| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Cachim, Afonso, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring adherence to inhaled control medication in patients with asthma : Comparison among an asthma app, patient self-report and physician assessment
- 2023
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Ingår i: Clinical and Translational Allergy. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7022. ; 13:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using an asthma app to support medication management and adherence but failed to compare with other measures currently used in clinical practice. However, in a clinical setting, any additional adherence measurement must be evaluated in the context of both the patient and physician perspectives so that it can also help improve the process of shared decision making. Thus, we aimed to compare different measures of adherence to asthma control inhalers in clinical practice, namely through an app, patient self-report and physician assessment.MethodsThis study is a secondary analysis of three prospective multicentre observational studies with patients (≥13 years old) with persistent asthma recruited from 61 primary and secondary care centres in Portugal. Patients were invited to use the InspirerMundi app and register their inhaled medication. Adherence was measured by the app as the number of doses taken divided by the number of doses scheduled each day and two time points were considered for analysis: 1-week and 1-month. At baseline, patients and physicians independently assessed adherence to asthma control inhalers during the previous week using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 0–100).ResultsA total of 193 patients (72% female; median [P25–P75] age 28 [19–41] years old) were included in the analysis. Adherence measured by the app was lower (1 week: 31 [0–71]%; 1 month: 18 [0–48]%) than patient self-report (80 [60–95]) and physician assessment (82 [51–94]) (p < 0.001). A negligible non-significant correlation was found between the app and subjective measurements (ρ 0.118–0.156, p > 0.05). There was a moderate correlation between patient self-report and physician assessment (ρ = 0.596, p < 0.001).ConclusionsAdherence measured by the app was lower than that reported by the patient or the physician. This was expected as objective measurements are commonly lower than subjective evaluations, which tend to overestimate adherence. Nevertheless, the low adherence measured by the app may also be influenced by the use of the app itself and this needs to be considered in future studies.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Glasbey, JC, et al.
(författare)
-
- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 7. |
- Lopes, Fatima, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of novel genetic causes of Rett syndrome-like phenotypes
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 53:3, s. 190-199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The aim of this work was to identify new genetic causes of Rett-like phenotypes using array comparative genomic hybridisation and a whole exome sequencing approach. Methods and results We studied a cohort of 19 Portuguese patients (16 girls, 3 boys) with a clinical presentation significantly overlapping Rett syndrome (RTT). Genetic analysis included filtering of the single nucleotide variants and indels with preference for de novo, homozygous/compound heterozygous, or maternally inherited X linked variants. Examination by MRI and muscle biopsies was also performed. Pathogenic genomic imbalances were found in two patients (10.5%): an 18q21.2 deletion encompassing four exons of the TCF4 gene and a mosaic UPD of chromosome 3. Variants in genes previously implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) were identified in six patients (32%): de novo variants in EEF1A2, STXBP1 and ZNF238 were found in three patients, maternally inherited X linked variants in SLC35A2, ZFX and SHROOM4 were detected in two male patients and one homozygous variant in EIF2B2 was detected in one patient. Variants were also detected in five novel NDD candidate genes (26%): we identified de novo variants in the RHOBTB2, SMARCA1 and GABBR2 genes; a homozygous variant in EIF4G1; compound heterozygous variant in HTT. Conclusions Network analysis reveals that these genes interact by means of protein interactions with each other and with the known RTT genes. These findings expand the phenotypical spectrum of previously known NDD genes to encompass RTT-like clinical presentations and identify new candidate genes for RTT-like phenotypes.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Neves, Ana Luisa, et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of the Use of Health and Fitness Mobile Apps by Patients With Asthma : Secondary Analysis of Observational Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research. - : JMIR Publications. - 1438-8871. ; 23:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control among patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions, and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and nonusers is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients' daily lives, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, thus improving rather than entrenching health inequities. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the use of general health and fitness apps by patients with asthma and to identify determinants of usage. Methods: A secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS observational studies was conducted using data from face-to-face visits. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were included between November 2017 and August 2020. Individual-level data were collected, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, health status, presence of anxiety and depression, postcode, socioeconomic level, digital literacy, use of health services, and use of health and fitness apps. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of being a health and fitness app user. Statistical analysis was performed in R. Results: A total of 526 patients attended a face-to-face visit in the 49 recruiting centers and 514 had complete data. Most participants were <= 40 years old (66.4%), had at least 10 years of education (57.4%), and were in the 3 higher quintiles of the socioeconomic deprivation index (70.1%). The majority reported an overall good health status (visual analogue scale [VAS] score>70 in 93.1%) and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 34.3% and 11.9%, respectively. The proportion of participants who reported using health and fitness mobile apps was 41.1% (n=211). Multivariate models revealed that single individuals and those with more than 10 years of education are more likely to use health and fitness mobile apps (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.22, 95%CI 1.05-4.75 and aOR 1.95, 95%CI 1.12-3.45, respectively). Higher digital literacy scores were also associated with higher odds of being a user of health and fitness apps, with participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles reporting aORs of 6.74 (95%CI 2.90-17.40), 10.30 (95%CI 4.28-27.56), and 11.52 (95%CI 4.78-30.87), respectively. Participants with depression symptoms had lower odds of using health and fitness apps (aOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12-0.83). Conclusions: A better understanding of the barriers and enhancers of app use among patients with lower education, lower digital literacy, or depressive symptoms is key to design tailored interventions to ensure a sustained and equitable use of these technologies. Future studies should also assess users' general health-seeking behavior and their interest and concerns specifically about digital tools. These factors may impact both initial engagement and sustained use.
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| 10. |
- Pereira, Ana Margarida, et al.
