| 11. |
- Ahmadi, Zainab, et al.
(författare)
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Long-Term Oxygen Therapy 24 vs 15 h/day and Mortality in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - San Francisco : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 11:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) ≥ 15 h/day improves survival in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). LTOT 24 h/day is often recommended but may pose an unnecessary burden with no clear survival benefit compared with LTOT 15 h/day. The aim was to test the hypothesis that LTOT 24 h/day decreases all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality compared to LTOT 15 h/day in hypoxemic COPD. This was a prospective, observational, population-based study of COPD patients starting LTOT between October 1, 2005 and June 30, 2009 in Sweden. Overall and cause-specific mortality was analyzed using Cox and Fine-Gray regression, controlling for age, sex, prescribed oxygen dose, PaO2 (air), PaCO2 (air), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), WHO performance status, body mass index, comorbidity, and oral glucocorticoids. A total of 2,249 included patients were included with a median follow-up of 1.1 years (interquartile range, 0.6-2.1). 1,129 (50%) patients died and no patient was lost to follow-up. Higher LTOT duration analyzed as a continuous variable was not associated with any change in mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.00; (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.02) per 1 h/day increase above 15 h/day. LTOT exactly 24 h/day was prescribed in 539 (24%) patients and LTOT 15-16 h/day in 1,231 (55%) patients. Mortality was similar between the groups for all-cause, respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. In hypoxemic COPD, LTOT 24 h/day was not associated with a survival benefit compared with treatment 15-16 h/day. A design for a registry-based randomized trial (R-RCT) is proposed.
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| 12. |
- Ahmed, Bestoun S., 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Optimum Design of (PID mu)-D-lambda controller for an automatic voltage regulator system using combinatorial test design
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Combinatorial test design is a plan of test that aims to reduce the amount of test cases systematically by choosing a subset of the test cases based on the combination of input variables. The subset covers all possible combinations of a given strength and hence tries to match the effectiveness of the exhaustive set. This mechanism of reduction has been used successfully in software testing research with t-way testing (where t indicates the interaction strength of combinations). Potentially, other systems may exhibit many similarities with this approach. Hence, it could form an emerging application in different areas of research due to its usefulness. To this end, more recently it has been applied in a few research areas successfully. In this paper, we explore the applicability of combinatorial test design technique for Fractional Order (FO), Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) parameter design controller, named as FOPID, for an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) system. Throughout the paper, we justify this new application theoretically and practically through simulations. In addition, we report on first experiments indicating its practical use in this field. We design different algorithms and adapted other strategies to cover all the combinations with an optimum and effective test set. Our findings indicate that combinatorial test design can find the combinations that lead to optimum design. Besides this, we also found that by increasing the strength of combination, we can approach to the optimum design in a way that with only 4-way combinatorial set, we can get the effectiveness of an exhaustive test set. This significantly reduced the number of tests needed and thus leads to an approach that optimizes design of parameters quickly.
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| 13. |
- Ahmed, B. S., et al.
(författare)
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Optimum design of PIλDμ controller for an automatic voltage regulator system using combinatorial test design
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Combinatorial test design is a plan of test that aims to reduce the amount of test cases systematically by choosing a subset of the test cases based on the combination of input variables. The subset covers all possible combinations of a given strength and hence tries to match the effectiveness of the exhaustive set. This mechanism of reduction has been used successfully in software testing research with t-way testing (where t indicates the interaction strength of combinations). Potentially, other systems may exhibit many similarities with this approach. Hence, it could form an emerging application in different areas of research due to its usefulness. To this end, more recently it has been applied in a few research areas successfully. In this paper, we explore the applicability of combinatorial test design technique for Fractional Order (FO), Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) parameter design controller, named as FOPID, for an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) system. Throughout the paper, we justify this new application theoretically and practically through simulations. In addition, we report on first experiments indicating its practical use in this field. We design different algorithms and adapted other strategies to cover all the combinations with an optimum and effective test set. Our findings indicate that combinatorial test design can find the combinations that lead to optimum design. Besides this, we also found that by increasing the strength of combination, we can approach to the optimum design in a way that with only 4-way combinatorial set, we can get the effectiveness of an exhaustive test set. This significantly reduced the number of tests needed and thus leads to an approach that optimizes design of parameters quickly. © 2016 Ahmed et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Alamidi, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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T1 Relaxation Time in Lungs of Asymptomatic Smokers.
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interest in using T1 as a potential MRI biomarker of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has recently increased. Since tobacco smoking is the major risk factor for development of COPD, the aim for this study was to examine whether tobacco smoking, pack-years (PY), influenced T1 of the lung parenchyma in asymptomatic current smokers.
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| 17. |
- Alehagen, Urban, et al.
