| 1. |
- Dima, Danai, et al.
(författare)
-
Subcortical volumes across the lifespan : Data from 18,605 healthy individuals aged 3-90 years.
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Human Brain Mapping. - : Wiley. - 1065-9471 .- 1097-0193. ; 43:1, s. 452-469
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Age has a major effect on brain volume. However, the normative studies available are constrained by small sample sizes, restricted age coverage and significant methodological variability. These limitations introduce inconsistencies and may obscure or distort the lifespan trajectories of brain morphometry. In response, we capitalized on the resources of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to examine age-related trajectories inferred from cross-sectional measures of the ventricles, the basal ganglia (caudate, putamen, pallidum, and nucleus accumbens), the thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala using magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 18,605 individuals aged 3-90 years. All subcortical structure volumes were at their maximum value early in life. The volume of the basal ganglia showed a monotonic negative association with age thereafter; there was no significant association between age and the volumes of the thalamus, amygdala and the hippocampus (with some degree of decline in thalamus) until the sixth decade of life after which they also showed a steep negative association with age. The lateral ventricles showed continuous enlargement throughout the lifespan. Age was positively associated with inter-individual variability in the hippocampus and amygdala and the lateral ventricles. These results were robust to potential confounders and could be used to examine the functional significance of deviations from typical age-related morphometric patterns.
|
|
| 2. |
- Frangou, Sophia, et al.
(författare)
-
Cortical thickness across the lifespan : Data from 17,075 healthy individuals aged 3-90 years
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Human Brain Mapping. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1065-9471 .- 1097-0193. ; 43:1, s. 431-451
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Delineating the association of age and cortical thickness in healthy individuals is critical given the association of cortical thickness with cognition and behavior. Previous research has shown that robust estimates of the association between age and brain morphometry require large-scale studies. In response, we used cross-sectional data from 17,075 individuals aged 3-90 years from the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to infer age-related changes in cortical thickness. We used fractional polynomial (FP) regression to quantify the association between age and cortical thickness, and we computed normalized growth centiles using the parametric Lambda, Mu, and Sigma method. Interindividual variability was estimated using meta-analysis and one-way analysis of variance. For most regions, their highest cortical thickness value was observed in childhood. Age and cortical thickness showed a negative association; the slope was steeper up to the third decade of life and more gradual thereafter; notable exceptions to this general pattern were entorhinal, temporopolar, and anterior cingulate cortices. Interindividual variability was largest in temporal and frontal regions across the lifespan. Age and its FP combinations explained up to 59% variance in cortical thickness. These results may form the basis of further investigation on normative deviation in cortical thickness and its significance for behavioral and cognitive outcomes.
|
|
| 3. |
- Breznau, Nate, et al.
(författare)
-
Observing many researchers using the same data and hypothesis reveals a hidden universe of uncertainty
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 119:44
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores how researchers analytical choices affect the reliability of scientific findings. Most discussions of reliability problems in science focus on systematic biases. We broaden the lens to emphasize the idiosyncrasy of conscious and unconscious decisions that researchers make during data analysis. We coordinated 161 researchers in 73 research teams and observed their research decisions as they used the same data to independently test the same prominent social science hypothesis: that greater immigration reduces support for social policies among the public. In this typical case of social science research, research teams reported both widely diverging numerical findings and substantive conclusions despite identical start conditions. Researchers expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes. More than 95% of the total variance in numerical results remains unexplained even after qualitative coding of all identifiable decisions in each teams workflow. This reveals a universe of uncertainty that remains hidden when considering a single study in isolation. The idiosyncratic nature of how researchers results and conclusions varied is a previously underappreciated explanation for why many scientific hypotheses remain contested. These results call for greater epistemic humility and clarity in reporting scientific findings.
|
|
| 4. |
- Hibar, Derrek P., et al.
