| 41. |
- Pearce, Carolyn I., et al.
(författare)
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Reducing risk and uncertainty associated with nuclear waste processing and disposal : a Hanfort tank waste study
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Department of Energy’s Environmental Management cleanup effort is focused on developing and implementing innovative and high impact technologies and solutions that positively impact the overall mission lifecycle by: (1) reducing lifecycle costs; (2) accelerating lifecycle schedules; (3) mitigating mission uncertainties, vulnerabilities, and risks; and (4) minimizing the mortgage associated with long-term, post-closure and post-completion stewardship. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its partnering institutions, are focused on reducing risk and uncertainty across the integrated flowsheet which includes safe waste storage, retrieval, pretreatment, immobilization, disposal, and tank closure. In this presentation, an overview of the major Hanford flowsheet unit operations will be provided and examples of specific projects focused on reducing risks and uncertainties will be explored. For example, a key issue of Hanford tank waste processing and disposal is that, although radionuclides (e.g., technetium) drive the disposal risk for the low-activity flowsheet, the presence of ‘benign’ elements (e.g., aluminum) dictate processing limits or rates in both retrieval and pretreatment unit operations and have other potential downstream negative impacts. Thus, safe, cost-effective, and efficient waste processing depends on a fundamental understanding of aluminum chemistry in high ionic strength, highly alkaline solutions where water activity is low. Once the waste has been retrieved, processed, and immobilized, controlling the behavior of risk driving elements (e.g., Tc and/or I for low-activity waste) in the waste form and the environment becomes essential for waste form disposal or tank closure.With respect to low-activity waste form disposal, material solutions must demonstrate that the risk driving radioactive elements will be contained in a manner wholly consistent with statutory requirements. Modelling future performance remains a challenge for performance assessment (PA) formalism. An appealing option is to perform an inverse PA (IPA) and look far into the past. Archeological artifacts, analogous to wasteform materials (i.e. glass and concrete) that have been left by our ancestors and exposed to the environment for thousands of years can be used to check for comprehensiveness as well as to validate and refine predicted wasteform durability. An IPA describes the features, events and processes that have influenced the corrosion of a material over time and can help establish the most likely scenarios that should be included in PA for the future. An IPA for ancient glass from a hillfort at Broborg, Sweden (ca. 400-575 AD), used to fortify the fort walls will also be one of the key focal points of this presentation.
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| 42. |
- Petzold, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Neurofilament ELISA validation
- 2010
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS. - 0022-1759. ; 352:1-2, s. 23-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 43. |
- Petzold, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Neurofilament ELISA validation
- 2010
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Ingår i: JIM - Journal of Immunological Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1759 .- 1872-7905. ; 352:1-2, s. 23-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Neurofilament proteins (Nf) are highly specific biomarkers for neuronal death and axonal degeneration. As these markers become more widely used, an inter-laboratory validation study is required to identify assay criteria for high quality performance. METHODS: The UmanDiagnostics NF-light (R)enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISA) for the neurofilament light chain (NfL, 68kDa) was used to test the intra-assay and inter-laboratory coefficient of variation (CV) between 35 laboratories worldwide on 15 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. Critical factors, such as sample transport and storage, analytical delays, reaction temperature and time, the laboratories' accuracy and preparation of standards were documented and used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The intra-laboratory CV averaged 3.3% and the inter-laboratory CV 59%. The results from the test laboratories correlated with those from the reference laboratory (R=0.60, p<0.0001). Correcting for critical factors improved the strength of the correlation. Differences in the accuracy of standard preparation were identified as the most critical factor. Correcting for the error introduced by variation in the protein standards improved the correlation to R=0.98, p<0.0001 with an averaged inter-laboratory CV of 14%. The corrected overall inter-rater agreement was subtantial (0.6) according to Fleiss' multi-rater kappa and Gwet's AC1 statistics. CONCLUSION: This multi-center validation study identified the lack of preparation of accurate and consistent protein standards as the main reason for a poor inter-laboratory CV. This issue is also relevant to other protein biomarkers based on this type of assay and will need to be solved in order to achieve an acceptable level of analytical accuracy. The raw data of this study is available online.
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| 44. |
- Sanchez, Erlan, et al.
(författare)
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Association of plasma biomarkers with cognition, cognitive decline, and daily function across and within neurodegenerative diseases: Results from the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative
- 2024
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's and Dementia. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 20:3, s. 1753-1770
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether novel plasma biomarkers are associated with cognition, cognitive decline, and functional independence in activities of daily living across and within neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181 and amyloid beta (Aβ)42/40 were measured using ultra-sensitive Simoa immunoassays in 44 healthy controls and 480 participants diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment (AD/MCI), Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) spectrum disorders, or cerebrovascular disease (CVD). RESULTS: GFAP, NfL, and/or p-tau181 were elevated among all diseases compared to controls, and were broadly associated with worse baseline cognitive performance, greater cognitive decline, and/or lower functional independence. While GFAP, NfL, and p-tau181 were highly predictive across diseases, p-tau181 was more specific to the AD/MCI cohort. Sparse associations were found in the FTD and CVD cohorts and for Aβ42/40. DISCUSSION: GFAP, NfL, and p-tau181 are valuable predictors of cognition and function across common neurodegenerative diseases, and may be useful in specialized clinics and clinical trials.