(författare)
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Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Cardiovascular Mortality in Elderly with Low Selenium Status. A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Clinical Trial
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 11:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Selenium is needed by all living cells in order to ensure the optimal function of several enzyme systems. However, the selenium content in the soil in Europe is generally low. Previous reports indicate that a dietary supplement of selenium could reduce cardiovascular disease but mainly in populations in low selenium areas. The objective of this secondary analysis of a previous randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial from our group was to determine whether the effects on cardiovascular mortality of supplementation with a fixed dose of selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined during a four-year intervention were dependent on the basal level of selenium. Methods In 668 healthy elderly individuals from a municipality in Sweden, serum selenium concentration was measured. Of these, 219 individuals received daily supplementation with selenium (200 mu g Se as selenized yeast) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg) combined for four years. The remaining participants (n = 449) received either placebo (n = 222) or no treatment (n = 227). All cardiovascular mortality was registered. No participant was lost during a median follow-up of 5.2 years. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, all mortality was registered. Findings The mean serum selenium concentration among participants at baseline was low, 67.1 mu g/L. Based on the distribution of selenium concentration at baseline, the supplemented group was divided into three groups; amp;lt;65 mu g/L, 65-85 mu g/L, and amp;gt;85 mu g/L (45 and 90 percentiles) and the remaining participants were distributed accordingly. Among the non-treated participants, lower cardiovascular mortality was found in the high selenium group as compared with the low selenium group (13.0% vs. 24.1%; P = 0.04). In the group with the lowest selenium basal concentration, those receiving placebo or no supplementation had a mortality of 24.1%, while mortality was 12.1% in the group receiving the active substance, which was an absolute risk reduction of 12%. In the middle selenium concentration group a mortality of 14.0% in the non-treated group, and 6.0% in the actively treated group could be demonstrated; thus, there was an absolute risk reduction of 8.0%. In the group with a serum concentration of amp;gt;85 mu g/L, a cardiovascular mortality of 17.5% in the non-treated group, and 13.0% in the actively treated group was observed. No significant risk reduction by supplementation could thus be found in this group. Conclusions In this evaluation of healthy elderly Swedish municipality members, two important results could be reported. Firstly, a low mean serum selenium concentration, 67 mu g/L, was found among the participants, and the cardiovascular mortality was higher in the subgroup with the lower selenium concentrations amp;lt; 65 mu g/L in comparison with those having a selenium concentration amp;gt; 85 mu g/L. Secondly, supplementation was cardio-protective in those with a low selenium concentration, amp;lt;= 85 at inclusion. In those with serum seleniumamp;gt; 85 mu g/L and no apparent deficiency, there was no effect of supplementation. This is a small study, but it presents interesting data, and more research on the impact of lower selenium intake than recommended is therefore warranted.
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| 18. |
- Alfonzo, Emilia, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Fee on Cervical Cancer Screening Attendance-ScreenFee, a Swedish Population-Based Randomised Trial
- 2016
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Attendance in the cervical cancer screening programme is one of the most important factors to lower the risk of contracting the disease. Attendance rates are often low in areas with low socioeconomic status. Charging a fee for screening might possibly decrease attendance in this population. Screening programme coverage is low in low socio-economic status areas in Gothenburg, Sweden, but has increased slightly after multiple interventions in recent years. For many years, women in the region have paid a fee for screening. We studied the effect of abolishing this fee in a trial emanating from the regular cervical cancer screening programme. Individually randomised controlled trial. All 3 124 women in three low-resource areas in Gothenburg, due for screening during the study period, were randomised to receive an offer of a free test or the standard invitation stating the regular fee of 100 SEK (approximate to 11 (sic)). The study was conducted during the first six months of 2013. Attendance was defined as a registered Pap smear within 90 days from the date the invitation was sent out. Attendance did not differ significantly between women who were charged and those offered free screening (RR 0.93; CI 0.85-1.02). No differences were found within the districts or as an effect of age, attendance after the most recent previous invitation or previous experience of smear taking. Abolishment of a modest screening fee in socially disadvantaged urban districts with low coverage, after previous multiple systematic interventions, does not increase attendance in the short term. Other interventions might be more important for increasing attendance in low socio-economic status areas.
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| 19. |
- Alinezhad, Saeid, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of novel biomarkers for prostate cancer progression by the combination of bioinformatics, clinical and functional studies
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The identification and validation of biomarkers for clinical applications remains an important issue for improving diagnostics and therapy in many diseases, including prostate cancer. Gene expression profiles are routinely applied to identify diagnostic and predictive biomarkers or novel targets for cancer. However, only few predictive markers identified in silico have also been validated for clinical, functional or mechanistic relevance in disease progression. In this study, we have used a broad, bioinformatics-based approach to identify such biomarkers across a spectrum of progression stages, including normal and tumor-adjacent, premalignant, primary and late stage lesions. Bioinformatics data mining combined with clinical validation of biomarkers by sensitive, quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), followed by functional evaluation of candidate genes in disease-relevant processes, such as cancer cell proliferation, motility and invasion. From 300 initial candidates, eight genes were selected for validation by several layers of data mining and filtering. For clinical validation, differential mRNA expression of selected genes was measured by qRT-PCR in 197 clinical prostate tissue samples including normal prostate, compared against histologically benign and cancerous tissues. Based on the qRT-PCR results, significantly different mRNA expression was confirmed in normal prostate versus malignant PCa samples (for all eight genes), but also in cancer-adjacent tissues, even in the absence of detectable cancer cells, thus pointing to the possibility of pronounced field effects in prostate lesions. For the validation of the functional properties of these genes, and to demonstrate their putative relevance for disease-relevant processes, siRNA knock-down studies were performed in both 2D and 3D organotypic cell culture models. Silencing of three genes (DLX1, PLA2G7 and RHOU) in the prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and VCaP by siRNA resulted in marked growth arrest and cytotoxicity, particularly in 3D organotypic cell culture conditions. In addition, silencing of PLA2G7, RHOU, ACSM1, LAMB1 and CACNA1D also resulted in reduced tumor cell invasion in PC3 organoid cultures. For PLA2G7 and RHOU, the effects of siRNA silencing on proliferation and cell-motility could also be confirmed in 2D monolayer cultures. In conclusion, DLX1 and RHOU showed the strongest potential as useful clinical biomarkers for PCa diagnosis, further validated by their functional roles in PCa progression. These candidates may be useful for more reliable identification of relapses or therapy failures prior to the recurrence local or distant metastases.
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| 20. |
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