(författare)
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Multidisciplinary Development and Initial Validation of a Clinical Knowledge Base on Chronic Respiratory Diseases for mHealth Decision Support Systems
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research. - : JMIR PUBLICATIONS, INC. - 1438-8871. ; 25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most mobile health (mHealth) decision support systems currently available for chronic obstructive respiratory diseases (CORDs) are not supported by clinical evidence or lack clinical validation. The development of the knowledge base that will feed the clinical decision support system is a crucial step that involves the collection and systematization of clinical knowledge from relevant scientific sources and its representation in a human-understandable and computer-interpretable way. This work describes the development and initial validation of a clinical knowledge base that can be integrated into mHealth decision support systems developed for patients with CORDs. A multidisciplinary team of health care professionals with clinical experience in respiratory diseases, together with data science and IT professionals, defined a new framework that can be used in other evidence-based systems. The knowledge base development began with a thorough review of the relevant scientific sources (eg, disease guidelines) to identify the recommendations to be implemented in the decision support system based on a consensus process. Recommendations were selected according to predefined inclusion criteria: (1) applicable to individuals with CORDs or to prevent CORDs, (2) directed toward patient self-management, (3) targeting adults, and (4) within the scope of the knowledge domains and subdomains defined. Then, the selected recommendations were prioritized according to (1) a harmonized level of evidence (reconciled from different sources); (2) the scope of the source document (international was preferred); (3) the entity that issued the source document; (4) the operability of the recommendation; and (5) health care professionals' perceptions of the relevance, potential impact, and reach of the recommendation. A total of 358 recommendations were selected. Next, the variables required to trigger those recommendations were defined (n=116) and operationalized into logical rules using Boolean logical operators (n=405). Finally, the knowledge base was implemented in an intelligent individualized coaching component , pretested with an asthma use case. Initial validation of the knowledge base was conducted internally using data from a population-based observational study of individuals with or without asthma or rhinitis. External validation of the appropriateness of the recommendations with the highest priority level was conducted independently by 4 physicians. In addition, a strategy for knowledge base updates, including an easy-to-use rules editor, was defined. Using this process, based on consensus and iterative improvement, we developed and conducted preliminary validation of a clinical knowledge base for CORDs that translates disease guidelines into personalized patient recommendations. The knowledge base can be used as part of mHealth decision support systems. This process could be replicated in other clinical areas.
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| 11. |
- Poorter, Lourens, et al.
(författare)
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Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite successional pathways in wood density but converge over time
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2397-334X. ; 3:6, s. 928-934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tropical forests are converted at an alarming rate for agricultural use and pastureland, but also regrow naturally through secondary succession. For successful forest restoration, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of secondary succession. These mechanisms may vary across forest types, but analyses across broad spatial scales are lacking. Here, we analyse forest recovery using 1,403 plots that differ in age since agricultural abandonment from 50 sites across the Neotropics. We analyse changes in community composition using species-specific stem wood density (WD), which is a key trait for plant growth, survival and forest carbon storage. In wet forest, succession proceeds from low towards high community WD (acquisitive towards conservative trait values), in line with standard successional theory. However, in dry forest, succession proceeds from high towards low community WD (conservative towards acquisitive trait values), probably because high WD reflects drought tolerance in harsh early successional environments. Dry season intensity drives WD recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in convergence of the community WD over time as vegetation cover builds up. These ecological insights can be used to improve species selection for reforestation. Reforestation species selected to establish a first protective canopy layer should, among other criteria, ideally have a similar WD to the early successional communities that dominate under the prevailing macroclimatic conditions.
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| 12. |
- Alday, Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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The Pollica perspective on the (super)-conformal world
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics A. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 1751-8113 .- 1751-8121. ; 54:30
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This manuscript samples a series of recent results in the quest for a systematic understanding of the space of conformal field theories, with a particular focus on theories with extended supersymmetry. The large majority of results reported here were presented during the second Pollica summer workshop which took place from June 3-21 2019 and focused on mathematical and geometric tools for superconformal field theories. This manuscript represents in many ways a partial summary of the workshop.
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| 13. |
- Amaral, Rita, et al.
(författare)
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Profiling Persistent Asthma Phenotypes in Adolescents : A Longitudinal Diagnostic Evaluation from the INSPIRERS Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We aimed to identify persistent asthma phenotypes among adolescents and to evaluate longitudinally asthma-related outcomes across phenotypes. Adolescents (13-17 years) from the prospective, observational, and multicenter INSPIRERS studies, conducted in Portugal and Spain, were included (n = 162). Latent class analysis was applied to demographic, environmental, and clinical variables, collected at a baseline medical visit. Longitudinal differences in clinical variables were assessed at a 4-month follow-up telephone contact (n = 128). Three classes/phenotypes of persistent asthma were identified. Adolescents in class 1 (n = 87) were highly symptomatic at baseline and presented the highest number of unscheduled healthcare visits per month and exacerbations per month, both at baseline and follow-up. Class 2 (n = 32) was characterized by female predominance, more frequent obesity, and uncontrolled upper/lower airways symptoms at baseline. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the proportion of controlled lower airway symptoms (p < 0.001). Class 3 (n = 43) included mostly males with controlled lower airways symptoms; at follow-up, while keeping symptom control, there was a significant increase in exacerbations/month (p = 0.015). We have identified distinct phenotypes of persistent asthma in adolescents with different patterns in longitudinal asthma-related outcomes, supporting the importance of profiling asthma phenotypes in predicting disease outcomes that might inform targeted interventions and reduce future risk.
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| 14. |
- Andersen, Lars Vabbersgaard, et al.
(författare)
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Probabilistic assessment of ground-vibration transfer in layered soil
- 2018
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Ingår i: Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering IX : Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal - Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal. - 9781351003612 - 9781138544468 ; 2, s. 1577-1586
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 15. |
- Baptista, Antonio M. G., et al.
