| 1. |
- Murari, A., et al.
(författare)
-
A control oriented strategy of disruption prediction to avoid the configuration collapse of tokamak reactors
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Nature Communications. - 2041-1723 .- 2041-1723. ; 15:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of thermonuclear fusion consists of producing electricity from the coalescence of light nuclei in high temperature plasmas. The most promising route to fusion envisages the confinement of such plasmas with magnetic fields, whose most studied configuration is the tokamak. Disruptions are catastrophic collapses affecting all tokamak devices and one of the main potential showstoppers on the route to a commercial reactor. In this work we report how, deploying innovative analysis methods on thousands of JET experiments covering the isotopic compositions from hydrogen to full tritium and including the major D-T campaign, the nature of the various forms of collapse is investigated in all phases of the discharges. An original approach to proximity detection has been developed, which allows determining both the probability of and the time interval remaining before an incoming disruption, with adaptive, from scratch, real time compatible techniques. The results indicate that physics based prediction and control tools can be developed, to deploy realistic strategies of disruption avoidance and prevention, meeting the requirements of the next generation of devices.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Accomando, E., et al.
(författare)
-
Physics with e + e - linear colliders
- 1998
-
Ingår i: Physics Reports. - 0370-1573. ; 299:1, s. 1-78
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The physics potential of e + e - linear colliders is summarized in this report. These machines are planned to operate in the first phase at a center-of-mass energy of 500 GeV, before being scaled up to about 1 TeV. In the second phase of the operation, a final energy of about 2 TeV is expected. The machines will allow us to perform precision tests of the heavy particles in the Standard Model, the top quark and the electroweak bosons. They are ideal facilities for exploring the properties of Higgs particles, in particular in the intermediate mass range. New vector bosons and novel matter particles in extended gauge theories can be searched for and studied thoroughly. The machines provide unique opportunities for the discovery of particles in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model, the spectrum of Higgs particles, the supersymmetric partners of the electroweak gauge and Higgs bosons, and of the matter particles. High precision analyses of their properties and interactions will allow for extrapolations to energy scales close to the Planck scale where gravity becomes significant. In alternative scenarios, i.e. compositeness models, novel matter particles and interactions can be discovered and investigated in the energy range above the existing colliders up to the TeV scale. Whatever scenario is realized in Nature, the discovery potential of e + e - linear colliders and the high precision with which the properties of particles and their interactions can be analyzed, define an exciting physics program complementary to hadron machines.
|
|
| 6. |
- Gaglione, R., et al.
(författare)
-
Insights into the anticancer properties of the first antimicrobial peptide from Archaea
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-8006 .- 0304-4165. ; 1861:9, s. 2155-2164
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The peptide VLL-28, identified in the sequence of an archaeal protein, the transcription factor Stf76 from Sulfolobus islandicus, was previously identified and characterized as an antimicrobial peptide, possessing a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Methods: Through a combined approach of NMR and Circular Dichroism spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, confocal microscopy and cell viability assays, the interaction of VLL-28 with the membranes of both parental and malignant cell lines has been characterized and peptide mechanism of action has been studied. Results: It is here demonstrated that VLL-28 selectively exerts cytotoxic activity against murine and human tumor cells. By means of structural methodologies, VLL-28 interaction with the membranes has been proven and the binding residues have been identified. Confocal microscopy data show that VLL-28 is internalized only into tumor cells. Finally, it is shown that cell death is mainly caused by a time-dependent activation of apoptotic pathways. Conclusions: VLL-28, deriving from the archaeal kingdom, is here found to be endowed with selective cytotoxic activity towards both murine and human cancer cells and consequently can be classified as an ACP.
|
|
| 7. |
- Kim, Hyun-Tae, et al.
