| 1. |
- Pastorelli, Giada, et al.
(författare)
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Constraining the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase with resolved stellar populations in the Large Magellanic Cloud
- 2020
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 498:3, s. 3283-3301
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reliable models of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase are of critical importance across astrophysics, including our interpretation of the spectral energy distribution of galaxies, cosmic dust production, and enrichment of the interstellar medium. With the aim of improving sets of stellar isochrones that include a detailed description of the TP-AGB phase, we extend our recent calibration of the AGB population in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) to the more metal-rich Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We model the LMC stellar populations with the TRILEGAL code, using the spatially resolved star formation history derived from the VISTA survey. We characterize the efficiency of the third dredge-up by matching the star counts and the K-s-band luminosity functions of the AGB stars identified in the LMC. In line with previous findings, we confirm that, compared to the SMC, the third dredge-up in AGB stars of the LMC is somewhat less efficient, as a consequence of the higher metallicity. The predicted range of initial mass of C-rich stars is between M-i approximate to 1.7 and 3 M-circle dot at Z(i) = 0.008. We show how the inclusion of new opacity data in the carbon star spectra will improve the performance of our models. We discuss the predicted lifetimes, integrated luminosities, and mass-loss rate distributions of the calibrated models. The results of our calibration are included in updated stellar isochrones publicly available.
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| 2. |
- Pastorelli, Giada, et al.
(författare)
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Constraining the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase with resolved stellar populations in the Small Magellanic Cloud
- 2019
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 485:4, s. 5666-5692
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) experienced by low-and intermediate-mass stars is one of the most uncertain phases of stellar evolution and the models need to be calibrated with the aid of observations. To this purpose, we couple high-quality observations of resolved stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with detailed stellar population synthesis simulations computed with the TRILEGAL code. The strength of our approach relies on the detailed spatially resolved star formation history of the SMC, derived from the deep near-infrared photometry of the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds, as well as on the capability to quickly and accurately explore a wide variety of parameters and effects with the COLIBRI code for the TP-AGB evolution. Adopting a well-characterized set of observations - star counts and luminosity functions - we set up a calibration cycle along which we iteratively change a few key parameters of the TP-AGB models until we eventually reach a good fit to the observations. Our work leads to identify two best-fitting models that mainly differ in the efficiencies of the third dredge-up and mass-loss in TP-AGB stars with initial masses larger than about 3 M-circle dot. On the basis of these calibrated models, we provide a full characterization of the TP-AGB stellar population in the SMC in terms of stellar parameters (initial masses, C/O ratios, carbon excess, mass-loss rates). Extensive tables of isochrones including these improved models are publicly available.
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| 3. |
- Roschier, L, et al.
(författare)
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Noise performance of the radio-frequency single-electron transistor
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 95:3, s. 1274-1286
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Measurements were performed on aluminum and multiwalled carbon nanotube radio-frequency single-electron transistors (RF-SETs) and analyzed the results carefully. A detailed noise model based on scattering matrix and noise wave formalisms was developed. The signal-to-noise ratios obtained from the model agree well with the measured charge sensitivities. It was found that, in the setup, the first stage HEMT amplifier was the most inadequate component contributing nearly all of the charge noise.
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| 4. |
- Alheim, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a functional glucocorticoid response element in the promoter of the cylcin-dependant kinase inhibitor p57(Kip2)
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. - : Bioscientifica. - 0952-5041 .- 1479-6813. ; 30:3, s. 359-368
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glucocorticoids are known regulators of the cell cycle, normally exerting an anti-proliferative effect. We have previously shown that glucocorticoids stimulate expression of p57(Kip2), a member of the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors which, in some cell types, may account for the anti-proliferative responses seen after glucocorticoid treatment. The induction of p57(Kip2) involves primary transcriptional effects where no de novo protein synthesis is necessary, suggesting a direct interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor with the p57(Kip2) gene. In this study we have identified a functional glucocorticoid response element (GRE), located 5 kilo bases (kb) upstream of the transcription start site in the human P57(Kip2) promoter. This GRE was functional also when isolated, suggesting a direct transcriptional effect of the glucocorticoid receptor. Furthermore, mutation of this GRE abolished glucocorticoid induction of the reporter gene, whereas mutation of a nearby Sp1 site did not. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we have shown that the -5 kb p57(Kip2) promoter GRE was able to compete with a well-known GRE for glucocorticoid receptor binding. Sequence comparisons with the mouse genome showed that this GRE is highly conserved, further strengthening the biological importance of this site. All these data emphasize the involvement of this GRE in the glucocorticoid-mediated induction of p57(Kip2) expression.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, I., et al.
