| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Acevedo, Reinaldo, et al.
(författare)
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The Global Meningococcal Initiative meeting on prevention of meningococcal disease worldwide : Epidemiology, surveillance, hypervirulent strains, antibiotic resistance and high-risk populations
- 2019
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Ingår i: Expert Review of Vaccines. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 1476-0584 .- 1744-8395. ; 18:1, s. 15-30
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The 2018 Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) meeting focused on evolving invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) epidemiology, surveillance, and protection strategies worldwide, with emphasis on emerging antibiotic resistance and protection of high-risk populations. The GMI is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of scientists and clinicians representing institutions from several continents.Areas covered: Given that the incidence and prevalence of IMD continually varies both geographically and temporally, and surveillance systems differ worldwide, the true burden of IMD remains unknown. Genomic alterations may increase the epidemic potential of meningococcal strains. Vaccination and (to a lesser extent) antimicrobial prophylaxis are the mainstays of IMD prevention. Experiences from across the globe advocate the use of conjugate vaccines, with promising evidence growing for protein vaccines. Multivalent vaccines can broaden protection against IMD. Application of protection strategies to high-risk groups, including individuals with asplenia, complement deficiencies and human immunodeficiency virus, laboratory workers, persons receiving eculizumab, and men who have sex with men, as well as attendees at mass gatherings, may prevent outbreaks. There was, however, evidence that reduced susceptibility to antibiotics was increasing worldwide. Expert commentary: The current GMI global recommendations were reinforced, with several other global initiatives underway to support IMD protection and prevention.
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| 3. |
- Backes, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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Production and processing of graphene and related materials
- 2020
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Ingår i: 2D Materials. - : IOP Publishing. - 2053-1583. ; 7:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present an overview of the main techniques for production and processing of graphene and related materials (GRMs), as well as the key characterization procedures. We adopt a 'hands-on' approach, providing practical details and procedures as derived from literature as well as from the authors' experience, in order to enable the reader to reproduce the results. Section I is devoted to 'bottom up' approaches, whereby individual constituents are pieced together into more complex structures. We consider graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) produced either by solution processing or by on-surface synthesis in ultra high vacuum (UHV), as well carbon nanomembranes (CNM). Production of a variety of GNRs with tailored band gaps and edge shapes is now possible. CNMs can be tuned in terms of porosity, crystallinity and electronic behaviour. Section II covers 'top down' techniques. These rely on breaking down of a layered precursor, in the graphene case usually natural crystals like graphite or artificially synthesized materials, such as highly oriented pyrolythic graphite, monolayers or few layers (FL) flakes. The main focus of this section is on various exfoliation techniques in a liquid media, either intercalation or liquid phase exfoliation (LPE). The choice of precursor, exfoliation method, medium as well as the control of parameters such as time or temperature are crucial. A definite choice of parameters and conditions yields a particular material with specific properties that makes it more suitable for a targeted application. We cover protocols for the graphitic precursors to graphene oxide (GO). This is an important material for a range of applications in biomedicine, energy storage, nanocomposites, etc. Hummers' and modified Hummers' methods are used to make GO that subsequently can be reduced to obtain reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with a variety of strategies. GO flakes are also employed to prepare three-dimensional (3d) low density structures, such as sponges, foams, hydro- or aerogels. The assembly of flakes into 3d structures can provide improved mechanical properties. Aerogels with a highly open structure, with interconnected hierarchical pores, can enhance the accessibility to the whole surface area, as relevant for a number of applications, such as energy storage. The main recipes to yield graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) are also discussed. GICs are suitable precursors for covalent functionalization of graphene, but can also be used for the synthesis of uncharged graphene in solution. Degradation of the molecules intercalated in GICs