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| 2. |
- Torrisi, Lorenzo, et al.
(författare)
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High intensity laser-generating plasmas in forward direction in thin films and Thomson parabola spectrometer monitorage
- 2010
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Asterix laser at PALS Laboratory of Prague, operating at 1315 nm fundamental wavelength, 300 ps pulse duration, 1016 W/cm2 intensity and single pulse mode, was employed to irradiate thin hydrogenated targets placed in high vacuum. Non-equilibrium plasmas were obtained in forward direction, i.e. along the normal to the target surface on the rear of the irradiated thin films. Plasmas were monitored with different ion detectors, placed around the direction normal to the target. The main detector was a Thomson parabola spectrometer aligned along the normal in forward direction. This spectrometer permits to provide many plasma parameters concerning the involved ions (energy, charge state, mass,...) obtained in a single laser shot. The spectrometer images, obtained by using a MCP coupled to a fast CCD camera, can be processed by a comparison with the simulation data obtained by a proper software. High ion energies and charge states have been obtained as a function of the laser parameters, target thickness and composition and irradiation conditions.
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| 3. |
- Torrisi, Lorenzo, et al.
(författare)
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Proton driven acceleration by intense laser pulses irradiating thin hydrogenated targets
- 2013
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Ingår i: Applied Surface Science. - : Elsevier. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 272, s. 2-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Asterix iodine laser of the PALS laboratory in Prague, operating at 1315 nm fundamental frequency, 300 ps pulse duration, 600 J maximum pulse energy and 1016 W/cm2 intensity, is employed to irradiatethin hydrogenated targets placed in high vacuum. Different metallic and polymeric targets allow togenerate multi-energetic and multi-specie ion beams showing peculiar properties. The plasma obtainedby the laser irradiation is monitored, in terms of properties of the emitted charge particles, by using time-of-flight techniques and Thomson parabola spectrometer (TPS). A particular attention is given tothe proton beam production in terms of the maximum energy, emission yield and angular distributionas a function of the laser energy, focal position (FP), target thickness and composition.
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| 4. |
- Bedding, Timothy R., et al.
(författare)
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A multi-site campaign to measure solar-like oscillations in Procyon. II. mode frequencies
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 713:2, s. 935-949
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have analyzed data from a multi-site campaign to observe oscillations in the F5 star Procyon. The data consist of high-precision velocities that we obtained over more than three weeks with 11 telescopes. A new method for adjusting the data weights allows us to suppress the sidelobes in the power spectrum. Stacking the power spectrum in a so-called echelle diagram reveals two clear ridges, which we identify with even and odd values of the angular degree (l = 0 and 2, and l = 1 and 3, respectively). We interpret a strong, narrow peak at 446 mu Hz that lies close to the l = 1 ridge as a mode with mixed character. We show that the frequencies of the ridge centroids and their separations are useful diagnostics for asteroseismology. In particular, variations in the large separation appear to indicate a glitch in the sound-speed profile at an acoustic depth of similar to 1000 s. We list frequencies for 55 modes extracted from the data spanning 20 radial orders, a range comparable to the best solar data, which will provide valuable constraints for theoretical models. A preliminary comparison with published models shows that the offset between observed and calculated frequencies for the radial modes is very different for Procyon than for the Sun and other cool stars. We find the mean lifetime of the modes in Procyon to be 1.29(-0.49)(+0.55) days, which is significantly shorter than the 2-4 days seen in the Sun.
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| 5. |
- Berk, J.L., et al.
