Cell therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) is aimed to replace the degenerated midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons and restore DA neurotransmission in the denervated forebrain targets. A limitation of the intrastriatal grafting approach, which is currently used in clinical trials, is that the mDA neurons are implanted into the target area, in most cases the putamen, and not in the ventral midbrain wher

Russ et al. show that human astrocytes adopt different reactive immune phenotypes when exposed to either TNF-α or alpha-synuclein fibrils, which are exogenous stressors that compete to drive the astrocyte immune reactive response. They also show that PARK2-variant-containing astrocytes exhibit an exacerbated response to the stressors, accompanied by bioenergetic defects.

It is unknown how many mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients undergo consolidation with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT), and the reasons governing the decision, are also unknown. The prognostic impact of omitting AHCT is also understudied. We identified all MCL patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2014, aged 18 to 65 years, in the Swedish Lymphoma Register. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95%

H+ modulated charge-transfer in photoexcited covalent polyoxometalate-bodipy conjugates is described. The hybrid organic/inorganic molecular photoactive dyads are based on Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs, where KM = [PM11O39] and M = Mo or W) covalently grafted via an organotin linker to a bodipy (BOD) photosensitizer. The relative potentials of the photosensitizer and POM are aligned such that

Twenty years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 there is an almost unanimous call for an increased number of uniformed women in peace operations from policy-makers and multilateral organizations. This continuous push for the inclusion of more women is often justified by arguments about an increased operational effectiveness related to women's ‘added value’: both implicitly a

Nils-Eric Sahlin och Sylvia Schwaag Serger diskuterar i kapitel tre hur forskare har interagerat med beslutsfattare under krisen och presenterar principer som syftar till att förbättra samspelet mellan vetenskap och politik.

This study focuses on soldiers returning from peacekeeping missions and the challenges they experience adapting to the home environment in the postdeployment phase. The article focuses on South African peacekeepers returning from missions in Darfur/Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Interviews with 50 South African peacekeepers on the challenges they face in terms of their homec

Taking a deep look at how China has transformed its capacity for scientific research and innovation provides a window into the country’s ambitions and possible paths in the future.

Samhällsvetenskapen gör samtiden begriplig. Genom att kritiskt granska politik, ekonomi, kommunikation och organisation ger den djupare förståelse för det moderna samhällets förtjänster och problem. Dock bara om den utförs väl, och på allvar tillåts skärskåda gängse föreställningar och företeelser. Under fem övergripande rubriker: Kritisk, Kvalitativ, Konsekvensneutral, Krävande och Konstruktiv, v

The political underperformance, socio-economic grievances, widespread poverty and expansion of terrorist networks in the Sahel region are commonly framed as security risks to both the region itself and to Europe. The heavy international security presence in the region, including a UN peacekeeping mission with a robust mandate, a US Africa Command drone base, three EU missions, a large French-led c

Since the attacks the 11th of September 2001 in the US, there has been a strong increase in security force assistance (SFA) to fragile states with the aim of professionalising security forces, preventing violent extremist organisations (VEO) from exploiting state fragility and, in cases where this has not succeeded, of fighting the latter. At the same time, a shift has taken place with regard to t

African governments have been faster than most of their European counterparts in imposing measures to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak despite dealing with numerous other challenges. However, context matters, and for Africa, the political and socioeconomic consequences of the lockdown measures may cause more havoc than the actual virus.This brief identifies political, economic and social risks rela

How realistic and how fair are the expectations that we place on the small minority of female peacekeepers to bring an ‘added value’ to peace operations? Not at all, I argue in this brief, which examines the instrumentalisation of female participation and suggests that it is time to move beyond the question of an ‘added value’ that often translates into ‘added burden’.Both male and female peacekee

The Corona pandemic is changing the way we live and function as a society for at least the coming weeks or months. While it is a virus that does not take into account race, sex, class or age, it is also quite brutally revealing and reinforcing socio-economic inequalities which reflect the distribution of power in our societies. This, at the same time as it is showing us the strength of empathy, re

Producing original knowledge is the foundation of scientific progress. Originality is associated with certain skills and practices that can be trained and socialised. This study investigates how inbreeding as a career practice influences the socialisation of originality. An analysis based on a sample of mid-career life scientists in Japan finds that originality and associated practices are transfe

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease of insulin deficiency that results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet β cells. The exact cause of T1D remains unknown, although asymptomatic islet autoimmunity lasting from weeks to years before diagnosis raises the possibility of intervention before the onset of clinical disease. The number, type, and titer of islet autoantibodies are associated wit