can be triggered by high temperature treatment or microwave irradiation, creating a gas pressure surge in graphite and exfoliation. Electrochemical exfoliation by applying a voltage in an electrolyte to a graphite electrode can be tuned by varying precursors, electrolytes and potential. Graphite electrodes can be either negatively or positively intercalated to obtain GICs that are subsequently exfoliated. We also discuss the materials that can be amenable to exfoliation, by employing a theoretical data-mining approach. The exfoliation of LMs usually results in a heterogeneous dispersion of flakes with different lateral size and thickness. This is a critical bottleneck for applications, and hinders the full exploitation of GRMs produced by solution processing. The establishment of procedures to control the morphological properties of exfoliated GRMs, which also need to be industrially scalable, is one of the key needs. Section III deals with the processing of flakes. (Ultra)centrifugation techniques have thus far been the most investigated to sort GRMs following ultrasonication, shear mixing, ball milling, microfluidization, and wet-jet milling. It allows sorting by size and thickness. Inks formulated from GRM dispersions can be printed using a number of processes, from inkjet to screen printing. Each technique has specific rheological requirements, as well as geometrical constraints. The solvent choice is critical, not only for the GRM stability, but also in terms of optimizing printing on different substrates, such as glass, Si, plastic, paper, etc, all with different surface energies. Chemical modifications of such substrates is also a key step. Sections IV-VII are devoted to the growth of GRMs on various substrates and their processing after growth to place them on the surface of choice for specific applications. The substrate for graphene growth is a key determinant of the nature and quality of the resultant film. The lattice mismatch between graphene and substrate influences the resulting crystallinity. Growth on insulators, such as SiO2, typically results in films with small crystallites, whereas growth on the close-packed surfaces of metals yields highly crystalline films. Section IV outlines the growth of graphene on SiC substrates. This satisfies the requirements for electronic applications, with well-defined graphene-substrate interface, low trapped impurities and no need for transfer. It also allows graphene structures and devices to be measured directly on the growth substrate. The flatness of the substrate results in graphene with minimal strain and ripples on large areas, allowing spectroscopies and surface science to be performed. We also discuss the surface engineering by intercalation of the resulting graphene, its integration with Si-wafers and the production of nanostructures with the desired shape, with no need for patterning. Section V deals with chemical vapour deposition (CVD) onto various transition metals and on insulators. Growth on Ni results in graphitized polycrystalline films. While the thickness of these films can be optimized by controlling the deposition parameters, such as the type of hydrocarbon precursor and temperature, it is difficult to attain single layer graphene (SLG) across large areas, owing to the simultaneous nucleation/growth and solution/precipitation mechanisms. The differing characteristics of polycrystalline Ni films facilitate the growth of graphitic layers at different rates, resulting in regions with differing numbers of graphitic layers. High-quality films can be grown on Cu. Cu is available in a variety of shapes and forms, such as foils, bulks, foams, thin films on other materials and powders, making it attractive for industrial production of large area graphene films. The push to use CVD graphene in applications has also triggered a research line for the direct growth on insulators. The quality of the resulting films is lower than possible to date on metals, but enough, in terms of transmittance and resistivity, for many applications as described in section V. Transfer technologies are the focus of section VI. CVD synthesis of graphene on metals and bottom up molecular approaches require SLG to be transferred to the final target substrates. To have technological impact, the advances in production of high-quality large-area CVD graphene must be commensurate with those on transfer and placement on the final substrates. This is a prerequisite for most applications, such as touch panels, anticorrosion coatings, transparent electrodes and gas sensors etc. New strategies have improved the transferred graphene quality, making CVD graphene a feasible option for CMOS foundries. Methods based on complete etching of the metal substrate in suitable etchants, typically iron chloride, ammonium persulfate, or hydrogen chloride although reliable, are time- and resource-consuming, with damage to graphene and production of metal and etchant residues. Electrochemical delamination in a low-concentration aqueous solution is an alternative. In this case metallic substrates can be reused. Dry transfer is less detrimental for the SLG quality, enabling a deterministic transfer. There is