(författare)
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The diflunisal trial : update on study drug tolerance and disease progression
- 2011
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Ingår i: Amyloid : the international journal of experimental and clinical investigation : the official journal of the International Society of Amyloidosis. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1744-2818. ; 18:Suppl. 1, s. 191-192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract: Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is a lethal genetic disorder that affects the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, heart, gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, and soft tissues. Disease progression is increasingly reported following liver transplantation, the only proven treatment for FAP. Small molecule thyroxine mimetics stabilize transthyretin, inhibiting FAP amyloid fibril formation under stringent in vitro conditions. We report on the progress of an international, randomized placebo-controlled study designed to determine the effect of diflunisal, a thyroxine mimetic, on neurologic disease progression in patients with active FAP. Our experience to date indicates diflunisal is well tolerated by this study cohort and that neurologic disease advances more rapidly in FAP than it does in diabetes mellitus.Background: Transthyretin-related familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is a lethal autosomal dominant genetic disorder that predominantly affects the peripheral nervous system. FAP amyloid fibrils result from the misfolding of transthyretin, a transport protein predominantly produced by the liver. Although liver transplantation effectively treats patients with certain FAP mutations and limited disease, reports increasingly document progressive amyloid deposition following transplantation [1,2]. Alternative treatments are needed. In vitro investigations and a phase I clinical trial have demonstrated that thyroxine and small molecule mimetics, e.g. diflunisal, inhibit tetrameric transthyretin dissociation and suppress amyloid fibril formation [3,4].Methods: To examine the effect of diflunisal on disease progression in FAP, we designed a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind, multicenter international study employing the validated diabetic (DM) polyneuropathy metric, Neurologic Impairment Score + 7 attributes (NIS+7®), as the primary endpoint. A two-point change in NIS+7 correlates with clinically detectable progression of peripheral neuropathy among diabetics [5]. Entry criteria include proven FAP genotype, biopsy-proven amyloid deposits, and peripheral or autonomic neuropathy. Patients with alternate causes of neuropathy, other NSAID use, severe heart or kidney dysfunction, or previous liver transplantion are excluded. Study evaluations occur at entry, 6, 12, and 24 months. Adverse are collected by monthly telephone interviews, diary entries, and study site visit interactions. Relatedness of adverse events to study drug is assigned according to documentation in the investigational brochure, the protocol, the informed consent form; or at the investigator's discretion.Results: To date, 90 subjects have enrolled – 62 men and 28 women with median age 63 years (range 27–76 years). Adverse events tabulated by affected organ systems predominantly involved gastrointestinal events, more often attributed to disease complications than study drug side effects (Table 1). Although rare events, congestive heart failure in two subjects and GI bleeding in another prompted study drug discontinuation. Two disease-related deaths have occurred, both off study drug. Aggregate data from all study subjects (placebo and active drug arms) followed for at least 12 months identified a 3.2 point increase in median NIS+7 summated scores. In contrast, Dyck et al. [6] reported an annual 0.85 point increase in NIS+7 median scores in a large cohort of diabetics with polyneuropathy. Taken together, NIS+7 detected neurologic disease progression in this FAP cohort after 12 months observation. Additionally, NIS+7 measured disease advanced 3.5 times faster in our aggregate FAP study population than previously reported in DM.Conclusions: Diflunisal is well tolerated in FAP patients participating in the study. NIS+7, a composite scoring system, appears to be an effective study instrument for ATTR neuropathy, detecting significant change over 12 months observation. Neurologic disease progresses more rapidly in FAP than DM cohorts. The exact rate of disease progression in untreated FAP subjects detected by NIS+7 awaits unblinding of the data. These data will provide basis for future study design in FAP patients.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Berk, John L., et al.
(författare)
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Repurposing Diflunisal for Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy : A Randomized Clinical Trial
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 0098-7484 .- 1538-3598. ; 310:24, s. 2658-2667
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IMPORTANCE Familial amyloid polyneuropathy, a lethal genetic disease caused by aggregation of variant transthyretin, induces progressive peripheral nerve deficits and disability. Diflunisal, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, stabilizes transthyretin tetramers and prevents amyloid fibril formation in vitro. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of diflunisal on polyneuropathy progression in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS International randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted among 130 patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy exhibiting clinically detectable peripheral or autonomic neuropathy at amyloid centers in Sweden (Umea), Italy (Pavia), Japan (Matsumoto and Kumamoto), England (London), and the United States (Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; and Rochester, Minnesota) from 2006 through 2012. INTERVENTION Participants were randomly assigned to receive diflunisal, 250 mg (n=64), or placebo (n=66) twice daily for 2 years. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point, the difference in polyneuropathy progression between treatments, was measured by the Neuropathy Impairment Score plus 7 nerve tests (NIS+7) which ranges from 0 (no neurological deficits) to 270 points (no detectable peripheral nerve function). Secondary outcomes included a quality-of-life questionnaire (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]) and modified body mass index. Because of attrition, we used likelihood-based modeling and multiple imputation analysis of baseline to 2-year data. RESULTS By multiple imputation, the NIS+7 score increased by 25.0 (95% CI, 18.4-31.6) points in the placebo group and by 8.7 (95% CI, 3.3-14.1) points in the diflunisal group, a difference of 16.3 points (95% CI, 8.1-24.5 points; P < .001). Mean SF-36 physical scores decreased by 4.9 (95% CI, -7.6 to -2.2) points in the placebo group and increased by 1.5 (95% CI, -0.8 to 3.7) points in the diflunisal group (P < .001). Mean SF-36 mental scores declined by 1.1 (95% CI, -4.3 to 2.0) points in the placebo group while increasing by 3.7 (95% CI, 1.0-6.4) points in the diflunisal group (P = .02). By responder analysis, 29.7% of the diflunisal group and 9.4% of the placebo group exhibited neurological stability at 2 years (<2-point increase in NIS+7 score; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy, the use of diflunisal compared with placebo for 2 years reduced the rate of progression of neurological impairment and preserved quality of life. Although longer-term follow-up studies are needed, these findings suggest benefit of this treatment for familial amyloid polyneuropathy.