(författare)
-
Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (r(g) = -0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness.
|
|
| 5. |
- Satizabal, Claudia L., et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic architecture of subcortical brain structures in 38,851 individuals
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 51:11, s. 1624-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subcortical brain structures are integral to motion, consciousness, emotions and learning. We identified common genetic variation related to the volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus, using genome-wide association analyses in almost 40,000 individuals from CHARGE, ENIGMA and UK Biobank. We show that variability in subcortical volumes is heritable, and identify 48 significantly associated loci (40 novel at the time of analysis). Annotation of these loci by utilizing gene expression, methylation and neuropathological data identified 199 genes putatively implicated in neurodevelopment, synaptic signaling, axonal transport, apoptosis, inflammation/infection and susceptibility to neurological disorders. This set of genes is significantly enriched for Drosophila orthologs associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes, suggesting evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Our findings uncover novel biology and potential drug targets underlying brain development and disease.
|
|
| 6. |
- Thompson, Paul M., et al.
(författare)
-
The ENIGMA Consortium : large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data
- 2014
-
Ingår i: BRAIN IMAGING BEHAV. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1931-7557 .- 1931-7565. ; 8:2, s. 153-182
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger numbers of subjects than any individual neuroimaging study has currently collected. ENIGMA's first project was a genome-wide association study identifying common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume or intracranial volume. Continuing work is exploring genetic associations with subcortical volumes (ENIGMA2) and white matter microstructure (ENIGMA-DTI). Working groups also focus on understanding how schizophrenia, bipolar illness, major depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect the brain. We review the current progress of the ENIGMA Consortium, along with challenges and unexpected discoveries made on the way.
|
|
| 7. |
- Backé, Eva-Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
The role of psychosocial stress at work for the development of cardiovascular diseases : a systematic review.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - Berlin : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 85:1, s. 67-79
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: A systematic review was carried out to assess evidence for the association between different models of stress at work, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using five databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PSYNDEX and PsycINFO). Inclusion criteria for studies were the following: self-reported stress for individual workplaces, prospective study design and incident disease (myocardial infarction, stroke, angina pectoris, high blood pressure). Evaluation, according to the criteria of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, was done by two readers. In case of disagreement, a third reader was involved. RESULTS: Twenty-six publications were included, describing 40 analyses out of 20 cohorts. The risk estimates for work stress were associated with a statistically significant increased risk of cardiovascular disease in 13 out of the 20 cohorts. Associations were significant for 7 out of 13 cohorts applying the demand-control model, all three cohorts using the effort-reward model and 3 out of 6 cohorts investigating other models. Most significant results came from analyses considering only men. Results for the association between job stress and cardiovascular diseases in women were not clear. Associations were weaker in participants above the age of 55. CONCLUSIONS: In accordance with other systematic reviews, this review stresses the importance of psychosocial factors at work in the aetiology of cardiovascular diseases. Besides individual measures to manage stress and to cope with demanding work situations, organisational changes at the workplace need to be considered to find options to reduce occupational risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
|
|
| 8. |
- Bauer, Friederike U., et al.
(författare)
-
Tracing the exhumation history of the Rwenzori Mountains, Albertine Rift, Uganda, using low-temperature thermochronology
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Tectonophysics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-1951 .- 1879-3266. ; 599, s. 8-28
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Rwenzori Mtns form a striking feature within the Albertine Rift of the East African Rift System. They are made up of a dissected Precambrian metamorphic basement block reaching heights of more than 5 km. Applying low-temperature therrnochronology a complex exhumation history becomes evident, where rock and surface uplift can be traced from Palaeozoic to Neogene times. Fission-track and (U-Th-Sm)/He cooling ages and derived cooling histories allow distinguishing different blocks in the Rwenzori Mtns. In the central part a northern and a southern block are separated by a putative NW-SE trending fault; with the northern block showing distinctly younger apatite fission-track ages (similar to 130 Ma) than the southern block (similar to 300 Ma). Cooling ages in both blocks do not vary significantly with elevation, despite considerable differences in elevation. Thermal history modelling reflects protracted cooling histories. Modelled t-T paths show decoupled blocks that were relocated separately along distinct fault planes, which reactivated pre-existing structures, inherited from Palaeozoic folding and thrusting. Initial cooling affected the Rwenzori area in Silurian to Devonian times, followed by Mesozoic and Cainozoic cooling events. Pre-Neogene evolution seems to be triggered by tectonic processes like the opening of the Indian Ocean and the south Atlantic. From thermochronological data the formation of a Mesozoic Albertine high is conceivable. In Cainozoic times the area was affected by rifting, resulting in differentiated surface uplift. Along the western flank of the Rwenzori Mtns, surface uplift was more pronounced. This is also reflected in their recent topography, formed by accelerated rock uplift in the near past (Pliocene to Pleistocene). Erosion could not compensate for this most recent uplift, resulting in apatite He ages of Oligocene to Miocene age or even older.
