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- Clarke, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid based supplements : Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- 1998
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Ingår i: British Medical Journal. - : BMJ. - 0959-8146. ; 316:7135, s. 894-898
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To determine the size of reduction in homocysteine concentrations produced by dietary supplementation with folic acid and with vitamins B-12 or B-6. Design: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials that assessed the effects of folic acid based supplements on blood homocysteine concentration. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the effects on homocysteine concentrations of different doses of folic acid and of the addition of vitamin B-12 or B-6. Subjects: Individual data on 1114 people included in 12 trials. Findings: The proportional and absolute reductions in blood homocysteine produced by folic acid supplements were greater at higher pretreatment blood homocysteine concentrations (P < 0.001) and at lower pretreatment blood folate concentrations (P < 0.001). After standardisation to pretreatment blood concentrations of homocysteine of 12 μmol/l and of folate of 12 nmol/l (approximate average concentrations for Western populations), dietary folic acid reduced blood homocysteine concentrations by 25% (95% confidence interval 23% to 28%; P < 0.001), with similar effects in the range of 0.5-5 mg folic acid daily. Vitamin B-12 (mean 0.5 mg daily) produced an additional 7% (3% to 10%) reduction in blood homocysteine. Vitamin B-6 (mean 16.5 mg daily) did not have a significant additional effect. Conclusions: Typically in Western populations, daily supplementation with both 0.5-5 mg folic acid and about 0.5 mg vitamin B-12 would be expected to reduce blood homocysteine concentrations by about a quarter to a third (for example, from about 12 μmol/l to 8-9 μmol/l). Large scale randomised trials of such regimens in high risk populations are now needed to determine whether lowering blood homocysteine concentrations reduces the risk of vascular disease.
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- van Velden, J. L., et al.
(författare)
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Futures for invasive alien species management : using bottom-up innovations to envision positive systemic change
- 2023
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Ingår i: Sustainability Science. - 1862-4065 .- 1862-4057. ; 18:6, s. 2567-2587
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a key threat to biodiversity, the economy and human well-being, and continue to increase in abundance and impact worldwide. Legislation and policy currently dominate the global agenda for IAS, although translation to localised success may be limited. This calls for a wider range of responses to transform IAS management. An under-appreciated strategy to achieve success may come from bottom-up, experimental innovations (so-called “seeds”), which offer alternative visions of what may be possible for IAS management in the future. We present an application of a participatory process that builds on such innovations to create alternative visions of the future, with actionable pathways to guide change. Through a series of workshops with practitioners and academics, we used this process to explore alternative positive futures for IAS management in South Africa. We then identified a set of domains of change, that could enable these visions to be actioned by appropriate stakeholders. The domains of change highlight the social–ecological nature of the IAS sector, with interconnected actions needed in financial, cultural, social, technological and governance spheres. Key domains identified were the need to shift mindsets and values of society regarding IAS, as well as the need for appropriate and functional financing. This participatory futuring process offers a way to interrogate and scale bottom-up innovations, thereby creating optimism and allowing stakeholders to engage constructively with the future. This represents an important step in fostering the potential of bottom-up innovations to transform IAS management.
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- Martucci, M., et al.
(författare)
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Proton Fluxes Measured by the PAMELA Experiment from the Minimum to the Maximum Solar Activity for Solar Cycle 24
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 854:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Precise measurements of the time-dependent intensity of the low-energy (<50 GeV) galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are fundamental to test and improve the models that describe their propagation inside the heliosphere. In particular, data spanning different solar activity periods, i.e., from minimum to maximum, are needed to achieve comprehensive understanding of such physical phenomena. The minimum phase between solar cycles 23 and 24 was peculiarly long, extending up to the beginning of 2010 and followed by the maximum phase, reached during early 2014. In this Letter, we present proton differential spectra measured from 2010 January to 2014 February by the PAMELA experiment. For the first time the GCR proton intensity was studied over a wide energy range (0.08-50 GeV) by a single apparatus from a minimum to a maximum period of solar activity. The large statistics allowed the time variation to be investigated on a nearly monthly basis. Data were compared and interpreted in the context of a state-of-the-art three-dimensional model describing the GCRs propagation through the heliosphere.