(författare)
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Causes of Vision Impairment in Portugal : A hospital based study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. - 0146-0404 .- 1552-5783. ; 56:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose Causes of vision impairment (VI) are influenced by factors such as race or socio-economic circumstances. Because of this collecting national information is important for planning reduction of vision loss. The aim of this study was to determine causes of vision impairment in a population visiting ophthalmology departments in public hospitals in Portugal.Methods This study was designed according with the guidelines of the Vancouver Economic Burden of Vision Loss Group (IOVS, 2010, V51/4/1801). Recommendations are to collect hospital data during 1 year to determine causes of VI. We selected four public hospitals that are expected to have over 120-140K appointments per year. Files are analysed weekly to detect patients with vision impairment. Inclusion criteria are: visual acuity with the current refractive correction equal or less than 0.5 (20/40) in the better-seeing eye and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees. Patients were selected by trained hospital staff (medics and orthoptists) and inserted in a database. Diagnoses were classified according the ICD9. Data collected included fundamental demographic information, main diagnosis, secondary diagnosis and comorbidities.Results We have now 2462 patients selected that correspond to 4 to 33 weeks of data collection. The number of weeks is variable because we did not start all hospitals simultaneously. From the current number of cases detected, 58% are female, 1.9% are under 20, 8.2% are between 20 and 50 and 89.9% are 50 years or older. The leading causes of vision impairment among these patients are diabetic retinopathy (DR), cataract (C), glaucoma (GC) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Using the North American definition of VI the proportions are 26.8% for DR, 25.5% for C, 10.4% for GC and 8.2% for AMD. The remaining causes of VI have percentages below 5% and in total they correspond to approximately 29% of the cases detected.Conclusions Our results show that the most common causes of vision impairment are eye diseases related with systemic conditions and aging of the population. Vision impairment was relatively low under the age of 20 and the causes were mostly inherited diseases. Numbers reported now will be more accurate at the end of the study but they already highlight the importance of targeting conditions such as diabetes.
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| 16. |
- Beisert, Niklas, et al.
(författare)
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Review of AdS/CFT Integrability : An Overview
- 2012
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Ingår i: Letters in Mathematical Physics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0377-9017 .- 1573-0530. ; 99:1-3, s. 3-32
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This is the introductory chapter of a review collection on integrability in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. In the collection we present an overview of the achievements and the status of this subject as of the year 2010.
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| 17. |
- Borges Vieira, Alex, et al.
(författare)
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Characterizing SopCast Client Behavior
- 2012
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Ingår i: Computer Communications. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-3664 .- 1873-703X. ; 35:8, s. 1004-1016
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Live streaming media applications are becoming more popular each day. Indeed, some important TV channels already broadcast their live content on the Internet. In such scenario, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications are very attractive as platforms to distribute live content to large client populations at low costs. A thorough understanding of how clients of such applications typically behave, particularly in terms of dynamic patterns, can provide useful insights into the design of more cost-effective and robust solutions. With the goal of extending the current knowledge of how clients of live streaming applications typically behave, this paper provides a detailed characterization of clients of SopCast, a currently very popular P2P live streaming application. We have analyzed a series of SopCast transmissions collected using PlanetLab. These transmissions are categorized into two different types, namely, major event live transmissions and regular (or non-event) live transmissions. Our main contributions are: (a) a detailed model of client behavior in P2P live streaming applications, (b) the characterization of all model components for two different types of transmissions in the SopCast application, (c) the identification of qualitative and quantitative similarities and differences in the typical client behavior across different transmissions, and (d) the determination of parameter values for the proposed client behavior model to support the design of realistic synthetic workload generators.
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| 18. |
- Borges Vieira, Alex, et al.
(författare)
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Modelo de Comportamento dos Participantes do SopCast
- 2009
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Ingår i: WebMedia 2009. - New York, NY, USA : ACM. - 9781605588803
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Apesar da crescente popularidade das aplica¸c˜oes de transmiss ˜ao de m´ıdia cont´ınua ao vivo em P2P, a compreens˜ao atual de aspectos importantes do comportamento dos participantes, como o intervalo de chegada entre eles e tempo de permanˆencia na rede, ainda ´e limitada. Este trabalho pretende preencher esta lacuna apresentando uma caracteriza ¸c˜ao do comportamento dos participantes no SopCast, uma das aplica¸c˜oes mais populares de transmiss˜ao ao vivo sobre P2P. A an´alise apresentada inclui propriedades relativas `a sess˜ao, tais como intervalos entre chegada de novos participantes, tempo de permanˆencia, n´umero de sess˜oes q e tempo de inatividade entre sess˜oes. Tamb´em s˜ao apresentadas propriedades das parcerias entre os participantes, como n´umero de parceiros e suas dura¸c˜oes. Al´em disso, o estudo apresentado compreende diferentes canais do Sop- Cast, destacando diferen¸cas nos padr˜oes de comportamento dependendo do conte´udo. As caracteriza¸c˜oes apresentadas definem um modelo dos participantes, que pode ser usado como base para cria¸c˜ao de novos protocolos e gera¸c˜ao de cargas sint´eticas realistas para transmiss˜ao ao vivo em P2P.
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| 19. |
- Borges Vieira, Alex, et al.
(författare)
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SopCast P2P live streaming : live session traces and analysis
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 4th ACM Multimedia Systems Conference. - New York, NY, USA : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 9781450318945 ; , s. 125-130
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- P2P-TV applications have attracted a lot of attention fromthe research community in the last years. Such systemsgenerate a large amount of data which impacts the networkperformance. As a natural consequence, characterizingthese systems has become a very important task to developbetter multimedia systems. However, crawling data fromP2P live streaming systems is particularly challenging bythe fact that most of these applications have privateprotocols. In this work, we present a set of logs from a verypopular P2P live streaming application, the SopCast. Wedescribe our crawling methodology, and present a briefSopCast characterization. We believe that our logs and thecharacterization can be used as a starting point to thedevelopment of new live streaming systems.
