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| 4. |
- Thomas, HS, et al.
(författare)
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- 2019
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Drake, TM, et al.
(författare)
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Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in children: an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMJ global health. - : BMJ. - 2059-7908. ; 5:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, there is a lack of data available about SSI in children worldwide, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of SSI in children and associations between SSI and morbidity across human development settings.MethodsA multicentre, international, prospective, validated cohort study of children aged under 16 years undergoing clean-contaminated, contaminated or dirty gastrointestinal surgery. Any hospital in the world providing paediatric surgery was eligible to contribute data between January and July 2016. The primary outcome was the incidence of SSI by 30 days. Relationships between explanatory variables and SSI were examined using multilevel logistic regression. Countries were stratified into high development, middle development and low development groups using the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).ResultsOf 1159 children across 181 hospitals in 51 countries, 523 (45·1%) children were from high HDI, 397 (34·2%) from middle HDI and 239 (20·6%) from low HDI countries. The 30-day SSI rate was 6.3% (33/523) in high HDI, 12·8% (51/397) in middle HDI and 24·7% (59/239) in low HDI countries. SSI was associated with higher incidence of 30-day mortality, intervention, organ-space infection and other HAIs, with the highest rates seen in low HDI countries. Median length of stay in patients who had an SSI was longer (7.0 days), compared with 3.0 days in patients who did not have an SSI. Use of laparoscopy was associated with significantly lower SSI rates, even after accounting for HDI.ConclusionThe odds of SSI in children is nearly four times greater in low HDI compared with high HDI countries. Policies to reduce SSI should be prioritised as part of the wider global agenda.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 10. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(författare)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 11. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Abbafati, Cristiana, et al.
(författare)
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- 2020
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 14. |
- Murray, Christopher J. L., et al.
(författare)
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Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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| 15. |
- Feigin, Valery L, et al.
(författare)
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Global, Regional, and Country-Specific Lifetime Risks of Stroke, 1990 and 2016.
- 2018
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Ingår i: The New England journal of medicine. - 1533-4406 .- 0028-4793. ; 379:25, s. 2429-2437
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The lifetime risk of stroke has been calculated in a limited number of selected populations. We sought to estimate the lifetime risk of stroke at the regional, country, and global level using data from a comprehensive study of the prevalence of major diseases.We used the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2016 estimates of stroke incidence and the competing risks of death from any cause other than stroke to calculate the cumulative lifetime risks of first stroke, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke among adults 25 years of age or older. Estimates of the lifetime risks in the years 1990 and 2016 were compared. Countries were categorized into quintiles of the sociodemographic index (SDI) used in the GBD Study, and the risks were compared across quintiles. Comparisons were made with the use of point estimates and uncertainty intervals representing the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles around the estimate.The estimated global lifetime risk of stroke from the age of 25 years onward was 24.9% (95% uncertainty interval, 23.5 to 26.2); the risk among men was 24.7% (95% uncertainty interval, 23.3 to 26.0), and the risk among women was 25.1% (95% uncertainty interval, 23.7 to 26.5). The risk of ischemic stroke was 18.3%, and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke was 8.2%. In high-SDI, high-middle-SDI, and low-SDI countries, the estimated lifetime risk of stroke was 23.5%, 31.1% (highest risk), and 13.2% (lowest risk), respectively; the 95% uncertainty intervals did not overlap between these categories. The highest estimated lifetime risks of stroke according to GBD region were in East Asia (38.8%), Central Europe (31.7%), and Eastern Europe (31.6%), and the lowest risk was in eastern sub-Saharan Africa (11.8%). The mean global lifetime risk of stroke increased from 22.8% in 1990 to 24.9% in 2016, a relative increase of 8.9% (95% uncertainty interval, 6.2 to 11.5); the competing risk of death from any cause other than stroke was considered in this calculation.In 2016, the global lifetime risk of stroke from the age of 25 years onward was approximately 25% among both men and women. There was geographic variation in the lifetime risk of stroke, with the highest risks in East Asia, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. (Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.).
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| 18. |
- Needham, Jessica F., et al.
(författare)
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Demographic composition, not demographic diversity, predicts biomass and turnover across temperate and tropical forests
- 2022
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 28, s. 2895-2909
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The growth and survival of individual trees determine the physical structure of a forest with important consequences for forest function. However, given the diversity of tree species and forest biomes, quantifying the multitude of demographic strategies within and across forests and the way that they translate into forest structure and function remains a significant challenge. Here, we quantify the demographic rates of 1961 tree species from temperate and tropical forests and evaluate how demographic diversity (DD) and demographic composition (DC) differ across forests, and how these differences in demography relate to species richness, aboveground biomass (AGB), and carbon residence time. We find wide variation in DD and DC across forest plots, patterns that are not explained by species richness or climate variables alone. There is no evidence that DD has an effect on either AGB or carbon residence time. Rather, the DC of forests, specifically the relative abundance of large statured species, predicted both biomass and carbon residence time. Our results demonstrate the distinct DCs of globally distributed forests, reflecting biogeography, recent history, and current plot conditions. Linking the DC of forests to resilience or vulnerability to climate change, will improve the precision and accuracy of predictions of future forest composition, structure, and function.
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| 19. |
- Stenman, U H, et al.
