| 1. |
- Elsik, Christine G., et al.
(författare)
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The Genome Sequence of Taurine Cattle : A Window to Ruminant Biology and Evolution
- 2009
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 324:5926, s. 522-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To understand the biology and evolution of ruminants, the cattle genome was sequenced to about sevenfold coverage. The cattle genome contains a minimum of 22,000 genes, with a core set of 14,345 orthologs shared among seven mammalian species of which 1217 are absent or undetected in noneutherian (marsupial or monotreme) genomes. Cattle-specific evolutionary breakpoint regions in chromosomes have a higher density of segmental duplications, enrichment of repetitive elements, and species-specific variations in genes associated with lactation and immune responsiveness. Genes involved in metabolism are generally highly conserved, although five metabolic genes are deleted or extensively diverged from their human orthologs. The cattle genome sequence thus provides a resource for understanding mammalian evolution and accelerating livestock genetic improvement for milk and meat production.
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| 2. |
- Raiteri, C. M., et al.
(författare)
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WEBT and XMM-Newton observations of 3C 454.3 during the post-outburst phase - Detection of the little and big blue bumps
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 473:3, s. 819-827
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The quasar-type blazar 3C 454.3 was observed to undergo an unprecedented optical outburst in spring 2005, affecting the source brightness from the near-IR to the X-ray frequencies. This was first followed by a millimetric and then by a radio outburst, which peaked in February 2006. Aims. In this paper we report on follow-up observations to study the multiwavelength emission in the post-outburst phase. Methods. Radio, near-infrared, and optical monitoring was performed by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration in the 2006-2007 observing season. XMM-Newton observations on July 2-3 and December 18-19, 2006 added information on the X-ray and UV states of the source. Results. The source was in a faint state. The radio flux at the higher frequencies showed a fast decreasing trend, which represents the tail of the big radio outburst. It was followed by a quiescent state, common at all radio frequencies. In contrast, moderate activity characterized the near-IR and optical light curves, with a progressive increase of the variability amplitude with increasing wavelength. We ascribe this redder-when-brighter behaviour to the presence of a ""little blue bump"" due to line emission from the broad line region, which is clearly visible in the source spectral energy distribution (SED) during faint states. Moreover, the data from the XMM- Newton Optical Monitor reveal a rise of the SED in the ultraviolet, suggesting the existence of a "" big blue bump"" due to thermal emission from the accretion disc. The X-ray spectra are well fitted with a power- law model with photoelectric absorption, possibly larger than the Galactic one. However, the comparison with previous X-ray observations would imply that the amount of absorbing matter is variable. Alternatively, the intrinsic X-ray spectrum presents a curvature, which may depend on the X-ray brightness. In this case, two scenarios are possible. i) There is no extra absorption, and the X-ray spectrum hardens at low energies, the hardening being more evident in bright states; ii) there is a constant amount of extra absorption, likely in the quasar environment, and the X-ray spectrum softens at low energies, at least in faint X-ray states. This softening might be the result of a flux contribution by the high-frequency tail of the big blue bump.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Maxwell, Karen L., et al.
(författare)
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Protein folding : Defining a "standard" set of experimental conditions and a preliminary kinetic data set of two-state proteins
- 2005
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Ingår i: Protein Science. - : Wiley. - 0961-8368 .- 1469-896X. ; 14, s. 602-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent years have seen the publication of both empirical and theoretical relationships predicting the rates with which proteins fold. Our ability to test and refine these relationships has been limited, however, by a variety of difficulties associated with the comparison of folding and unfolding rates, thermodynamics, and structure across diverse sets of proteins. These difficulties include the wide, potentially confounding range of experimental conditions and methods employed to date and the difficulty of obtaining correct and complete sequence and structural details for the characterized constructs. The lack of a single approach to data analysis and error estimation, or even of a common set of units and reporting standards, further hinders comparative studies of folding. In an effort to overcome these problems, we define here a "consensus" set of experimental conditions (25°C at pH 7.0, 50 mM buffer), data analysis methods, and data reporting standards that we hope will provide a benchmark for experimental studies. We take the first step in this initiative by describing the folding kinetics of 30 apparently two-state proteins or protein domains under the consensus conditions. The goal of our efforts is to set uniform standards for the experimental community and to initiate an accumulating, self-consistent data set that will aid ongoing efforts to understand the folding process.
