| 1. |
- Djoussé, L, et al.
(författare)
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Interaction of normal and expanded CAG repeat sizes influences age at onset of Huntington disease.
- 2003
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Ingår i: American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part A. - : Wiley. - 1552-4825 .- 1552-4833. ; 119A:3, s. 279-82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the HD gene on chromosome 4p16.3. Past studies have shown that the size of expanded CAG repeat is inversely associated with age at onset (AO) of HD. It is not known whether the normal Huntington allele size influences the relation between the expanded repeat and AO of HD. Data collected from two independent cohorts were used to test the hypothesis that the unexpanded CAG repeat interacts with the expanded CAG repeat to influence AO of HD. In the New England Huntington Disease Center Without Walls (NEHD) cohort of 221 HD affected persons and in the HD-MAPS cohort of 533 HD affected persons, we found evidence supporting an interaction between the expanded and unexpanded CAG repeat sizes which influences AO of HD (P = 0.08 and 0.07, respectively). The association was statistically significant when both cohorts were combined (P = 0.012). The estimated heritability of the AO residual was 0.56 after adjustment for normal and expanded repeats and their interaction. An analysis of tertiles of repeats sizes revealed that the effect of the normal allele is seen among persons with large HD repeat sizes (47-83). These findings suggest that an increase in the size of the normal repeat may mitigate the expression of the disease among HD affected persons with large expanded CAG repeats.
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| 2. |
- Glassman, A. H., et al.
(författare)
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Sertraline treatment of major depression in patients with acute MI or unstable angina
- 2002
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Ingår i: JAMA. - 0098-7484. ; 288:6, s. 701-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- CONTEXT: Major depressive disorder (MDD) occurs in 15% to 23% of patients with acute coronary syndromes and constitutes an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality. However, no published evidence exists that antidepressant drugs are safe or efficacious in patients with unstable ischemic heart disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sertraline treatment of MDD in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina and free of other life-threatening medical conditions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 40 outpatient cardiology centers and psychiatry clinics in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia. Enrollment began in April 1997 and follow-up ended in April 2001. PATIENTS: A total of 369 patients with MDD (64% male; mean age, 57.1 years; mean 17-item Hamilton Depression [HAM-D] score, 19.6; MI, 74%; unstable angina, 26%). INTERVENTION: After a 2-week single-blind placebo run-in, patients were randomly assigned to receive sertraline in flexible dosages of 50 to 200 mg/d (n = 186) or placebo (n = 183) for 24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary (safety) outcome measure was change from baseline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF); secondary measures included surrogate cardiac measures and cardiovascular adverse events, as well as scores on the HAM-D scale and Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale (CGI-I) in the total randomized sample, in a group with any prior history of MDD, and in a more severe MDD subgroup defined a priori by a HAM-D score of at least 18 and history of 2 or more prior episodes of MDD. RESULTS: Sertraline had no significant effect on mean (SD) LVEF (sertraline: baseline, 54% [10%]; week 16, 54% [11%]; placebo: baseline, 52% [13%]; week 16, 53% [13%]), treatment-emergent increase in ventricular premature complex (VPC) runs (sertraline: 13.1%; placebo: 12.9%), QTc interval greater than 450 milliseconds at end point (sertraline: 12%; placebo: 13%), or other cardiac measures. All comparisons were statistically nonsignificant (P> or = .05). The incidence of severe cardiovascular adverse events was 14.5% with sertraline and 22.4% with placebo. In the total randomized sample, the CGI-I (P =.049), but not the HAM-D (P =.14), favored sertraline. The CGI-I responder rates for sertraline were significantly higher than for placebo in the total sample (67% vs 53%; P =.01), in the group with at least 1 prior episode of depression (72% vs 51%; P =.003), and in the more severe MDD group (78% vs 45%; P =.001). In the latter 2 groups, both CGI-I and HAM-D measures were significantly better in those assigned to sertraline. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that sertraline is a safe and effective treatment for recurrent depression in patients with recent MI or unstable angina and without other life-threatening medical conditions.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Djoussé, Luc, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for a modifier of onset age in Huntington disease linked to the HD gene in 4p16.