|
|
| 9. |
- Bergmann, Annekatrin, et al.
(författare)
-
Do occupational risks for low back pain differ from risks for specific lumbar disc diseases? : Results of the German Lumbar Spine Study (EPILIFT)
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Spine. - 0362-2436 .- 1528-1159. ; 42:20, s. E1204-E1211
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Study design: A multicenter, population based, case-control study.Objective: The aim of the present analysis is to clarify potential differences in the "occupational risk profiles" of structural lumbar disc diseases on the one hand, and low back pain (LBP) on the other hand.Summary of background data: Physical workplace factors seem to play an important etiological role.Methods: We recruited 901 patients with structural lumbar disc diseases (disc herniation or severe disc space narrowing) and 233 control subjects with "low-back-pain." Both groups were compared with 422 "low-back pain free" control subjects. Case history, pain data, neurological deficits, and movement restrictions were documented. LBP was recorded by the Nordic questionnaire on musculoskeletal symptoms. All magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and X-rays were inspected by an independent study radiologist. The calculation of cumulative physical workload was based on a computer-assisted interview and a biomechanical analysis by 3-D-dynamic simulation tool. Occupational exposures were documented for the whole working life.Results: We found a positive dose-response relationship between cumulative lumbar load and LBP among men, but not among women. Physical occupational risks for structural lumbar disc diseases [odds ratio (OR) 3.7; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.3-6.0] are higher than for LBP (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.5).Conclusion: Our finding points to potentially different etiological pathways in the heterogeneous disease group of LBP. Results suggest that not all of the structural disc damage arising from physical workload leads to LBP.
|
|
| 10. |
- Blösch, Günter, et al.
(författare)
-
Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) - a community perspective
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 64:10, s. 1141-1158
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through online media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focused on the process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come.
|
|
| 11. |
- Bothmann, Enrico, et al.
(författare)
-
A standard convention for particle-level Monte Carlo event-variation weights
- 2023
-
Ingår i: SciPost Physics Core. - 2666-9366. ; 6:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Streams of event weights in particle-level Monte Carlo event generators are a convenient and immensely CPU-efficient approach to express systematic uncertainties in phenomenology calculations, providing systematic variations on the nominal prediction within a single event sample. But the lack of a common standard for labelling these variation streams across different tools has proven to be a major limitation for event-processing tools and analysers alike. Here we propose a well-defined, extensible community standard for the naming, ordering, and interpretation of weight streams that will serve as the basis for semantically correct parsing and combination of such variations in both theoretical and experimental studies.
|
|
| 12. |
- Erothu, Harikrishna, et al.