(författare)
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Human MxA Protein Inhibits the Replication of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Virology. - 0022-538X .- 1098-5514. ; 78:8, s. 4323-4329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) belongs to the genus Nairovirus within the family Bunyaviridae and is the causative agent of severe hemorrhagic fever. Despite increasing knowledge about hemorrhagic fever viruses, the factors determining their pathogenicity are still poorly understood. The interferon-induced MxA protein has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on several members of the Bunyaviridae family, but the effect of MxA against CCHFV has not previously been studied. Here, we report that human MxA has antiviral activity against CCHFV. The yield of progeny virus in cells constitutively expressing MxA was reduced up to 1,000-fold compared with control cells, and accumulation of viral genomes was blocked. Confocal microscopy revealed that MxA colocalizes with the nucleocapsid protein (NP) of CCHFV in the perinuclear regions of infected cells. Furthermore, we found that MxA interacted with NP by using a coimmunoprecipitation assay. We also found that an amino acid substitution (E645R) within the C-terminal domain of MxA resulted in a loss of MxA antiviral activity and, concomitantly, in the capacity to interact with CCHFV NP. These results suggest that MxA, by interacting with a component of the nucleocapsid, prevents replication of CCHFV viral RNA and thereby inhibits the production of new infectious virus particles.
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| 6. |
- Brackmann, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Laser-induced fluorescence of formaldehyde in combustion using third harmonic Nd : YAG laser excitation
- 2003
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Ingår i: Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy. - 1386-1425. ; 59:14, s. 3347-3356
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Formaldehyde (CH2O) is an important intermediate species in combustion processes and it can through laser-induced fluorescence measurements be used for instantaneous flame front detection. The present study has focussed on the use of the third harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm as excitation wavelength for formaldehyde, and different dimethyl ether (C2H6O) flames were used as sources of formaldehyde in the experiments. The investigations included studies of the overlap between the laser profile and the absorption lines of formaldehyde, saturation effects and the potential occurrence of laser-induced photochemistry. The technique was applied for detection of formaldehyde in an internal combustion engine operated both as a spark ignition engine and as a homogenous charge compression ignition engine. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Erlandsson, A C, et al.
(författare)
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Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection and glucocorticoid treatment regulate viral yield, glucocorticoid receptor and NF-kappaB levels.
- 2002
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Ingår i: The Journal of endocrinology. - : Bioscientifica. - 0022-0795 .- 1479-6805. ; 175:1, s. 165-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interplay between the endocrine and immune systems has come into focus in recent years with the insight that endocrine parameters may affect susceptibility to both auto-immune and infectious diseases. Our interest in immunoendocrine regulation led us to investigate the effects of glucocorticoids on Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections. Glucocorticoids used to treat inflammatory conditions are not yet recommended for HSV-1 therapy, since they have been reported to prolong viral shedding both in vivo and in vitro. Here we report that glucocorticoids did not alter the viral yield in human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cell culture when glucocorticoid treatment and viral infection occured simultaneously, but the viral yield increased when cells were treated with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (dex) prior to viral infection. We found that viral infection in our primary cell system increased NF-kappaB levels and DNA binding. In addition, the amount of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) increased following viral infection, and HSV-1 infection as such could induce glucocorticoid-driven transcription of a reporter gene in human embryo kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably transfected with GR. Dex treatment did not affect HSV-1-induced binding of p65 to an NF-kappaB element in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and acyclovir was still efficient as an anti-viral drug in the presence of dex. Further studies of the observed effects of HSV-1 infection and glucocorticoid treatment on GR and NF-kappaB regulation could give insights into the immunoendocrine mechanisms important for defence and therapy against viral infections.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Oliveira, M. H. de Andrade, et al.