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| 45. |
- Watts, Eleanor L., et al.
(författare)
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Circulating free testosterone and risk of aggressive prostate cancer : Prospective and Mendelian randomisation analyses in international consortia
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 151:7, s. 1033-1046
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies had limited power to assess the associations of testosterone with aggressive disease as a primary endpoint. Further, the association of genetically predicted testosterone with aggressive disease is not known. We investigated the associations of calculated free and measured total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with aggressive, overall and early-onset prostate cancer. In blood-based analyses, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for prostate cancer were estimated using conditional logistic regression from prospective analysis of biomarker concentrations in the Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group (up to 25 studies, 14 944 cases and 36 752 controls, including 1870 aggressive prostate cancers). In Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses, using instruments identified using UK Biobank (up to 194 453 men) and outcome data from PRACTICAL (up to 79 148 cases and 61 106 controls, including 15 167 aggressive cancers), ORs were estimated using the inverse-variance weighted method. Free testosterone was associated with aggressive disease in MR analyses (OR per 1 SD = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.08-1.40). In blood-based analyses there was no association with aggressive disease overall, but there was heterogeneity by age at blood collection (OR for men aged <60 years 1.14, CI = 1.02-1.28; Phet =.0003: inverse association for older ages). Associations for free testosterone were positive for overall prostate cancer (MR: 1.20, 1.08-1.34; blood-based: 1.03, 1.01-1.05) and early-onset prostate cancer (MR: 1.37, 1.09-1.73; blood-based: 1.08, 0.98-1.19). SHBG and total testosterone were inversely associated with overall prostate cancer in blood-based analyses, with null associations in MR analysis. Our results support free testosterone, rather than total testosterone, in the development of prostate cancer, including aggressive subgroups.
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| 46. |
- Watts, Eleanor L., et al.
(författare)
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Circulating insulin-like growth factors and risks of overall, aggressive and early-onset prostate cancer : a collaborative analysis of 20 prospective studies and Mendelian randomization analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 52:1, s. 71-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Previous studies had limited power to assess the associations of circulating insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) with clinically relevant prostate cancer as a primary endpoint, and the association of genetically predicted IGF-I with aggressive prostate cancer is not known. We aimed to investigate the associations of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 concentrations with overall, aggressive and early-onset prostate cancer.Methods: Prospective analysis of biomarkers using the Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group dataset (up to 20 studies, 17 009 prostate cancer cases, including 2332 aggressive cases). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for prostate cancer were estimated using conditional logistic regression. For IGF-I, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was undertaken using instruments identified using UK Biobank (158 444 men) and outcome data from PRACTICAL (up to 85 554 cases, including 15 167 aggressive cases). Additionally, we used colocalization to rule out confounding by linkage disequilibrium.Results: In observational analyses, IGF-I was positively associated with risks of overall (OR per 1 SD = 1.09: 95% CI 1.07, 1.11), aggressive (1.09: 1.03, 1.16) and possibly early-onset disease (1.11: 1.00, 1.24); associations were similar in MR analyses (OR per 1 SD = 1.07: 1.00, 1.15; 1.10: 1.01, 1.20; and 1.13; 0.98, 1.30, respectively). Colocalization also indicated a shared signal for IGF-I and prostate cancer (PP4: 99%). Men with higher IGF-II (1.06: 1.02, 1.11) and IGFBP-3 (1.08: 1.04, 1.11) had higher risks of overall prostate cancer, whereas higher IGFBP-1 was associated with a lower risk (0.95: 0.91, 0.99); these associations were attenuated following adjustment for IGF-I.Conclusions: These findings support the role of IGF-I in the development of prostate cancer, including for aggressive disease.
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| 47. |
- Watts, Eleanor L., et al.