(författare)
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Summary report of the TD-3 workshop: characterization of 83 antibodies against prostate-specific antigen
- 1999
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Ingår i: Tumor Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1423-0380 .- 1010-4283. ; 20:Suppl. 1, s. 1-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Twelve research groups participated in the ISOBM TD-3 Workshop in which the reactivity and specificity of 83 antibodies against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were investigated. Using a variety of techniques including cross-inhibition assays, Western blotting, BIAcore, immunoradiometric assays and immunohistochemistry, the antibodies were categorized into six major groups which formed the basis for mapping onto two- and three-dimensional (2-D and 3-D) models of PSA. The overall findings of the TD-3 Workshop are summarized in this report. In agreement with all participating groups, three main antigenic domains were identified: free PSA-specific epitopes located in or close to amino acids 86-91; discontinuous epitopes specific for PSA without human kallikrein (hK2) cross-reactivity located at or close to amino acids 158-163; and continuous or linear epitopes shared between PSA and hK2 located close to amino acids 3-11. In addition, several minor and partly overlapping domains were also identified. Clearly, the characterization of antibodies from this workshop and the location of their epitopes on the 3-D model of PSA illustrate the importance of selecting appropriate antibody pairs for use in immunoassays. It is hoped that these findings and the epitope nomenclature described in this TD-3 Workshop are used as a standard for future evaluation of anti-PSA antibodies.
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| 20. |
- Muscarella, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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The global abundance of tree palms
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 29:9, s. 1495-1514
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimPalms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change.LocationTropical and subtropical moist forests.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedPalms (Arecaceae).MethodsWe assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure.ResultsOn average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work.ConclusionsTree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.
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| 21. |
- Rao, P. S. P., et al.
(författare)
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Sources of chemical species in rainwater during monsoon and non-monsoonal periods over two mega cities in India and dominant source region of secondary aerosols
- 2016
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1352-2310 .- 1873-2844. ; 146, s. 90-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Samples of rainwater (RW) were collected to characterize the chemistry and sources in two representative megacities at Pune (Southwest) and Delhi (Northern) India from 2011 to 2014 across two seasons: monsoon (MN) and non-monsoon (NMN). Collected RW samples were analyzed for major chemical constituents (F-, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), pH and conductivity. In addition, bicarbonate (HCO3-) was also estimated. The mean pH values of the RW were >6 at Pune and <6 at Delhi and 4% and 26% were acidic, respectively. The mean sum of all measured ionic species in Pune and Delhi was 304.7 and 536.4 mu ep/l, respectively, indicating that significant atmospheric pollution effects in these Indian mega cities. Both the Ca2+ and SO42- were the dominant ions, accounting for 43% (Pune) and 54% (Delhi) of the total ions. The sum of measured ions during the NMN period was greater than the NM period by a factor of 1.5 for Pune (278.4: NM and 412.1: NMN mu eq/l) and a factor of about 2.5 for Delhi (406 and 1037.7 mu eq/l). The contributions of SO42- and NO3- to the RW acidity were similar to 40% and 60%, respectively, at Pune and correspondingly, 36% and 64% at Delhi. The concentrations of secondary aerosols (SO42- and NO3-) were higher by a factor of two and three when the air masses were transported to Pune from the continental side. At Delhi, the concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were significantly higher when the air masses arrive from Punjab, Haryana, and Pakistan indicating the greater atmospheric pollution over the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Positive matrix factorization was applied to the source apportionment of the deposition fluxes of these ions. Three factors were obtained for Pune and four for Delhi. The sources at Pune were secondary aerosols from fossil fuel combustion, soil dust, and marine, whereas, at Delhi, the sources were soil, fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning, and industrial chlorine.
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| 22. |
- Szaro, Pavel, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of suspected neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome-a systematic scoping review
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Physiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-042X. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (nTOS) is a rare pathology caused by dynamic conditions or compression of neurovascular structures in the thoracic outlet region. nTOS can be difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are increasingly used to aid the diagnosis and surgical planning. This scoping systematic review explores how MRI is used for diagnosing nTOS and summarizes details of published MRI protocols.Methods: A systematic screening of PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases using PRISMA-IPD guidelines was conducted in September 2022 to include full-text English papers on MRI and nTOS. Inclusion criteria involved studies describing MRI protocols for the diagnosis of TOS, with a focus on the imaging sequences and protocols.Results: 6289 papers were screened to include 28 papers containing details of MRI protocols. The details of MRI protocols in the analyzed articles were incomplete in all studies. Most authors used 1.5T systems and included T1 and T2-weighted sequences. Most studies applied fat suppression, mainly with STIR. Positioning of the arm differed between studies, including neutral, hyperabducted and abducted and externally rotated positions.Conclusion: Our review highlights a prevalent lack of detailed MRI protocol documentation for brachial plexus. Authors primarily rely on conventional 1.5T systems, employing standard T1 and T2-weighted sequences. The adoption of novel MRI sequences is notably lacking, and fat suppression techniques predominantly adhere to older methods as STIR. There is a clear imperative for authors to provide more comprehensive reporting of the MRI protocols utilized in their studies, ultimately enhancing comparability and clinical applicability. Establishing clear protocol reporting guidelines is crucial to allow for comparison between studies.