(författare)
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Soot, PAH and OH measurements in vaporized liquid fuel flames
- 2013
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Ingår i: Fuel. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7153 .- 0016-2361. ; 112, s. 145-152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Qualitative measurements of both OH and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as well as quantitative data of soot volume fraction f(v) have been obtained in vaporized liquid fuels, with the main goal of providing experimental data for combustion models and numerical mechanism validation. Measurements were carried out in a laminar coflow burner which was designed, built and integrated with an evaporation system, enabling the combustion of vaporized liquid fuels at pressures of up to 3.0 MPa to be studied. The fuels n-heptane and n-decane, referred to in the literature as being important surrogate fuels, were selected for measurements at atmospheric pressure that were carried out in the experimental setup described, making use of a combination of the Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and Laser Induced Incandescence (LII) techniques. Partially premixed flames of n-heptane and n-decane showed similar combustion characteristics in the range of 1.9 < phi < 3.7. For both of the fuels the threshold for soot formation was found to be at about phi similar to 3.3. Comparison of the LIF and LII measurements for the n-heptane flames within the range of 3.7 <= phi <= 8.5 indicated the maximum PAH LIF signal to be a good predictor of f(vmax) obtained from LII. Excitation at 266 nm using delayed detection was found to result in the signals obtained showing a close linear correlation with the soot volume fraction obtained from LII when prompt detection at 1064 nm excitation was used. Neither the effects of any additional photo-chemical processes making use of high laser power at 266 nm nor the effects of particle size on the delayed gate times appeared to be of any significance for the flame conditions studied here. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Sperling, L, et al.
(författare)
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How to identify twins at low risk of spontaneous preterm delivery
- 2005
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Ingår i: Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. - : Wiley. - 1469-0705 .- 0960-7692. ; 26:2, s. 138-144
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate transvaginal sonograpbic assessment of cervical length at 23 weeks as a screening test for spontaneous preterm delivery in order to define a cut-off value that could be used to select twin pregnancies at low risk of spontaneous preterm delivery. Methods In a prospective multicenter study of 383 twin pregnancies included before 14 + 6 weeks a cervical scan with measurement of the cervical length was performed at 23 weeks' gestation. The results were blinded for the clinicians if the cervical length was >= 15 mm. The rates of spontaneous delivery at different cut-off levels of cervical length were determined. Results Eighty-nine percent of the twins had dichorionic placentation and 58% were conceived after assisted reproduction. The rate of spontaneous preterm delivery was 2.3% (1.5% for dichorionic (DC) and 9.1% for (MC) monochorionic twins) before 28 weeks and 18.5% (17.1% for DC and 29.5% for MC twins) before 35 weeks. The screen-positive rate was 5% for a cervical length <= 20, 7-8% at <= 25, 16-17% at <= 30 and 34-48% at <= 35mm depending on chorionicity. The false-negative rate (1 - negative predictive value) ranged from 1.2% at 28 weeks to 18.6% at 35 weeks for all twins. Receiver-operating characteristics curves showed that the sensitivity increased with declining gestation I age with cut-off levels of highest accuracy at 21 mm for 28 weeks and 29 mm for 33 weeks. Conclusions Cervical length measurement at 23 weeks of gestation is a good screening test for predicting twins at low risk of preterm and very preterm delivery, especially in DC twins. The present results suggest that a cut-off of 25 mm should be recommended.
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| 16. |
- Svedin, C. G., et al.
