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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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2. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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3. |
- Smith, Jennifer A, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature (London). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 533:7604, s. 539-542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Educational attainment is strongly influenced by social and other environmental factors, but genetic factors are estimated to account for at least 20% of the variation across individuals. Here we report the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for educational attainment that extends our earlier discovery sample of 101,069 individuals to 293,723 individuals, and a replication study in an independent sample of 111,349 individuals from the UK Biobank. We identify 74 genome-wide significant loci associated with the number of years of schooling completed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with educational attainment are disproportionately found in genomic regions regulating gene expression in the fetal brain. Candidate genes are preferentially expressed in neural tissue, especially during the prenatal period, and enriched for biological pathways involved in neural development. Our findings demonstrate that, even for a behavioural phenotype that is mostly environmentally determined, a well-powered GWAS identifies replicable associated genetic variants that suggest biologically relevant pathways. Because educational attainment is measured in large numbers of individuals, it will continue to be useful as a proxy phenotype in efforts to characterize the genetic influences of related phenotypes, including cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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4. |
- Alajbegovic, Azra, et al.
(författare)
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Regulation of microRNA expression in vascular smooth muscle by MRTF-A and actin polymerization
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4889. ; 1864:6, s. 1088-1098
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dynamic properties of the actin cytoskeleton in smooth muscle cells play an important role in a number of cardiovascular disease states. The state of actin does not only mediate mechanical stability and contractile function but can also regulate gene expression via myocardin related transcription factors (MRTFs). These transcriptional co-activators regulate genes encoding contractile and cytoskeletal proteins in smooth muscle. Regulation of small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) by actin polymerization may mediate some of these effects. MiRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression by post-transcriptional regulation of target messenger RNA.In this study we aimed to determine a profile of miRNAs that were 1) regulated by actin/MRTF-A, 2) associated with the contractile smooth muscle phenotype and 3) enriched in muscle cells. This analysis was performed using cardiovascular disease-focused miRNA arrays in both mouse and human cells. The potential clinical importance of actin polymerization in aortic aneurysm was evaluated using biopsies from mildly dilated human thoracic aorta in patients with stenotic tricuspid or bicuspid aortic valve.By integrating information from multiple qPCR based miRNA arrays we identified a group of five miRNAs (miR-1, miR-22, miR-143, miR-145 and miR-378a) that were sensitive to actin polymerization and MRTF-A overexpression in both mouse and human vascular smooth muscle. With the exception of miR-22, these miRNAs were also relatively enriched in striated and/or smooth muscle containing tissues. Actin polymerization was found to be dramatically reduced in the aorta from patients with mild aortic dilations. This was associated with a decrease in actin/MRTF-regulated miRNAs.In conclusion, the transcriptional co-activator MRTF-A and actin polymerization regulated a subset of miRNAs in vascular smooth muscle. Identification of novel miRNAs regulated by actin/MRTF-A may provide further insight into the mechanisms underlying vascular disease states, such as aortic aneurysm, as well as novel ideas regarding therapeutic strategies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: ECS Meeting edited by Claus Heizmann, Joachim Krebs and Jacques Haiech.
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5. |
- Baumann, Dominik
(författare)
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Fast and Resource-Efficient Control of Wireless Cyber-Physical Systems
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) tightly integrate physical processes with computing and communication to autonomously interact with the surrounding environment.This enables emerging applications such as autonomous driving, coordinated flightof swarms of drones, or smart factories. However, current technology does notprovide the reliability and flexibility to realize those applications. Challenges arisefrom wireless communication between the agents and from the complexity of thesystem dynamics. In this thesis, we take on these challenges and present three maincontributions.We first consider imperfections inherent in wireless networks, such as communication delays and message losses, through a tight co-design. We tame the imperfectionsto the extent possible and address the remaining uncertainties with a suitable controldesign. That way, we can guarantee stability of the overall system and demonstratefeedback control over a wireless multi-hop network at update rates of 20-50 ms.If multiple agents use the same wireless network in a wireless CPS, limitedbandwidth is a particular challenge. In our second contribution, we present aframework that allows agents to predict their future communication needs. Thisallows the network to schedule resources to agents that are in need of communication.In this way, the limited resource communication can be used in an efficient manner.As a third contribution, to increase the flexibility of designs, we introduce machinelearning techniques. We present two different approaches. In the first approach,we enable systems to automatically learn their system dynamics in case the truedynamics diverge from the available model. Thus, we get rid of the assumption ofhaving an accurate system model available for all agents. In the second approach, wepropose a framework to directly learn actuation strategies that respect bandwidthconstraints. Such approaches are completely independent of a system model andstraightforwardly extend to nonlinear settings. Therefore, they are also suitable forapplications with complex system dynamics.
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6. |
- Besselink, Bart, et al.