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| 23. |
- Tiwari, Suresh, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of PM2.5 and PM10 over Guwahati in Brahmaputra River Valley : Temporal evolution, source apportionment and meteorological dependence
- 2017
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Pollution Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1309-1042. ; 8:1, s. 13-28
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Temporal evolution, source apportionment and transport pathways of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are analysed over Guwahati, located in the Brahmaputra River Valley (BRV), as a function of meteorological dynamics. During the study period (July 2013-June 2014), the mean PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations were found to be 52 +/- 37 and 91 +/- 60 mu g m (-3), respectively, both exhibiting higher concentrations during DecembereMarch and very low during summer. The annual mean ratio of PM2.5/ PM10 was 0.57 +/- 0.11, varying from 0.24 to 0.86, suggesting dominance of anthropogenic vs natural emissions during winter and spring, respectively. Diurnal variation reveals higher PM concentrations during morning (similar to 9: 00 local time (LT)) and evening (similar to 23: 00 LT) and lowest around similar to 14: 00 to 17: 00 LT due to influence of dilution processes and higher mixing-layer height over the region. Bivariate plots and Conditional Bivariate Probability Function (CBPF) analysis showed that the highest PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are mostly associated with weak northwestern winds (< 1.5 ms (- 1)) in all seasons except spring, when the highest PM10 are for southwestern winds above 4-6 ms(- 1), indicating dust transport from SW Asia. Analysis reveals that the local emissions, transported aerosols, along with seasonallychanged air masses, meteorology and boundary-layer dynamics control the concentrations, evolution and fractions of PM over BRV. The turbid air masses transported over Guwahati mostly from western and southwestern directions contribute to higher PM concentrations, either carrying anthropogenic pollution from Indo-Gangetic Plains or locally and LRT dust from BRV and western India, respectively.
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| 24. |
- Advani, Jayshree, et al.
(författare)
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Rise of Clinical Microbial Proteogenomics : A Multiomics Approach to Nontuberculous Mycobacterium-The Case of Mycobacterium abscessus UC22
- 2018
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Ingår i: Omics. - : MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. - 1536-2310 .- 1557-8100. ; 23:1, s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species present a major challenge for global health with serious clinical manifestations ranging from pulmonary to skin infections. Multiomics research and its applications toward clinical microbial proteogenomics offer veritable potentials in this context. For example, the Mycobacterium abscessus, a highly pathogenic NTM, causes bronchopulmonary infection and chronic pulmonary disease. The rough variant of the M. abscessus UC22 strain is extremely virulent and causes lung upper lobe fibrocavitary disease. Although several whole-genome next-generation sequencing studies have characterized the genes in the smooth variant of M. abscessus, a reference genome sequence for the rough variant was generated only recently and calls for further clinical applications. We carried out whole-genome sequencing and proteomic analysis for a clinical isolate of M. abscessus UC22 strain obtained from a pulmonary tuberculosis patient. We identified 5506 single-nucleotide variations (SNVs), 63 insertions, and 76 deletions compared with the reference genome. Using a high-resolution LC-MS/MS-based approach (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry), we obtained protein coding evidence for 3601 proteins, representing 71% of the total predicted genes in this genome. Application of proteogenomic approach further revealed seven novel protein-coding genes and enabled refinement of six computationally derived gene models. We also identified 30 variant peptides corresponding to 16 SNVs known to be associated with drug resistance. These new observations offer promise for clinical applications of microbial proteogenomics and next-generation sequencing, and provide a resource for future global health applications for NTM species.
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| 25. |
- Agarwal, Suresh K., et al.
(författare)
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A pilot study assessing the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of diazepam after intranasal and intravenous administration in healthy volunteers
- 2013
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Ingår i: Epilepsy Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0920-1211 .- 1872-6844. ; 105:3, s. 362-367
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diazepam rectal gel (Diastat (R)) is the only FDA-approved product indicated for acute repetitive seizures. Despite its proven efficacy, most older children and adults object to this route of administration. As a result, many patients do not realize the benefit of a therapy that can improve outcomes and decrease healthcare costs. Intranasal administration of benzodiazepines offers a potential alternative. The primary objective of this study was to compare the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of two novel intranasal (IN) diazepam (DZP) formulations versus intravenous (IV) administration in healthy volunteers. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were randomized into an open-label, three-way crossover study. 10 mg doses of two investigational intranasal DZP formulations (solution, suspension) and a 5 mg IV dose of commercially available DZP injectable, USP were given. A two-week washout period separated treatments. Plasma samples for DZP analysis were collected pre-dose and at regular intervals up to 240 h post-dose. DZP concentration-time data were analyzed using a non-compartmental pharmacokinetics approach. Exposure following administration of DZP IN solution (absolute bioavailability - 97%) was greater than the IN suspension (absolute bioavailability - 67%). Mean C-max values for the suspension and solution formulations were 221 ng/mL and 272 ng/mL, respectively. Median time to maximum concentration (T-max) was 1 h and 1.5 h for suspension and solution formulation, respectively. Both investigational intranasal formulations were well tolerated. The results of this pilot study indicate that development of an intranasal diazepam formulation with high bioavailability, reasonable variability, and good tolerability is feasible.
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| 26. |
- Akhade, Vijay Suresh, et al.
(författare)
-
Long Noncoding RNA: Genome organization and mechanism of action
- 2017
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Ingår i: Long Non Coding RNA Biology. M.R.S. Rao (red.). - Singapore : Springer. - 0065-2598. - 9789811052026 ; , s. 47-74
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- For the last four decades, we have known that noncoding RNAs maintain critical housekeeping functions such as transcription, RNA processing, and translation. However, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies and computational tools to analyze these large sequencing datasets facilitated the discovery of thousands of small and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their functional role in diverse biological functions. For example, lncRNAs have been shown to regulate dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, pluripotency, cell differentiation and development, immune response, etc. Here we review how lncRNAs bring about such copious functions by employing diverse mechanisms such as translational inhibition, mRNA degradation, RNA decoys, facilitating recruitment of chromatin modifiers, regulation of protein activity, regulating the availability of miRNAs by sponging mechanism, etc. In addition, we provide a detailed account of different mechanisms as well as general principles by which lncRNAs organize functionally different nuclear sub-compartments and their impact on nuclear architecture. © 2017, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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| 27. |
- Bikkina, Srinivas, et al.
