| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Shepherd, L., et al.
(författare)
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Infection-related and -unrelated malignancies, HIV and the aging population
- 2016
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Ingår i: HIV Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1464-2662 .- 1468-1293. ; 17:8, s. 590-600
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: HIV-positive people have increased risk of infection-related malignancies (IRMs) and infection-unrelated malignancies (IURMs). The aim of the study was to determine the impact of aging on future IRM and IURM incidence. Methods: People enrolled in EuroSIDA and followed from the latest of the first visit or 1 January 2001 until the last visit or death were included in the study. Poisson regression was used to investigate the impact of aging on the incidence of IRMs and IURMs, adjusting for demographic, clinical and laboratory confounders. Linear exponential smoothing models forecasted future incidence. Results: A total of 15 648 people contributed 95 033 person-years of follow-up, of whom 610 developed 643 malignancies [IRMs: 388 (60%); IURMs: 255 (40%)]. After adjustment, a higher IRM incidence was associated with a lower CD4 count [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) CD4 count < 200 cells/μL: 3.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.59, 5.51; compared with ≥ 500 cells/μL], independent of age, while a CD4 count < 200 cells/μL was associated with IURMs in people aged < 50 years only (aIRR: 2.51; 95% CI 1.40–4.54). Smoking was associated with IURMs (aIRR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.23, 2.49) compared with never smokers in people aged ≥ 50 years only, and not with IRMs. The incidences of both IURMs and IRMs increased with older age. It was projected that the incidence of IRMs would decrease by 29% over a 5-year period from 3.1 (95% CI 1.5–5.9) per 1000 person-years in 2011, whereas the IURM incidence would increase by 44% from 4.1 (95% CI 2.2–7.2) per 1000 person-years over the same period. Conclusions: Demographic and HIV-related risk factors for IURMs (aging and smoking) and IRMs (immunodeficiency and ongoing viral replication) differ markedly and the contribution from IURMs relative to IRMs will continue to increase as a result of aging of the HIV-infected population, high smoking and lung cancer prevalence and a low prevalence of untreated HIV infection. These findings suggest the need for targeted preventive measures and evaluation of the cost−benefit of screening for IURMs in HIV-infected populations.
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| 3. |
- Pantazis, N, et al.
(författare)
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Determining the likely place of HIV acquisition for migrants in Europe combining subject-specific information and biomarkers data
- 2019
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Ingår i: Statistical methods in medical research. - : SAGE Publications. - 1477-0334 .- 0962-2802. ; 28:7, s. 1979-1997
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In most HIV-positive individuals, infection time is only known to lie between the time an individual started being at risk for HIV and diagnosis time. However, a more accurate estimate of infection time is very important in certain cases. For example, one of the objectives of the Advancing Migrant Access to Health Services in Europe (aMASE) study was to determine if HIV-positive migrants, diagnosed in Europe, were infected pre- or post-migration. We propose a method to derive subject-specific estimates of unknown infection times using information from HIV biomarkers’ measurements, demographic, clinical, and behavioral data. We assume that CD4 cell count (CD4) and HIV-RNA viral load trends after HIV infection follow a bivariate linear mixed model. Using post-diagnosis CD4 and viral load measurements and applying the Bayes’ rule, we derived the posterior distribution of the HIV infection time, whereas the prior distribution was informed by AIDS status at diagnosis and behavioral data. Parameters of the CD4–viral load and time-to-AIDS models were estimated using data from a large study of individuals with known HIV infection times (CASCADE). Simulations showed substantial predictive ability (e.g. 84% of the infections were correctly classified as pre- or post-migration). Application to the aMASE study ( n = 2009) showed that 47% of African migrants and 67% to 72% of migrants from other regions were most likely infected post-migration. Applying a Bayesian method based on bivariate modeling of CD4 and viral load, and subject-specific information, we found that the majority of HIV-positive migrants in aMASE were most likely infected after their migration to Europe.
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| 6. |
- Athan, E., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration on the outcome of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus left-sided infective endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactam antibiotics: a prospective cohort study by the International Collaboration on Endocarditis
- 2017
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Ingår i: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. - : Elsevier BV. - 1198-743X .- 1469-0691. ; 23, s. 544-549
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Objectives Left-sided methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) endocarditis treated with cloxacillin has a poorer prognosis when the vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is ≥1.5 mg/L. We aimed to validate this using the International Collaboration on Endocarditis cohort and to analyse whether specific genetic characteristics were associated with a high vancomycin MIC (≥1.5 mg/L) phenotype. Methods All patients with left-sided MSSA infective endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactam antibiotics between 2000 and 2006 with available isolates were included. Vancomycin MIC was determined by Etest as either high (≥1.5 mg/L) or low (<1.5 mg/L). Isolates underwent spa typing to infer clonal complexes and multiplex PCR for identifying virulence genes. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the association between in-hospital and 1-year mortality, and vancomycin MIC phenotype. Results Sixty-two cases met the inclusion criteria. Vancomycin MIC was low in 28 cases (45%) and high in 34 cases (55%). No significant differences in patient demographic data or characteristics of infection were observed between patients with infective endocarditis due to high and low vancomycin MIC isolates. Isolates with high and low vancomycin MIC had similar distributions of virulence genes and clonal lineages. In-hospital and 1-year mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups (32% (9/28) vs. 27% (9/34), p 0.780; and 43% (12/28) vs. 29% (10/34), p 0.298, for low and high vancomycin MIC respectively). Conclusions In this international cohort of patients with left-sided MSSA endocarditis treated with antistaphylococcal β-lactams, vancomycin MIC phenotype was not associated with patient demographics, clinical outcome or virulence gene repertoire.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Gurvits, L. I., et al.