(författare)
-
Validation of D-T fusion power prediction capability against 2021 JET D-T experiments
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 63:11
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- JET experiments using the fuel mixture envisaged for fusion power plants, deuterium and tritium (D-T), provide a unique opportunity to validate existing D-T fusion power prediction capabilities in support of future device design and operation preparation. The 2021 JET D-T experimental campaign has achieved D-T fusion powers sustained over 5 s in ITER-relevant conditions i.e. operation with the baseline or hybrid scenario in the full metallic wall. In preparation of the 2021 JET D-T experimental campaign, extensive D-T predictive modelling was carried out with several assumptions based on D discharges. To improve the validity of ITER D-T predictive modelling in the future, it is important to use the input data measured from 2021 JET D-T discharges in the present core predictive modelling, and to specify the accuracy of the D-T fusion power prediction in comparison with the experiments. This paper reports on the validation of the core integrated modelling with TRANSP, JINTRAC, and ETS coupled with a quasilinear turbulent transport model (Trapped Gyro Landau Fluid or QualLiKiz) against the measured data in 2021 JET D-T discharges. Detailed simulation settings and the heating and transport models used are described. The D-T fusion power calculated with the interpretive TRANSP runs for 38 D-T discharges (12 baseline and 26 hybrid discharges) reproduced the measured values within 20 % . This indicates the additional uncertainties, that could result from the measurement error bars in kinetic profiles, impurity contents and neutron rates, and also from the beam-thermal fusion reaction modelling, are less than 20 % in total. The good statistical agreement confirms that we have the capability to accurately calculate the D-T fusion power if correct kinetic profiles are predicted, and indicates that any larger deviation of the D-T fusion power prediction from the measured fusion power could be attributed to the deviation of the predicted kinetic profiles from the measured kinetic profiles in these plasma scenarios. Without any posterior adjustment of the simulation settings, the ratio of predicted D-T fusion power to the measured fusion power was found as 65%-96% for the D-T baseline and 81%-97% for D-T hybrid discharge. Possible reasons for the lower D-T prediction are discussed and future works to improve the fusion power prediction capability are suggested. The D-T predictive modelling results have also been compared to the predictive modelling of the counterpart D discharges, where the key engineering parameters are similar. Features in the predicted kinetic profiles of D-T discharges such as underprediction of ne are also found in the prediction results of the counterpart D discharges, and it leads to similar levels of the normalized neutron rate prediction between the modelling results of D-T and the counterpart D discharges. This implies that the credibility of D-T fusion power prediction could be a priori estimated by the prediction quality of the preparatory D discharges, which will be attempted before actual D-T experiments.
|
|
| 8. |
- Dekov, Vesselin, et al.
(författare)
-
Ferrihydrite precipitation in goundwater-fed river systems (Nete and Demer river basins, Belgium): Insights from a combined Fe-Zn-Sr-Nd-Pb-isotope study.
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Chemical Geology. - : Elsevier. - 0009-2541 .- 1872-6836. ; 386, s. 1-15
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two groundwater-fed river systems (Nete and Demer, Belgium) carry red suspended material that settles on the river bed forming red sediments. The local aquifer that feeds these river systems is a glauconite-rich sand, which provides most of the dissolved Fe to the rivers. The solid component of these systems, i.e., the red suspended material and sediments, has a simple mineralogy (predominantly ferrihydrite), but shows a complex geochemistry pointing out the different processes contributing to the river chemistry: (1) the red sediments have higher transition metal (excluding Cu) and detrital element (e.g., Si, Al, K, Rb, etc.) concentrations than the red suspended matter because of their longer residence time in the river and higher contribution of the background (aquifer) component, respectively; (2) the red suspended material and sediments have inherited their rare earth element (REE) patterns from the aquifer; (3) the origin of Sr present in the red suspended matter and red sediments is predominantly marine (i.e., Quaternary calcareous rocks), but a small amount is geogenic (i.e., from detrital rocks); (4) Pb in both solids originates mostly from anthropogenic and geogenic sources; (5) all of the anthropogenic Pb in the red suspended material and sediments is hosted by the ferrihydrite; (6) Nd budget of the red riverine samples is controlled by the geogenic source and shows little anthropogenic component; (7) the signi- ficant Fe- and Zn-isotope fractionations are in line with the previous studies. Their fractionation patterns do not correlate, suggesting that the processes controlling the isotope geochemistry of Fe and Zn are different: oxidation/reduction most likely governs the Fe-isotope fractionation, whereas adsorption/desorption or admixing of anthropogenic sources controls the isotope fractionation of Zn.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
| 11. |
|
|
| 12. |
- Franco, C., et al.