a large range of layered materials (LMs) beyond graphite. Only few of them have been already exfoliated and fully characterized. Section VII deals with the growth of some of these materials. Amongst them, h-BN, transition metal tri- and di-chalcogenides are of paramount importance. The growth of h-BN is at present considered essential for the development of graphene in (opto) electronic applications, as h-BN is ideal as capping layer or substrate. The interesting optical and electronic properties of TMDs also require the development of scalable methods for their production. Large scale growth using chemical/physical vapour deposition or thermal assisted conversion has been thus far limited to a small set, such as h-BN or some TMDs. Heterostructures could also be directly grown. Section VIII discusses advances in GRM functionalization. A broad range of organic molecules can be anchored to the sp(2) basal plane by reductive functionalization. Negatively charged graphene can be prepared in liquid phase (e.g. via intercalation chemistry or electrochemically) and can react with electrophiles. This can be achieved both in dispersion or on substrate. The functional groups of GO can be further derivatized. Graphene can also be noncovalently functionalized, in particular with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that assemble on the sp(2) carbon network by pi-pi stacking. In the liquid phase, this can enhance the colloidal stability of SLG/FLG. Approaches to achieve noncovalent on-substrate functionalization are also discussed, which can chemically dope graphene. Research efforts to derivatize CNMs are also summarized, as well as novel routes to selectively address defect sites. In dispersion, edges are the most dominant defects and can be covalently modified. This enhances colloidal stability without modifying the graphene basal plane. Basal plane point defects can also be modified, passivated and healed in ultra-high vacuum. The decoration of graphene with metal nanoparticles (NPs) has also received considerable attention, as it allows to exploit synergistic effects between NPs and graphene. Decoration can be either achieved chemically or in the gas phase. All LMs,
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| 4. |
- Brehony, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Implications of Differential Age Distribution of Disease-Associated Meningococcal Lineages for Vaccine Development
- 2014
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Ingår i: Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 1556-6811 .- 1556-679X. ; 21:6, s. 847-853
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- New vaccines targeting meningococci expressing serogroup B polysaccharide have been developed, with some being licensed in Europe. Coverage depends on the distribution of disease-associated genotypes, which may vary by age. It is well established that a small number of hyperinvasive lineages account for most disease, and these lineages are associated with particular antigens, including vaccine candidates. A collection of 4,048 representative meningococcal disease isolates from 18 European countries, collected over a 3-year period, were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Age data were available for 3,147 isolates. The proportions of hyperinvasive lineages, identified as particular clonal complexes (ccs) by MLST, differed among age groups. Subjects <1 year of age experienced lower risk of sequence type 11 (ST-11) cc, ST-32 cc, and ST-269 cc disease and higher risk of disease due to unassigned STs, 1- to 4-year-olds experienced lower risk of ST-11 cc and ST-32 cc disease, 5- to 14-year-olds were less likely to experience ST-11 cc and ST-269 cc disease, and >= 25-year-olds were more likely to experience disease due to less common ccs and unassigned STs. Younger and older subjects were vulnerable to a more diverse set of genotypes, indicating the more clonal nature of genotypes affecting adolescents and young adults. Knowledge of temporal and spatial diversity and the dynamics of meningococcal populations is essential for disease control by vaccines, as coverage is lineage specific. The nonrandom age distribution of hyperinvasive lineages has consequences for the design and implementation of vaccines, as different variants, or perhaps targets, may be required for different age groups.
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| 5. |
- Bäckman, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Complete Sequence of a β-Lactamase-Encoding Plasmid in Neisseria meningitidis
- 2000
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Ingår i: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - 0066-4804 .- 1098-6596. ; 44:1, s. 210-212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Identical β-lactamase-encoding (TEM-1) plasmids were found in two different clinical Neisseria meningitidis strains. They were completely sequenced (5,597 bp) and designated pAB6. The plasmid is almost identical to Neisseria gonorrhoeae plasmid pJD5 (5,599 kb) and may have been picked up from a gonococcus in vivo.
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| 6. |
- Caronna, Edoardo, et al.