(författare)
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The science case and challenges of spaceborne sub-millimeter interferometry: the study case of TeraHertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics (THEZA)
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC. - 0074-1795. ; A7
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ultra-high angular resolution in astronomy has always been an important vehicle for making fundamental discoveries. Recent results in direct imaging of the vicinity of the super-massive black hole in the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87 by the millimeter VLBI system Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and various pioneering results of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron provided new momentum in high angular resolution astrophysics. In both mentioned cases, the angular resolution reached the values of about 10−20 microrcseconds (0.05−0.1 nanoradian). Angular resolution is proportional to the observing wavelength and inversely proportional to the interferometer baseline length. In the case of Earth-based EHT, the highest angular resolution was achieved by combining the shortest possible wavelength of 1.3 mm with the longest possible baselines, comparable to the Earth’s diameter. For RadioAstron, operational wavelengths were in the range from 92 cm down to 1.3 cm, but the baselines were as long as ∼350,000 km. However, these two highlights of radio astronomy, EHT and RadioAstron do not”saturate” the interest to further increase in angular resolution. Quite opposite: the science case for further increase in angular resolution of astrophysical studies becomes even stronger. A natural and, in fact, the only possible way of moving forward is to enhance mm/sub-mm VLBI by extending baselines to extraterrestrial dimensions, i.e. creating a mm/sub-mm Space VLBI system. The inevitable move toward space-borne mm/sub-mm VLBI is a subject of several concept studies. In this presentation we will focus on one of them called TeraHertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics (THEZA), prepared in response to the ESA’s call for its next major science program Voyage 2050 (Gurvits et al. 2021). The THEZA rationale is focused at the physics of spacetime in the vicinity of super-massive black holes as the leading science drive. However, it will also open up a sizable new range of hitherto unreachable parameters of observational radio astrophysics and create a multi-disciplinary scientific facility and offer a high degree of synergy with prospective “single dish” space-borne sub-mm astronomy (e.g., Wiedner et al. 2021) and infrared interferometry (e.g., Linz et al. 2021). As an amalgam of several major trends of modern observational astrophysics, THEZA aims at facilitating a breakthrough in high-resolution high image quality astronomical studies.
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| 9. |
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| 15. |
- Van Der Vaart, Thomas W., et al.
(författare)
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External Validation of the 2023 Duke-International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Criteria for Infective Endocarditis
- 2024
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Ingår i: Clinical Infectious Diseases. - 1058-4838. ; 78:4, s. 922-929
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The 2023 Duke-International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) criteria for infective endocarditis (IE) were introduced to improve classification of IE for research and clinical purposes. External validation studies are required. Methods. We studied consecutive patients with suspected IE referred to the IE team of Amsterdam University Medical Center (from October 2016 to March 2021). An international expert panel independently reviewed case summaries and assigned a final diagnosis of "IE"or "not IE,"which served as the reference standard, to which the "definite"Duke-ISCVID classifications were compared. We also evaluated accuracy when excluding cardiac surgical and pathologic data ("clinical"criteria). Finally, we compared the 2023 Duke- ISCVID with the 2000 modified Duke criteria and the 2015 and 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) criteria. Results. A total of 595 consecutive patients with suspected IE were included: 399 (67%) were adjudicated as having IE; 111 (19%) had prosthetic valve IE, and 48 (8%) had a cardiac implantable electronic device IE. The 2023 Duke-ISCVID criteria were more sensitive than either the modified Duke or 2015 ESC criteria (84.2% vs 74.9% and 80%, respectively; P < .001) without significant loss of specificity. The 2023 Duke-ISCVID criteria were similarly sensitive but more specific than the 2023 ESC criteria (94% vs 82%; P < .001). The same pattern was seen for the clinical criteria (excluding surgical/pathologic results). New modifications in the 2023 Duke-ISCVID criteria related to "major microbiological"and "imaging"criteria had the most impact. Conclusions. The 2023 Duke-ISCVID criteria represent a significant advance in the diagnostic classification of patients with suspected IE.
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| 16. |
- Ambrosioni, J., et al.
(författare)
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Epidemiological Changes and Improvement in Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis in Europe in the Twenty-First Century: An International Collaboration on Endocarditis (ICE) Prospective Cohort Study (2000-2012)
- 2023
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Ingår i: Infectious Diseases and Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2193-8229 .- 2193-6382. ; 12:4, s. 1083-1101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) has undergone important changes in its epidemiology worldwide.Methods The study aimed to compare IE epidemiological features and outcomes according to predefined European regions and between two different time periods in the twenty-first century.Results IE cases from 13 European countries were included. Two periods were considered: 2000-2006 and 2008-2012. Two European regions were considered, according to the United Nations geoscheme for Europe: Southern (SE) and Northern-Central Europe (NCE). Comparisons were performed between regions and periods. A total of 4195 episodes of IE were included, 2113 from SE and 2082 from NCE; 2787 cases were included between 2000 and 2006 and 1408 between 2008 and 2012. Median (IQR) age was 63.7 (49-74) years and 69.4% were males. Native valve IE (NVE), prosthetic valve IE (PVE), and device-related IE were diagnosed in 68.3%, 23.9%, and 7.8% of cases, respectively; 52% underwent surgery and 19.3% died during hospitalization. NVE was more prevalent in NCE, whereas device-related IE was more frequent in SE. Higher age, acute presentation, hemodialysis, cancer, and diabetes mellitus all were more prevalent in the second period. NVE decreased and PVE and device-related IE both increased in the second period. Surgical treatment also increased from 48.7% to 58.4% (p < 0.01). In-hospital and 6-month mortality rates were comparable between regions and significantly decreased in the second period.Conclusions Despite an increased complexity of IE cases, prognosis improved in recent years with a significant decrease in 6-month mortality. Outcome did not differ according to the European region (SE versus NCE).
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| 17. |
- Abdel-Rehim, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
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Microextraction approaches for bioanalytical applications : An overview
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Chromatography A. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0021-9673 .- 1873-3778. ; 1616
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biological samples are usually complex matrices due to the presence of proteins, salts and a variety of organic compounds with chemical properties similar to those of the target analytes. Therefore, sample preparation is often mandatory in order to isolate the analytes from troublesome matrices before instrumental analysis. Because the number of samples in drug development, doping analysis, forensic science, toxicological analysis, and preclinical and clinical assays is steadily increasing, novel high throughput sample preparation approaches are calling for. The key factors in this development are the miniaturization and the automation of the sample preparation approaches so as to cope with most of the twelve principles of green chemistry. In this review, recent trends in sample preparation and novel strategies will be discussed in detail with particular focus on sorptive and liquid-phase microextraction in bioanalysis. The actual applicability of selective sorbents is also considered. Additionally, the role of 3D printing in microextraction for bioanalytical methods will be pinpointed.
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| 18. |
- Chu, V H, et al.
