| 1. |
- Björling, Alexander, 1983, et al.
(författare)
-
Ubiquitous Structural Signaling in Bacterial Phytochromes
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 6:17, s. 3379-3383
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The phytochrome family of light-switchable proteins has long been studied by biochemical, spectroscopic and crystallographic means, while a direct probe for global conformational signal propagation has been lacking. Using solution X-ray scattering, we find that the photosensory cores of several bacterial phytochromes undergo similar large-scale structural changes upon red-light excitation. The data establish that phytochromes with ordinary and inverted photocycles share a structural signaling mechanism and that a particular conserved histidine, previously proposed to be involved in signal propagation, in fact tunes photoresponse.
|
|
| 2. |
- Carling, Tobias, et al.
(författare)
-
Familial hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria caused by a novel mutation in the cytoplasmic tail of the calcium receptor
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 85:5, s. 2042-7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Familial hyperparathyroidism (HPT), characterized by hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, and familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) are the most common causes of hereditary hypercalcemia. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) regulates PTH secretion and renal calcium excretion. Heterozygous inactivating mutations of the gene cause FHH, whereas CaR gene mutations have not been demonstrated in HPT. In a kindred with 20 affected individuals, the hypercalcemic disorder segregated with inappropriately higher serum PTH and magnesium levels and urinary calcium levels than in unaffected members. Subtotal parathyroidectomy revealed parathyroid gland hyperplasia/adenoma and corrected the biochemical signs of the disorder in seven of nine individuals. Linkage analysis mapped the condition to markers flanking the CaR gene on chromosome 3q. Sequence analysis revealed a mutation changing phenylalanine to leucine at codon 881 of the CaR gene, representing the first identified point mutation located within the cytoplasmic tail of the CaR. A construct of the mutant receptor (F881L) was expressed in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293), and demonstrated a right-shifted dose-response relationship between the extracellular and intracellular calcium concentrations. The hypercalcemic disorder of the present family is caused by an inactivating point mutation in the cytoplasmic tail of the CaR and displays clinical characteristics atypical of FHH and primary HPT.
|
|
| 3. |
- Gustavsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
-
Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe 2010.
- 2011
-
Ingår i: European Neuropsychopharmacology. - Amsterdam : Elsevier BV. - 0924-977X .- 1873-7862. ; 21:10, s. 718-79
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The spectrum of disorders of the brain is large, covering hundreds of disorders that are listed in either the mental or neurological disorder chapters of the established international diagnostic classification systems. These disorders have a high prevalence as well as short- and long-term impairments and disabilities. Therefore they are an emotional, financial and social burden to the patients, their families and their social network. In a 2005 landmark study, we estimated for the first time the annual cost of 12 major groups of disorders of the brain in Europe and gave a conservative estimate of €386 billion for the year 2004. This estimate was limited in scope and conservative due to the lack of sufficiently comprehensive epidemiological and/or economic data on several important diagnostic groups. We are now in a position to substantially improve and revise the 2004 estimates. In the present report we cover 19 major groups of disorders, 7 more than previously, of an increased range of age groups and more cost items. We therefore present much improved cost estimates. Our revised estimates also now include the new EU member states, and hence a population of 514 million people.AIMS: To estimate the number of persons with defined disorders of the brain in Europe in 2010, the total cost per person related to each disease in terms of direct and indirect costs, and an estimate of the total cost per disorder and country.METHODS: The best available estimates of the prevalence and cost per person for 19 groups of disorders of the brain (covering well over 100 specific disorders) were identified via a systematic review of the published literature. Together with the twelve disorders included in 2004, the following range of mental and neurologic groups of disorders is covered: addictive disorders, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, brain tumor, childhood and adolescent disorders (developmental disorders), dementia, eating disorders, epilepsy, mental retardation, migraine, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disorders, Parkinson's disease, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, sleep disorders, somatoform disorders, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Epidemiologic panels were charged to complete the literature review for each disorder in order to estimate the 12-month prevalence, and health economic panels were charged to estimate best cost-estimates. A cost model was developed to combine the epidemiologic and economic data and estimate the total cost of each disorder in each of 30 European countries (EU27+Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). The cost model was populated with national statistics from Eurostat to adjust all costs to 2010 values, converting all local currencies to Euro, imputing costs for countries where no data were available, and aggregating country estimates to purchasing power parity adjusted estimates for the total cost of disorders of the brain in Europe 2010.RESULTS: The total cost of disorders of the brain was estimated at €798 billion in 2010. Direct costs constitute the majority of costs (37% direct healthcare costs and 23% direct non-medical costs) whereas the remaining 40% were indirect costs associated with patients' production losses. On average, the estimated cost per person with a disorder of the brain in Europe ranged between €285 for headache and €30,000 for neuromuscular disorders. The European per capita cost of disorders of the brain was €1550 on average but varied by country. The cost (in billion €PPP 2010) of the disorders of the brain included in this study was as