(författare)
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Air quality in megacity Delhi affected by countryside biomass burning
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Nature Sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2398-9629. ; 2:3, s. 200-205
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- South Asian megacities are strong sources of regional air pollution. Delhi is a key hotspot of health-and climate-impacting black carbon (BC) emissions, affecting environmental sustainability in densely populated northern India. Effective mitigation of BC impact is hampered by highly uncertain emission source estimates. Here, we use dual-carbon isotope fingerprints (delta C-13/Delta C-14) of BC to constrain the seasonal source variability in Delhi. These measurements show that lower BC concentrations in summer are predominantly from fossil fuel sources (similar to 83%). However, large-scale open burning of post-harvest crop residue/wood in nearby rural regions is contributing to severe haze pollution in Delhi during winter and autumn (similar to 42 +/- 17%). Hence, the common conception that megacities affect their surroundings is here amended or seasonally reversed. Therefore, to combat the severe air pollution problems in Delhi and the environmental quality of northern India, current urban efforts need to be complemented with countryside regional mitigation.
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| 28. |
- Bosch, Carme, et al.
(författare)
-
Source-diagnostic dual-isotope composition and optical properties of water-soluble organic carbon and elemental carbon in the South Asian outflow intercepted over the Indian Ocean
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres. - 2169-897X .- 2169-8996. ; 119:20, s. 11743-11759
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dual carbon isotope signatures and optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols have been investigated simultaneously for the first time in the South Asian outflow during an intensive campaign at the Maldives Climate Observatory on Hanimaadhoo (MCOH) (February and March 2012). As one component of the Cloud Aerosol Radiative Forcing Dynamics Experiment, this paper reports on the sources and the atmospheric processing of elemental carbon (EC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) as examined by a dual carbon isotope approach. The radiocarbon (C-14) data show that WSOC has a significantly higher biomass/biogenic contribution (865%) compared to EC (594%). The more C-13-enriched signature of MCOH-WSOC (-20.80.7) compared to MCOH-EC (-25.8 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand) and megacity Delhi WSOC (-24.1 +/- 0.9 parts per thousand) suggests that WSOC is significantly more affected by aging during long-range transport than EC. The C-13-C-14 signal suggests that the wintertime WSOC intercepted over the Indian Ocean largely represents aged primary biomass burning aerosols. Since light-absorbing organic carbon aerosols (Brown Carbon (BrC)) have recently been identified as potential contributors to positive radiative forcing, optical properties of WSOC were also investigated. The mass absorption cross section of WSOC (MAC(365)) was 0.5 +/- 0.2 m(2)g(-1) which is lower than what has been observed at near-source sites, indicating a net decrease of WSOC light-absorption character during long-range transport. Near-surface WSOC at MCOH accounted for similar to 1% of the total direct solar absorbance relative to EC, which is lower than the BrC absorption inferred from solar spectral observations of ambient aerosols, suggesting that a significant portion of BrC might be included in the water-insoluble portion of organic aerosols.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Destouni, Georgia, et al.
(författare)
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Hydro-Biogeochemical and Environmental-Management Functions of Wetland Networks in Landscapes
- 2012
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Ingår i: 9th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, Wetlands in a Complex World. ; , s. 915-
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A main application goal of ecohydrological science is to amplify opportunities of achieving water quality improvements, biodiversity enhancements and sustainable development, by improved understanding and use of ecosystem properties as a management tool. This paper draws on and synthesizes main result implications for the function and possible enhanced use of wetland networks in the landscape as such a tool, from a series of hydro-biogeochemical and environmental economics studies of nutrient/pollutant loading and abatement in different Swedish hydrological catchments. Results show large potential of wetland networks to reduce the cost of abating nutrient and metal loads within and from hydrological catchments, and emphasize some main research questions for further investigations of actual possibilities to realize this potential. The questions regard in particular the ability of wetland networks to extend the travel times and reduce the uncertainty of hydrological nutrient/pollutant transport through catchments.The paper further presents and discusses some main joint conclusions of the participants in a recently held International Workshop on Ecohydrology and Integrated Water Resource Management (1) at the Navarino Environmental Observatory in Messinia, Greece (2), regarding essential goals for collaborative international efforts in wetland network research. The goals include to investigate on different spatiotemporal scales and in different world regions: a) the dynamics of natural and managed wetland networks across a gradient of different climate, human disturbance, energy and organization conditions; b) the reciprocal interactions between wetland networks and associated hydrological catchments; c) how climate change and different human activities in the wetland network catchments influence these interactions (in b) and generally the ecohydrology of individual wetlands and the whole wetland networks; and d) the ecosystem services provided by networks of wetlands.
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| 31. |
- Ellinghaus, David, et al.