(författare)
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Coagulase-negative staphylococcal prosthetic valve endocarditis--a contemporary update based on the International Collaboration on Endocarditis: prospective cohort study.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Heart (British Cardiac Society). - : BMJ. - 1468-201X .- 1355-6037. ; 95:7, s. 570-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To describe the contemporary features of coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE).Observational study of prospectively collected data from a multinational cohort of patients with infective endocarditis. Patients with CoNS PVE were compared to patients with Staphylococcus aureus and viridans streptococcal (VGS) PVE.The International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS) is a contemporary cohort of patients with infective endocarditis from 61 centres in 28 countries.Adult patients in the ICE-PCS with definite PVE and no history of injecting drug use from June 2000 to August 2005 were included.None.Heart failure, intracardiac abscess, death.CoNS caused 16% (n = 86) of 537 cases of definite non-injecting drug use-associated PVE. Nearly one-half (n = 33/69, 48%) of patients with CoNS PVE presented between 60 days and 365 days of valve implantation. The rate of intracardiac abscess was significantly higher in patients with CoNS PVE (38%) than in patients with either S aureus (23%, p = 0.03) or VGS (20%, p = 0.05) PVE. The rate of abscess was particularly high in early (50%) and intermediate (52%) CoNS PVE. In-hospital mortality was 24% for CoNS PVE, 36% for S aureus PVE (p = 0.09) and 9.1% for VGS PVE (p = 0.08). Meticillin resistance was present in 68% of CoNS strains.Nearly one-half of CoNS PVE cases occur between 60 days and 365 days of prosthetic valve implantation. CoNS PVE is associated with a high rate of meticillin resistance and significant valvular complications.
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| 19. |
- Gurvits,, et al.
(författare)
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The science case and challenges of space-borne sub-millimeter interferometry
- 2022
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Ingår i: Acta Astronautica. - : Elsevier BV. - 0094-5765. ; 196, s. 314-333
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ultra-high angular resolution in astronomy has always been an important vehicle for making fundamental discoveries. Recent results in direct imaging of the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87 by the millimeter VLBI system Event Horizon Telescope and various pioneering results of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron provided new momentum in high angular resolution astrophysics. In both mentioned cases, the angular resolution reached the values of about 10???20 microarcseconds (0.05???0.1 nanoradian). Further developments towards at least an order of magnitude ???sharper???values, at the level of 1 microarcsecond are dictated by the needs of advanced astrophysical studies. The paper emphasis that these higher values can only be achieved by placing millimeter and submillimeter wavelength interferometric systems in space. A concept of such the system, called Terahertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics, has been proposed in the framework of the ESA Call for White Papers for the Voyage 2050 long term plan in 2019. In the current paper we present new science objectives for such the concept based on recent results in studies of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. We also discuss several approaches for addressing technological challenges of creating a millimeter/sub-millimeter wavelength interferometric system in space. In particular, we consider a novel configuration of a space-borne millimeter/sub-millimeter antenna which might resolve several bottlenecks in creating large precise mechanical structures. The paper also presents an overview of prospective space-qualified technologies of low-noise analogue front-end instrumentation for millimeter/sub-millimeter telescopes. Data handling and processing instrumentation is another key technological component of a sub-millimeter Space VLBI system. Requirements and possible implementation options for this instrumentation are described as an extrapolation of the current state-of-the-art Earth-based VLBI data transport and processing instrumentation. The paper also briefly discusses approaches to the interferometric baseline state vector determination and synchronisation and heterodyning system. The technology-oriented sections of the paper do not aim at presenting a complete set of technological solutions for sub-millimeter (terahertz) space-borne interferometers. Rather, in combination with the original ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper, it sharpens the case for the next generation microarcsecond-level imaging instruments and provides starting points for further in-depth technology trade-off studies.
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| 20. |
- Macias Garcia, B, et al.
(författare)
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Toxicity of glycerol for the stallion spermatozoa: Effects on membrane integrity and cytoskeleton, lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial membrane potential
- 2012
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Ingår i: Theriogenology. - : Elsevier. - 0093-691X .- 1879-3231. ; 77:7, s. 1280-1289
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glycerol is, to date, the most widely used cryoprotectant to freeze stallion spermatozoa at concentrations between 2% and 5%. Cryoprotectant toxicity has been claimed to be the single most limiting factor for the success of cryopreservation. In order to evaluate the toxic effects of the concentrations of glycerol used in practice, stallion spermatozoa were incubated in Biggers Whitten and Whittingham (BWW) media supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5%, and 5% glycerol. In two additional experiments, a hyposmotic (75 mOsm/kg) and a hyperosmotic (900 mOsm/kg) control media were included. Sperm parameters evaluated included cell volume, membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation, caspase 3, 7, and 8 activation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and integrity of the cytoskeleton. Glycerol exerted toxicity at concentrations 3.5% and the maximal toxicity was observed at 5%. The actin cytoskeleton was especially sensitive to glycerol presence, inducing rapid F actin depolymerization at concentrations over 1.5%. The sperm membrane and the mitochondria were other structures affected. The toxicity of glycerol is apparently related to osmotic and nonosmotic effects. In view of our results the concentration of glycerol in the freezing media for stallion spermatozoa should not surpass 2.5%.
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| 21. |
- Perraud, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Silicon nanocrystals : Novel synthesis routes for photovoltaic applications
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physica status solidi. A, Applied research. - : Wiley. - 0031-8965 .- 1521-396X. ; 210:4, s. 649-657
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Novel processes were developed for fabricating silicon nanocrystals and nanocomposite materials which could be used as absorbers in third generation photovoltaic devices. A conventional high-temperature annealing technique was studied as a reference process, with some new insights in crystallisation mechanisms. Innovative methods for silicon nanocrystal synthesis at much lower temperature were demonstrated, namely chemical vapour deposition (CVD), physical vapour deposition (PVD) and aerosol-assisted CVD. Besides the advantage of low substrate temperature, these new techniques allow to fabricate silicon nanocrystals embedded in wide bandgap semiconductor host matrices, with a high density and a narrow size dispersion.
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| 22. |
- Spierings, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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A randomised, open-label trial to assess the optimal treatment strategy in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis : The UPSIDE study protocol
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, autoimmune connective tissue disease associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). Currently, there are several treatments available in early dcSSc that aim to change the disease course, including immunosuppressive agents and autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT has been adopted in international guidelines and is offered in current clinical care. However, optimal timing and patient selection for HSCT are still unclear. In particular, it is unclear whether HSCT should be positioned as upfront therapy or rescue treatment for patients refractory to immunosuppressive therapy. We hypothesise that upfront HSCT is superior and results in lower toxicity and lower long-term medical costs. Therefore, we propose this randomised trial aiming to determine the optimal treatment strategy for early dcSSc by comparing two strategies used in standard care: (1) upfront autologous HSCT versus (2) immunosuppressive therapy (intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy followed by mycophenolate mofetil) with rescue HSCT in case of treatment failure. Methods and analysis The UPSIDE (UPfront autologous hematopoietic Stem cell transplantation vs Immunosuppressive medication in early DiffusE cutaneous systemic sclerosis) study is a multicentre, randomised, open-label, controlled trial. In total, 120 patients with early dcSSc will be randomised. The primary outcome is event-free survival at 2 years after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include serious adverse events, functional status and health-related quality of life. We will also evaluate changes in nailfold capillaroscopy pattern, pulmonary function, cardiac MR and high-resolution CT of the chest. Follow-up visits will be scheduled 3-monthly for 2 years and annually in the following 3 years. Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the Dutch Central Committee on Research Concerning Human Subjects (NL72607.041.20). The results will be disseminated through patient associations and conventional scientific channels. Trial registration numbers NCT04464434; NL 8720.
