| 1. |
- Memedi, Mevludin, et al.
(author)
-
Validity and responsiveness of at-home touch-screen assessments in advanced Parkinson's disease
- 2015
-
In: IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 2168-2194 .- 2168-2208. ; 19:6, s. 1829-1834
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate if a telemetry test battery can be used to measure effects of Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment intervention and disease progression in patients with fluctuations. Sixty-five patients diagnosed with advanced PD were recruited in an open longitudinal 36-month study; 35 treated with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) and 30 were candidates for switching from oral PD treatment to LCIG. They utilized a test battery, consisting of self-assessments of symptoms and fine motor tests (tapping and spiral drawings), four times per day in their homes during week-long test periods. The repeated measurements were summarized into an overall test score (OTS) to represent the global condition of the patient during a test period. Clinical assessments included ratings on Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) and 39-item PD Questionnaire (PDQ-39) scales. In LCIG-naïve patients, mean OTS compared to baseline was significantly improved from the first test period on LCIG treatment until month 24. In LCIG-non-naïve patients, there were no significant changes in mean OTS until month 36. The OTS correlated adequately with total UPDRS (rho = 0.59) and total PDQ-39 (0.59). Responsiveness measured as effect size was 0.696 and 0.536 for OTS and UPDRS respectively. The trends of the test scores were similar to the trends of clinical rating scores but dropout rate was high. Correlations between OTS and clinical rating scales were adequate indicating that the test battery contains important elements of the information of well-established scales. The responsiveness and reproducibility were better for OTS than for total UPDRS.
|
|
| 2. |
- McGinn, Steven, et al.
(author)
-
New Technologies for DNA analysis-A review of the READNA Project.
- 2016
-
In: New Biotechnology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1876-4347 .- 1871-6784.
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The REvolutionary Approaches and Devices for Nucleic Acid analysis (READNA) project received funding from the European Commission for 4 1/2 years. The objectives of the project revolved around technological developments in nucleic acid analysis. The project partners have discovered, created and developed a huge body of insights into nucleic acid analysis, ranging from improvements and implementation of current technologies to the most promising sequencing technologies that constitute a 3(rd) and 4(th) generation of sequencing methods with nanopores and in situ sequencing, respectively.
|
|
| 3. |
- Moll, Guido, et al.
(author)
-
Different Procoagulant Activity of Therapeutic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Derived from Bone Marrow and Placental Decidua
- 2015
-
In: Stem Cells and Development. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1547-3287 .- 1557-8534. ; 28:S2, s. 50-51
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While therapeutic mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have usually been obtained from bone marrow, perinatal tissues have emerged as promising new sources of cells for stromal cell therapy. In this study, we present a first safety follow-up on our clinical experience with placenta-derived decidual stromal cells (DSCs), used as supportive immunomodulatory and regenerative therapy for patients with severe complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We found that DSCs are smaller, almost half the volume of MSCs, which may favor microvascular passage. DSCs also show different hemocompatibility, with increased triggering of the clotting cascade after exposure to human blood and plasma in vitro. After infusion of DSCs in HSCT patients, we observed a weak activation of the fibrinolytic system, but the other blood activation markers remained stable, excluding major adverse events. Expression profiling identified differential levels of key factors implicated in regulation of hemostasis, such as a lack of prostacyclin synthase and increased tissue factor expression in DSCs, suggesting that these cells have intrinsic blood-activating properties. The stronger triggering of the clotting cascade by DSCs could be antagonized by optimizing the cell graft reconstitution before infusion, for example, by use of low-dose heparin anticoagulant in the cell infusion buffer. We conclude that DSCs are smaller and have stronger hemostatic properties than MSCs, thus triggering stronger activation of the clotting system, which can be antagonized by optimizing the cell graft preparation before infusion. Our results highlight the importance of hemocompatibility safety testing for every novel cell therapy product before clinical use, when applied using systemic delivery.
|
|
| 4. |
- Wiszmeg, Andréa, et al.