follows: addiction: €65.7; anxiety disorders: €74.4; brain tumor: €5.2; child/adolescent disorders: €21.3; dementia: €105.2; eating disorders: €0.8; epilepsy: €13.8; headache: €43.5; mental retardation: €43.3; mood disorders: €113.4; multiple sclerosis: €14.6; neuromuscular disorders: €7.7; Parkinson's disease: €13.9; personality disorders: €27.3; psychotic disorders: €93.9; sleep disorders: €35.4; somatoform disorder: €21.2; stroke: €64.1; traumatic brain injury: €33.0. It should be noted that the revised estimate of those disorders included in the previous 2004 report constituted €477 billion, by and large confirming our previous study results after considering the inflation and population increase since 2004. Further, our results were consistent with administrative data on the health care expenditure in Europe, and comparable to previous studies on the cost of specific disorders in Europe. Our estimates were lower than comparable estimates from the US.DISCUSSION: This study was based on the best currently available data in Europe and our model enabled extrapolation to countries where no data could be found. Still, the scarcity of data is an important source of uncertainty in our estimates and may imply over- or underestimations in some disorders and countries. Even though this review included many disorders, diagnoses, age groups and cost items that were omitted in 2004, there are still remaining disorders that could not be included due to limitations in the available data. We therefore consider our estimate of the total cost of the disorders of the brain in Europe to be conservative. In terms of the health economic burden outlined in this report, disorders of the brain likely constitute the number one economic challenge for European health care, now and in the future. Data presented in this report should be considered by all stakeholder groups, including policy makers, industry and patient advocacy groups, to reconsider the current science, research and public health agenda and define a coordinated plan of action of various levels to address the associated challenges.RECOMMENDATIONS: Political action is required in light of the present high cost of disorders of the brain. Funding of brain research must be increased; care for patients with brain disorders as well as teaching at medical schools and other health related educations must be quantitatively and qualitatively improved, including psychological treatments. The current move of the pharmaceutical industry away from brain related indications must be halted and reversed. Continued research into the cost of the many disorders not included in the present study is warranted. It is essential that not only the EU but also the national governments forcefully support these initiatives.
|
|
| 4. |
- Gustavsson, Carl Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
-
Thrombotic occlusion of all left coronary branches in a young woman with severe ulcerative colitis
- 2011
-
Ingår i: ISRN Cardiology. - : Hindawi Limited. - 2090-5580 .- 2090-5599.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The thrombosis risk is increased in active ulcerative colitis. The limited number of reported complications have predominantly been cerebrovascular but other vessel territories may also be affected. Patient. During a severe attack of ulcerative colitis a 37-year-old woman suffered occlusion of all left coronary artery branches. Serial angiographies showed progressive recanalisation of the coronary arteries during anticoagulation, but no atherosclerotic stenosis. The cause of infarction was thus considered to be an extensive coronary thrombosis. However, a large battery of blood tests failed to identify any procoagulant abnormality. Conclusion. Evidence is now accumulating that the increased thrombosis risk also may involve the coronary arteries, even in young patients. To the best of our knowledge this is the third reported case ofmyocardial infarction despite angiographically normal coronary arteries in a patient with active ulcerative colitis. The extent of affected myocardiumwas in this case exceptionally large.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Aldenlöv, Jens, et al.
(författare)
-
Public procurement of railway infrastructuremaintenance : a literature review
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the 9th Nordic Conference on Construction Economics and Organization. - Lyngby : Polyteknisk Boghandel og Forlag. - 9788750211259 ; , s. 10-21
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The maintenance of railway infrastructure has in several instances been changed from government-based to being based on public procurement, with varying degrees of flexibility for the contractor to design their maintenance work. The purpose of-giving contractors a larger freedom of choice of how to perform maintenance is to stimulate them to innovate and develop their maintenance processes. Since the contracts differ in between and there are changes in government policies over time that affects both existing and new contracts, a comparison between different contracts becomes challenging. A literature review has been conducted to understand the change in procurement strategy and how to encourage contractors to innovate. The research questions include: What procurement strategies are there? How is maintenance evaluated? How does procurement affect the innovation opportunities for entrepreneurs?The literature review focuses on railway maintenance and contract design between client and contractor. In total, 17 articles matched the search criteria and were selected for the review. To have successful maintenance service, five articles suggested partnering as a strategy with common goals in combination with good communication during the entirety of the contract. When selecting incentive plan, four articles mentions that a focus on performance-based incentives in combination with riskmanagement is better rather than actual payment schemes. The reason being that payment is often themain cause of conflicts between client and contractor. The scientific literature suggests that improvement in incentives improves quality of maintenance, decreases delays and technical failures. The conclusion from the literature review is that partnering in railway maintenance is considered successful. With accurate knowledge about railway assets the incentive plan becomes accurate which reduces costs.The literature review is a part of a research project with an overall goal to develop a model to guide the selection of appropriate type of procurement strategy, contract and control of maintenance for a moresustainable railway system.