(författare)
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Low Free Testosterone and Prostate Cancer Risk : A Collaborative Analysis of 20 Prospective Studies
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Urology. - : Elsevier. - 0302-2838 .- 1873-7560. ; 74:5, s. 585-594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Experimental and clinical evidence implicates testosterone in the aetiology of prostate cancer. Variation across the normal range of circulating free testosterone concentrations may not lead to changes in prostate biology, unless circulating concentrations are low. This may also apply to prostate cancer risk, but this has not been investigated in an epidemiological setting. Objective: To examine whether men with low concentrations of circulating free testosterone have a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Design, setting, and participants: Analysis of individual participant data from 20 prospective studies including 6933 prostate cancer cases, diagnosed on average 6.8 yr after blood collection, and 12 088 controls in the Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Odds ratios (ORs) of incident overall prostate cancer and subtypes by stage and grade, using conditional logistic regression, based on study-specific tenths of calculated free testosterone concentration. Results and limitations: Men in the lowest tenth of free testosterone concentration had a lower risk of overall prostate cancer (OR = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.86; p < 0.001) compared with men with higher concentrations (2nd-10th tenths of the distribution). Heterogeneity was present by tumour grade (p(het) = 0.01), with a lower risk of low-grade disease (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.88) and a nonsignificantly higher risk of high-grade disease (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 0.95-2.57). There was no evidence of heterogeneity by tumour stage. The observational design is a limitation. Conclusions: Men with low circulating free testosterone may have a lower risk of overall prostate cancer; this may be due to a direct biological effect, or detection bias. Further research is needed to explore the apparent differential association by tumour grade. Patient summary: In this study, we looked at circulating testosterone levels and risk of developing prostate cancer, finding that men with low testosterone had a lower risk of prostate cancer. (c) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association of Urology.
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| 48. |
- Weinstock, Joshua S, et al.
(författare)
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Aberrant activation of TCL1A promotes stem cell expansion in clonal haematopoiesis.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature. - 1476-4687. ; 616:7958, s. 755-763
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mutations in a diverse set of driver genes increase the fitness of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), leading to clonal haematopoiesis1. These lesions are precursors for blood cancers2-6, but the basis of their fitness advantage remains largely unknown, partly owing to a paucity of large cohorts in which the clonal expansion rate has been assessed by longitudinal sampling. Here, to circumvent this limitation, we developed a method to infer the expansion rate from data from a single time point. We applied this method to 5,071 people with clonal haematopoiesis. A genome-wide association study revealed that a common inherited polymorphism in the TCL1A promoter was associated with a slower expansion rate in clonal haematopoiesis overall, but the effect varied by driver gene. Those carrying this protective allele exhibited markedly reduced growth rates or prevalence of clones with driver mutations in TET2, ASXL1, SF3B1 and SRSF2, but this effect was not seen in clones with driver mutations in DNMT3A. TCL1A was not expressed in normal or DNMT3A-mutated HSCs, but the introduction of mutations in TET2 or ASXL1 led to the expression of TCL1A protein and the expansion of HSCs in vitro. The protective allele restricted TCL1A expression and expansion of mutant HSCs, as did experimental knockdown of TCL1A expression. Forced expression of TCL1A promoted the expansion of human HSCs in vitro and mouse HSCs in vivo. Our results indicate that the fitness advantage of several commonly mutated driver genes in clonal haematopoiesis may be mediated by TCL1A activation.
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| 49. |
- Wu, Lang, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of Novel Susceptibility Loci and Genes for Prostate Cancer Risk : A Transcriptome-Wide Association Study in over 140,000 European Descendants
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cancer Research. - : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 79:13, s. 3192-3204
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genome-wide association study-identified prostate cancer risk variants explain only a relatively small fraction of its familial relative risk, and the genes responsible for many of these identified associations remain unknown. To discover novel prostate cancer genetic loci and possible causal genes at previously identified risk loci, we performed a transcriptome-wide association study in 79,194 cases and 61,112 controls of European ancestry. Using data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project, we established genetic models to predict gene expression across the transcriptome for both prostate models and cross-tissue models and evaluated model performance using two independent datasets. We identified significant associations for 137 genes at P < 2.61 x 10(-6), a Bonferroni-corrected threshold, including nine genes that remained significant at P < 2.61 x 10(-6) after adjusting for all known prostate cancer risk variants in nearby regions. Of the 128 remaining associated genes, 94 have not yet been reported as potential target genes at known loci. We silenced 14 genes and many showed a consistent effect on viability and colony-forming efficiency in three cell lines. Our study provides substantial new information to advance our understanding of prostate cancer genetics and biology. Significance: This study identifies novel prostate cancer genetic loci and possible causal genes, advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive prostate cancer.
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| 50. |
- Wuttke, Matthias, et al.
(författare)
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A catalog of genetic loci associated with kidney function from analyses of a million individuals
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 51:6, s. 957-972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is responsible for a public health burden with multi-systemic complications. Through transancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and independent replication (n = 1,046,070), we identified 264 associated loci (166 new). Of these,147 were likely to be relevant for kidney function on the basis of associations with the alternative kidney function marker blood urea nitrogen (n = 416,178). Pathway and enrichment analyses, including mouse models with renal phenotypes, support the kidney as the main target organ. A genetic risk score for lower eGFR was associated with clinically diagnosed CKD in 452,264 independent individuals. Colocalization analyses of associations with eGFR among 783,978 European-ancestry individuals and gene expression across 46 human tissues, including tubulo-interstitial and glomerular kidney compartments, identified 17 genes differentially expressed in kidney. Fine-mapping highlighted missense driver variants in 11 genes and kidney-specific regulatory variants. These results provide a comprehensive priority list of molecular targets for translational research.
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