| 1. |
- Lazzaroni, Francesca, et al.
(författare)
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Circulating biomarkers in familial cerebral cavernous malformation
- 2024
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Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3964. ; 99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) is a rare cerebrovascular disease, characterized by the presence of multiple vascular malformations that may result in intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs), seizure(s), or focal neurological deficits (FND). Familial CCM (fCCM) is due to loss of function mutations in one of the three independent genes KRIT1 (CCM1), Malcavernin (CCM2), or Programmed Cell death 10 (PDCD10/CCM3). The aim of this study was to identify plasma protein biomarkers of fCCM to assess the severity of the disease and predict its progression.Methods Here, we have investigated plasma samples derived from n = 71 symptomatic fCCM patients (40 female/31 male) and n =17 healthy donors (HD) (9 female/8 male) of the Phase 1/2 Treat_CCM trial, using multiplexed protein profiling approaches.Findings Biomarkers as sCD14 (p = 0.00409), LBP (p = 0.02911), CXCL4 (p = 0.038), ICAM-1 (p = 0.02013), ANG2 (p = 0.026), CCL5 (p = 0.00403), THBS1 (p = 0.0043), CRP (p = 0.0092), and HDL (p = 0.027), were significantly different in fCCM compared to HDs. Of note, sENG (p = 0.011), THBS1 (p = 0.011) and CXCL4 (p = 0.011), were correlated to CCM genotype. sROBO4 (p = 0.014), TM (p = 0.026) and CRP (p = 0.040) were able to predict incident adverse clinical events, such as ICH, FND or seizure. GDF-15, FLT3L, CXCL9, FGF-21 and CDCP1, were identified as predictors of the formation of new MRI-detectable lesions over 2-year follow-up. Furthermore, the functional relevance of ang2, thbs1, robo4 and cdcp1 markers was validated by zebrafish pre-clinical model of fCCM.Interpretation Overall, our study identifies a set of biochemical parameters to predict CCM progression, suggesting biological interpretations and potential therapeutic approaches to CCM disease.
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| 2. |
- Beghini, Alessandro, et al.
(författare)
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Regeneration-associated WNT Signaling Is Activated in Long-term Reconstituting AC133(bright) Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells
- 2012
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Ingår i: Neoplasia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1522-8002 .- 1476-5586. ; 14:12, s. 1236-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous clonal disorder characterized by two molecularly distinct self-renewing leukemic stem cell (LSC) populations most closely related to normal progenitors and organized as a hierarchy. A requirement for WNT/beta-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of AML has recently been suggested by a mouse model. However, its relationship to a specific molecular function promoting retention of self-renewing leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) in human remains elusive. To identify transcriptional programs involved in the maintenance of a self-renewing state in LICs, we performed the expression profiling in normal (n = 10) and leukemic (n = 33) human long-term reconstituting AC133(+) cells, which represent an expanded cell population in most AML patients. This study reveals the ligand-dependent WNT pathway activation in AC133(bright) AML cells and shows a diffuse expression and release of WNT 10B, a hematopoietic stem cell regenerative-associated molecule. The establishment of a primary AC133(+) AML cell culture (A46) demonstrated that leukemia cells synthesize and secrete WNT ligands, increasing the levels of dephosphorylated beta-catenin in vivo. We tested the LSC functional activity in AC133(+) cells and found significant levels of engraftment upon transplantation of A46 cells into irradiated Rag2(-/-)gamma c(-/-) mice. Owing to the link between hematopoietic regeneration and developmental signaling, we transplanted A46 cells into developing zebrafish. This system revealed the formation of ectopic structures by activating dorsal organizer markers that act downstream of the WNT pathway. In conclusion, our findings suggest that AC133(bright) LSCs are promoted by misappropriating homeostatic WNT programs that control hematopoietic regeneration.
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| 3. |
- Brede, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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Dynamics of molecular self-ordering in tetraphenyl porphyrin monolayers on metallic substrates
- 2009
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Ingår i: NANOTECHNOLOGY. - : IOP Publishing. - 0957-4484 .- 1361-6528. ; 20:27, s. 275602-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A molecular model system of tetraphenyl porphyrins (TPP) adsorbed on metallic substrates is systematically investigated within a joint scanning tunnelling microscopy/molecular modelling approach. The molecular conformation of TPP molecules, their adsorption on a gold surface and the growth of highly ordered TPP islands are modelled with a combination of density functional theory and dynamic force field methods. The results indicate a subtle interplay between different contributions. The molecule-substrate interaction causes a bending of the porphyrin core which also determines the relative orientations of phenyl legs attached to the core. A major consequence of this is a characteristic (and energetically most favourable) arrangement of molecules within self-assembled molecular clusters; the phenyl legs of adjacent molecules are not aligned parallel to each other (often denoted as pi-pi stacking) but perpendicularly in a T-shaped arrangement. The results of the simulations are fully consistent with the scanning tunnelling microscopy observations, in terms of the symmetries of individual molecules, orientation and relative alignment of molecules in the self-assembled clusters.
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| 4. |
- Brocorens, Patrick, et al.