(författare)
-
Size-Exclusion Chromatography Combined with Ultrafiltration Efficiently Isolates Extracellular Vesicles from Human Blood Samples in Health and Disease
- 2023
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 1422-0067. ; 24:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is still a need for an efficient method for the isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human blood that provides a reliable yield with acceptable purity. Blood is a source of circulating EVs, but soluble proteins and lipoproteins hamper their concentration, isolation, and detection. This study aims to investigate the efficiency of EV isolation and characterization methods not defined as "gold standard". EVs were isolated from human platelet-free plasma (PFP) of patients and healthy donors through size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) combined with ultrafiltration (UF). Then, EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), imaging flow cytometry (IFC), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). TEM images showed intact and roundish nanoparticles in pure samples. IFC analysis detected a prevalence of CD63+ EVs compared to CD9+, CD81+, and CD11c+ EVs. NTA confirmed the presence of small EVs with a concentration of similar to 10(10) EVs/mL that were comparable when stratifying the subjects by baseline demographics; conversely, concentration differed according to the health status across healthy donors and patients affected with autoimmune diseases (130 subjects in total, with 65 healthy donors and 65 idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients). Altogether, our data show that a combined EV isolation method, i.e., SEC followed by UF, is a reliable approach to isolate intact EVs with a significant yield from complex fluids, which might characterize disease conditions early.
|
|
| 13. |
- Gatto, E., et al.
(författare)
-
Polychromatic fingerprinting of excitation emission matrices
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Chemistry - A European Journal. - : Wiley. - 0947-6539 .- 1521-3765. ; 14:20, s. 6057-6060
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability of a ubiquitous polychromatic excitation to support the fingerprinting of the Excitation Emission Matrices (EEM) of fluorescent indicators was reported. Solutions of fluorescent molecules, with concentration of 2µM for the absorption and 10µM for the emission measurements were prepared. Spectroscopic grade THF and distilled water passed through Milli-Q purification system were used as solvents. EEM measurements were carried out on a spectrofluorimeter, operating in the 390-700 nm detection range, with excitations at 20 nm intervals within the same range. During the measurement, the screen displayed a sequence of 50 colors and for every color, the transmission and emission spectrum of both the reference and the sample were recorded. Illuminating colors in the red region are not able to excite fluorescence and this can be seen in the spectra for red light.
|
|
| 14. |
- Gatto, Francesco, 1987, et al.
(författare)
-
Glycosaminoglycan Profiling in Patients' Plasma and Urine Predicts the Occurrence of Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Cell Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-1247. ; 15:8, s. 1822-1836
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) progression. Here, we used genome-scale metabolic modeling to elucidate metabolic reprogramming in 481 ccRCC samples and discovered strongly coordinated regulation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) biosynthesis at the transcript and protein levels. Extracellular GAGs are implicated in metastasis, so we speculated that such regulation might translate into a non-invasive biomarker for metastatic ccRCC (mccRCC). We measured 18 GAG properties in 34 mccRCC samples versus 16 healthy plasma and/or urine samples. The GAG profiles were distinctively altered in mccRCC. We derived three GAG scores that distinguished mccRCC patients with 93.1%-100% accuracy. We validated the score accuracies in an independent cohort (up to 18 mccRCC versus nine healthy) and verified that the scores normalized in eight patients with no evidence of disease. In conclusion, coordinated regulation of GAG biosynthesis occurs in ccRCC, and non-invasive GAG profiling is suitable for mccRCC diagnosis.
|
|
| 15. |
|
|
| 16. |
|
|
| 17. |
|
|
| 18. |
|
|
| 19. |
- Pal, Gian, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic Testing in Parkinson's Disease.
