| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Gallo, Valentina, et al.
(författare)
-
Exploring causality of the association between smoking and Parkinson's disease
- 2019
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1464-3685 .- 0300-5771. ; 48:3, s. 912-925
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to investigate the causality of the inverse association between cigarette smoking and Parkinson's disease (PD). The main suggested alternatives include a delaying effect of smoking, reverse causality or an unmeasured confounding related to a low-risk-taking personality trait. METHODS: A total of 715 incident PD cases were ascertained in a cohort of 220 494 individuals from NeuroEPIC4PD, a prospective European population-based cohort study including 13 centres in eight countries. Smoking habits were recorded at recruitment. We analysed smoking status, duration, and intensity and exposure to passive smoking in relation to PD onset. RESULTS: Former smokers had a 20% decreased risk and current smokers a halved risk of developing PD compared with never smokers. Strong dose-response relationships with smoking intensity and duration were found. Hazard ratios (HRs) for smoking <20 years were 0.84 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-1.07], 20-29 years 0.73 (95% CI 0.56-0.96) and >30 years 0.54 (95% CI 0.43-0.36) compared with never smokers. The proportional hazard assumption was verified, showing no change of risk over time, arguing against a delaying effect. Reverse causality was disproved by the consistency of dose-response relationships among former and current smokers. The inverse association between passive smoking and PD, HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.49-0.99) ruled out the effect of unmeasured confounding. CONCLUSIONS: These results are highly suggestive of a true causal link between smoking and PD, although it is not clear which is the chemical compound in cigarette smoking responsible for the biological effect.
|
|
| 3. |
- Hjorth Larsen, Ask, et al.
(författare)
-
The atomic simulation environment-a Python library for working with atoms
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Physics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0953-8984 .- 1361-648X. ; 29:27
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The atomic simulation environment (ASE) is a software package written in the Python programming language with the aim of setting up, steering, and analyzing atomistic simulations. In ASE, tasks are fully scripted in Python. The powerful syntax of Python combined with the NumPy array library make it possible to perform very complex simulation tasks. For example, a sequence of calculations may be performed with the use of a simple 'for-loop' construction. Calculations of energy, forces, stresses and other quantities are performed through interfaces to many external electronic structure codes or force fields using a uniform interface. On top of this calculator interface, ASE provides modules for performing many standard simulation tasks such as structure optimization, molecular dynamics, handling of constraints and performing nudged elastic band calculations.
|
|
| 4. |
- Jones, Geraint H., et al.
(författare)
-
The Comet Interceptor Mission
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Nature. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 220:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
|
|
| 5. |
- Peterson, Leif, 1943, et al.
(författare)
-
A multi-facet pain survey of psychosocial complaints among patients with long-standing non-malignant pain
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Pain. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1877-8860 .- 1877-8879. ; 17, s. 68-76
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2017 Scandinavian Association for the Study of Pain Background and aims Psychometric inventories and scales intended to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioural concomitants of pain are typically constructed by deducting items from theoretically derived concepts related to pain states, e.g. social support, perceived control, depressiveness, and catastrophizing. The aim of this study was to design a clinically useful, generic pain distress inventory – The Multi-Facet Pain Survey (MFPS) – inductively derived from psychological and social complaints reported by a study group of individuals with severe chronic nonmalignant pain. Methods Extensive clinical interviews with hospitalized chronic pain patients were made by clinical psychologists. The purpose was to highlight the patients’ pain histories and their beliefs and feelings about the pain, and to determine factors possibly influencing their rehabilitation potential. The types of distress reported were sorted into categories with a procedure similar to content analysis. Distress reports were converted to statements, forming items in a questionnaire, the Multi-Facet Pain Survey. Results Our analyses supported a distress structure including 15 categories, or “facets”, comprising in all 190 types of psychosocial distress. Ten of the facets denote beliefs about the present condition and aspects of distress experienced in daily life (e.g. cognitive problems); three facets reflect the illness history, and two the patient's views on future prospects. To improve the clinical utility, we shortened the scale into a 53 