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| 20. |
- Chazdon, Robin L., et al.
(författare)
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Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics
- 2016
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 2:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Regrowth of tropical secondary forests following complete or nearly complete removal of forest vegetation actively stores carbon in aboveground biomass, partially counterbalancing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, burning of fossil fuels, and other anthropogenic sources. We estimate the age and spatial extent of lowland second-growth forests in the Latin American tropics and model their potential aboveground carbon accumulation over four decades. Our model shows that, in 2008, second-growth forests (1 to 60 years old) covered 2.4 million km2 of land (28.1% of the total study area). Over 40 years, these lands can potentially accumulate a total aboveground carbon stock of 8.48 Pg C (petagrams of carbon) in aboveground biomass via low-cost natural regeneration or assisted regeneration, corresponding to a total CO2 sequestration of 31.09 Pg CO2. This total is equivalent to carbon emissions from fossil fuel use and industrial processes in all of Latin America and the Caribbean from 1993 to 2014. Ten countries account for 95% of this carbon storage potential, led by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We model future land-use scenarios to guide national carbon mitigation policies. Permitting natural regeneration on 40% of lowland pastures potentially stores an additional 2.0 Pg C over 40 years. Our study provides information and maps to guide national-level forest-based carbon mitigation plans on the basis of estimated rates of natural regeneration and pasture abandonment. Coupled with avoided deforestation and sustainable forest management, natural regeneration of second-growth forests provides a low-cost mechanism that yields a high carbon sequestration potential with multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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| 21. |
- de Carvalho Gomes, Pedro, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Verification of P2P live streaming systems using symmetry-based semiautomatic abstractions
- 2012
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on High Performance Computing and Simulation, HPCS 2012. - : IEEE. - 9781467323598 ; , s. 343-349
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- P2P systems are one of the most efficient data transport technologies in use today. Particularly, P2P live streaming systems have been growing in popularity recently. However, analyzing such systems is difficult. Developers are not able to realize a complete test due the due to system size and complex dynamic behavior. This may lead us to develop protocols with errors, unfair or even with low performance. One way of performing such an analysis is using formal methods. Model Checking is one such method that can be used for the formal verification of P2P systems. However it suffers from the combinatory explosion of states. The problem can be minimized with techniques such as abstraction and symmetry reduction. This work combines both techniques to produce reduced models that can be verified in feasible time. We present a methodology to generate abstract models of reactive systems semi-automatically, based on the model's symmetry. It defines modeling premises to make the abstraction procedure semiautomatic, i.e., without modification of the model. Moreover, it presents abstraction patterns based on the system symmetry and shows which properties are consistent with each pattern. The reductions obtained by the methodology were significant. In our test case of a P2P network, it has enabled the verification of liveness properties over the abstract models which did not finish with the original model after more than two weeks of intensive computation. Our results indicate that the use of model checking for the verification of P2P systems is feasible, and that our modeling methodology can increase the efficiency of the verification algorithms enough to enable the analysis of real complex P2P live streaming systems.
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| 22. |
- de Faria, Aparecida Donisete, et al.
(författare)
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Towards a natural classification of Sapotaceae subfamily Chrysophylloideae in the Neotropics
- 2017
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Ingår i: Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0024-4074 .- 1095-8339. ; 185, s. 27-55
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Generic limits of Chrysophyllum and Pouteria (Chrysophylloideae, Sapotaceae) have been found to be untenable. We here search for natural lineages in Neotropical Chrysophylloideae by sampling 101 terminals for molecular sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (external and internal transcribed spacer), the nuclear gene RPB2 and 17 morphological characters. Data were analysed with Bayesian inference and parsimony jackknifing. Morphological traits were finally optimized onto the tree to identify the most coherent characters. The resulting phylogenetic tree suggests that the limits of the well-known genera Chrysophyllum and Pouteria must be amended. Diploon, Ecclinusa and Elaeoluma can be maintained and Chrysophyllum sections Ragala section Prieurella and the satellite gen- era Achrouteria, Cornuella, Martiusella and Nemaluma merit generic resurrection. Lucuma may be restored if the type species belongs to the clade. The accepted genera Chromolucuma, Pradosia and Sarcaulus gain strong clade support, but are embedded in a core clade of Pouteria and may be relegated to the subgeneric level if morphologi- cal studies cannot provide evidence concurring with narrow generic concepts. Circumscriptions of Micropholis and Chrysophyllum sections Chrysophyllum and Villocuspis remain unclear and must be explored by using an extended taxon sampling. We predict that yet-to-be-analysed species of Pouteria sections Franchetella, Gayella, Oxythece and Pouteria and members of the currently accepted genera Chromolucuma, Pradosia and Sarcaulus will fall inside the core clade of Pouteria when analysed.
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| 23. |
- de Freitas, Pedro Augusto Vieira, et al.
(författare)
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Antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts from grape stalks obtained with subcritical water. Potential use in active food packaging development
- 2024
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Ingår i: Food Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-8146 .- 1873-7072. ; 451
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to valorise winemaking grape stalks, subcritical water extraction at 160 and 180 °C has been carried out to obtain phenolic-rich extracts useful for developing active food packaging materials. Red (R) and white (W) varieties (from Requena, Spain) were used, and thus, four kinds of extracts were obtained. These were characterised as to their composition, thermal stability and antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The extracts were incorporated at 6 wt% into polylactic acid (PLA) films and their effect on the optical and barrier properties of the films and their protective effect against sunflower oil oxidation was analysed. Carbohydrates were the major compounds (25–38%) in the extracts that contained 3.5–6.6% of phenolic compounds, the R extracts being the richest, with higher radical scavenging capacity. Every extract exhibited antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua, while PLA films with extracts preserved sunflower oil against oxidation.