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Movement Disorders. - 0885-3185 .- 1531-8257. ; 38:8, s. 1384-1396
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic testing for persons with Parkinson's disease is becoming increasingly common. Significant gains have been made regarding genetic testing methods, and testing is becoming more readily available in clinical, research, and direct-to-consumer settings. Although the potential utility of clinical testing is expanding, there are currently no proven gene-targeted therapies, but clinical trials are underway. Furthermore, genetic testing practices vary widely, as do knowledge and attitudes of relevant stakeholders. The specter of testing mandates financial, ethical, and physician engagement, and there is a need for guidelines to help navigate the myriad of challenges. However, to develop guidelines, gaps and controversies need to be clearly identified and analyzed. To this end, we first reviewed recent literature and subsequently identified gaps and controversies, some of which were partially addressed in the literature, but many of which are not well delineated or researched. Key gaps and controversies include: (1) Is genetic testing appropriate in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals without medical actionability? (2) How, if at all, should testing vary based on ethnicity? (3) What are the long-term outcomes of consumer- and research-based genetic testing in presymptomatic PD? (4) What resources are needed for clinical genetic testing, and how is this impacted by models of care and cost-benefit considerations? Addressing these issues will help facilitate the development of consensus and guidelines regarding the approach and access to genetic testing and counseling. This is also needed to guide a multidisciplinary approach that accounts for cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic factors in developing testing guidelines. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
|
|
| 20. |
- Saunders-Pullman, Rachel, et al.
(författare)
-
International Genetic Testing and Counseling Practices for Parkinson's Disease.
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Movement Disorders. - 0885-3185 .- 1531-8257. ; 38:8, s. 1527-1535
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is growing clinical and research utilization of genetic testing in Parkinson's disease (PD), including direct-to-consumer testing.OBJECTIVES: The aim is to determine the international landscape of genetic testing in PD to inform future worldwide recommendations.METHODS: A web-based survey assessing current practices, concerns, and barriers to genetic testing and counseling was administered to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society membership.RESULTS: Common hurdles across sites included cost and access to genetic testing, and counseling, as well as education on genetic counseling. Region-dependent differences in access to and availability of testing and counseling were most notable in Africa. High-income countries also demonstrated heterogeneity, with European nations more likely to have genetic testing covered through insurance than Pan-American and Asian countries.CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights not only diversity of barriers in different regions but also the shared and highly actionable needs for improved education and access to genetic counseling and testing for PD worldwide. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
|
|
| 21. |
- Spliid, Charlotte B., et al.
(författare)
-
The specificity of the malarial VAR2CSA protein for chondroitin sulfate depends on 4-O-sulfation and ligand accessibility
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 297:6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Placental malaria infection is mediated by the binding of the malarial VAR2CSA protein to the placental glycosaminoglycan, chondroitin sulfate. Recombinant subfragments of VAR2CSA (rVAR2) have also been shown to bind specifically and with high affinity to cancer cells and tissues, suggesting the presence of a shared type of oncofetal chondroitin sulfate (ofCS) in the placenta and in tumors. However, the exact structure of ofCS and what determines the selective tropism of VAR2CSA remains poorly understood. In this study, ofCS was purified by affinity chromatography using rVAR2 and subjected to detailed structural analysis. We found high levels of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-O-sulfation (∼80-85%) in placenta- and tumor-derived ofCS. This level of 4-O-sulfation was also found in other tissues that do not support parasite sequestration, suggesting that VAR2CSA tropism is not exclusively determined by placenta- and tumor-specific sulfation. Here, we show that both placenta and tumors contain significantly more chondroitin sulfate moieties of higher molecular weight than other tissues. In line with this, CHPF and CHPF2, which encode proteins required for chondroitin polymerization, are significantly upregulated in most cancer types. CRISPR/Cas9 targeting of CHPF and CHPF2 in tumor cells reduced the average molecular weight of cell-surface chondroitin sulfate and resulted in a marked reduction of rVAR2 binding. Finally, utilizing a cell-based glycocalyx model, we showed that rVAR2 binding correlates with the length of the chondroitin sulfate chains in the cellular glycocalyx. These data demonstrate that the total amount and cellular accessibility of chondroitin sulfate chains impact rVAR2 binding and thus malaria infection.
|
|
| 22. |
|
|
| 23. |
|
|