(författare)
-
Synthesis, Thermal Processing, and Thin Film Morphology of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-Poly(styrenesulfonate) Block Copolymers
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Macromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0024-9297 .- 1520-5835. ; 48:7, s. 2107-2117
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of novel block copolymers, processable from single organic solvents and subsequently rendered amphiphilic by thermolysis, have been synthesized using Grignard metathesis (GRIM) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations and azide-alkyne click chemistry. This chemistry is simple and allows the fabrication of well-defined block copolymers with controllable block lengths. The block copolymers, designed for use as interfacial adhesive layers in organic photovoltaics to enhance contact between the photoactive and hole transport layers, comprise printable poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(neopentyl p-styrenesulfonate), P3HT-b-PNSS. Subsequently, they are converted to P3HT-b-poly(p-styrenesulfonate), P3HT-b-PSS, following deposition and thermal treatment at 150 degrees C. Grazing incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS) revealed that thin films of the amphiphilic block copolymers comprise lamellar nanodomains of P3HT crystallites that can be pushed further apart by increasing the PSS block lengths. The approach of using a thermally modifiable block allows deposition of this copolymer from a single organic solvent and subsequent conversion to an amphiphilic layer by nonchemical means, particularly attractive to large scale roll-to-roll industrial printing processes.
|
|
| 13. |
- Hammer-Rotzler, Bernadette, et al.
(författare)
-
Distribution and surface enrichment of radionuclides in lead-bismuth eutectic from spallation targets
- 2016
-
Ingår i: European Physical Journal Plus. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2190-5444. ; 131:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the development of new high-power neutron spallation sources --both for scientific application and as neutron production tool for accelerator-driven systems-- the demand for experimentally obtained nuclear data on the residue nuclei production in the target is constantly increasing. In the present work, we examined two lead-bismuth-eutectic targets, irradiated with high-energy protons, concerning their radionuclide content and the spatial distribution of selected isotopes. The first one was the so-called ISOLDE target, being irradiated with 1-1.4GeV protons at CERN-ISOLDE, the second one was the MEGAPIE target, irradiated at PSI with 590MeV protons. In particular, we investigated the phenomenon of radionuclide enrichment on free surfaces in both targets. It turned out that considerable accumulation can be found especially in the case of lanthanides. The depletion process is enhanced at increased temperatures. The results are compared with theoretical predictions; some possible consequences of the findings are illustrated.
|
|
| 14. |
- Hess, Timo, et al.
(författare)
-
Dissecting the genetic heterogeneity of gastric cancer
- 2023
-
Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3964. ; 92
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is clinically heterogenous according to location (cardia/non-cardia) and histopathology (diffuse/intestinal). We aimed to characterize the genetic risk architecture of GC according to its subtypes. Another aim was to examine whether cardia GC and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and its precursor lesion Barrett's oesophagus (BO), which are all located at the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ), share polygenic risk architecture.Methods: We did a meta-analysis of ten European genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of GC and its subtypes. All patients had a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma. For the identification of risk genes among GWAS loci we did a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) study from gastric corpus and antrum mucosa. To test whether cardia GC and OAC/BO share genetic aetiology we also used a European GWAS sample with OAC/BO.Findings: Our GWAS consisting of 5816 patients and 10,999 controls highlights the genetic heterogeneity of GC according to its subtypes. We newly identified two and replicated five GC risk loci, all of them with subtype-specific association. The gastric transcriptome data consisting of 361 corpus and 342 antrum mucosa samples revealed that an upregulated expression of MUC1, ANKRD50, PTGER4, and PSCA are plausible GC-pathomechanisms at four GWAS loci. At another risk locus, we found that the blood-group 0 exerts protective effects for non-cardia and diffuse GC, while blood-group A increases risk for both GC subtypes. Furthermore, our GWAS on cardia GC and OAC/BO (10,279 patients, 16,527 controls) showed that both cancer entities share genetic aetiology at the polygenic level and identified two new risk loci on the single-marker level.Interpretation: Our findings show that the pathophysiology of GC is genetically heterogenous according to location and histopathology. Moreover, our findings point to common molecular mechanisms underlying cardia GC and OAC/BO.
|
|
| 15. |
- Hoeche, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
-
Matching Parton Showers and Matrix Elements
- 2005
-
Ingår i: CERN Reports. - 0007-8328. - 9290832657 ; CERN-2005-014, s. 288-299
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We compare different procedures for combining fixed-order tree-level matrix element generators with parton showers. We use the case of W-production at the Tevatron and the LHC to compare different implementations of the so-called CKKW scheme and one based on the so-called MLM scheme using different matrix element generators and different parton cascades. We find that although similar results are obtained in all cases, there are important differences.
|
|
| 16. |
- Holtermann, R., et al.