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| 24. |
-
Decolonzing Design - : Special Issue for the journal Design and Culture
- 2018
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- After centuries of subaltern and decades of transdisciplinary gestation, decolonial thinking has finally been incorporated into studies of materiality and – though belatedly – cohered as a question that can be posed directly both to and within the field of Design Studies. Some of the questions that come to mind in this formative moment for decolonial thinking in/and/as design include:• What does the endeavor of decolonizing design mean?• What does it mean for design to be thought of in relation to decoloniality and for decoloniality to be thought of in relation to design?• How are ideas and practices of decolonizing design already emerging?• What are its implications within and beyond the field of Design Studies?These questions have brought us – the members of the Decolonising Design (DD) project and research collective – together and have influenced our efforts to build an online platform that supports and promotes thinking by similarly interested design scholars.
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| 25. |
- Donis, Daphne, et al.
(författare)
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Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer
- 2021
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Ingår i: Limnology and Oceanography. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0024-3590 .- 1939-5590. ; 66:12, s. 4314-4333
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and total nitrogen [TN] = 0.7 mg L-1), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chlorophyll a (Chl a) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chl a than Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long-term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4 degrees C) and showed a significant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshot of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are both affected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient-rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature.
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| 26. |
- Fernandez-Anez, Nieves, et al.
(författare)
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Current Wildland Fire Patterns and Challenges in Europe : A Synthesis of National Perspectives
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Air, Soil and Water Research. - : SAGE Publications. - 1178-6221. ; 14, s. 1-19
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by national representatives, supplemented by national fire statistics (2009–2018) across Europe. For each of the 31 countries included, we present a perspective authored by scientists or practitioners from each respective country, representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds. The authors were selected from members of the COST Action “Fire and the Earth System: Science & Society” funded by the European Commission with the aim to share knowledge and improve communication about wildland fire. Where relevant, a brief overview of key studies, particular wildland fire challenges a country is facing, and an overview of notable recent fire events are also presented. Key perceived challenges included (1) the lack of consistent and detailed records for wildland fire events, within and across countries, (2) an increase in wildland fires that pose a risk to properties and human life due to high population densities and sprawl into forested regions, and (3) the view that, irrespective of changes in management, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and impact of wildland fires in the coming decades. Addressing challenge (1) will not only be valuable in advancing national and pan-European wildland fire management strategies, but also in evaluating perceptions (2) and (3) against more robust quantitative evidence.
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| 27. |
- Gei, Maga, et al.
(författare)
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Legume abundance along successional and rainfall gradients in Neotropical forests
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; 2:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nutrient demands of regrowing tropical forests are partly satisfied by nitrogen-fixing legume trees, but our understanding of the abundance of those species is biased towards wet tropical regions. Here we show how the abundance of Leguminosae is affected by both recovery from disturbance and large-scale rainfall gradients through a synthesis of forest inventory plots from a network of 42 Neotropical forest chronosequences. During the first three decades of natural forest regeneration, legume basal area is twice as high in dry compared with wet secondary forests. The tremendous ecological success of legumes in recently disturbed, water-limited forests is likely to be related to both their reduced leaflet size and ability to fix N2, which together enhance legume drought tolerance and water-use efficiency. Earth system models should incorporate these large-scale successional and climatic patterns of legume dominance to provide more accurate estimates of the maximum potential for natural nitrogen fixation across tropical forests.
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| 28. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App : Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Medical Technology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-3129. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support.Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use.Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app =30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use.Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25-P75) 16-36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3-45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3-38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4-73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6-83]% and 43 [3-73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen.Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 31. |
- Keshavarz, Mahmoud, et al.
(författare)
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The Speculative Machine of Categorization
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual Conference 2021.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The technological infrastructures of borders manage the unfixable nature of identity through identification practices. While the heterogeneity of identities is a matter of possibilities, border regimes, through building upon and extending the categories of difference designed along race, gender, class, and age operate in the realm of probabilities. This process however is not smooth as there is always a gap between a body, its physical, corporeal and performative possibilities and its documentation, representation and recognition. The frequent errors in practices of identification according to categorization are not always treated by its promoters as glitches to be fixed, but rather as features that need to be made invisible or imperceptible in order to make speculation on probabilities operative. We therefore understand the border as a speculative categorization machine, and the infrastructures of border work as inherently dependent on these categories to function. Focusing on two cases of biometric passport control and automated accent recognition, the different ways in which they produce and apply categorization as their main mode of operation, as well as the different temporalities in which they occur, we ask: What happens when these categories are not recognized but rejected, overemphasized, or messed up completely by those who are subject to this speculative machine? Can these refusals re-distribute possibilities beyond recognition by exceeding the categories to which the border seeks to anchor the body? Following Denise Ferreira da Silva's figuration of “Difference without Separability” we would like to think how these three tactical engagements with categories might lead to other forms of speculation and counter-speculations where movement and encounter can be imagined without the categories of recognition.
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| 32. |
- Mantzouki, Evanthia, et al.
(författare)
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Temperature Effects Explain Continental Scale Distribution of Cyanobacterial Toxins
- 2018
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Ingår i: Toxins. - : MDPI. - 2072-6651. ; 10:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.