(författare)
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Association between variants of PRDM1 and NDP52 and Crohn's disease, based on exome sequencing and functional studies
- 2013
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Ingår i: Gastroenterology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-5085 .- 1528-0012. ; 145:2, s. 339-347
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 140 Crohn's disease (CD) susceptibility loci. For most loci, the variants that cause disease are not known and the genes affected by these variants have not been identified. We aimed to identify variants that cause CD through detailed sequencing, genetic association, expression, and functional studies.METHODS: We sequenced whole exomes of 42 unrelated subjects with CD and 5 healthy subjects (controls) and then filtered single nucleotide variants by incorporating association results from meta-analyses of CD GWAS and in silico mutation effect prediction algorithms. We then genotyped 9348 subjects with CD, 2868 subjects with ulcerative colitis, and 14,567 control subjects and associated variants analyzed in functional studies using materials from subjects and controls and in vitro model systems.RESULTS: We identified rare missense mutations in PR domain-containing 1 (PRDM1) and associated these with CD. These mutations increased proliferation of T cells and secretion of cytokines on activation and increased expression of the adhesion molecule L-selectin. A common CD risk allele, identified in GWAS, correlated with reduced expression of PRDM1 in ileal biopsy specimens and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (combined P = 1.6 x 10(-8)). We identified an association between CD and a common missense variant, Val248Ala, in nuclear domain 10 protein 52 (NDP52) (P = 4.83 x 10(-9)). We found that this variant impairs the regulatory functions of NDP52 to inhibit nuclear factor kappa B activation of genes that regulate inflammation and affect the stability of proteins in Toll-like receptor pathways.CONCLUSIONS: We have extended the results of GWAS and provide evidence that variants in PRDM1 and NDP52 determine susceptibility to CD. PRDM1 maps adjacent to a CD interval identified in GWAS and encodes a transcription factor expressed by T and B cells. NDP52 is an adaptor protein that functions in selective autophagy of intracellular bacteria and signaling molecules, supporting the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of CD.
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| 32. |
- Flowers, Sarah A., et al.
(författare)
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Decrease of core 2 O-glycans on synovial lubricin in osteoarthritis reduces galectin-3 mediated crosslinking
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 295:47, s. 16023-16036
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The synovial fluid glycoprotein lubricin (also known as proteoglycan 4) is a mucin-type O-linked glycosylated biological lubricant implicated to be involved in osteoarthritis (OA) development. Lubricin's ability to reduce friction is related to its glycosylation consisting of sialylated and unsialylated Tn-antigens and core 1 and core 2 structures. The glycans on lubricin have also been suggested to be involved in crosslinking and stabilization of the lubricating superficial layer of cartilage by mediating interaction between lubricin and galectin-3. However, with the spectrum of glycans being found on lubricin, the glycan candidates involved in this interaction were unknown. Here, we confirm that the core 2 O-linked glycans mediate this lubricin-galectin-3 interaction, shown by surface plasmon resonance data indicating that recombinant lubricin (rhPRG4) devoid of core 2 structures did not bind to recombinant galectin-3. Conversely, transfection of Chinese hamster ovary cells with the core 2 GlcNAc transferase acting on a mucin-type O-glycoprotein displayed increased galectin-3 binding. Both the level of galectin-3 and the galectin-3 interactions with synovial lubricin were found to be decreased in late-stage OA patients, coinciding with an increase in unsialylated core 1 O-glycans (T-antigens) and Tn-antigens. These data suggest a defect in crosslinking of surface-active molecules in OA and provide novel insights into OA molecular pathology.
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| 33. |
- Gonzalez-Juez, Esteban D., et al.
(författare)
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Turbulent-combustion closure for the chemical source terms and molecular mixing using the linear-eddy model
- 2017
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Ingår i: 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, 2017. - 9781624105111
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Turbulent combustion models approximate the interaction between turbulence, molecular transport and chemical reactions with the purpose of allowing computationally feasible simulations. There are many of these models and the present interest is on the lineareddy model (LEM). Specifically this paper introduces and tests a new method to use LEM to close the filtered chemical source terms in the conservation equations of the thermochemical quantities. For this purpose, this paper discusses the conceptual enhancements of this method over traditional LEM implementations, and its testing in a widely-used bluff-body-stabilized-flame problem.
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| 34. |
- Langdahl, Bente L., et al.
(författare)
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A 24-Month Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Denosumab for the Treatment of Men With Low Bone Mineral Density : Results From the ADAMO Trial
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 100:4, s. 1335-1342
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: One in 4 men in the United States aged >50 years will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. Fewer data are available on osteoporosis treatment in men than in women. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate denosumab therapy in men with low bone mineral density (BMD). Design: This was a phase 3 study with 2 treatment periods: a previously reported 12-month double-blind, placebo-controlled phase and a 12-month open-label phase. Setting: This was a multicenter study conducted in North America and Europe. Participants: A total of 228 men entered the open-label phase and 219 completed the study. Intervention: Men from the original denosumab (long-term) and placebo (crossover) groups received 60 mg of denosumab sc every 6 months. Main Outcome Measures: BMD, serum collagen type I C-telopeptide, and safety were measured. Results: During the open-label phase, continued BMD increases occurred with long-term denosumab treatment (2.2% lumbar spine, 0.9% total hip, 1.3% femoral neck, 1.3% trochanter, and 0.2% 1/3 radius), resulting in cumulative 24-month gains from baseline of 8.0%, 3.4%, 3.4%, 4.6%, and 0.7%, respectively (all P < .01). The crossover group showed BMD gains after 12 months of denosumab treatment similar to those of the long-term denosumab group during the first treatment year. Significant reductions in serum collagen type I C-teleopeptide were observed after denosumab administration. Adverse event rates were similar between groups, and no new safety signals were identified. Conclusions: In men with low BMD, denosumab treatment for a second year continued to increase BMD, maintained reductions in bone resorption, and was well tolerated. BMD increased in men initiating denosumab during the second year. These effects were similar to those previously seen in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and in men with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy.