(författare)
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Associations between adolescents watching pornography and poor mental health in three Swedish surveys
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. - : Springer. - 1018-8827 .- 1435-165X. ; 32:9, s. 1765-1780
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to examine the association between watching pornography and poor mental health in three repeated cross-sectional surveys in Sweden (2004, 2009, 2014) among high school seniors (13,277 students) with an average age of 18 years. The same index questions concerning ever having watched pornography and the frequency of watching pornography during the last year were combined with three different measures of psychological health and background control variables in multiple logistic regression and forward stepwise logistic regression models. The repeated cross-sectional surveys did not find any consistent associations across years between poor mental health and ever having watched pornography or the frequency of watching pornography. Having watched deviant pornography (containing violence, children and/or animals) was associated with poor mental health among boys in two surveys but only in one survey among girls. Other characteristics, such as mother's unemployment (especially boys), parenting style (especially high controlling parents among boys) and experiences of sexual abuse (especially penetrating abuse among girls), were more consistently and strongly associated to poor mental health across the three surveys. This study stresses the importance of controlling for multiple background variables when studying the association between watching pornography and mental health, since the association might primarily be explained by underlying confounding variables.
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| 17. |
- Ye, L, et al.
(författare)
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Thyroid receptor ligands. 1. Agonist ligands selective for the thyroid receptor beta1.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. ; 24;46:9, s. 1580-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Endogenous thyroid receptor hormones 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodo-l-thyronine (T(4), 1) and 3,5,3'-triiodo-l-thyronine (T(3), 2) exert a significant effects on growth, development, and homeostasis in mammals. They regulate important genes in intestinal, skeletal, and cardiac muscles, the liver, and the central nervous system, influence overall metabolic rate, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and heart rate, and affect mood and overall sense of well being. The literature suggests many or most effects of thyroid hormones on the heart, in particular on the heart rate and rhythm, are mediated through the TRalpha(1) isoform, while most actions of the hormones on the liver and other tissues are mediated more through the TRbeta(1) isoform of the receptor. Some effects of thyroid hormones may be therapeutically useful in nonthyroid disorders if adverse effects can be minimized or eliminated. These potentially useful features include weight reduction for the treatment of obesity, cholesterol lowering for treating hyperlipidemia, amelioration of depression, and stimulation of bone formation in osteoporosis. Prior attempts to utilize thyroid hormones pharmacologically to treat these disorders have been limited by manifestations of hyperthyroidism and, in particular, cardiovascular toxicity. Consequently, development of thyroid hormone receptor agonists that are selective for the beta-isoform could lead to safe therapies for these common disorders while avoiding cardiotoxicity. We describe here the synthesis and evaluation of a series of novel TR ligands, which are selective for TRbeta(1) over TRalpha(1). These ligands could potentially be useful for treatment of various disorders as outlined above. From a series of homologous R(1)-substituted carboxylic acid derivatives, increasing chain length was found to have a profound effect on affinity and selectivity in a radioreceptor binding assay for the human thyroid hormone receptors alpha(1) and beta(1) (TRalpha(1) and TRbeta(2)) as well as a reporter cell assay employing CHOK1-cells (Chinese hamster ovary cells) stably transfected with hTRalpha(1) or hTRbeta(1) and an alkaline phosphatase reporter-gene downstream thyroid response element (TRAFalpha(1) and TRAFbeta(1)). Affinity increases in the order formic, acetic, and propionic acid, while beta-selectivity is highest when the R(1) position is substituted with acetic acid. Within this series 3,5-dibromo-4-[(4-hydroxy-3-isopropylphenoxy)phenyl]acetic acid (11a) and 3,5-dichloro-4-[(4-hydroxy-3-isopropylphenoxy)phenyl]acetic acid (15) were found to reveal the most promising in vitro data based on isoform selectivity and were selected for further in vivo studies. The effect of 2, 11a, and 15 in a cholesterol-fed rat model was monitored including potencies for heart rate (ED(15)), cholesterol (ED(50)), and TSH (ED(50)). Potency for tachycardia was significantly reduced for the TRbeta selective compounds 11a and 15 compared with 2, while both 11a and 15 retained the cholesterol-lowering potency of 2. This left an approximately 10-fold therapeutic window between heart rate and cholesterol, which is consistent with the action of ligands that are approximately 10-fold more selective for TRbeta(1). We also report the X-ray crystallographic structures of the ligand binding domains of TRalpha and TRbeta in complex with 15. These structures reveal that the single amino acid difference in the ligand binding pocket (Ser277 in TRalpha or Asn331 in TRbeta) results in a slightly different hydrogen bonding pattern that may explain the increased beta-selectivity of 15.
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