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| 23. |
- Vazquez, J. A., et al.
(författare)
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Surgical Trauma Caused by Different Abdominal Access Routes-Comparison of Open Surgical, Laparoscopic, and NOTES Transgastric Techniques in a Porcine Model
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1092-6429 .- 1557-9034. ; 26:7, s. 511-516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Investigations indicate that natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures induce a less pronounced postoperative inflammatory response than open or laparoscopic surgery, inflicting less trauma. In NOTES procedures, no skin incision is performed. We compare the inflammatory response added by the type of incision by measuring C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumors necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-alpha). Methods: Twenty-seven pigs were randomized to open surgical, laparoscopic, or transgastric NOTES abdominal access. After completion of the accesses, no surgery was performed. All accesses were left open for 40 minutes followed by closure, animals were survived for 7 days. Blood samples were drawn at the start of the accesses, at 20 and 40 minutes during the procedure, and at postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, and 7. Analyses of CRP and TNF-alpha were performed. Results: CRP increased in all animals until POD1. This increase was greater in the open group (P=.006). No significant differences in CRP-levels were found at POD 1, 3, or 7. TNF-alpha showed a peak during the procedure, at 20 and 40 minutes, with normalization at POD1 for 1/3 of the open and laparoscopic animals, but not for the NOTES animals. Due to variations within the groups, no statistical difference was shown between them. At postmortem, 1/3 of the pigs in the laparoscopic and open groups had wound infections, while no NOTES animals showed infections. Conclusions: This study provides no statistically significant differences in inflammatory response after the different abdominal accesses. However, the lack of a TNF-alpha-peak in the NOTES group might indicate a less pronounced response, supporting the initial theories.
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| 24. |
- Ali, Hasan, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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TEM analysis of multilayered nanostructures formed in the rapid thermal annealed silicon rich silicon oxide film
- 2016
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Ingår i: European Microscopy Congress 2016. - 9783527808465 ; , s. 965-966
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Silicon (Si) nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in an ultrathin silicon rich silicon oxide (SRSO) film through the thermal annealing process has emerged as a highly absorbing layer for third-generation solar cells 1. The concept of using Si NPs is to achieve a band gap tunable absorber layer by controlling the size and structure of Si NPs because of the quantum confinement effect 2. In our study, a multilayer stack of silicon oxide with 35 periods of alternating layers of 1-nm thick near-stoichiometric and 3-nm thick Si-rich hydrogenated silicon oxide were deposited on fused quartz substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Two samples were annealed using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) furnace in forming gas atmosphere (90% N2 + 10% H2) for 210s and 270s respectively. From the Raman spectroscopy, a reduction in crystallinity of Si has been discovered from 210s annealed sample to 270s annealed sample (shown in Figure 2). The goal of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis is to investigate the nanostructural change of Si in these two annealed samples and try to correlate the TEM observations to the Raman spectroscopy results.As the dimension of the Si nanostructures formed in SRSO films is in nanometer-scale, the energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM) tomography technique using the low-loss signals in electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) has been applied as a powerful technique to correlate the precipitated Si nanostructures to the phase transformation mechanisms in the thermally annealed SRSO films 3. In this case, EFTEM spectrum-imaging (SI) technique was applied to characterize the Si nanostructures formed in SRSO films by different annealing times. The EFTEM SI dataset was acquired from -4eV to 40eV using a 2eV energy slit and the reconstructed zero loss peak (ZLP) was used to calibrate the spectra shift. Si plasmon images were extracted by fitting a Gaussian into the low-loss region with a peak position at 16.7 eV 4 and FWHM of 4.5 eV. In order to analyze the multilayer structures at different annealing durations, the TEM samples were prepared in cross sectional geometry using the conventional polishing and ion milling methods.Figure 1 shows the EFTEM images extracted from the Si plasmon peak, in these images Si appears as bright contrasts. For shorter annealing time, an alternating bright and dark contrast can be observed which indicates that the multilayer structure still remains whereas for longer annealing time, Si shows nanoparticles like contrast. The continuous layer like contrasts shown in Figure 1(a) indicates the overlapping of the contrasts generated by small Si crystallites in a very high density. After longer annealing time (Figure 1(b)), the small Si crystallites grow in size but may take overall less volume fraction due to the Ostwald ripening process. Therefore, it explains the reduction in crystallinity of Si discovered from 210s annealed sample to 270s annealed sample by Raman. However, such a reduction in Si crystallinity was not observed in nitrogen annealed SRSO films, this indicates that samples annealed in the forming gas environment follow a different crystallization mechanism and hydrogen must play a decisive role during the Si crystallization at the initial stage.
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| 25. |
- Ali, Raja Hashim, et al.
(författare)
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VMCMC: a graphical and statistical analysis tool for Markov chain Monte Carlo traces
- 2017
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Ingår i: Bmc Bioinformatics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2105. ; 18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: MCMC-based methods are important for Bayesian inference of phylogeny and related parameters. Although being computationally expensive, MCMC yields estimates of posterior distributions that are useful for estimating parameter values and are easy to use in subsequent analysis. There are, however, sometimes practical difficulties with MCMC, relating to convergence assessment and determining burn-in, especially in large-scale analyses. Currently, multiple software are required to perform, e.g., convergence, mixing and interactive exploration of both continuous and tree parameters. Results: We have written a software called VMCMC to simplify post-processing of MCMC traces with, for example, automatic burn-in estimation. VMCMC can also be used both as a GUI-based application, supporting interactive exploration, and as a command-line tool suitable for automated pipelines. Conclusions: VMCMC is a free software available under the New BSD License. Executable jar files, tutorial manual and source code can be downloaded from https://bitbucket. org/rhali/visualmcmc/.
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| 26. |
- Anderson, D J, et al.
(författare)
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Enterococcal prosthetic valve infective endocarditis: report of 45 episodes from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-merged database.