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| 33. |
- Marote, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Cellular Aging Secretes : a Comparison of Bone-Marrow-Derived and Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Their Secretome Over Long-Term Culture
- 2023
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Ingår i: Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2629-3269 .- 2629-3277. ; 19:1, s. 248-263
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold promising therapeutic potential in several clinical applications, mainly due to their paracrine activity. The implementation of future secretome-based therapeutic strategies requires the use of easily accessible MSCs sources that provide high numbers of cells with homogenous characteristics. MSCs obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (iMSCs) have been put forward as an advantageous alternative to the gold-standard tissue sources, such as bone marrow (BM-MSCs). In this study, we aimed at comparing the secretome of BM-MSCs and iMSCs over long-term culture. For that, we performed a broad characterization of both sources regarding their identity, proteomic secretome analysis, as well as replicative senescence and associated phenotypes, including its effects on MSCs secretome composition and immunomodulatory action. Our results evidence a rejuvenated phenotype of iMSCs, which is translated into a superior proliferative capacity before the induction of replicative senescence. Despite this significant difference between iMSCs and BM-MSCs proliferation, both untargeted and targeted proteomic analysis revealed a similar secretome composition for both sources in pre-senescent and senescent states. These results suggest that shifting from the use of BM-MSCs to a more advantageous source, like iMSCs, may yield similar therapeutic effects as identified over the past years for this gold-standard MSC source. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 34. |
- Persson, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Efficient finite-element analysis of the influence of structural modifications on traffic-induced building vibrations
- 2018
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Ingår i: Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering IX : roceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal - roceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal. - 9781138544468 - 9781351003612 ; 2, s. 1557-1564
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Salvo, Gloria, et al.
(författare)
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Open vs minimally invasive radical trachelectomy in early-stage cervical cancer : International Radical Trachelectomy Assessment Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9378 .- 1097-6868. ; 226:1, s. 1-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Minimally invasive radical trachelectomy has emerged as an alternative to open radical hysterectomy for patients with early-stage cervical cancer desiring future fertility. Recent data suggest worse oncologic outcomes after minimally invasive radical hysterectomy than after open radical hysterectomy in stage I cervical cancer. Objective: We aimed to compare 4.5-year disease-free survival after open vs minimally invasive radical trachelectomy. Study Design: This was a collaborative, international retrospective study (International Radical Trachelectomy Assessment Study) of patients treated during 2005–2017 at 18 centers in 12 countries. Eligible patients had squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, or adenosquamous carcinoma; had a preoperative tumor size of ≤2 cm; and underwent open or minimally invasive (robotic or laparoscopic) radical trachelectomy with nodal assessment (pelvic lymphadenectomy and/or sentinel lymph node biopsy). The exclusion criteria included neoadjuvant chemotherapy or preoperative pelvic radiotherapy, previous lymphadenectomy or pelvic retroperitoneal surgery, pregnancy, stage IA1 disease with lymphovascular space invasion, aborted trachelectomy (conversion to radical hysterectomy), or vaginal approach. Surgical approach, indication, and adjuvant therapy regimen were at the discretion of the treating institution. A total of 715 patients were entered into the study database. However, 69 patients were excluded, leaving 646 in the analysis. Endpoints were the 4.5-year disease-free survival rate (primary), 4.5-year overall survival rate (secondary), and recurrence rate (secondary). Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate disease-free survival and overall survival. A post hoc weighted analysis was performed, comparing the recurrence rates between surgical approaches, with open surgery being considered as standard and minimally invasive surgery as experimental. Results: Of 646 patients, 358 underwent open surgery, and 288 underwent minimally invasive surgery. The median (range) patient age was 32 (20–42) years for open surgery vs 31 (18–45) years for minimally invasive surgery (P=.11). Median (range) pathologic tumor size was 15 (0–31) mm for open surgery and 12 (0.8–40) mm for minimally invasive surgery (P=.33). The rates of pelvic nodal involvement were 5.3% (19 of 358 patients) for open surgery and 4.9% (14 of 288 patients) for minimally invasive surgery (P=.81). Median (range) follow-up time was 5.5 (0.20–16.70) years for open surgery and 3.1 years (0.02–11.10) years for minimally invasive surgery (P<.001). At 4.5 years, 17 of 358 patients (4.7%) with open surgery and 18 of 288 patients (6.2%) with minimally invasive surgery had recurrence (P=.40). The 4.5-year disease-free survival rates were 94.3% (95% confidence interval, 91.6–97.0) for open surgery and 91.5% (95% confidence interval, 87.6–95.6) for minimally invasive surgery (log-rank P=.37). Post hoc propensity score analysis of recurrence risk showed no difference between surgical approaches (P=.42). At 4.5 years, there were 6 disease-related deaths (open surgery, 3; minimally invasive surgery, 3) (log-rank P=.49). The 4.5-year overall survival rates were 99.2% (95% confidence interval, 97.6–99.7) for open surgery and 99.0% (95% confidence interval, 79.0–99.8) for minimally invasive surgery. Conclusion: The 4.5-year disease-free survival rates did not differ between open radical trachelectomy and minimally invasive radical trachelectomy. However, recurrence rates in each group were low. Ongoing prospective studies of conservative management of early-stage cervical cancer may help guide future management.
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| 37. |
- Santos, Catarina L, et al.