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| 35. |
- Nagaraju, D H., et al.
(författare)
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Green Chemistry Route to the Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Ethanol Fuel Cells Applications
- 2012
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Ingår i: ECS ELECTROCHEMISTRY LETTERS. - : Electrochemical Society. - 2162-8726 .- 2162-8734. ; 1:3, s. F21-F23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we have demonstrated the synthesis of palladium nanoparticles decorated on reduced graphene oxide (RGO-Pd NPs) film via green chemistry route, one pot electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide and palladium ions without using any chemical reducing agents. Cyclic voltammetry in acid medium shows the characteristic nanosized palladium nanoparticles. The RGO-Pd NPs poses very high electrochemically active surface area and shows good catalytic properties for the elctrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline medium.
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| 36. |
- Oehler, Till, et al.
(författare)
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Tropical Beaches Attenuate Groundwater Nitrogen Pollution Flowing to the Ocean
- 2021
-
Ingår i: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:12, s. 8432-8438
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tropical urbanized coastal regions are hotspots for the discharge of nutrient-enriched groundwater, which can affect sensitive coastal ecosystems. Here, we investigated how a beach modifies groundwater nutrient loads in southern India (Varkala Beach), using flux measurements and stable isotopes. Fresh groundwater was highly enriched in NO 3 from sewage or manure. Submarine groundwater discharge and nearshore groundwater discharge were equally important contributors to coastal NO3 fluxes with 303 mmol NO3 m(-1) day(-1) in submarine and 334 mmol NO3 m(-1) day(-1) in nearshore groundwater discharge. However, N/P ratios in nearshore groundwater discharge were up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than that in submarine groundwater, which can promote harmful algae blooms. As groundwater flowed through the beach, N/P ratios decreased toward Redfield ratios due to the removal of 30-50% of NO3 due to denitrification and production of PO4 due to mineralization of organic matter. Overall, tropical beaches can be important natural biogeochemical reactors that attenuate nitrogen pollution and modify N/P ratios in submarine groundwater discharge.
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| 37. |
- Orwoll, Eric, et al.
(författare)
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A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Effects of Denosumab for the Treatment of Men with Low Bone Mineral Density
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 97:9, s. 3161-3169
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Men with low bone mineral density (BMD) were treated with denosumab.Objective: Our objective was to investigate the effects of denosumab compared with placebo in men with low BMD after 1 yr of treatment.Design, Subjects, and Intervention: This was a placebo-controlled, phase 3 study to investigate the efficacy and safety of denosumab 60 mg every 6 months vs. placebo in men with low BMD.Main Outcome Measure: The primary endpoint was the percent change from baseline in lumbar spine (LS) BMD at month 12.Results: Of the 242 randomized subjects (mean age 65 yr), 228 (94.2%) completed 1 yr of denosumab therapy. After 12 months, denosumab resulted in BMD increases of 5.7% at the LS, 2.4% at the total hip, 2.1% at the femoral neck, 3.1% at the trochanter, and 0.6% at the one third radius (adjusted P <= 0.0144 for BMD percent differences at all sites compared with placebo). Sensitivity analyses done by controlling for baseline covariates (such as baseline testosterone levels, BMD T-scores, and 10-yr osteoporotic fracture risk) demonstrated that the results of the primary endpoint were robust. Subgroup analyses indicate that treatment with denosumab was effective across a spectrum of clinical situations. Treatment with denosumab significantly reduced serum CTX levels at d 15 (adjusted P < 0.0001). The incidence of adverse events was similar between groups.Conclusions: One year of denosumab therapy in men with low BMD was well tolerated and resulted in a reduction in bone resorption and significant increases in BMD at all skeletal sites assessed.
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| 38. |
- Piponiot, Camille, et al.
(författare)
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Distribution of biomass dynamics in relation to tree size in forests across the world
- 2022
-
Ingår i: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 234, s. 1664-1677
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tree size shapes forest carbon dynamics and determines how trees interact with their environment, including a changing climate. Here, we conduct the first global analysis of among-site differences in how aboveground biomass stocks and fluxes are distributed with tree size. We analyzed repeat tree censuses from 25 large-scale (4–52 ha) forest plots spanning a broad climatic range over five continents to characterize how aboveground biomass, woody productivity, and woody mortality vary with tree diameter. We examined how the median, dispersion, and skewness of these size-related distributions vary with mean annual temperature and precipitation. In warmer forests, aboveground biomass, woody productivity, and woody mortality were more broadly distributed with respect to tree size. In warmer and wetter forests, aboveground biomass and woody productivity were more right skewed, with a long tail towards large trees. Small trees (1–10 cm diameter) contributed more to productivity and mortality than to biomass, highlighting the importance of including these trees in analyses of forest dynamics. Our findings provide an improved characterization of climate-driven forest differences in the size structure of aboveground biomass and dynamics of that biomass, as well as refined benchmarks for capturing climate influences in vegetation demographic models.
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| 39. |
- Rani, D., et al.