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- Munini, R., et al.
(författare)
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Ten years of positron and electron solar modulation measured by the PAMELA experiment
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The satellite-borne PAMELA experiment was launched on the 15th June 2006 from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Till January 2016 PAMELA has detected the charged component of cosmic-rays (CRs) over a wide energy range. Due to its long flight duration PAMELA represents an ideal detector for cosmic-ray solar modulation studies. Moreover, the capability to measure particles of the same mass with opposite charge allows to investigate the charge-sign dependent solar modulation. The results on the positron and electron intensity variation at Earth over the 23rd solar minimum (July 2006 - January 2009) till the middle of the 24rd solar maximum (December 2015), will be presented. The positron to electron ratio shows a clear time variation interpreted as solar modulation sign-charge dependence introduced by particle drifts. The effect of the polarity reversal of the heliospheric magnetic field, which took place between 2013 and 2014, is also distinctly visible from the PAMELA data. These results provide the first clear indication of how drift effects unfold with time during different phases of the solar activity and their dependence on the particle rigidity and the cyclic polarity of the solar magnetic field.
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| 9. |
- Munini, R., et al.
(författare)
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Evidence of Energy and Charge Sign Dependence of the Recovery Time for the 2006 December Forbush Event Measured by the PAMELA Experiment
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 853:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- New results on the short-term galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) intensity variation (Forbish decrease) in 2006 December measured by the PAMELA instrument are presented. Forbush decreases are sudden suppressions of the GCR intensities, which are associated with the passage of interplanetary transients such as shocks and interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). Most of the past measurements of this phenomenon were carried out with groundbased detectors such as neutron monitors or muon telescopes. These techniques allow only the indirect detection of the overall GCR intensity over an integrated energy range. For the first time, thanks to the unique features of the PAMELA magnetic spectrometer, the Forbush decrease, commencing on 2006 December 14 and following a CME at the Sun on 2006 December 13, was studied in a wide rigidity range (0.4-20 GV) and for different species of GCRs detected directly in space. The daily averaged GCR proton intensity was used to investigate the rigidity dependence of the amplitude and the recovery time of the Forbush decrease. Additionally, for the first time, the temporal variations in the helium and electron intensities during a Forbush decrease were studied. Interestingly, the temporal evolutions of the helium and proton intensities during the Forbush decrease were found to be in good agreement, while the low rigidity electrons (<2 GV) displayed a faster recovery. This difference in the electron recovery is interpreted as a charge sign dependence introduced by drift motions experienced by the GCRs during their propagation through the heliosphere.
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| 10. |
- Munini, R., et al.
(författare)
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Short-term variation in the galactic cosmic ray intensity measured with the PAMELA experiment
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- New results on the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) short-term intensity variation associated with Forbush decrease and co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs) measured by the PAMELA instrument between November 2006 and March 2007 are presented. Most of the past measurements on Forbush decrease events were carried out with neutron monitor detector. This tecnique allows only indirect detection of the overall GCR intensity over an integrated energy range. For the first time, thanks to the unique features of the PAMELA magnetic spectrometer, the Forbush decrease associated with the December 13th coronal mass ejection (CME) was studied in a wide rigidity range (0.4 - 20 GV) and for different species of GCRs detected directly in space. Using GCR protons, the amplitude and the recovery time of the Forbush decrease were studied for ten rigidity interval with a temporal resolution of one day. For comparison the helium and the electron intensity over time were also studied. The temporal evolution of the helium and proton intensity was found in good agreement while the electrons show, on average, a faster recovery time. This was interpreted as a charge-sign dependence introduced by drift motion experienced by the low rigidity (< 5 GV) GCRs during their propagation through the heliosphere. Moreover a clear 13.5 days cyclical variation was observed in the GCR proton intensity after the Forbush decrease. This phenomena could be interpreted as an effect of prominent structures of compressed plasma in the solar wind, i.e. CIRs, or to the latitudinal gradient due to the crossing of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS).
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