- 2005
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Ingår i: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0934-9723. ; 24:10, s. 665-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enterococcal prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (PVE) is an incompletely understood disease. In the present study, patients with enterococcal PVE were compared to patients with enterococcal native valve endocarditis (NVE) and other types of PVE to determine differences in basic clinical characteristics and outcomes using a large multicenter, international database of patients with definite endocarditis. Forty-five of 159 (29%) cases of definite enterococcal endocarditis were PVE. Patients with enterococcal PVE were demographically similar to patients with enterococcal NVE but had more intracardiac abscesses (20% vs. 6%; p=0.009), fewer valve vegetations (51% vs. 79%; p<0.001), and fewer cases of new valvular regurgitation (12% vs. 45%; p=0.01). Patients with either enterococcal PVE or NVE were elderly (median age, 73 vs. 69; p=0.06). Rates of in-hospital mortality, surgical intervention, heart failure, peripheral embolization, and stroke were similar in both groups. Patients with enterococcal PVE were also demographically similar to patients with other types of PVE, but mortality may be lower (14% vs. 26%; p=0.08). Notably, 93% of patients with enterococcal PVE came from European centers, as compared with only 79% of patients with enterococcal NVE (p=0.03). Thus, patients with enterococcal PVE have higher rates of myocardial abscess formation and lower rates of new regurgitation compared to patients with enterococcal NVE, but there are no differences between the groups with regard to surgical or mortality rates. In contrast, though patients with enterococcal PVE and patients with other types of PVE share similar characteristics, mortality is higher in the latter group. Importantly, the prevalence of enterococcal PVE was higher in the European centers in this study.
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| 27. |
- Athan, Eugene, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical characteristics and outcome of infective endocarditis involving implantable cardiac devices
- 2012
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Ingår i: JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 0098-7484 .- 1538-3598. ; 307, s. 1727-1735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Infection of implantable cardiac devices is an emerging disease with significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of cardiac device infective endocarditis (CDIE) with attention to its health care association and to evaluate the association between device removal during index hospitalization and outcome. Design, Setting, and Patients: Prospective cohort study using data from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS), conducted June 2000 through August 2006 in 61 centers in 28 countries. Patients were hospitalized adults with definite endocarditis as defined by modified Duke endocarditis criteria. Main Outcome Measures: In-hospital and 1-year mortality. Results: CDIE was diagnosed in 177 (6.4% [95% CI, 5.5%-7.4%]) of a total cohort of 2760 patients with definite infective endocarditis. The clinical profile of CDIE included advanced patient age (median, 71.2 years [interquartile range, 59.8-77.6]); causation by staphylococci (62 [35.0% {95% CI, 28.0%-42.5%}] Staphylococcus aureus and 56 [31.6% {95% CI, 24.9%-39.0%}] coagulase-negative staphylococci); and a high prevalence of health care-associated infection (81 [45.8% {95% CI, 38.3%- 53.4%}]). There was coexisting valve involvement in 66 (37.3% [95% CI, 30.2%- 44.9%]) patients, predominantly tricuspid valve infection (43/177 [24.3%]), with associated higher mortality. In-hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 14.7% (26/177 [95% CI, 9.8%-20.8%]) and 23.2% (41/177 [95% CI, 17.2%-30.1%]), respectively. Proportional hazards regression analysis showed a survival benefit at 1 year for device removal during the initial hospitalization (28/141 patients [19.9%] who underwent device removal during the index hospitalization had died at 1 year, vs 13/34 [38.2%] who did not undergo device removal; hazard ratio, 0.42 [95% CI, 0.22- 0.82]). Conclusions: Among patients with CDIE, the rate of concomitant valve infection is high, as is mortality, particularly if there is valve involvement. Early device removal is associated with improved survival at 1 year. ©2012 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Benito, Natividad, et al.
(författare)
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Health care-associated native valve endocarditis: importance of non-nosocomial acquisition.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Annals of internal medicine. - : American College of Physicians. - 1539-3704 .- 0003-4819. ; 150:9, s. 586-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The clinical profile and outcome of nosocomial and non-nosocomial health care-associated native valve endocarditis are not well defined.To compare the characteristics and outcomes of community-associated and nosocomial and non-nosocomial health care-associated native valve endocarditis.Prospective cohort study.61 hospitals in 28 countries.Patients with definite native valve endocarditis and no history of injection drug use who were enrolled in the ICE-PCS (International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study) from June 2000 to August 2005.Clinical and echocardiographic findings, microbiology, complications, and mortality.Health care-associated native valve endocarditis was present in 557 (34%) of 1622 patients (303 with nosocomial infection [54%] and 254 with non-nosocomial infection [46%]). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common cause of health care-associated infection (nosocomial, 47%; non-nosocomial, 42%; P = 0.30); a high proportion of patients had methicillin-resistant S. aureus (nosocomial, 57%; non-nosocomial, 41%; P = 0.014). Fewer patients with health care-associated native valve endocarditis had cardiac surgery (41% vs. 51% of community-associated cases; P < 0.001), but more of the former patients died (25% vs. 13%; P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis confirmed greater mortality associated with health care-associated native valve endocarditis (incidence risk ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.02 to 1.59]).Patients were treated at hospitals with cardiac surgery programs. The results may not be generalizable to patients receiving care in other types of facilities or to those with prosthetic valves or past injection drug use.More than one third of cases of native valve endocarditis in non-injection drug users involve contact with health care, and non-nosocomial infection is common, especially in the United States. Clinicians should recognize that outpatients with extensive out-of-hospital health care contacts who develop endocarditis have clinical characteristics and outcomes similar to those of patients with nosocomial infection.None.
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| 31. |
- Borges, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Nonnucleoside Reverse-transcriptase Inhibitor- vs Ritonavir-boosted Protease Inhibitor-based Regimens for Initial Treatment of HIV Infection: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis of Randomized Trials
- 2016
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Ingår i: Clinical Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1058-4838 .- 1537-6591. ; 63:2, s. 268-280
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Previous studies suggest that nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) cause faster virologic suppression, while ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors (PI/r) recover more CD4 cells. However, individual trials have not been powered to compare clinical outcomes. Methods. We searched databases to identify randomized trials that compared NNRTI-vs PI/r-based initial therapy. A meta-analysis calculated risk ratios (RRs) or mean differences (MDs), as appropriate. Primary outcome was death or progression to AIDS. Secondary outcomes were death, progression to AIDS, and treatment discontinuation. We calculated RR of virologic suppression and MD for an increase in CD4 cells at week 48. Results. We included 29 trials with 9047 participants. Death or progression to AIDS occurred in 226 participants in the NNRTI arm and in 221 in the PI/r arm (RR, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, .87-1.22; 12 trials; n = 3825), death in 205 participants in the NNRTI arm vs 198 in the PI/r arm (1.04; 0.86-1.25; 22 trials; n = 8311), and progression to AIDS in 140 participants in the NNRTI arm vs 144 in the PI/r arm (1.00; 0.80-1.25; 13 trials; n = 4740). Overall treatment discontinuation (1.12; 0.93-1.35; 24 trials; n = 8249) and from toxicity (1.21; 0.87-1.68; 21 trials; n = 6195) were comparable, but discontinuation due to virologic failure was more common with NNRTI (1.58; 0.91-2.74; 17 trials; n = 5371). At week 48, there was no difference between NNRTI and PI/r in virologic suppression (RR, 1.03; 0.98-1.09) or CD4(+) recovery (MD, -4.7 cells; -14.2 to 4.8). Conclusions. We found no difference in clinical and viro-immunologic outcomes between NNRTI-and PI/r-based therapy.
