| 1. |
- Feroci, M., et al.
(författare)
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The large observatory for x-ray timing
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE. - 9780819496126
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final downselection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supranuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1° collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g. GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the status of the mission at the end of its Phase A study.
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| 2. |
- Burrascano, S., et al.
(författare)
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Where are we now with European forest multi-taxon biodiversity and where can we head to?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biological Conservation. - 0006-3207. ; 284
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The European biodiversity and forest strategies rely on forest sustainable management (SFM) to conserve forest biodiversity. However, current sustainability assessments hardly account for direct biodiversity indicators. We focused on forest multi-taxon biodiversity to: i) gather and map the existing information; ii) identify knowledge and research gaps; iii) discuss its research potential. We established a research network to fit data on species, standing trees, lying deadwood and sampling unit description from 34 local datasets across 3591 sampling units. A total of 8724 species were represented, with the share of common and rare species varying across taxonomic classes: some included many species with several rare ones (e.g., Insecta); others (e.g., Bryopsida) were repre-sented by few common species. Tree-related structural attributes were sampled in a subset of sampling units (2889; 2356; 2309 and 1388 respectively for diameter, height, deadwood and microhabitats). Overall, multi-taxon studies are biased towards mature forests and may underrepresent the species related to other develop-mental phases. European forest compositional categories were all represented, but beech forests were over-represented as compared to thermophilous and boreal forests. Most sampling units (94%) were referred to a habitat type of conservation concern. Existing information may support European conservation and SFM stra-tegies in: (i) methodological harmonization and coordinated monitoring; (ii) definition and testing of SFM in-dicators and thresholds; (iii) data-driven assessment of the effects of environmental and management drivers on multi-taxon forest biological and functional diversity, (iv) multi-scale forest monitoring integrating in-situ and remotely sensed information.
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| 3. |
- Mercuri, E., et al.
(författare)
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Safety and effectiveness of ataluren: comparison of results from the STRIDE Registry and CINRG DMD Natural History Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. - : Becaris Publishing Limited. - 2042-6305 .- 2042-6313. ; 9:5, s. 341-360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Strategic Targeting of Registries and International Database of Excellence (STRIDE) is an ongoing, multicenter registry providing real-world evidence regarding ataluren use in patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (nmDMD). We examined the effectiveness of ataluren + standard of care (SoC) in the registry versus SoC alone in the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group (CINRG) Duchenne Natural History Study (DNHS), DMD genotype-phenotype/-ataluren benefit correlations and ataluren safety. Patients & methods: Propensity score matching was performed to identify STRIDE and CINRG DNHS patients who were comparable in established disease progression predictors (registry cut-off date, 9 July 2018). Results & conclusion: Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated that ataluren + SoC significantly delayed age at loss of ambulation and age at worsening performance in timed function tests versus SoC alone (p <= 0.05). There were no DMD genotype-phenotype/ataluren benefit correlations. Ataluren was well tolerated. These results indicate that ataluren + SoC delays functional milestones of DMD progression in patients with nmDMD in routine clinical practice. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02369731. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02369731.
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| 4. |
- Baumgartner, D, et al.
(författare)
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OralDisk: A Chair-Side Compatible Molecular Platform Using Whole Saliva for Monitoring Oral Health at the Dental Practice
- 2021
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Ingår i: Biosensors. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6374. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Periodontitis and dental caries are two major bacterially induced, non-communicable diseases that cause the deterioration of oral health, with implications in patients’ general health. Early, precise diagnosis and personalized monitoring are essential for the efficient prevention and management of these diseases. Here, we present a disk-shaped microfluidic platform (OralDisk) compatible with chair-side use that enables analysis of non-invasively collected whole saliva samples and molecular-based detection of ten bacteria: seven periodontitis-associated (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola) and three caries-associated (oral Lactobacilli, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus). Each OralDisk test required 400 µL of homogenized whole saliva. The automated workflow included bacterial DNA extraction, purification and hydrolysis probe real-time PCR detection of the target pathogens. All reagents were pre-stored within the disk and sample-to-answer processing took < 3 h using a compact, customized processing device. A technical feasibility study (25 OralDisks) was conducted using samples from healthy, periodontitis and caries patients. The comparison of the OralDisk with a lab-based reference method revealed a ~90% agreement amongst targets detected as positive and negative. This shows the OralDisk’s potential and suitability for inclusion in larger prospective implementation studies in dental care settings.