(författare)
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Modulation of Frankia alni ACN14a oxidative stress response: activity, expression and phylogeny of catalases
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physiologia Plantarum. - : Wiley. - 0031-9317 .- 1399-3054. ; 130, s. 454-463
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The finding that an oxidative burst was a general phenomenon in the response of hosts challenged by various symbiotic or pathogenic microbes has stimulated increasing interest in investigating the enzymology of antioxidant protection in bacteria. The question of whether the antioxidant mechanisms have been a decisive evolutionary driving force for the nitrogen-fixing microsymbiont Frankia spp. is still open. In this study, Frankia alni strain ACN14a, which is a mid-range infective strain, was used as a model to explore the basal oxidative stress response in terms of enzymatic activity, relative expression and phylogeny. Non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels stained for catalatic activity revealed the presence of two monofunctional catalases KatA and KatB (EC number 1.11.1.6), which activity was shown to increase when the cells were challenged with the oxidants H2O2 and methyl viologen. Real-time RT-PCR targeting the two genes showed a consistent increase in the number of transcripts when the RNA was extracted from oxidative stress-induced cells. Comparison between the expression and the activity data suggests that posttranscriptional mechanisms might be involved in the regulation of catalases in F. alni. Furthermore, upstream of katA, a fur gene coding for a ferric uptake regulator was found, forming a gene pair that functionally resembles the conserved actinobacterial synton fur–katG, which contains a gene coding for a catalase–peroxidase. Phylogenetic analysis of the F. alni fur–katA synton suggests that this genomic organization was the result of genome reshuffling events.
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| 38. |
- Schultz, Tristan, et al.
(författare)
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Decolonizing Design : Editors' Introduction
- 2018
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Ingår i: Design and Culture. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1754-7075 .- 1754-7083. ; 10:1, s. 1-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 39. |
- Schultz, Tristan, et al.
(författare)
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What Is at Stake with Decolonizing Design? : A Roundtable
- 2018
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Ingår i: Design and Culture. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1754-7075 .- 1754-7083. ; 10:1, s. 81-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This roundtable was conducted by the eight founding members of Decolonising Design Group in October 2017, using an online messaging platform. Each member approached design and decoloniality from different yet interrelating viewpoints, by threading their individual arguments with the preceding ones. The piece thus offers and travels through a variety of subject matter including politics of design, artificiality, modernity, Eurocentrism, capitalism, Indigenous Knowledge, pluriversality, continental philosophy, pedagogy, materiality, mobility, language, gender oppression, sexuality, and intersectionality.
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| 40. |
- Simoes Cunha, Mafalda, et al.
(författare)
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Symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with persistent asthma : a cross-sectional analysis of the INSPIRERS studies
- 2023
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 13:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectivesAnxiety and depression are relevant comorbidities in asthma, but, in Portugal and Spain, data on this topic are scarce. We assessed, in patients with asthma, the frequency of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the European Quality of Life Five Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D); the level of agreement between these questionnaires, and the factors associated with these symptoms.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS studies. A total of 614 adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (32.6 +/- 16.9 years, 64.7% female) were recruited from 30 primary care centres and 32 allergy, pulmonology and paediatric clinics. Demographic and clinical characteristics, HADS and EQ-5D were collected. A score >= 8 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety/Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression or a positive answer to EQ-5D item 5 indicated the presence of these symptoms. Agreement was determined by Cohen's kappa. Two multivariable logistic regressions were built.ResultsAccording to HADS, 36% of the participants had symptoms of anxiety and 12% of depression. According to EQ-5D, 36% of the participants had anxiety/depression. The agreement between questionnaires in identifying anxiety/depression was moderate (k=0.55, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.62). Late asthma diagnosis, comorbidities and female gender were predictors of anxiety/depression, while better asthma control, health-related quality of life and perception of health were associated with lower odds for anxiety/depression.ConclusionAt least 1/3 of the patients with persistent asthma experience symptoms of anxiety/depression, showing the relevance of screening these disorders in patients with asthma. EQ-5D and HADS questionnaires showed a moderate agreement in the identification of anxiety/depression symptoms. The identified associated factors need to be further investigated in long-term studies.
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| 41. |
- Sousa-Pinto, Bernardo, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of rhinitis treatments using MASK-air® data and considering the minimal important difference
- 2022
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 77:10, s. 3002-3014
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Different treatments exist for allergic rhinitis (AR), including pharmacotherapy and allergen immunotherapy (AIT), but they have not been compared using direct patient data (i.e., “real-world data”). We aimed to compare AR pharmacological treatments on (i) daily symptoms, (ii) frequency of use in co-medication, (iii) visual analogue scales (VASs) on allergy symptom control considering the minimal important difference (MID) and (iv) the effect of AIT.Methods: We assessed the MASK-air® app data (May 2015–December 2020) by users self-reporting AR (16–90 years). We compared eight AR medication schemes on reported VAS of allergy symptoms, clustering data by the patient and controlling for confounding factors. We compared (i) allergy symptoms between patients with and without AIT and (ii) different drug classes used in co-medication.Results: We analysed 269,837 days from 10,860 users. Most days (52.7%) involved medication use. Median VAS levels were significantly higher in co-medication than in monotherapy (including the fixed combination azelastine-fluticasone) schemes. In adjusted models, azelastine-fluticasone was associated with lower average VAS global allergy symptoms than all other medication schemes, while the contrary was observed for oral corticosteroids. AIT was associated with a decrease in allergy symptoms in some medication schemes. A difference larger than the MID compared to no treatment was observed for oral steroids. Azelastine-fluticasone was the drug class with the lowest chance of being used in co-medication (adjusted OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.71–0.80).Conclusion: Median VAS levels were higher in co-medication than in monotherapy. Patients with more severe symptoms report a higher treatment, which is currently not reflected in guidelines.
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| 42. |
- Sousa-Pinto, Bernardo, et al.