(författare)
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Spin-gapless semiconductors: Fundamental and applied aspects
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 128:22
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs) are new states of quantum matter, which are characterized by a unique spin-polarized band structure. Unlike conventional semiconductors or half-metallic ferromagnets, they carry a finite bandgap for one spin channel and a close (zero) gap for the other and thus are useful for tunable spin transport applications. It is one of the latest classes of materials considered for spintronic devices. A few of the several advantages of SGS include (i) a high Curie temperature, (ii) a minimal amount of energy required to excite electrons from the valence to conduction band due to zero gap, and (iii) the availability of both charge carriers, i.e., electrons as well as holes, which can be 100% spin-polarized simultaneously. In this perspective article, the theoretical foundation of SGS is first reviewed followed by experimental advancements on various realistic materials. The first band structure of SGS was reported in bulk Co-doped PbPdO 2, using first-principles calculations. This was followed by a large number of ab initio simulation reports predicting SGS nature in different Heusler alloy systems. The first experimental realization of SGS was made in 2013 in a bulk inverse Heusler alloy, Mn 2CoAl. In terms of material properties, SGS shows a few unique features such as nearly temperature-independent conductivity ( sigma) and carrier concentration, a very low temperature coefficient of resistivity, a vanishingly small Seebeck coefficient, quantum linear magnetoresistance in a low temperature range, etc. Later, several other systems, including 2-dimensional materials, were reported to show the signature of SGS. There are some variants of SGSs that can show a quantum anomalous Hall effect. These SGSs are classic examples of topological (Chern) insulators. In the later part of this article, we have touched upon some of these aspects of SGS or the so-called Dirac SGS systems as well. In general, SGSs can be categorized into four different types depending on how various bands corresponding to two different spin channels touch the Fermi level. The hunt for these different types of SGS materials is growing very fast. Some of the recent progress along this direction is also discussed.
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| 40. |
- Roslin, Tomas, et al.
(författare)
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A molecular-based identification resource for the arthropods of Finland
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology Resources. - : Wiley. - 1755-098X .- 1755-0998. ; 22:2, s. 803-822
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To associate specimens identified by molecular characters to other biological knowledge, we need reference sequences annotated by Linnaean taxonomy. In this study, we (1) report the creation of a comprehensive reference library of DNA barcodes for the arthropods of an entire country (Finland), (2) publish this library, and (3) deliver a new identification tool for insects and spiders, as based on this resource. The reference library contains mtDNA COI barcodes for 11,275 (43%) of 26,437 arthropod species known from Finland, including 10,811 (45%) of 23,956 insect species. To quantify the improvement in identification accuracy enabled by the current reference library, we ran 1000 Finnish insect and spider species through the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) identification engine. Of these, 91% were correctly assigned to a unique species when compared to the new reference library alone, 85% were correctly identified when compared to BOLD with the new material included, and 75% with the new material excluded. To capitalize on this resource, we used the new reference material to train a probabilistic taxonomic assignment tool, FinPROTAX, scoring high success. For the full-length barcode region, the accuracy of taxonomic assignments at the level of classes, orders, families, subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species reached 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7%, 99.4%, 96.8%, and 88.5%, respectively. The FinBOL arthropod reference library and FinPROTAX are available through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (www.laji.fi) at https://laji.fi/en/theme/protax. Overall, the FinBOL investment represents a massive capacity-transfer from the taxonomic community of Finland to all sectors of society.
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| 41. |
- Sagayam, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Optimization of SVM-Based Hand Gesture Recognition System Using Particle Swarm Optimization and Plant Growth Simulation Algorithm
- 2019
-
Ingår i: The Biometric Computing. - : Chapman and Hall/CRC. - 9781351013437 ; , s. 185-200
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To broaden the view point regarding the usage of the existing optimization technique under the visual computational applications for image processing, this task involves acquisition, pre-processing, extraction, segmentation and classification of high quality data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information. It can be used to recognize an object, tracking and motion. This also has high scope of improvement on its usage in the pattern recognition process. The pre-processing mainly involves the object localization and features the extraction of a set of training images that has to be separated. The role behind is to involve the collaboration of two optimization techniques that are particle swarm optimization and plant growth algorithm. It helps in realizing the problem with the best solution that may rise up. In case there is poor real-time ability in gesture recognition algorithm, an improved support vector machine classification algorithm of hand gesture recognition is proposed. In proposed system, the performance measure has highly improved in terms of the accuracy rate. The context of this article shows comparative analysis of hand gesture recognition system with particle swarm optimization and plant growth algorithm.
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| 42. |
- Shattuck Eidens, Donna, et al.
(författare)
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A Collaborative Survey of 80 Mutations in the BRCA1 Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Gene : Implications for Presymptomatic Testing and Screening
- 1995
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Ingår i: JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 0098-7484. ; 273:7, s. 535-541
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES:To report the initial experience of an international group of investigators in identifying mutations in the BRCA1 breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene, to assess the spectrum of such mutations in samples from patients with different family histories of cancer, and to determine the frequency of recurrent mutations.DESIGN:Nine laboratories in North America and the United Kingdom tested for BRCA1 mutations in DNA samples obtained from a total of 372 unrelated patients with breast or ovarian cancer largely chosen from high-risk families. Three of these laboratories also analyzed a total of 714 additional samples from breast or ovarian cancer cases, including 557 unselected for family history, for two specific mutations that had been found to recur in familial samples.PARTICIPANTS:A total of 1086 women with either breast or ovarian cancer.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:The detection of sequence variation in patients' DNA samples that is not found in sets of control samples.RESULTS:BRCA1 mutations have now been identified in a total of 80 patient samples. Thirty-eight distinct mutations were found among 63 mutations identified through a complete screen of the BRCA1 gene. Three specific mutations appeared relatively common, occurring eight, seven, and five times, respectively. When specific tests for the two most common mutations were performed in larger sets of samples, they were found in 17 additional patients. Mutations predicted to result in a truncated protein accounted for 86% of the mutations detected by complete screening.CONCLUSIONS:The high frequency of protein-terminating mutations and the observation of many recurrent mutations found in a diverse set of samples could lead to a relatively simple diagnostic test for BRCA1 mutations. More data must be accumulated to address specifically the sensitivity and specificity of such a diagnostic testing procedure and to better estimate the age-specific risk for breast and ovarian cancer associated with such mutations.