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| 5. |
- Eggermann, T., et al.
(författare)
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Genetic testing in inherited endocrine disorders: joint position paper of the European reference network on rare endocrine conditions (Endo-ERN)
- 2020
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Ingår i: Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1172. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background With the development of molecular high-throughput assays (i.e. next generation sequencing), the knowledge on the contribution of genetic and epigenetic alterations to the etiology of inherited endocrine disorders has massively expanded. However, the rapid implementation of these new molecular tools in the diagnostic settings makes the interpretation of diagnostic data increasingly complex. Main body This joint paper of the ENDO-ERN members aims to overview chances, challenges, limitations and relevance of comprehensive genetic diagnostic testing in rare endocrine conditions in order to achieve an early molecular diagnosis. This early diagnosis of a genetically based endocrine disorder contributes to a precise management and helps the patients and their families in their self-determined planning of life. Furthermore, the identification of a causative (epi)genetic alteration allows an accurate prognosis of recurrence risks for family planning as the basis of genetic counselling. Asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic variants can be identified, and prenatal testing might be offered, where appropriate. Conclusions The decision on genetic testing in the diagnostic workup of endocrine disorders should be based on their appropriateness to reliably detect the disease-causing and -modifying mutation, their informational value, and cost-effectiveness. The future assessment of data from differentomicapproaches should be embedded in interdisciplinary discussions using all available clinical and molecular data.
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| 6. |
- Jansen, Willemijn J, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence Estimates of Amyloid Abnormality Across the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum.
- 2022
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Ingår i: JAMA neurology. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2168-6157 .- 2168-6149. ; 79:3, s. 228-243
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One characteristic histopathological event in Alzheimer disease (AD) is cerebral amyloid aggregation, which can be detected by biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and on positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Prevalence estimates of amyloid pathology are important for health care planning and clinical trial design.To estimate the prevalence of amyloid abnormality in persons with normal cognition, subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or clinical AD dementia and to examine the potential implications of cutoff methods, biomarker modality (CSF or PET), age, sex, APOE genotype, educational level, geographical region, and dementia severity for these estimates.This cross-sectional, individual-participant pooled study included participants from 85 Amyloid Biomarker Study cohorts. Data collection was performed from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020. Participants had normal cognition, subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or clinical AD dementia. Normal cognition and subjective cognitive decline were defined by normal scores on cognitive tests, with the presence of cognitive complaints defining subjective cognitive decline. Mild cognitive impairment and clinical AD dementia were diagnosed according to published criteria.Alzheimer disease biomarkers detected on PET or in CSF.Amyloid measurements were dichotomized as normal or abnormal using cohort-provided cutoffs for CSF or PET or by visual reading for PET. Adjusted data-driven cutoffs for abnormal amyloid were calculated using gaussian mixture modeling. Prevalence of amyloid abnormality was estimated according to age, sex, cognitive status, biomarker modality, APOE carrier status, educational level, geographical location, and dementia severity using generalized estimating equations.Among the 19 097 participants (mean [SD] age, 69.1 [9.8] years; 10 148 women [53.1%]) included, 10 139 (53.1%) underwent an amyloid PET scan and 8958 (46.9%) had an amyloid CSF measurement. Using cohort-provided cutoffs, amyloid abnormality prevalences were similar to 2015 estimates for individuals without dementia and were similar across PET- and CSF-based estimates (24%; 95% CI, 21%-28%) in participants with normal cognition, 27% (95% CI, 21%-33%) in participants with subjective cognitive decline, and 51% (95% CI, 46%-56%) in participants with mild cognitive impairment, whereas for clinical AD dementia the estimates were higher for PET than CSF (87% vs 79%; mean difference, 8%; 95% CI, 0%-16%; P = .04). Gaussian mixture modeling-based cutoffs for amyloid measures on PET scans were similar to cohort-provided cutoffs and were not adjusted. Adjusted CSF cutoffs resulted in a 10% higher amyloid abnormality prevalence than PET-based estimates in persons with normal cognition (mean difference, 9%; 95% CI, 3%-15%; P = .004), subjective cognitive decline (9%; 95% CI, 3%-15%; P = .005), and mild cognitive impairment (10%; 95% CI, 3%-17%; P = .004), whereas the estimates were comparable in persons with clinical AD dementia (mean difference, 4%; 95% CI, -2% to 9%; P = .18).This study found that CSF-based estimates using adjusted data-driven cutoffs were up to 10% higher than PET-based estimates in people without dementia, whereas the results were similar among people with dementia. This finding suggests that preclinical and prodromal AD may be more prevalent than previously estimated, which has important implications for clinical trial recruitment strategies and health care planning policies.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Schroeder, H., et al.