- 2004
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Ingår i: Neurogenetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1364-6745 .- 1364-6753. ; 5:2, s. 109-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the HD gene on chromosome 4p16.3. A recent genome scan for genetic modifiers of age at onset of motor symptoms (AO) in HD suggests that one modifier may reside in the region close to the HD gene itself. We used data from 535 HD participants of the New England Huntington cohort and the HD MAPS cohort to assess whether AO was influenced by any of the three markers in the 4p16 region: MSX1 (Drosophila homeo box homologue 1, formerly known as homeo box 7, HOX7), Delta2642 (within the HD coding sequence), and BJ56 ( D4S127). Suggestive evidence for an association was seen between MSX1 alleles and AO, after adjustment for normal CAG repeat, expanded repeat, and their product term (model P value 0.079). Of the variance of AO that was not accounted for by HD and normal CAG repeats, 0.8% could be attributed to the MSX1 genotype. Individuals with MSX1 genotype 3/3 tended to have younger AO. No association was found between Delta2642 (P=0.44) and BJ56 (P=0.73) and AO. This study supports previous studies suggesting that there may be a significant genetic modifier for AO in HD in the 4p16 region. Furthermore, the modifier may be present on both HD and normal chromosomes bearing the 3 allele of the MSX1 marker.
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| 5. |
- Li, Jian-Liang, et al.
(författare)
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A genome scan for modifiers of age at onset in Huntington disease : The HD MAPS study.
- 2003
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Ingår i: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 73:3, s. 682-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Huntington disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat within the coding region of a novel gene on 4p16.3. Although the variation in age at onset is partly explained by the size of the expanded repeat, the unexplained variation in age at onset is strongly heritable (h2=0.56), which suggests that other genes modify the age at onset of HD. To identify these modifier loci, we performed a 10-cM density genomewide scan in 629 affected sibling pairs (295 pedigrees and 695 individuals), using ages at onset adjusted for the expanded and normal CAG repeat sizes. Because all those studied were HD affected, estimates of allele sharing identical by descent at and around the HD locus were adjusted by a positionally weighted method to correct for the increased allele sharing at 4p. Suggestive evidence for linkage was found at 4p16 (LOD=1.93), 6p21-23 (LOD=2.29), and 6q24-26 (LOD=2.28), which may be useful for investigation of genes that modify age at onset of HD.
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| 6. |
- Bower, K. N., et al.
(författare)
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ACE-2 HILLCLOUD. An overview of the ACE-2 ground-based cloud experiment
- 2000
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Ingår i: Tellus. Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology. - : Stockholm University Press. - 0280-6509. ; 52:2, s. 750-778
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ACE-2 HILLCLOUD experiment was carried out on the island of Tenerife in June-July 1997 to investigate the interaction of the boundary layer aerosol with a hill cap cloud forming over a ridge to the north-east of the island. The cloud was used as a natural flow through reactor to investigate the dependence of the cloud microphysics and chemistry on the characteristics of the aerosols and trace gases entering cloud, and to simultaneously study the influence of the physical and chemical processes occurring within the cloud on the size distribution, chemical and hygroscopic properties of the aerosol exiting cloud. 5 major ground base sites were used, measuring trace gases and aerosols upwind and downwind of the cloud, and cloud microphysics and chemistry and interstitial aerosol and gases within the cloud on the hill. 8 intensive measurement periods or runs were undertaken during cloud events, (nocturnally for seven of the eight runs) and were carried out in a wide range of airmass conditions from clean maritime to polluted continental. Polluted air was characterised by higher than average concentrations of ozone (> 50 ppbv), fine and accumulation mode aerosols (> 3000 and > 1500 cm -3 , respectively) and higher aerosol mass loadings. Cloud droplet number concentrations N, increased from 50 cm -3 in background maritime air to > 2500 cm -3 in aged polluted continental air, a concentration much higher than had previously been detected. Surprisingly, N was seen to vary almost linearly with aerosol number across this range. The droplet aerosol analyser (DAA) measured higher droplet numbers than the corrected forward scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP) in the most polluted air, but at