(författare)
-
A Hybrid Approach to the Modelling and Simulation of Grinding Processes
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM XI); 5th European Conference on Computational Mechanics (ECCM V); 6th European Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics (ECFD VI). - 9788494284472 ; , s. 1932-1937
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present recent advances in the modelling and simulation of Internal Traverse Grinding, a high performance grinding process incorporating a high rate of material removal combined with a high surface quality. Due to a special grinding wheel geometry, the latter two goals are achieved in just one pass of the tool through the axisymmetric workpiece. The simulation framework we present generally consists of three components. The first one is a parametric plane strain, h-adaptive finite element model capturing the material penetration of a single cBN grain on a meso-scale during the machining process. Secondly, a topography analysis procedure as well as a kinematic simulation have been developed to measure and analyse the surface topography of an actual grinding wheel. We then use this information to model the grinding wheel surface in the latter kinematic simulation. This enables us to perform an exact calculation of the transient penetration history of every grain intersecting with the workpiece bulk. The superposition of these results is then used in the third component of the simulation framework, namely a process scale workpiece model currently under development which captures the effects of thermo-mechanical loads on the workpiece undergoing material removal and thus, in the near future, shall enable us to predict potential unwanted phase transformations of the bulk surface as well as size and shape errors of the finished part. In this contribution, we will focus on the first two parts of the simulation framework, namely the meso-scale as well as the kinematic simulation and the coupling between the two scales.
|
|
| 17. |
|
|
| 18. |
- Holtermann, Raphael, et al.
(författare)
-
Modelling and simulation of Internal Traverse Grinding: bridging meso- and macro-scale simulations
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Production Engineering. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-6524 .- 1863-7353. ; 9:4, s. 451-463
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, we focus on the computational bridging between the meso- and macro-scale in the context of the hybrid modelling of Internal Traverse Grinding with electro-plated cBN wheels. This grinding process satisfies the manufacturing industry demands for a high rate of material removal along with a high surface quality while minimising the number of manufacturing processes invoked. To overcome the major problem of the present machining process, namely a highly concentrated thermal load which can result in micro-structural damage and dimension errors of the workpiece, a hybrid simulation framework is currently under development. The latter consists of three components. First, a kinematic simulation that models the grinding wheel surface based on experimentally determined measurements is used to calculate the transient penetration history of every grain intersecting with the workpiece. Secondly, an h-adaptive, plane-strain finite element model incorporating elasto-plastic work hardening, thermal softening and ductile damage is used to simulate the proximity of one cBN grain during grinding and to capture the complex thermo-mechanical material response on a meso-scale. For the third component of the framework, the results from the preceding two simulation steps are combined into a macro-scale process model that shall in the future be used to improve manufacturing accuracy and to develop error compensation strategies accordingly. To achieve this objective, a regression analysis scheme is incorporated to approximate the influence of the several cutting mechanisms on the meso-scale and to transfer the homogenisation-based thermo-mechanical results to the macro-scale.