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| 32. |
- Caby, F, et al.
(författare)
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CD4/CD8 Ratio and the Risk of Kaposi Sarcoma or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Context of Efficiently Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: A Collaborative Analysis of 20 European Cohort Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1537-6591. ; 73:1, s. 50-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundA persistently low CD4/CD8 ratio has been reported to inversely correlate with the risk of non-AIDS defining cancer in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) efficiently treated by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We evaluated the impact of the CD4/CD8 ratio on the risk of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), still among the most frequent cancers in treated PLWH.MethodsPLWH from the Collaboration of Observational HIV Epidemiological Research Europe (COHERE) were included if they achieved virological control (viral load ≤ 500 copies/mL) within 9 months following cART and without previous KS/LNH diagnosis. Cox models were used to identify factors associated with KS or NHL risk, in all participants and those with CD4 ≥ 500/mm3 at virological control. We analyzed the CD4/CD8 ratio, CD4 count and CD8 count as time-dependent variables, using spline transformations.ResultsWe included 56 708 PLWH, enrolled between 2000 and 2014. At virological control, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) CD4 count, CD8 count, and CD4/CD8 ratio were 414 (296–552)/mm3, 936 (670–1304)/mm3, and 0.43 (0.28–0.65), respectively. Overall, 221 KS and 187 NHL were diagnosed 9 (2–37) and 18 (7–42) months after virological control. Low CD4/CD8 ratios were associated with KS risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.02 [95% confidence interval {CI } = 1.23–3.31]) when comparing CD4/CD8 = 0.3 to CD4/CD8 = 1) but not with NHL risk. High CD8 counts were associated with higher NHL risk (HR = 3.14 [95% CI = 1.58–6.22]) when comparing CD8 = 3000/mm3 to CD8 = 1000/mm3). Similar results with increased associations were found in PLWH with CD4 ≥ 500/mm3 at virological control (HR = 3.27 [95% CI = 1.60–6.56] for KS; HR = 5.28 [95% CI = 2.17–12.83] for NHL).ConclusionsLow CD4/CD8 ratios and high CD8 counts despite effective cART were associated with increased KS/NHL risks respectively, especially when CD4 ≥ 500/mm3.
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| 33. |
- Caja, Laia, et al.
(författare)
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Differential intracellular signalling induced by TGF-beta in rat adult hepatocytes and hepatoma cells : implications in liver carcinogenesis.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Cellular Signalling. - : Elsevier BV. - 0898-6568 .- 1873-3913. ; 19:4, s. 683-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) regulates hepatocyte growth, inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Indeed, escaping from the TGF-beta suppressor actions might be a prerequisite for liver tumour progression. In this work we show that TGF-beta plays a dual role in regulating apoptosis in FaO rat hepatoma cells, since, in addition to its pro-apoptotic effect, TGF-beta also activates survival signals, such as AKT, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) being required for its activation. TGF-beta induces the expression of the EGFR ligands transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and induces intracellular re-localization of the EGFR. Cells that overcome the apoptotic effects of TGF-beta undergo morphological changes reminiscent of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In contrast, TGF-beta does not activate AKT in adult hepatocytes, which correlates with lack of EGFR transactivation and no response to EGFR inhibitors. Although TGF-beta induces TGF-alpha and HB-EGF in adult hepatocytes, these cells show very low expression of TACE/ADAM 17 (TNF-alpha converting enzyme), which is required for EGFR ligand proteolysis and activation. Furthermore, adult hepatocytes do not undergo EMT processes in response to TGF-beta, which might be due, at least in part, to the fact that F-actin re-organization induced by TGF-beta in FaO cells require the EGFR pathway. Finally, results indicate that EGFR transactivation does not block TGF-beta-induced cell cycle arrest in FaO cells, but must be interfering with the pro-apoptotic signalling. In conclusion, TGF-beta is a suppressor factor for adult quiescent hepatocytes, but not for hepatoma cells, where it plays a dual role, both suppressing and promoting carcinogenesis.
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| 34. |
- Chirouze, C., et al.
(författare)
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Enterococcal endocarditis in the beginning of the 21st century: analysis from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study
- 2013
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Ingår i: Clinical Microbiology and Infection. - : Elsevier BV. - 1198-743X. ; 19:12, s. 1140-1147
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enterococci are reportedly the third most common group of endocarditis-causing pathogens but data on enterococcal infective endocarditis (IE) are limited. The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics and prognostic factors of enterococcal IE within the International Collaboration on Endocarditis. In this multicentre, prospective observational cohort study of 4974 adults with definite IE recorded from June 2000 to September 2006, 500 patients had enterococcal IE. Their characteristics were described and compared with those of oral and group D streptococcal IE. Prognostic factors for enterococcal IE were analysed using multivariable Cox regression models. The patients' mean age was 65years and 361/500 were male. Twenty-three per cent (117/500) of cases were healthcare related. Enterococcal IE were more frequent than oral and group D streptococcal IE in North America. The 1-year mortality rate was 28.9% (144/500). E.faecalis accounted for 90% (453/500) of enterococcal IE. Resistance to vancomycin was observed in 12 strains, eight of which were observed in North America, where they accounted for 10% (8/79) of enterococcal strains, and was more frequent in E.faecium than in E.faecalis (3/16 vs. 7/364 , p0.01). Variables significantly associated with 1-year mortality were heart failure (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.73.5, p<0.0001), stroke (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.32.8, p0.001) and age (HR 1.02 per 1-year increment, 95% CI 1.011.04, p0.002). Surgery was not associated with better outcome. Enterococci are an important cause of IE, with a high mortality rate. Healthcare association and vancomycin resistance are common in particular in North America.
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| 35. |
- Cortes-Escobedo, Claudia A., et al.