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| 5. |
- Aksentijevich, Ivona, et al.
(författare)
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An Autoinflammatory Disease with Deficiency of the Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist
- 2009
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Ingår i: New England Journal of Medicine. - 0028-4793. ; 360:23, s. 2426-2437
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND Autoinflammatory diseases manifest inflammation without evidence of infection, high-titer autoantibodies, or autoreactive T cells. We report a disorder caused by mutations of IL1RN, which encodes the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, with prominent involvement of skin and bone. METHODS We studied nine children from six families who had neonatal onset of sterile multifocal osteomyelitis, periostitis, and pustulosis. Response to empirical treatment with the recombinant interleukin-1-receptor antagonist anakinra in the first patient prompted us to test for the presence of mutations and changes in proteins and their function in interleukin-1-pathway genes including IL1RN. RESULTS We identified homozygous mutations of IL1RN in nine affected children, from one family from Newfoundland, Canada, three families from the Netherlands, and one consanguineous family from Lebanon. A nonconsanguineous patient from Puerto Rico was homozygous for a genomic deletion that includes IL1RN and five other interleukin-1-family members. At least three of the mutations are founder mutations; heterozygous carriers were asymptomatic, with no cytokine abnormalities in vitro. The IL1RN mutations resulted in a truncated protein that is not secreted, thereby rendering cells hyperresponsive to interleukin-1 beta stimulation. Patients treated with anakinra responded rapidly. CONCLUSIONS We propose the term deficiency of the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, or DIRA, to denote this autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations affecting IL1RN. The absence of interleukin-1-receptor antagonist allows unopposed action of interleukin-1, resulting in life-threatening systemic inflammation with skin and bone involvement. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00059748.)
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| 6. |
- Bouwhuis, Marna G, et al.
(författare)
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Autoimmune antibodies and recurrence-free interval in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2105 .- 0027-8874. ; 101:12, s. 869-77
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Appearance of autoantibodies and clinical manifestations of autoimmunity in melanoma patients treated with adjuvant interferon (IFN)-alpha2b was reported to be associated with improved prognosis. We assessed the association of the appearance of autoantibodies after initiation of treatment with recurrence-free interval in two randomized trials that compared intermediate doses of IFN with observation for the treatment of melanoma patients. METHODS: Serum levels of anticardiolipin, antithyroglobulin, and antinuclear antibodies were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 187 and 356 patients in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 18952 and Nordic IFN trials, respectively, immediately before and up to 3 years after random assignment. The association of the presence of at least one of the three autoantibodies with risk of recurrence was assessed by three Cox models in patients negative for all three autoantibodies at baseline (125 from the EORTC 18952 trial and 230 from the Nordic IFN trial): 1) a model that considered appearance of autoantibodies as a time-independent variable, 2) one that considered a patient autoantibody positive once a positive test for an autoantibody was obtained, and 3) a model in which the status of the patient was defined by the most recent autoantibody test. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: When treated as a time-independent variable (model 1), appearance of autoantibodies was associated with improved relapse-free interval in both trials (EORTC 18952, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.25 to 0.68, P < .001; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.76, P < .001). However, on correction for guarantee-time bias, the association was weaker and not statistically significant (model 2: EORTC 18952, HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.46 to 1.40, P = .44; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.55 to 1.30, P = .45; model 3: EORTC 18952, HR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.59 to 1.87, P = .88; and Nordic IFN, HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.49 to 1.24, P = .30). CONCLUSIONS: In two randomized trials of IFN for the treatment of melanoma patients, appearance of autoantibodies was not strongly associated with improved relapse-free interval when correction was made for guarantee-time bias.
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| 8. |
- Pandian, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Low-noise 6-8 GHz receiver
- 2006
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Ingår i: IEEE Microwave Magazine. - 1527-3342 .- 1557-9581. ; 7:6, s. 74-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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