|
|
| 19. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(författare)
-
The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
|
|
| 20. |
- Jusufi, Ilir
(författare)
-
Towards the Visualization of Multivariate Biochemical Networks
- 2012
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many open challenges exist when dealing with different biological networks. They are crucial for the understanding of living beings. Complete drawings of these typically large networks usually suffer from clutter and visual overload. In order to overcome this issue, the networks are divided into single, hierarchically structured pathways. However, this subdivision makes it harder to navigate and understand the connections between pathways. Another challenge is to visualize ontologies and hierarchical clusterings, which are important tools to study high-throughput data that are automatically generated nowadays. Both of these methods produce different types of large graphs. Although these methods are used to explore the same data set, they are usually considered independently. Therefore, a combined view showing the results of both methods is desired. Additionally, real life data sets, including biological networks, usually have additional attributes related to the considered network. Investigating means to visualize such multivariate data together with the network drawing is also one of the ongoing challenges in biology, but also in other fields.The aim of this thesis is to lay out the foundations towards defining techniques for the visualization of multivariate biochemical networks. An overall understanding of the problems related to biochemical networks should be acquired to achieve this aim. More importantly, a contribution to the aforementioned challenges is necessary.Two research goals have been defined to accomplish our aim: for the first goal, we should improve shortcomings of the approach of dividing larger biological networks into smaller pieces and contribute to the problem of a visualization of different types of interconnected biological networks. The second goal is a contribution for the visualization of multivariate biological networks.Initially, a brief survey on techniques to visualize multivariate networks is presented in this thesis. Then, various visualization and interaction techniques are presented that address the challenges in biochemical network analysis. Three different software tools were implemented to demonstrate our research efforts. We discuss all features of our systems in detail, describe the visualization and interaction techniques as well as disadvantages and scalability issues if present.
|
|
| 21. |
- Khan, Wasim, et al.
(författare)
-
A Multi-Cohort Study of ApoE epsilon 4 and Amyloid-beta Effects on the Hippocampus in Alzheimer's Disease
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 56:3, s. 1159-1174
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene has been consistently shown to modulate the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, using an AD and normal aging dataset primarily consisting of three AD multi-center studies (n = 1,781), we compared the effect of APOE and amyloid-beta (A beta) on baseline hippocampal volumes in AD patients, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects, and healthy controls. A large sample of healthy adolescents (n = 1,387) was also used to compare hippocampal volumes between APOE groups. Subjects had undergone a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and APOE genotyping. Hippocampal volumes were processed using FreeSurfer. In the AD and normal aging dataset, hippocampal comparisons were performed in each APOE group and in epsilon 4 carriers with positron emission tomography (PET) A beta who were dichotomized (A beta+/A beta-) using previous cut-offs. We found a linear reduction in hippocampal volumes with epsilon 4 carriers possessing the smallest volumes, epsilon 3 carriers possessing intermediate volumes, and epsilon 2 carriers possessing the largest volumes. Moreover, AD and MCI epsilon 4 carriers possessed the smallest hippocampal volumes and control epsilon 2 carriers possessed the largest hippocampal volumes. Subjects with both APOE epsilon 4 and A beta positivity had the lowest hippocampal volumes when compared to A beta-epsilon 4 carriers, suggesting a synergistic relationship between APOE epsilon 4 and A beta. However, we found no hippocampal volume differences between APOE groups in healthy 14-year-old adolescents. Our findings suggest that the strongest neuroanatomic effect of APOE epsilon 4 on the hippocampus is observed in AD and groups most at risk of developing the disease, whereas hippocampi of old and young healthy individuals remain unaffected.
|
|
| 22. |
- Leitner, Torsten, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
The CoESCA station at BESSY: Auger electron–photoelectron coincidences from surfaces demonstrated for Ag MNN
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena. - : Elsevier BV. - 0368-2048 .- 1873-2526. ; 250
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, we present the CoESCA station for electron–electron coincidence spectroscopy from surfaces, built in a close collaboration between Uppsala University and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin at the BESSY II synchrotron facility in Berlin, Germany. We start with a detailed overview of previous work in the field of electron–electron coincidences, before we describe the CoESCA setup and its design parameters. The system is capable of recording shot-to-shot resolved 6D coincidence datasets, i.e. the kinetic energy and the two take off angles for both coincident electrons. The mathematics behind extracting and analysing these multi-dimensional coincidence datasets is introduced, with a focus on coincidence statistics, resulting in fundamental limits of the signal-to-noise ratio and its implications for acquisition times and the size of the raw data stream. The functionality of the CoESCA station is demonstrated for the example of Auger electron–photoelectron coincidences from silver surfaces for photoelectrons from the Ag 3d core levels and their corresponding MNN Auger electrons. The Auger spectra originating from the different core levels, 3d and 3d could be separated and further, the two-hole state energy distributions were determined for these Auger decay channels.
|
|
| 23. |
- Mueller, Christian P., et al.