(författare)
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Mechanically activated Pt-Ni and Pt-Co alloys as electrocatalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-3487 .- 0360-3199. ; 39:29, s. 16722-16730
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mixtures of powders of platinum with nickel or cobalt to obtain Ni0.75Pt0.25 or Co0.75Pt0.25 were mechanical alloyed by high energy ball milling. The results of crystal structure, morphology and electrocatalytic performance are presented for mechanically activated powders after 3 and 9 h of ball milling. Total solid solutions of Ni and Co with platinum were analyzed by X-ray diffraction after 3 h of ball milling. After 9 h of ball milling, in both cases, the total solid solution was accompanied by the appearance of NiO or CoO and ZrO associated with a redox reaction with the milling media. The presence of zirconium monoxide was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis. In both cases, an amorphization was detected. X ray absorption spectroscopy measurements showed changes in atomic and electronic environment of platinum, a reduction of the distance to the first coordination sphere and increased d-band vacancy vs pure Pt and Pt nanoparticles were observed for both studied systems. The electrocatalytic activity was determined using cyclic and linear voltammetry. The Co0.75Pt0.25 alloy milled for 9 h showed a higher electrochemical activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared with the other samples, including Pt-Etek. The degree of the ORR electrochemical activity was correlated with the presence of ZrO, which could affect the oxygen adsorption and improve the catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 36. |
- Durante-Mangoni, Emanuele, et al.
(författare)
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Current features of infective endocarditis in elderly patients: Results of the international collaboration on endocarditis prospective cohort study
- 2008
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Ingår i: Archives of Internal Medicine. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 0003-9926 .- 1538-3679. ; 168, s. 2095-2103
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Elderly patients are emerging as a population at high risk for infective endocarditis (IE). However, adequately sized prospective studies on the features of IE in elderly patients are lacking. Methods: In this multinational, prospective, observational cohort study within the International Collaboration on Endocarditis, 2759 consecutive patients were enrolled from June 15, 2000, to December 1, 2005; 1056 patients with IE 65 years or older were compared with 1703 patients younger than 65 years. Risk factors, predisposing conditions, origin, clinical features, course, and outcome of IE were comprehensively analyzed. Results: Elderly patients reported more frequently a hospitalization or an invasive procedure before IE onset. Diabetes mellitus and genitourinary and gastrointestinal cancer were the major predisposing conditions. Blood culture yield was higher among elderly patients with IE. The leading causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus, with a higher rate of methicillin resistance. Streptococcus bovis and enterococci were also significantly more prevalent. The clinical presentation of elderly patients with IE was remarkable for lower rates of embolism, immune-mediated phenomena, or septic complications. At both echocardiography and surgery, fewer vegetations and more abscesses were found, and the gain in the diagnostic yield of transesophageal echocardiography was significantly larger. Significantly fewer elderly patients underwent cardiac surgery (38.9% vs 53.5%; P < .001). Elderly patients with IE showed a higher rate of in-hospital death (24.9% vs 12.8%; P < .001), and age older than 65 years was an independent predictor of mortality. Conclusions: In this large prospective study, increasing age emerges as a major determinant of the clinical characteristics of IE. Lower rates of surgical treatment and high mortality are the most prominent features of elderly patients with IE. Efforts should be made to prevent health care-associated acquisition and improve outcomes in this major subgroup of patients with IE. ©2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
- Kourany, Wissam M, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of diabetes mellitus on the clinical manifestations and prognosis of infective endocarditis: a report from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Merged Database.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 38:8, s. 613-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this investigation was to study the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on outcomes of infective endocarditis (IE). Outcomes were compared between 150 diabetic and 905 non-diabetic patients with IE from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Merged Database. Compared to non-diabetic patients, diabetic patients were older (median age 63 vs 57 y, p<0.001), were more often female (42.0% vs 31.9%, p=0.01), more often had comorbidities (41.5% vs 26.7%, p<0.001), and were more likely to be dialysis dependent (12.7% vs 4.0%, p<0.001). S. aureus was isolated more often (30.7% vs 21.7%, p=0.02), and microorganisms from the viridans Streptococcus group less often (16.7% vs 28.2%, p = 0.001) in the diabetic group. There was no difference with respect to the presence of congestive heart failure, embolism, intra-cardiac abscess, new valvular regurgitation, or valvular vegetation. Diabetic patients underwent surgical intervention less frequently (32.0% vs 44.9%, p = 0.003), and had higher overall in-hospital mortality (30.3% vs 18.6%, p = 0.001). On multivariable analysis, DM was an independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-2.70), especially in male patients, as diabetic males had higher mortality than non-diabetic males (OR 2.18, CI 1.08-4.35). DM is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized with IE.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Martin, S, et al.
(författare)
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Pre-validation of a reporter gene assay for oxidative stress for the rapid screening of nanobiomaterials
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in toxicology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2673-3080. ; 4, s. 974429-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Engineered nanomaterials have been found to induce oxidative stress. Cellular oxidative stress, in turn, can result in the induction of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes which are controlled by the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) transcription factor. Here, we present the results of a pre-validation study which was conducted within the frame of BIORIMA (“biomaterial risk management”) an EU-funded research and innovation project. For this we used an NRF2 specific chemically activated luciferase expression reporter gene assay derived from the human U2OS osteosarcoma cell line to screen for the induction of the NRF2 mediated gene expression following exposure to biomedically relevant nanobiomaterials. Specifically, we investigated Fe3O4-PEG-PLGA nanomaterials while Ag and TiO2 “benchmark” nanomaterials from the Joint Research Center were used as reference materials. The viability of the cells was determined by using the Alamar blue assay. We performed an interlaboratory study involving seven different laboratories to assess the applicability of the NRF2 reporter gene assay for the screening of nanobiomaterials. The latter work was preceded by online tutorials to ensure that the procedures were harmonized across the different participating laboratories. Fe3O4-PEG-PLGA nanomaterials were found to induce very limited NRF2 mediated gene expression, whereas exposure to Ag nanomaterials induced NRF2 mediated gene expression. TiO2 nanomaterials did not induce NRF2 mediated gene expression. The variability in the results obtained by the participating laboratories was small with mean intra-laboratory standard deviation of 0.16 and mean inter laboratory standard deviation of 0.28 across all NRF2 reporter gene assay results. We conclude that the NRF2 reporter gene assay is a suitable assay for the screening of nanobiomaterial-induced oxidative stress responses.