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| 8. |
- Berk, John L, et al.
(författare)
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The diflunisal trial : study accrual and drug tolerance
- 2012
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Ingår i: Amyloid. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1350-6129 .- 1744-2818. ; 19:S1, s. 37-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is a protein folding disorder that induces neuropathy and cardiomyopathy, leading to death within 7-15 years after onset of clinical disease. In vitro, small ligands binding the thyroid hormone docking site stabilize tetrameric transthyretin, inhibiting amyloid fibril formation. We undertook a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine whether diflunisal, a well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) alters neurologic disease progression in FAP. We enrolled 130 subjects with wide age and FAP mutation representation. To date, few recognized complications of NSAIDs have occurred in the study cohort. Data collection will be completed by November 2012.
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| 9. |
- Boele, Joost, et al.
(författare)
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PAPD5-mediated 3' adenylation and subsequent degradation of miR-21 is disrupted in proliferative disease.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490 .- 0027-8424. ; 111:31, s. 11467-11472
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Next-generation sequencing experiments have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are expressed in many different isoforms (isomiRs), whose biological relevance is often unclear. We found that mature miR-21, the most widely researched miRNA because of its importance in human disease, is produced in two prevalent isomiR forms that differ by 1 nt at their 3' end, and moreover that the 3' end of miR-21 is posttranscriptionally adenylated by the noncanonical poly(A) polymerase PAPD5. PAPD5 knockdown caused an increase in the miR-21 expression level, suggesting that PAPD5-mediated adenylation of miR-21 leads to its degradation. Exoribonuclease knockdown experiments followed by small-RNA sequencing suggested that PARN degrades miR-21 in the 3'-to-5' direction. In accordance with this model, microarray expression profiling demonstrated that PAPD5 knockdown results in a down-regulation of miR-21 target mRNAs. We found that disruption of the miR-21 adenylation and degradation pathway is a general feature in tumors across a wide range of tissues, as evidenced by data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, as well as in the noncancerous proliferative disease psoriasis. We conclude that PAPD5 and PARN mediate degradation of oncogenic miRNA miR-21 through a tailing and trimming process, and that this pathway is disrupted in cancer and other proliferative diseases.
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| 10. |
- Cinner, Joshua E., et al.
(författare)
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Comanagement of coral reef social ecological systems
- 2012
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:14, s. 5219-5222
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In an effort to deliver better outcomes for people and the ecosystems they depend on, many governments and civil society groups are engaging natural resource users in collaborative management arrangements (frequently called comanagement). However, there are few empirical studies demonstrating the social and institutional conditions conducive to successful comanagement outcomes, especially in small-scale fisheries. Here, we evaluate 42 comanagement arrangements across five countries and show that: (i) comanagement is largely successful at meeting social and ecological goals; (ii) comanagement tends to benefit wealthier resource users; (iii) resource overexploitation is most strongly influenced by market access and users' dependence on resources; and (iv) institutional characteristics strongly influence livelihood and compliance outcomes, yet have little effect on ecological conditions.
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