items inventory. A factor analysis of these 53 items revealed four clinically meaningful factors: (1) stress-related exhaustion; (2) impact of pain on daily life; (3) self-inefficacy in regard to future prospects; and (4) negative experiences of health care. While the second factor represents distress directly related to the pain, the first factor reflects long-term exhaustion effects of the pain condition similar to those seen in individuals exposed to long periods of stress. Items loading in the third factor reflect a pessimistic outlook on the future. The content validity of the scale was explored by predicting and testing correlations between the 15 MFPS facets, and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) and the West Haven Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI). Some of the MFPS facets showed little or no agreement with any of the subscales of the comparison measures. The homogeneity was satisfactory both for facets and factors. Conclusions The Multi-Facet Pain Survey (MFPS) facets cover a broad array of experienced psychosocial distress in patients with severe, longstanding pain. Some facets of psychosocial impact of longstanding pain states shown in the qualitatively derived distress facets, or by the latent factors found in the factor analysis, may complement our understanding of the long-term impact of pain. Consequently, MFPS may improve the assessment of psychological and social complaints and complications in patients with chronic pain. Implications The MFPS will hopefully be an assessment tool supporting the psychological contribution to a biopsychosocial evaluation of patients with severe, longstanding pain. By exposing a broad range of suffering, MFPS may contribute to alternative treatment options and a better prognosis of future rehabilitation.
|
|
| 6. |
- Skoglund, Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
In vivo CYP3A activity and pharmacokinetics of imatinib in relation to therapeutic outcome in chronic myeloid leukemia patients
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. - 0163-4356 .- 1536-3694. ; 38:2, s. 230-238
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: CYP3A metabolic activity varies between individuals and is therefore a possible candidate of influence on the therapeutic outcome of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of CYP3A metabolic activity on the plasma concentration and outcome of imatinib in CML patients.METHODS: Forty-three CML patients were phenotyped for CYP3A activity using quinine as a probe drug and evaluated for clinical response parameters. Plasma concentrations of imatinib and its main metabolite, CGP74588, were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.RESULTS: Patients with optimal response to imatinib after 12 months of therapy did not differ in CYP3A activity compared to non-optimal responders (quinine metabolic ratio of 14.69 and 14.70, respectively; P=0.966). Neither the imatinib plasma concentration nor the CGP74588/imatinib ratio was significantly associated with CYP3A activity.CONCLUSIONS: CYP3A activity does not influence imatinib plasma concentrations or the therapeutic outcome. These results indicate that even though imatinib is metabolized by CYP3A enzymes, this activity is not the rate-limiting step in imatinib metabolism and excretion. Future studies should focus on other pharmacokinetic processes so as to identify the major contributor to patient variability in imatinib plasma concentrations.
|
|
| 7. |
- Skoglund, Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
In Vivo Cytochrome P450 3A Isoenzyme Activity and Pharmacokinetics of Imatinib in Relation to Therapeutic Outcome in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. - : LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. - 0163-4356 .- 1536-3694. ; 38:2, s. 230-238
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) isoenzyme metabolic activity varies between individuals and is therefore a possible candidate of influence on the therapeutic outcome of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of CYP3A metabolic activity on the plasma concentration and outcome of imatinib in patients with CML. Methods: Forty-three patients with CML were phenotyped for CYP3A activity using quinine as a probe drug and evaluated for clinical response parameters. Plasma concentrations of imatinib and its main metabolite, CGP74588, were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Patients with optimal response to imatinib after 12 months of therapy did not differ in CYP3A activity compared to nonoptimal responders (quinine metabolic ratio of 14.69 and 14.70, respectively; P = 0.966). Neither the imatinib plasma concentration nor the CGP74588/imatinib ratio was significantly associated with CYP3A activity. Conclusions: The CYP3A activity does not influence imatinib plasma concentrations or the therapeutic outcome. These results indicate that although imatinib is metabolized by CYP3A enzymes, this activity is not the rate-limiting step in imatinib metabolism and excretion. Future studies should focus on other pharmacokinetic processes so as to identify the major contributor to patient variability in imatinib plasma concentrations.
|
|
| 8. |
- Sumaila, U. Rashid, et al.
(författare)
-
WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 374:6567, s. 544-544
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
|