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| 42. |
- Murdoch, David R, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical presentation, etiology, and outcome of infective endocarditis in the 21st century: the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Archives of internal medicine. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 1538-3679 .- 0003-9926. ; 169:5, s. 463-73
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We sought to provide a contemporary picture of the presentation, etiology, and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) in a large patient cohort from multiple locations worldwide. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 2781 adults with definite IE who were admitted to 58 hospitals in 25 countries from June 1, 2000, through September 1, 2005. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 57.9 (interquartile range, 43.2-71.8) years, and 72.1% had native valve IE. Most patients (77.0%) presented early in the disease (<30 days) with few of the classic clinical hallmarks of IE. Recent health care exposure was found in one-quarter of patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen (31.2%). The mitral (41.1%) and aortic (37.6%) valves were infected most commonly. The following complications were common: stroke (16.9%), embolization other than stroke (22.6%), heart failure (32.3%), and intracardiac abscess (14.4%). Surgical therapy was common (48.2%), and in-hospital mortality remained high (17.7%). Prosthetic valve involvement (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.90), increasing age (1.30; 1.17-1.46 per 10-year interval), pulmonary edema (1.79; 1.39-2.30), S aureus infection (1.54; 1.14-2.08), coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection (1.50; 1.07-2.10), mitral valve vegetation (1.34; 1.06-1.68), and paravalvular complications (2.25; 1.64-3.09) were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death, whereas viridans streptococcal infection (0.52; 0.33-0.81) and surgery (0.61; 0.44-0.83) were associated with a decreased risk. CONCLUSIONS: In the early 21st century, IE is more often an acute disease, characterized by a high rate of S aureus infection. Mortality remains relatively high.
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
- van Sebille, Martijn, et al.
(författare)
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Nanocrystal size distribution analysis from transmission electron microscopy images
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 7:48, s. 20593-20606
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We propose a method, with minimal bias caused by user input, to quickly detect and measure the nanocrystal size distribution from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images using a combination of Laplacian of Gaussian filters and non-maximum suppression. We demonstrate the proposed method on bright-field TEM images of an a-SiC:H sample containing embedded silicon nanocrystals with varying magnifications and we compare the accuracy and speed with size distributions obtained by manual measurements, a thresholding method and PEBBLES. Finally, we analytically consider the error induced by slicing nanocrystals during TEM sample preparation on the measured nanocrystal size distribution and formulate an equation to correct this effect.
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Xie, Ling, et al.
(författare)
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3D electron tomography analysis of silicon nanoparticles in SiC matrices by quantitative determination of EELS plasmon intensities
- 2014
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Silicon nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in insulating or semiconducting matrices has attracted much interest for the third generation of photovoltaics, “all-Si” tandem solar cells. This study is to show how silicon NPs are distributed in 3D on a silicon carbide thin film using the electron tomography technique in the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). [2]We first have assessed Si NPs distributions in such SiCx sample with a low degree of crystalline using bright field (BF) TEM tomography (figure 1) and found an average nearest neighbor spacing of two NPs of about 12nm. For more crystalline NPs, the projection requirement is no more fulfilled and only those Si NPs that are both crystalline and oriented to a Bragg reflection are detectable. [3] Therefore, in this case, conventional BF TEM signal is unsuitable for electron tomography and we applied spectrum imaging (SI) techniques: EELS SI imaging and EFTEM SI imaging. Since Si and SiCx have different plasmon energies, [4] we can extract Si plasmon and SiCx plasmon images from the spectrum images. We observed that only a proper fit of the plasmon spectrum with subsequent extraction of Si and SiCx plasmon images results in the correct Si ad SiCx distribution (figures 2 and 3), whereas just EFTEM images taken from windows around the Si and the SiC plasmon energy resulted in overlaps in the image. For both, STEM and EFTEM SI signals, in figure 2 and 3, we are able to detect the entire population of NPs. In figure 3, the stripes like contrast inside of crystalline NPs shown in the BF TEM image persist in plasmon images. This is due to parallel beam illumination in EFTEM SI mode thus making the STEM SI imaging more suitable for tomography of these NPs. In Figure 2, for STEM SI, the contrast evolution during the tilting is thickness dependent, thicker part of the sample gives stronger contrast in the extracted plasmon images, and this nonlinear thickness effect can be corrected by introducing attenuation coefficient. [5]In summary, to study the 3D distribution of Si NPs in SiCx matrix, we compared three signals from BF TEM, STEM and EFTEM SI signals. In order to overcome the non-linearity of contrast change during the tilting process, STEM-SI signal in combination with quantitative treatment of the plasmon spectra shows clear Si NP contrasts and overcomes limits set by the projection requirement.[1] S. Perraud et al., Phys. Status Solidi A, 1–9 (2012).[2] J. Frank, Electron Tomography: Three Dimensional Imaging with the Transmission ElectronMicroscope, Plenum, New York, London, 1992.[3] P. A. Midgley et al., Ultramicroscopy 96 (2003) 413.[4] R.F. Egerton, Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope, 420, 2011.[5] W. Van den Broek et al. Ultramicroscopy 116 (2012) 8–12
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| 47. |
- Xie, Ling, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Electron tomography analysis of 3D interfacial nanostructures appearing in annealed Si rich SiC films
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 9:20, s. 6703-6710
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The optical and electrical properties of Si rich SiC (SRSC) solar cell absorber layers will strongly depend on interfacial layers between the Si and the SiC matrix and in this work, we analyze hitherto undiscovered interfacial layers. The SRSC thin films were deposited using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique and annealed in a nitrogen environment at 1100 degrees C. The thermal treatment leads to metastable SRSC films spinodally decomposed into a Si-SiC nanocomposite. After the thermal treatment, the coexistence of crystalline Si and SiC nanostructures was analysed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron diffraction. From the quantitative extraction of the different plasmon signals from electron energy-loss spectra, an additional structure, amorphous SiC (a-SiC) was found. Quantitative spectroscopic electron tomography was developed to obtain three dimensional (3D) plasmonic maps. In these 3D spectroscopic maps, the Si regions appear as network structures inside the SiC matrix where the a-SiC appears as an interfacial layer separating the matrix and Si network. The presence of the a-SiC interface can be explained in the framework of the nucleation and growth model.
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
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| 50. |
- Abdallah, N., et al.
(författare)
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Hilbert Functions and Jordan Type of Perazzo Artinian Algebras
- 2024
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Ingår i: Springer INdAM Series. - : Springer-Verlag Italia s.r.l.. ; , s. 59-80
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We study Hilbert functions, Lefschetz properties, and Jordan type of Artinian Gorenstein algebras associated to Perazzo hypersurfaces in projective space. The main focus lies on Perazzo threefolds, for which we prove that the Hilbert functions are always unimodal. Further we prove that the Hilbert function determines whether the algebra is weak Lefschetz, and we characterize those Hilbert functions for which the weak Lefschetz property holds. By example, we verify that the Hilbert functions of Perazzo fourfolds are not always unimodal. In the particular case of Perazzo threefolds with the smallest possible Hilbert function, we give a description of the possible Jordan types for multiplication by any linear form.
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