture of denatured proteins on a cation exchange column. It is shown that the purification tag is selective under denaturing conditions. Furthermore, the new strategy for purification of proteins from inclusion bodies is compared with the commonly used method for purification of His(6)-tagged inclusion body proteins.

One vs five sessions of exposure and five sessions of cognitive therapy in the treatment of claustrophobia.

Forty-six patients fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for claustrophobia were assessed with behavioral, physiological, and self-report measures. They were randomly assigned to four conditions: (1) one-session (E1); or (2) five-sessions of exposure (E5); (3) five-sessions of cognitive therapy (C5); and (4) Wait-list for 5 weeks. The first condition consisted of a single 3 h session of massed exposure, and condition 2 and 3 of 5 h of gradual treatment, which was done individually by very experienced therapists.

Epidemiology of familial adenomatous polyposis in Sweden: changes over time and differences in phenotype between males and females.

Background: The Swedish Polyposis Registry was set up in Sweden in the late 1950s to promote screening of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of FAP in Sweden, including the influence of screening on morbidity and mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: Four hundred and thirty-one patients (213 males and 218 females) with FAP from 145 families recorded by the Swedish Polyposis Registry were investigated.

One versus five sessions of exposure in the treatment of flying phobia.

Twenty-eight patients with flying phobia, fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia, were assessed with behavioral, and self-report measures. They were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions: (1) 1-session, or (2) 5-sessions of exposure and cognitive restructuring. The first condition consisted of a single 3 hr session of massed treatment, and the second condition of 6 hr of gradual treatment.