(författare)
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Conformational Plasticity of Hydrogen Bonded Bis-urea Supramolecular Polymers
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society. - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 117:17, s. 5379-5386
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report a detailed structural investigation of supramolecular polymers formed by hydrogen bonded self assembly of bis-urea monomers The careful exploration of the energy landscape by molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics (MM/MD) simulations has allowed us to identify three distinct self assembled structures of similar stabilities. These structures have been compared to X-ray crystal data. We observe that a slight change in the molecular structure can favor a particular structure over the others. Detailed analysis shows that hydrogen bonds stabilize all three structures to a similar extent Therefore, it is the interactions among the lateral substituents, and with the filament environment, that are the decisive factors in the competition between the possible self-assembled structures. This study constitutes a clear reminder that the conformation of a supramolecular polymer is a sensitive function of the molecular structure and may significantly differ from the solid-state conformation of a model compound.
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| 5. |
- Bubnova, Olga, et al.
(författare)
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Advantageous thermoelectric properties of a semimetallic polymer
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Thermoelectric generation potentially holds a solution for waste heat recovery issues provided that the availability of inexpensive, biodegradable and highly efficient thermoelectric materials is insured in the near future. Plastic thermoelectrics could successfully comply with the said requirements if the thermoelectric efficiency (ZT) of conducting polymers was higher. However, given the novelty of the subject, at present there are no clear guidelines for ZT optimization in this class of materials. The most important piece of information that is currently missing is the description of a specific electronic makeup that conducting polymers must possess in order to enable good thermoelectric performance. In the present study the thermoelectric properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivatives with two types of counterions, i.e. poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and tosylate (Tos) are evaluated. A striking variation in their thermoelectric performance is attributed to structural and morphological differences between two polymers that manifest itself in dissimilar charge transport mechanism. The superior properties of PEDOT-Tos presumably originate from a high degree of crystallinity and structural order that predetermines the tendency for bipolaron band formation. Unlike polaronic PEDOT-PSS with slowly varying density of localized states (DOS) near the Fermi level (EF), the DOS in PEDOT-Tos is characterized by higher asymmetry and higher charge carrier density at EF (similar to semimetals), which allows for higher thermopower and electrical conductivity. Therefore, we conclude that the polymers with semimetallic electronic makeup are expected to exhibit promising thermoelectric properties with bigger variation in thermopower upon doping.
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| 6. |
- Bubnova, Olga, et al.
(författare)
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Corrigendum: Semi-metallic polymers
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nature Materials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-1122 .- 1476-4660. ; 13, s. 662-662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 7. |
- Bubnova, Olga, et al.
(författare)
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Semi-metallic polymers
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nature Materials. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1476-1122 .- 1476-4660. ; 13:2, s. 190-194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polymers are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable materials that are promising for low-cost printed electronics as well as for mass-produced and large-area applications. Previous studies demonstrated that they can possess insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties; here we report that polymers can also be semi-metallic. Semi-metals, exemplified by bismuth, graphite and telluride alloys, have no energy bandgap and a very low density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, they typically have a higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivities compared with metals, thus being suitable for thermoelectric applications. We measure the thermoelectric properties of various poly( 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) samples, and observe a marked increase in the Seebeck coefficient when the electrical conductivity is enhanced through molecular organization. This initiates the transition from a Fermi glass to a semi-metal. The high Seebeck value, the metallic conductivity at room temperature and the absence of unpaired electron spins makes polymer semi-metals attractive for thermoelectrics and spintronics.
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| 8. |
- Crispin, Xavier, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Local density functional study of copper clusters: A comparison between real clusters, model surface clusters, and the actual metal surface
- 1999
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Ingår i: European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. - : Wiley-VCH Verlag Berlin. - 1434-1948 .- 1099-1948. ; :2, s. 349-360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Density Functional Theory is used to study the influence of the size of copper clusters modeling the Cu(100) surface, on the electronic properties: ionization potential, electron affinity, electronic chemical potential, and chemical hardness. The model clusters are chosen to have a bilayer structure and range in size from 9 to 20 copper atoms. The chemical hardness being identified as the relaxation energy of the frontier levels when an electron is removed or added to the system, a simple expression is proposed to estimate its value from the eigenenergies of the frontier levels in neutral and partially ionized systems. A detailed comparison of the geometric and electronic structures is made between the model surface copper clusters, real copper clusters, and the actual metal surface; it is seen that the model surface clusters provide an easy extrapolation to the properties of the metal surface.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Kim, Nara, et al.
(författare)
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Elastic conducting polymer composites in thermoelectric modules
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The rapid growth of wearables has created a demand for lightweight, elastic and conformal energy harvesting and storage devices. The conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) has shown great promise for thermoelectric generators, however, the thick layers of pristine poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) required for effective energy harvesting are too hard and brittle for seamless integration into wearables. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-elastomer composites have been developed to improve its mechanical properties, although so far without simultaneously achieving softness, high electrical conductivity, and stretchability. Here we report an aqueously processed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polyurethane-ionic liquid composite, which combines high conductivity (>140Scm(-1)) with superior stretchability (>600%), elasticity, and low Youngs modulus (<7MPa). The outstanding performance of this organic nanocomposite is the result of favorable percolation networks on the nano- and micro-scale and the plasticizing effect of the ionic liquid. The elastic thermoelectric material is implemented in the first reported intrinsically stretchable organic thermoelectric module. Though deformable thermoelectric materials are desirable for integrating thermoelectric devices into wearable electronics, typical thermoelectric materials are too brittle for practical application. Here, the authors report a high-performance elastic composite for stretchable thermoelectric modules.
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