other times there was good agreement (FSSP = 0.95 DAA with an r 2 = 0.89 for N < 1200 cm -3 ). Background ammonia gas concentrations were around 0.3 ppbv even in air originating over the ocean, another unexpected but important result for the region. NO 2 was present in background concentrations of typically 15 pptv to 100 pptv and NO 3 . (the nitrate radical) was observed at night throughout. Calculations suggest NO 3 . losses were mainly by reaction with DMS to produce nitric acid. Low concentrations of SO 2 (~30 pptv), HNO 3 and HCl were always present. HNO 3 concentrations were higher in polluted episodes and calculations implied that these exceeded those which could be accounted for by NO 2 oxidation. It is presumed that nitric and hydrochloric acids were present as a result of outgassing from aerosol, the HNO 3 from nitrate rich aerosol transported into the region from upwind of Tenerife, and HCl from sea salt aerosol newly formed at the sea surface. The oxidants hydrogen peroxide and ozone were abundant (i.e., were well in excess over SO 2 throughout the experiment). Occasions of significant aerosol growth following cloud processing were observed, particularly in cleaner cases. Observations and modelling suggested this was due mainly to the take up of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and ammonia by the smallest activated aerosol particles. On a few occasions a small contribution was made by the in-cloud oxidation of S(IV). The implications of these results from HILLCLOUD for the climatologically more important stratocumulus Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) clouds are considered.
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| 7. |
- Groneberg, DA, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of respiratory mucins in fatal status asthmaticus and mild asthma
- 2002
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Ingår i: Histopathology. - : Wiley. - 0309-0167. ; 40:4, s. 367-373
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: The airways of patients with asthma are characterized by chronic inflammatory changes comprising mainly T-cells and eosinophils, and airway remodelling with goblet cell metaplasia and submucosal gland hyperplasia. Mucus hypersecretion is often a marked feature, particularly in status asthmaticus. The matrix of airway sputum consists of high molecular glycoproteins and mucins. In this study, the expression and distribution of the major gelforming mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B were studied in fatal status asthmaticus tissues and bronchial biopsies of mild asthmatic patients. The effect of inhaled corticosteroids on the expression of these mucins was also investigated. Methods and results: Polyclonal antibodies specific for MUC5AC and MUC5B, and a monoclonal antibody for MUC5B were used to stain lung tissues and airway mucosal biopsies obtained from patients who died of status asthmaticus (n = 5) and from mild asthmatics (n = 4), respectively. Immunohistochemistry for MUC5AC revealed abundant staining of goblet cells situated in the epithelial surface lining and glandular ducts of tissues from patients with fatal asthma. MUC5B immunoreactivity was restricted to mucous cells of submucosal glands and to epithelial cells. In mild asthmatics, large amounts of MUC5B, but not MUC5AC, positive extracellular mucus was found in the airway lumen as plugs. adjacent to the epithelial lining and in the necks of glandular secretory ducts of mild asthmatics. The distribution of MUC5AC and MUC5B in bronchial biopsies of mild asthmatics was similar before and after inhaled steroid treatment. Conclusions: The expression of MUC5AC and MUC5B shares a similar distribution to normal airways in different states of asthma. The distribution is not affected by topical corticosteroid therapy.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Manigart, S., et al.
(författare)
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The syndication of venture capital investments in Europe: evidence from five European countries
- 2002
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Ingår i: Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research: Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Entrepreneurship Research Conference. - 0910897239
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Financial theory, resource-based theory and deal flow generation are used to explain synd ication practices among venture capitalists in Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. Similar motives drive syndication in the five countries: the desire to share risk and increase portfolio diversification is more important than the desire to access additional intangible resources or deal flow. When resource-based motives are more important, however, the propensity to syndicate increases. Syndication practices are more important in young venture capital (VC) firms and in VC firms with more portfolio companies.
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