(författare)
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Redefining migraine prevention: early treatment with anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies enhances response in the real world
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY. - 0022-3050 .- 1468-330X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies (anti-CGRP MAbs) are approved and available treatments for migraine prevention. Patients do not respond alike and many countries have reimbursement policies, which hinder treatments to those who might respond. This study aimed to investigate clinical factors associated with good and excellent response to anti-CGRP MAbs at 6 months. Methods European multicentre, prospective, real-world study, including high-frequency episodic or chronic migraine (CM) patients treated since March 2018 with anti-CGRP MAbs. We defined good and excellent responses as >= 50% and >= 75% reduction in monthly headache days (MHD) at 6 months, respectively. Generalised mixed-effect regression models (GLMMs) were used to identify variables independently associated with treatment response. Results Of the 5818 included patients, 82.3% were females and the median age was 48.0 (40.0-55.0) years. At baseline, the median of MHD was 20.0 (14.0-28.0) days/months and 72.2% had a diagnosis of CM. At 6 months (n=4963), 56.5% (2804/4963) were good responders and 26.7% (1324/4963) were excellent responders. In the GLMM model, older age (1.08 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.15), p=0.016), the presence of unilateral pain (1.39 (95% CI 1.21 to 1.60), p<0.001), the absence of depression (0.840 (95% CI 0.731 to 0.966), p=0.014), less monthly migraine days (0.923 (95% CI 0.862 to 0.989), p=0.023) and lower Migraine Disability Assessment at baseline (0.874 (95% CI 0.819 to 0.932), p<0.001) were predictors of good response (AUC of 0.648 (95% CI 0.616 to 0.680)). These variables were also significant predictors of excellent response (AUC of 0.691 (95% CI 0.651 to 0.731)). Sex was not significant in the GLMM models. Conclusions This is the largest real-world study of migraine patients treated with anti-CGRP MAbs. It provides evidence that higher migraine frequency and greater disability at baseline reduce the likelihood of responding to anti-CGRP MAbs, informing physicians and policy-makers on the need for an earlier treatment in order to offer the best chance of treatment success.
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| 7. |
- Cole, Michelle J., et al.
(författare)
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Ten years of external quality assessment (EQA) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility testing in Europe elucidate high reliability of data
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Infectious Diseases. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2334. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Confidence in any diagnostic and antimicrobial susceptibility testing data is provided by appropriate and regular quality assurance (QA) procedures. In Europe, the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Programme (Euro-GASP) has been monitoring the antimicrobial susceptibility in Neisseria gonorrhoeae since 2004. Euro-GASP includes an external quality assessment (EQA) scheme as an essential component for a quality-assured laboratory-based surveillance programme. Participation in the EQA scheme enables any problems with the performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing to be identified and addressed, feeds into the curricula of laboratory training organised by the Euro-GASP network, and assesses the capacity of individual laboratories to detect emerging new, rare and increasing antimicrobial resistance phenotypes. Participant performance in the Euro-GASP EQA scheme over a 10 year period (2007 to 2016, no EQA in 2013) was evaluated.METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibility category and MIC results from the first 5 years (2007-2011) of the Euro-GASP EQA were compared with the latter 5 years (2012-2016). These time periods were selected to assess the impact of the 2012 European Union case definitions for the reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility.RESULTS: dilutions of the modal MIC, respectively. The most common method used was Etest on GC agar base. There was a shift to using breakpoints published by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) in the latter 5 years, however overall impact on the validity of results was limited, as the percentage categorical agreement and MIC concordance changed very little between the two five-year periods.CONCLUSIONS: The high level of comparability of results in this EQA scheme indicates that high quality data are produced by the Euro-GASP participants and gives confidence in susceptibility and resistance data generated by laboratories performing decentralised testing.