|
|
| 9. |
- Amin, Shoaib Amin, 1985-
(författare)
-
Characterization and Linearization of Multi-channel RF Power Amplifiers
- 2015
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The demands for high data rates and broadband wireless access require the development of wireless systems that can support wide and multi-band signals. To deploy these signals, new radio frequency (RF) front-ends are required which impose new challenges in terms of power consumption efficiency and sources of distortion e.g., nonlinearity. These challenges are more pronounced in power amplifiers (PAs) that degrade the overall performance of the RF transmitter. Since it is difficult to optimize the linearity and efficiency characteristics of a PA simultaneously, a trade-off is needed. At high input power, a PA exhibits high efficiency at the expense of linearity. On the other hand, at low input power, a PA is linear at the expense of the efficiency. To achieve linearity and efficiency at the same time, digital pre-distortion (DPD) is often used to compensate for the PA nonlinearity at high input power. In case of multi-channel PAs, input and output signals of different channels interact with each other due to cross-talk. Therefore, these PAs exhibit different nonlinear behavior than the single-input single-output (SISO) PAs. The DPD techniques developed for SISO PAs do not result in adequate performance when used for multi-channel PAs. Hence, an accurate behavioral modeling is essential for the development of DPD for multi-channel RF PAs. In this thesis, we propose three novel behavioral models and DPD schemes for nonlinear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmitters in presence of cross-talk. A study of the source of cross-talk in MIMO transmitters have been investigated to derive simple and powerful modeling schemes. These models are extensions of a SISO generalized memory polynomial model. A comparative study with a previously published MIMO model is also presented. The effect of coherent and partially non-coherent signal generationon DPD performance is also highlighted. It is shown experimentally that with partially non-coherent signal generation, the performance of the DPD degrades compared to coherent signal generation. In context of multi-channel RF transmitters, PA behavioral models and DPD schemes suffer from a large number of model parameters with the increase in nonlinear order and memory depth. This growth leads to high complexity model identification and implementation. We have designed a DPD scheme for MIMO PAs using a sparse estimation technique for reducing model complexity. This technique also increases the numerical stability when linear least square estimation model identification is used. A method to characterize the memory effects in a nonlinear concurrent dual-band PAs is also presented. Compared to the SISO PAs, concurrent dual-band PAs are not only affected by intermodulation distortions but also by cross-modulation distortions. The characterization of memory effects inconcurrent dual-band transmitter is performed by injecting a two-tone test signal in each input channel of the transmitter. Asymmetric energy surfaces are introduced for the intermodulation and cross-modulation products, which can be used to identify the power and frequency regions where the memory effects are dominant.
|
|
| 10. |
- Andersson, Peter, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
-
Coincidence spectroscopy for increased sensitivity in radionuclide monitoring
- 2022
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The majority of the energy in a nuclear explosion is released in the immediate blast and the initial radiation accounts. The remaining fraction is released through radioactive decay of the explosion's fission products and neutron activation products over a longer time span. This allows for the detection of a nuclear explosion by detecting the presence of residual decay. Radionuclide monitoring stations for detection of radioactive emissions to the atmosphere is thereby an important tool in the verification of compliance with nuclear disarmament treaties. In particular, the globally spanning radionuclide station network of the International Monitoring System (IMS) has been implemented for verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors are workhorses in radionuclide monitoring. The detection of characteristic gamma rays can be used to disclose the presence of signature nuclides produced innuclear weapon tests. A particular development that has potential to improve the sensitivity of radionuclide monitoring is the coincidence technique where decaying nuclides that emit several coincident gamma rays can be detected at much smaller activity concentrations than with conventional gamma spectroscopy.In this project, dedicated gamma-gamma coincidence detectors are being developed, utilizing electronically segmented HPGe detectors. These detectors are expected to be highly sensitive to low-activity samples of nuclides that present coincident emissions of gamma rays. In this paper we present the concept, define performance parameters, and explore the performance of such detectors to a subset of radionuclides of particular CTBT relevance. In addition, we discuss the path forward in developing a next generation gamma-gamma coincidence spectroscopy system of segmented HPGe.
|
|