(author)
-
Transforming trash to treasure Cultural ambiguity in foetal cell research
- 2021
-
In: Philosophy Ethics and Humanities in Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1747-5341. ; 16:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Rich in different kind of potent cells, embryos are used in modern regenerative medicine and research. Neurobiologists today are pushing the boundaries for what can be done with embryos existing in the transitory margins of medicine. Therefore, there is a growing need to develop conceptual frameworks for interpreting the transformative cultural, biological and technical processes involving these aborted, donated and marginal embryos. This article is a contribution to this development of frameworks. Methods This article examines different emotional, cognitive and discursive strategies used by neurobiologists in a foetal cell transplantation trial in Parkinson's disease research, using cells harvested from aborted embryos. Two interviews were analysed in the light of former observations in the processing laboratories, using the anthropologist Mary Douglas's concept of pollution behaviour and the linguist, philosopher, psychoanalyst and feminist Julia Kristeva's concept of the abjective to explain and make sense of the findings. Results The findings indicate that the labour performed by the researchers in the trial work involves transforming the foetal material practically, as well as culturally, from trash to treasure. The transformation process contains different phases, and in the interview material we observed that the foetal material or cells were considered objects, subjects or rejected as abject by the researchers handling them, depending on what phase of process or practice they referred to or had experience of. As demonstrated in the analysis, it is the human origin of the cell that makes it abjective and activates pollution discourse, when the researchers talk of their practice. Conclusions The marginal and ambiguous status of the embryo that emerges in the accounts turns the scientists handling foetal cells into liminal characters in modern medicine. Focusing on how practical as well as emotional and cultural strategies and rationalizations of the researchers emerge in interview accounts, this study adds insights on the rationale of practically procuring, transforming and utilizing the foetal material to the already existing studies focused on the donations. We also discuss why the use and refinement of a tissue, around which there is practical consensus but cultural ambiguity, deserves further investigation.
|
|
| 5. |
- Peruzzi, Niccolò, et al.
(author)
-
Multimodal ex vivo methods reveal that Gd-rich corrosion byproducts remain at the implant site of biodegradable Mg-Gd screws
- 2021
-
In: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 136, s. 582-591
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extensive research is being conducted on magnesium (Mg) alloys for bone implant manufacturing, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical properties. Gadolinium (Gd) is among the most promising alloying elements for property control in Mg alloy implants; however, its toxicity is controversial. Investigating Gd behavior during implant corrosion is thus of utmost importance. In this study, we analyzed the degradation byproducts at the implant site of biodegradable Mg-5Gd and Mg-10Gd implants after 12 weeks healing time, using a combination of different imaging techniques: histology, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT) and neutron µCT. The main finding has been that, at the healing time in exam, the corrosion appears to have involved only the Mg component, which has been substituted by calcium and phosphorus, while the Gd remains localized at the implant site. This was observed in 2D by means of EDX maps and extended to 3D with a novel application of neutron tomography. X-ray fluorescence analysis of the main excretory organs also did not reveal any measurable accumulation of Gd, further reinforcing the conclusion that very limited or no removal at all of Gd-alloy happened during degradation.
|
|
| 6. |
- Abdel Hady, Ahmed Wagih Abdallah, 1990, et al.
(author)
-
In situ microstructural evolution of spruce wood during soda pulping using synchrotron X-ray tomography
- 2022
-
In: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 76:7, s. 611-621
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new laboratory reactor to perform in situ studies of structural changes in wood during soda pulping using synchrotron X-ray tomography is presented. The reactor is of recirculation type to provide stable reaction conditions and mimic the industrial situation. Experiments have been performed using this reactor in situ at a synchrotron microtomography beamline to provide sequences of 3D images from which measurement of wood cell wall thickness have been possible for the first time. The results showed that the cell wall thickness increased significantly in the early stage of pulping (<10 min), which is due to the transportation of cooking chemicals through the tracheids, resin channels and pits into the cell wall, which is swollen with the increased pH. Subsequently, the cell wall thickness reduces over the processing time up to 60 min with a high rate, which is inferred to be due to the dissolution and transport of lignin and hemicellulose from the secondary walls, allowing for better transportation of active chemicals deep through the cell wall layers. After 60 min processing, the cell wall thickness reduction rate reduced, as dissolution of lignin and hemicelluloses from the cell walls ceased, while the remaining dissolution occurs mainly at the middle lamella.
|
|
| 7. |
- Rundle, Andrew, et al.