(författare)
-
The Cortical Neuroimmune Regulator TANK Affects Emotional Processing and Enhances Alcohol Drinking : A Translational Study
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Cerebral Cortex. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. - 1047-3211 .- 1460-2199. ; 29:4, s. 1736-1751
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alcohol abuse is a major public health problem worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control regular drinking may help to reduce hazards of alcohol consumption. While immunological mechanisms have been related to alcohol drinking, most studies reported changes in immune function that are secondary to alcohol use. In this report, we analyse how the gene "TRAF family member-associated NF-kappa B activator" (TANK) affects alcohol drinking behavior. Based on our recent discovery in a large GWAS dataset that suggested an association of TANK, SNP rs197273, with alcohol drinking, we report that SNP rs197273 in TANK is associated both with gene expression (P = 1.16 x 10(-19)) and regional methylation (P = 5.90 x 10(-25)). A tank knock out mouse model suggests a role of TANK in alcohol drinking, anxiety-related behavior, as well as alcohol exposure induced activation of insular cortex NF-kappa B. Functional and structural neuroimaging studies among up to 1896 adolescents reveal that TANK is involved in the control of brain activity in areas of aversive interoceptive processing, including the insular cortex, but not in areas related to reinforcement, reward processing or impulsiveness. Our findings suggest that the cortical neuroimmune regulator TANK is associated with enhanced aversive emotional processing that better protects from the establishment of alcohol drinking behavior.
|
|
| 24. |
- Partonen, Timo, et al.
(författare)
-
Three circadian clock genes Per2, Arnt1, and Npas2 contribute to winter depression
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Annals of Medicine. - New York : Informa Healthcare. - 0785-3890 .- 1365-2060. ; 39:3, s. 229-238
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the circadian clock contributes to the pathogenesis of winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). We hypothesized that sequence variations in three genes, including Per2, Arntl, and Npas2, which form a functional unit at the core of the circadian clock, predispose to winter depression.Methods. In silico analysis of the biological effects of allelic differences suggested the target single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to be analyzed in a sample of 189 patients and 189 matched controls. The most relevant SNP in each gene was identified for the interaction analysis and included in the multivariate assessment of the combined effects of all three SNPs on the disease risk.Results. SAD was associated with variations in each of the three genes in gene-wise logistic regression analysis. In combination analysis of variations of Per2, Arntl, and Npas2, we found additive effects and identified a genetic risk profile for the disorder. Carriers of the risk genotype combination had the odds ratio of 4.43 of developing SAD as compared with the remaining genotypes, and of 10.67 as compared with the most protective genotype combination.Conclusion. Variations in the three circadian clock genes Per2, Arntl, and Npas2 are associated with the disease, supporting the hypothesis that the circadian clock mechanisms contribute to winter depression.
|
|
| 25. |
- Raphael, Holtermann, et al.
(författare)
-
Modelling, simulation and experimental investigation of chip formation in internal traverse grinding
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Production Engineering. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-6524 .- 1863-7353. ; 7:2-3, s. 251-263
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present recent developments in modelling and simulation of internal traverse grinding, a high speed machining process which enables both a large material removal rate and high surface quality. We invoke a hybrid modelling framework, including a process scale model, simulations on a mesoscale capturing the proximity of a single cBN grain and an analysis framework to investigate the grinding wheel topography. Moreover, we perform experiments to verify our simulations. Focus in this context is the influence of the cutting speed variation on the grain specific heat generation.
|
|