(författare)
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Cyber-Physical Control of Road Freight Transport
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the IEEE. - : IEEE. - 0018-9219 .- 1558-2256. ; 104:5, s. 1128-1141
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Freight transportation is of outmost importance in our society and is continuously increasing. At the same time, transporting goods on roads accounts for about 26% of the total energy consumption and 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. Despite the influence the transportation system has on our energy consumption and the environment, road transportation is mainly done by individual long-haulage trucks with no real-time coordination or global optimization. In this paper, we review how modern information and communication technology supports a cyber-physical transportation system architecture with an integrated logistic system coordinating fleets of trucks traveling together in vehicle platoons. From the reduced air drag, platooning trucks traveling close together can save about 10% of their fuel consumption. Utilizing road grade information and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a safe and fuel-optimized cooperative look-ahead control strategy is implemented on top of the existing cruise controller. By optimizing the interaction between vehicles and platoons of vehicles, it is shown that significant improvements can be achieved. An integrated transport planning and vehicle routing in the fleet management system allows both small and large fleet owners to benefit from the collaboration. A realistic case study with 200 heavy-duty vehicles performing transportation tasks in Sweden is described. Simulations show overall fuel savings at more than 5% thanks to coordinated platoon planning. It is also illustrated how well the proposed cooperative look-ahead controller for heavy-duty vehicle platoons manages to optimize the velocity profiles of the vehicles over a hilly segment of the considered road network.
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7. |
- Bhattachariya, Anirban, et al.
(författare)
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Spontaneous activity and stretch-induced contractile differentiation are reduced in vascular smooth muscle of miR-143/145 knockout mice.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Acta Physiologica. - : Wiley. - 1748-1716 .- 1748-1708. ; 215:3, s. 133-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stretch is essential for maintaining the contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, and small non-coding microRNAs are known to be important in this process. Using a Dicer knockout model, we have previously reported that microRNAs are essential for stretch-induced differentiation and regulation of L-type calcium channel expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of the smooth muscle-enriched miR-143/145 microRNA cluster for stretch-induced differentiation of the portal vein.
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8. |
- Butler, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Coulomb excitation of pear-shaped nuclei
- 2019
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Ingår i: - : EDP Sciences. ; , s. 01007-01007
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a large body of evidence that atomic nuclei can undergo octupole distortion and assume the shape of a pear. This phenomenon is important for measurements of electric-dipole moments of atoms, which would indicate CP violation and hence probe physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. Isotopes of both radon and radium have been identified as candidates for such measurements. Here, we have observed the low-lying quantum states in 224Rn and 226Rn by accelerating beams of these radioactive nuclei. We show that radon isotopes undergo octupole vibrations but do not possess static pear-shapes in their ground states. We conclude that radon atoms provide less favourable conditions for the enhancement of a measurable atomic electric-dipole moment.
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- Dahan, Diana, et al.
(författare)
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MicroRNA-Dependent Control of Serotonin-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Contraction
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Vascular Research. - : S. Karger AG. - 1018-1172 .- 1423-0135. ; 54:4, s. 246-256
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Serotonin (5-HT) is considered to play a role in pulmonary arterial hypertension by regulating vascular remodeling and smooth muscle contractility. Here, arteries from mice with inducible and smooth muscle-specific deletion of Dicer were used to address mechanisms by which microRNAs control 5-HT-induced contraction. Methods: Mice were used 5 weeks after Dicer deletion, and pulmonary artery contractility was analyzed by wire myography. Results: No change was seen in right ventricular systolic pressure following dicer deletion, but systemic blood pressure was reduced. Enhanced 5-HT-induced contraction in Dicer KO pulmonary arteries was associated with increased 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression whereas 5-HT1B and 5-HT2B receptor mRNAs were unchanged. Contraction by the 5-HT2A agonist TCB-2 was increased in Dicer KO as was the response to the 5-HT2B agonist BW723C86. Effects of Src and protein kinase C inhibition were similar in control and KO arteries, but the effect of inhibition of Rho kinase was reduced. We identified miR-30c as a potential candidate for 5-HT2A receptor regulation as it repressed 5-HT2A mRNA and protein. Conclusion: Our findings show that 5-HT receptor signaling in the arterial wall is subject to regulation by microRNAs and that this entails altered 5-HT2A receptor expression and signaling.
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10. |
- Ekman, Mari, et al.
(författare)
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MicroRNAs in Bladder Outlet Obstruction: Relationship to Growth and Matrix Remodelling.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology. - : Wiley. - 1742-7843 .- 1742-7835. ; 119:S3, s. 5-17
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are ~22 nucleotide RNAs that inhibit protein synthesis in a sequence-specific manner and are present in a range of species, has born hope of new therapeutic strategies. miRNAs play important roles in development "Development" of what??and disease, but they remain poorly studied in uropathologies beyond cancer. Here, we discuss biological functions of miRNAs in the lower urogenital tract. A special focus is on miRNAs that change in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). This is a condition that affects nearly one third of all men over 60 years and that involves growth and fibrosis of the urinary bladder. Animal models of BOO, such as that in rat, have been developed and they feature a massive 6-fold bladder growth over 6 weeks. Using microarrays, we have charted the miRNAs that change during the time-course of this process and identified several with important modulatory roles. We discuss known and predicted functions of miR-1, miR-29, miR-30, miR-132/212, miR-204 and miR-221, all of which change in BOO. The majority of the miRNA-mediated influences in BOO are expected to favour growth. We also outline evidence that miR-29 represents a key effector molecule in a generic response to mechanical distension that is designed to counteract exaggerated organ deformation via effects on matrix deposition and stiffness. We conclude that miRNAs play important roles in bladder remodelling and growth and that they may be targeted pharmacologically to combat diseases of the lower urinary tract. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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