(författare)
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Unraveling ancestry, kinship, and violence in a Late Neolithic mass grave
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424. ; 116:22, s. 10705-10710
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300-2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community.
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| 9. |
- Adolph, T., et al.
(författare)
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Development of compatibility assessments for full-width and offset frontal impact test procedures in FIMCAR
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Crashworthiness. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1358-8265 .- 1754-2111. ; 19:4, s. 414-430
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The goal of the project FIMCAR (Frontal Impact and Compatibility Assessment Research) was to define an integrated set of test procedures and associated metrics to assess a vehicle's frontal impact protection, which includes self-And partner-protection. For the development of the set, two different full-width tests (full-width deformable barrier [FWDB] test, full-width rigid barrier test) and three different offset tests (offset deformable barrier [ODB] test, progressive deformable barrier [PDB] test, moveable deformable barrier with the PDB barrier face [MPDB] test) have been investigated. Different compatibility assessment procedures were analysed and metrics for assessing structural interaction (structural alignment, vertical and horizontal load spreading) as well as several promising metrics for the PDB/MPDB barrier were developed.The final assessment approach consists of a combination of the most suitable full-width and offset tests. For the full-width test (FWDB), a metric was developed to address structural alignment based on load cell wall information in the first 40 ms of the test. For the offset test (ODB), the existing ECE R94 was chosen. Within the paper, an overview of the final assessment approach for the frontal impact test procedures and their development is given.
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| 10. |
- Alassiri, S, et al.
(författare)
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The Ability of Quantitative, Specific, and Sensitive Point-of-Care/Chair-Side Oral Fluid Immunotests for aMMP-8 to Detect Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases
- 2018
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Ingår i: Disease markers. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1875-8630 .- 0278-0240. ; 2018, s. 1306396-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The analysis of the disease-specific oral and systemic biomarkers in saliva and oral fluids (i.e., mouth rinse, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and peri-implantitis fluid (PISF)) is demanding. Several hosts and microbial factors may influence their expression, release, and levels. The type of saliva/oral fluids utilized for the diagnostics affects the analysis. High sensitivity and specificities together with sophisticated methods and techniques are essential for valuable outcome. We describe here recently developed practical, convenient, inexpensive, noninvasive, and quantitative mouth rinse and PISF/GCF/chair-side/point-of-care (PoC) lateral-flow aMMP-8 immunoassays (PerioSafe and ImplantSafe/ORALyser) to detect, predict, and monitor successfully the course, treatment, and prevention of periodontitis and peri-implantitis, respectively. The tests have been independently and successfully validated to differentiate periodontal and peri-implant health and disease in Finland, Germany, Netherland, Sweden, Turkey, Nigeria, Malawi, and USA. The clinical use of salivary/oral fluid biomarkers to identify oral and systemic conditions requires additional studies utilizing these noninvasive screening, diagnostic, and preventive aMMP-8 PoC/chair-side technologies.
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