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| 43. |
- Tiwari, Suresh, et al.
(författare)
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Atmospheric heating due to black carbon aerosol during the summer monsoon period over Ballia : A rural environment over Indo-Gangetic Plain
- 2016
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Ingår i: Atmospheric research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-8095 .- 1873-2895. ; 178, s. 393-400
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Black carbon (BC) aerosols are one of the most uncertain drivers of global climate change. The prevailing view is that BC mass concentrations are low in rural areas where industrialization and vehicular emissions are at a minimum. As part of a national research program called the Ganga Basin Ground Based Experiment-2014 under the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) Phase-III of Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, the continuous measurements of BC and particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations, were conducted in a rural environment in the highly-polluted Indo-Gangetic Plain region during 16th June to 15th August (monsoon period), 2014. The mean mass concentration of BC was 4.03 (+/- 0.85) mu g m(-3) with a daily variability between 2.4 and 5.64 mu g m(-3), however, the mean mass PM concentrations [near ultrafine (PM1.0), fine (PM2.5) and inhalable (PM1.0)] were 29.1(+/- 16.2), 34.7 (+/- 19.9) and 43.7 (+/- 283) mu g m(-3), respectively. The contribution of BC in PM1.0 was approximately 13%, which is one of the highest being recorded. Diurnally, the BC mass concentrations were highest (mean: 5.89 mu g m(-3)) between 20:00 to 22:00 local time (LT) due to the burning of biofuels/biomass such as wood, dung, straw and crop residue mixed with dung by the local residents for cooking purposes. The atmospheric direct radiative forcing values due to the composite and BC aerosols were determined to be +78.3, +44.9, and +45.0 W m(-2) and +42.2, +35.4 and +34.3 W m(-2) during the months ofJune, July and August, respectively. The corresponding atmospheric heating rates (AHR) for composite and BC aerosols were 2.21,1.26 and 1.26; and 1.19, 0.99 and 0.96 K day(-1) for the month ofJune, July and August, respectively, with a mean of 1.57 and 1.05 K day(-1) which was 33% lower AHR (BC) than for the composite particles during the study period. This high AHR underscores the importance of absorbing aerosols such as BC contributed by residential cooking using biofuels in India. Our study demonstrates the need for immediate, effective regulations and policies that mitigate the emission of BC particles from domestic cooking in rural areas of India.
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| 44. |
- Tiwari, Suresh, et al.
(författare)
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Observations of ambient trace gas and PM10 concentrations at Patna, Central Ganga Basin during 2013-2014 : The influence of meteorological variables on atmospheric pollutants
- 2016
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Ingår i: Atmospheric research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-8095 .- 1873-2895. ; 180, s. 138-149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atmospheric pollutants including ozone (O-3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and inhalable particulate matter (PM10) were measured in the central Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB) at Patna, India, from 1st March 2013 to 31st December 2014, and significant variability was observed in the temporal patterns of these pollutant concentrations. The mean O-3, SO2, NO, NO2, CO (trace gases: TG), and PM10 (PM) concentrations were 14.5 +/- 4.8, 5.9 +/- 4.8, 23.1 +/- 22, 20.6 +/- 14.6 ppb, 1.5 +/- 0.7 ppm, and 192.0 +/- 132.8 ng/m(3), respectively, over the study period. The highest concentrations of these species were during the post-monsoon and winter seasons except O-3 and SO2 that showed the highest concentrations during the pre-monsoon. The lowest concentrations of TG and PM were observed during the monsoon season as a result of scavenging by rain. NO and NO2 along with PM concentrations decreased by similar to 76,19, and 63% when the wind speed (WS) was >0.5 m/s. However, for O-3, an opposite trend was observed with similar to 14% higher concentrations. The WS was negatively correlated with PM during the winter (-0.48) and post-monsoon (-0.32) seasons. In order to investigate the source region of TG and PM, 5-day air mass back trajectories were computed. The dominance of the air masses (92, 53, and 49%) were from the IGB is highly polluted during the winter, pre-monsoon, and post-monsoon, respectively. The TG and PM were observed much higher during these periods. During the biomass burning period (post-monsoon), the trajectory analysis showed that the TG and PM concentrations were around three-fold higher (flow from the IGB) than the other seasons. To improve air quality over IGB, the mitigation measures should be designed to reduce emissions from both local and regional sources.
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- Venkatesh, Lakshmi Narayanan, et al.
(författare)
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Morphology-Dependent Hardness of Cr7C3-Ni-Rich Alloy Composite vs Orientation Independent Hardness of Cr7C3 Primary Phase in a Laser Clad Microstructure
- 2017
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Ingår i: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1073-5623 .- 1543-1940. ; 48A:4, s. 1534-1539
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microstructural evolution with superheating was studied in chromium carbide-nickel coatings deposited by laser cladding. At lower superheating, selective growth of aOE (c) 0001 > direction from the high density of Cr7C3 grains nucleated resulted in a columnar structure with (0001) texture. Increased superheating lead to the loss of columnar structure as well as the (0001) texture. The hexagonal Cr7C3 showed an unusual isotropic nanoindentation hardness evidently correlated with its low c/a ratio. However, the rod-like morphology of the carbide dendrites resulted in significant anisotropy in the hardness of the composite.
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