(författare)
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Consistent trajectories of rhinitis control and treatment in 16,177 weeks : the MASK-air® longitudinal study
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 78:4, s. 968-983
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Data from mHealth apps can provide valuable information on rhinitis control and treatment patterns. However, in MASK-air®, these data have only been analyzed cross-sectionally, without considering the changes of symptoms over time. We analyzed data from MASK-air® longitudinally, clustering weeks according to reported rhinitis symptoms. Methods: We analyzed MASK-air® data, assessing the weeks for which patients had answered a rhinitis daily questionnaire on all 7 days. We firstly used k-means clustering algorithms for longitudinal data to define clusters of weeks according to the trajectories of reported daily rhinitis symptoms. Clustering was applied separately for weeks when medication was reported or not. We compared obtained clusters on symptoms and rhinitis medication patterns. We then used the latent class mixture model to assess the robustness of results. Results: We analyzed 113,239 days (16,177 complete weeks) from 2590 patients (mean age ± SD = 39.1 ± 13.7 years). The first clustering algorithm identified ten clusters among weeks with medication use: seven with low variability in rhinitis control during the week and three with highly-variable control. Clusters with poorly-controlled rhinitis displayed a higher frequency of rhinitis co-medication, a more frequent change of medication schemes and more pronounced seasonal patterns. Six clusters were identified in weeks when no rhinitis medication was used, displaying similar control patterns. The second clustering method provided similar results. Moreover, patients displayed consistent levels of rhinitis control, reporting several weeks with similar levels of control. Conclusions: We identified 16 patterns of weekly rhinitis control. Co-medication and medication change schemes were common in uncontrolled weeks, reinforcing the hypothesis that patients treat themselves according to their symptoms.
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| 43. |
- Syed, Ismail, et al.
(författare)
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Methodological Issues in Studying PAHSA Biology: Masking PAHSA Effects.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cell metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 1932-7420 .- 1550-4131. ; 28:4, s. 543-546
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PAHSAs are anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory lipids. Syed et al. identify numerous experimental differences that likely account for the failure of Pflimlin et al. to observe PAHSA beneficial effects. The differences include different HFDs resulting in minimal/no glucose intolerance, different assay conditions, an LC-MS protocol that was not validated, and use of olive oil, a bioactive nutrient that improves glucose tolerance, as a vehicle.
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| 44. |
- Teixeira, Jennifer P., et al.
(författare)
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Recombination Channels in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin Films : Impact of the Ga-Profile
- 2020
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 124:23, s. 12295-12304
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Depth bandgap profiles via a [Ga]/([Ga]+[In]) variation in the Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) absorber layer have been implemented as a strategy to enhance the performance of CIGS solar cells. Since the [Ga]/([Ga]+[In]) determines to a large extent the position of the conduction band minimum, different Ga-profiles lead to different electronic energy levels structures throughout the CIGS layer. In this paper, from the investigation of the dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) on excitation power and temperature, we critically analyze the impact of a notch or a linear Ga-profile on the CIGS electronic energy levels structure and subsequent dominant recombination channels. Notwithstanding, two radiative transitions involving fluctuating potentials were observed for each sample, and significant differences in the luminescence resulting from the two Ga-profiles were identified. For the CIGS absorber with a notch Ga-profile, two tail-impurity radiative transitions involving equivalent donor clusters and the same deep acceptor level were ascribed to the CIGS/CdS interface region and to the notch region. The probability of radiative recombination in these two regions is discussed. For the CIGS absorber with a linear Ga-profile, two band-impurity radiative transitions involving an acceptor, with an ionization energy compatible with the V-Cu defect were ascribed to the CIGS/CdS interface region. Our results show that the dominant acceptor defects are dependent on the Ga-profile, and they also highlight the complexity of the radiative and nonradiative recombination channels revealed by the tight control of the parameters in the experiment.
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| 45. |
- Teixeira, Marcos A.L., et al.
(författare)
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Revealing the diversity of the green Eulalia (Annelida, Phyllodocidae) species complex along the European coast, with description of three new species
- 2023
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Ingår i: Organisms Diversity and Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1439-6092 .- 1618-1077. ; 23:3, s. 477-503
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The green phyllodocids Eulalia clavigera and E. viridis are a known European pseudo-cryptic complex, but questions about its distribution and evidence of additional lineages in previous studies call for an investigation of the real diversity within the complex. We analyze DNA sequences (mtCOI-5P, ITS, and 28S rRNA) of different populations of E. clavigera from intertidal and subtidal marine waters along the North East Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, theAzores and Webbnesia (Madeira, Savage islands andCanaries), and populations of E. viridis from the Scandinavia. This provided compelling evidence for the existence of six additional divergent evolutionary lineages, three of the most abundant being described here as new species: Eulalia feliciae sp. nov., intertidal and unique to the Western Mediterranean, Eulalia madeirensis sp. nov., subtidal and unique to the Madeira Island (Portugal), and Eulalia xanthomucosa sp. nov., mostly subtidal and occurring in the British Isles and southern France. Complementary morphometric analyses showed that E. feliciae sp. nov. and E. madeirensis sp. nov. formed two independent morphometric clusters, while E. xanthomucosa sp. nov. often overlapped with E. clavigera sensu stricto (s. s.), although being unique in showing a yellow coloration and parapodial cirri on median segments larger in relation to its body size. Recent biotechnological findings based on “E. clavigera” specimens highlight the importance of formally describing cryptic complexes, since each lineage chemistry might be unique and may have a range of distinct effects and applications.
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| 46. |
- Vieira, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Development of an axial flux machine and control : simulation and experimental set up
- 2016
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Ingår i: 2016 12th IEEE/IAS International Conference On Industry Applications (INDUSCON). - 9781509051274
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simulation and experimental development of a driving system and control for an axial flux permanent magnet machine has been developed. The complete system, including the machine design and construction, has been accomplished due to the collaboration among different universities in Brazil and Sweden. Final experimental setup is aimed for testing a passive levitation system, which can be used as small flywheel energy storage. Simulations have been implemented using Simulink. The design and construction of different components of the driving system are presented, in a way so they can be reproduced. Control strategy has been implemented using Labview and Compact-Rio. Results show the functionality of the complete system at a nominal speed of 2800 rpm.
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