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| 8. |
- Diarte Almada, Julio, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Building a modern asuncion : Contributions of the hotel guarani in the configuration of a new urban space
- 2021
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Ingår i: EAAE-ARCC International Conference & 2nd VIBRArch 11-14 november, 2020. - Valencia : Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. - 9788490489819 ; , s. 808-817
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The relative geographical isolation of Paraguay has always been an essential attribute of its cultural production, including its architecture. This condition has also made Paraguay a late and eclectic adopter of the principles of the Modern Movement in architecture. While Oscar Niemeyer’s pavilion for the 1939 world’s fair represented a hallmark in the definition of a Latin American Modern Architecture, some of the first examples of this type of architecture in Paraguay appear just in the 1950s. Overlooked for decades, recent investigations developed in the last years have studied the architectural production in Asuncion during the mid-twentieth century through the lens of historical, sociopolitical, and aesthetic considerations. There are two modern buildings in Asuncion, the capital, which can be considered of utmost importance for their scale and their meaning as cultural artifacts: the Colegio Experimental Paraguay-Brasil —designed in 1952 by Affonso E. Reidy— and the Hotel Guarani —designed in 1956 by the Brazilian architects Adolpho Rubio Morales, Rubens Carneiro Vianna, and Ricardo Sievers. While several studies have investigated the first, the Hotel Guarani has received much less attention despite its strategic location in downtown Asuncion and introducing novel architectural strategies in terms of urban space configuration. In this paper, through digital reconstruction and formal analysis of this emblematic case study, we analyze the architecture of the building with a focus on the design strategies that defined new urban spatial relationships between the building and the city of Asuncion. Through a formal reconstruction of the project, we identified several architectural concepts such as permeable street-level floorplan, semi-public corridors, and large overhangs. We argue that these design strategies contributed to the new architectural language of the incipient Paraguayan modern architecture.
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| 9. |
- Diarte Almada, Julio, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring low-cost acoustic panels with origami patterns for classrooms
- 2022
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Ingår i: ARCC-EAAE 2022 International conference. - : Architectural Research Centers Consortium. - 9781935129318 ; , s. 423-430
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The goal of the work presented in this paper was to provide an alternative method to improve the acoustic conditions of classrooms in public schools in low-income contexts by designing, fabricating, and testing low-cost and modular acoustic panels. The panels used are shaped with Origami-patterns, and they were made of waste cardboard sheets collected from the urban waste stream. The exploratory work combined physical prototyping and simulation using Pachyderm, an acoustic simulation plugin for Rhinoceros-Grasshopper. While prototyping focused on assessing fabrication workflow, simulation focused on determining Reverberation time of three types of three-layered Origami-based panels. Fabrication results showed that all panels were easy to produce with simple tools. The simulation confirmed that panels with a denser pattern decreased Reverberation time between 27% to 48% for 125, 250, and 500 Hz frequencies. Further research will explore increasing panels layers and adding alternative and recycled materials to test sound absorption. The solution presents promising results for low-income contexts with a high need to improve the physical conditions of classrooms and other buildings.
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| 10. |
- Diarte, Julio, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Arturo Herreros
- 2019
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Ingår i: Anales del Instituto de Arte Americano e Investigaciones Estéticas. Mario J. Buschiazzo. - Buenos Aires : Univesidad de Buenos Aires. - 0328-9796 .- 2362-2024. ; 49:2, s. 219-237
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- El objetivo del artículo es analizar la vida y obra de uno de los precursores de la arquitectura paraguaya de la segunda mitad del siglo XX, Arturo Ciriaco Herreros Alvarenga. Recibió el diploma de arquitecto registrado con el número “uno”, como parte de la primera promoción de arquitectos egresados en Paraguay, en la primera facultad de arquitectura del país, fundada en 1957. Herreros participó activamente como diseñador y constructor en numerosas obras públicas y privadas, y marcó el inicio de una producción arquitectónica colectiva hecha en Paraguay. Este trabajo describe la constitución de la primera facultad de arquitectura del país, presenta la trayectoria profesional de Herreros y analiza dos de sus obras más emblemáticas. De esta manera, busca contribuir al reconocimiento de profesionales aún ausentes en la historiografía de la arquitectura paraguaya y latinoamericana.
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