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- North, R. L., et al.
(författare)
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The state of Lake Simcoe (Ontario, Canada) : the effects of multiple stressors on phosphorus and oxygen dynamics
- 2013
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Ingår i: Inland Waters. - 2044-2041 .- 2044-205X. ; 3:1, s. 51-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lake Simcoe, the largest lake in southern Ontario outside of the Laurentian Great Lakes, is affected by numerous stressors including eutrophication resulting from total phosphorus (TP) loading, climate change, and invasions of exotic species. We synthesized the long-term responses of Lake Simcoe to these stressors by assessing trends in water quality and biological composition over multiple trophic levels. Evidence for climate change included increasing thermal stability of the lake and changes in subfossil diatom communities over time. Although the deep water dissolved oxygen (O-2) minimum has increased significantly since TP load reductions, it is still below estimated historical values and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan end-of-summer target level of 7 mg O-2 L-1. Low deep water O-2 concentrations corresponded with a decline in coldwater fish abundance. Since 1980, some nutrient concentrations have decreased (spring TP) while others have increased (silica), but many show no obvious changes (ice-free TP, nitrate, ammonium). Increases in water clarity, combined with declines in chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biovolumes in Cook's Bay, were temporally consistent with declines in TP loading and the lake-wide establishment of dreissenid mussels as a major component of the Lake Simcoe ecosystem. Using an investigative tool, we identified 2 periods when abrupt shifts potentially occurred in multiple parameters: 1986 and 1995-1997. Additional ecosystem level changes such as declines in zooplankton, declines in offshore benthic invertebrate abundance, and increased nearshore invertebrate abundance likely reflect the effects of invasive species. The interaction of these multiple stressors have significantly altered the Lake Simcoe ecosystem.
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- Holttinen, H., et al.
(författare)
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Steps for a complete wind integration study
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. - 9780769548920 ; , s. 2261-2270
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- There have been many wind integration studies in recent years, and these efforts are expected to continue. Because power systems and data availability vary significantly, the results and methodologies used in these studies vary. This paper presents findings from international collaboration under IEAWIND Task 25 working towards Recommended Practices for Wind Integration studies. An overview of a complete wind integration study is presented as a flow chart. The setup of a study and main assumptions are important because they have a crucial impact on the results. The main steps in the simulations are presented with methodologies, which include the increase in reserve requirements, estimating impacts on other generation and balancing, capacity value of wind power and increase in transmission due to wind power.
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- Mudaliar, S., et al.
(författare)
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Efficacy and Safety of the Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist Obeticholic Acid in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- 2013
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Ingår i: Gastroenterology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-5085. ; 145:3, s. 574-582
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obeticholic acid (OCA; INT-747, 6 alpha-ethyl-chenodeoxycholic acid) is a semisynthetic derivative of the primary human bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid, the natural agonist of the farnesoid X receptor, which is a nuclear hormone receptor that regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. In animal models, OCA decreases insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. METHODS: We performed a double-blind, placebocontrolled, proof-of-concept study to evaluate the effects of OCA on insulin sensitivity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were randomly assigned to groups given placebo (n = 23), 25 mg OCA (n = 20), or 50 mg OCA (n = 21) once daily for 6 weeks. A 2-stage hyperinsulinemiceuglycemic insulin clamp was used to measure insulin sensitivity before and after the 6-week treatment period. We also measured levels of liver enzymes, lipid analytes, fibroblast growth factor 19, 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (a BA precursor), endogenous bile acids, and markers of liver fibrosis. RESULTS: When patients were given a low-dose insulin infusion, insulin sensitivity increased by 28.0% from baseline in the group treated with 25 mg OCA (P = .019) and 20.1% from baseline in the group treated with 50 mg OCA (P = .060). Insulin sensitivity increased by 24.5% (P = .011) in combined OCA groups, whereas it decreased by 5.5% in the placebo group. A similar pattern was observed in patients given a high-dose insulin infusion. The OCA groups had significant reductions in levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase and alanine aminotransferase and dose-related weight loss. They also had increased serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fibroblast growth factor 19, associated with decreased levels of 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and endogenous bile acids, indicating activation of farnesoid X receptor. Markers of liver fibrosis decreased significantly in the group treated with 25 mg OCA. Adverse experiences were similar among groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this phase 2 trial, administration of 25 or 50 mg OCA for 6 weeks was well tolerated, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced markers of liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Longer and larger studies are warranted. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT00501592.
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- Palmer, C. N. A., et al.
(författare)
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Paradoxical Lower Serum Triglyceride Levels and Higher Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Susceptibility in Obese Individuals with the PNPLA3 148M Variant
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Obesity is highly associated with elevated serum triglycerides, hepatic steatosis and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The I148M (rs738409) genetic variant of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 gene (PNPLA3) is known to modulate hepatic triglyceride accumulation, leading to steatosis. No association between PNPLA3 I148M genotype and T2D in Europeans has been reported. Aim of this study is to examine the relationship between PNPLA3 I148M genotypes and serum triglycerides, insulin resistance and T2D susceptibility by testing a gene-environment interaction model with severe obesity. Methods and Findings: PNPLA3 I148M was genotyped in a large obese cohort, the SOS study (n = 3,473) and in the Go-DARTS (n = 15,448), a T2D case-control study. Metabolic parameters were examined across the PNPLA3 I148M genotypes in participants of the SOS study at baseline and at 2- and 10-year follow up after bariatric surgery or conventional therapy. The associations with metabolic parameters were validated in the Go-DARTS study. Serum triglycerides were found to be lower in the PNPLA3 148M carriers from the SOS study at baseline and from the Go-DARTS T2D cohort. An increased risk for T2D conferred by the 148M allele was found in the SOS study (O.R. 1.09, 95% C.I. 1.01-1.39, P = 0.040) and in severely obese individuals in the Go-DARTS study (O. R. 1.37, 95% C.I. 1.13-1.66, P = 0.001). The 148M allele was no longer associated with insulin resistance or T2D after bariatric surgery in the SOS study and no association with the 148M allele was observed in the less obese (BMI<35) individuals in the Go-DARTS study (P for interaction = 0.002). This provides evidence for the obesity interaction with 148M allele and T2D risk in a large-scale cross-sectional and a prospective interventional study. Conclusions: Severely obese individuals carrying the PNPLA3 148M allele have lower serum triglyceride levels, are more insulin resistant and more susceptible to T2D. This study supports the hypothesis that obesity-driven hepatic lipid accumulation may contribute to T2D susceptibility.
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