(author)
-
Physical activity and lung cancer among non-smokers : a pilot molecular epidemiological study within EPIC
- 2010
-
In: Biomarkers. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1354-750X .- 1366-5804. ; 15:1, s. 20-30
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The association between physical activity, potential intermediate biomarkers and lung cancer risk was investigated in a study of 230 cases and 648 controls nested within the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition. Data on white blood cell aromatic-DNA adducts by 32P-post-labelling and glutathione (GSH) in red blood cells were available from a subset of cases and controls. Compared with the first quartile, the fourth quartile of recreational physical activity was associated with a lower lung cancer risk (odds ratio (OR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.90), higher GSH levels (+1.87 μmol GSH g-1 haemoglobin, p = 0.04) but not with the presence of high levels of adducts (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.38-2.86). Despite being associated with recreational physical activity, in these small-scale pilot analyses GSH levels were not associated with lung cancer risk (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.84-1.07 per unit increase in GSH levels). Household and occupational activity was not associated with lung cancer risk or biomarker levels.
|
|
| 8. |
- Frykholm, Karolin, 1977, et al.
(author)
-
Fast size-determination of intact bacterial plasmids using nanofluidic channels
- 2015
-
In: Lab on a Chip. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1473-0189 .- 1473-0197. ; 15:13, s. 2739-2743
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate how nanofluidic channels can be used as a tool to rapidly determine the number and sizes of plasmids in bacterial isolates. Each step can be automated at low cost, opening up opportunities for general use in microbiology labs.
|
|
| 9. |
- Javeed, Ashir, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
Breaking barriers : a statistical and machine learning-based hybrid system for predicting dementia
- 2023
-
In: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-4185. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Dementia is a condition (a collection of related signs and symptoms) that causes a continuing deterioration in cognitive function, and millions of people are impacted by dementia every year as the world population continues to rise. Conventional approaches for determining dementia rely primarily on clinical examinations, analyzing medical records, and administering cognitive and neuropsychological testing. However, these methods are time-consuming and costly in terms of treatment. Therefore, this study aims to present a noninvasive method for the early prediction of dementia so that preventive steps should be taken to avoid dementia. Methods: We developed a hybrid diagnostic system based on statistical and machine learning (ML) methods that used patient electronic health records to predict dementia. The dataset used for this study was obtained from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care (SNAC), with a sample size of 43040 and 75 features. The newly constructed diagnostic extracts a subset of useful features from the dataset through a statistical method (F-score). For the classification, we developed an ensemble voting classifier based on five different ML models: decision tree (DT), naive Bayes (NB), logistic regression (LR), support vector machines (SVM), and random forest (RF). To address the problem of ML model overfitting, we used a cross-validation approach to evaluate the performance of the proposed diagnostic system. Various assessment measures, such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC), were used to thoroughly validate the devised diagnostic system’s efficiency. Results: According to the experimental results, the proposed diagnostic method achieved the best accuracy of 98.25%, as well as sensitivity of 97.44%, specificity of 95.744%, and MCC of 0.7535. Discussion: The effectiveness of the proposed diagnostic approach is compared to various cutting-edge feature selection techniques and baseline ML models. From experimental results, it is evident that the proposed diagnostic system outperformed the prior feature selection strategies and baseline ML models regarding accuracy.
|
|
| 10. |
- McDevitt, Michael R., et al.
(author)
-
Feed-forward alpha particle radiotherapy ablates androgen receptor-addicted prostate cancer
- 2018
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human kallikrein peptidase 2 (hK2) is a prostate specific enzyme whose expression is governed by the androgen receptor (AR). AR is the central oncogenic driver of prostate cancer (PCa) and is also a key regulator of DNA repair in cancer. We report an innovative therapeutic strategy that exploits the hormone-DNA repair circuit to enable molecularly-specific alpha particle irradiation of PCa. Alpha-particle irradiation of PCa is prompted by molecularly specific-targeting and internalization of the humanized monoclonal antibody hu11B6 targeting hK2 and further accelerated by inherent DNA-repair that up-regulate hK2 (KLK2) expression in vivo. hu11B6 demonstrates exquisite targeting specificity for KLK2. A single administration of actinium-225 labeled hu11B6 eradicates disease and significantly prolongs survival in animal models. DNA damage arising from alpha particle irradiation induces AR and subsequently KLK2, generating a unique feed-forward mechanism, which increases binding of hu11B6. Imaging data in nonhuman primates support the possibility of utilizing hu11B6 in man.
|
|
