| 1. |
- Kanoni, Stavroula, et al.
(author)
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Implicating genes, pleiotropy, and sexual dimorphism at blood lipid loci through multi-ancestry meta-analysis.
- 2022
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In: Genome biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-760X .- 1465-6906 .- 1474-7596. ; 23:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic variants within nearly 1000 loci are known to contribute to modulation of blood lipid levels. However, the biological pathways underlying these associations are frequently unknown, limiting understanding of these findings and hindering downstream translational efforts such as drug target discovery.To expand our understanding of the underlying biological pathways and mechanisms controlling blood lipid levels, we leverage a large multi-ancestry meta-analysis (N=1,654,960) of blood lipids to prioritize putative causal genes for 2286 lipid associations using six gene prediction approaches. Using phenome-wide association (PheWAS) scans, we identify relationships of genetically predicted lipid levels to other diseases and conditions. We confirm known pleiotropic associations with cardiovascular phenotypes and determine novel associations, notably with cholelithiasis risk. We perform sex-stratified GWAS meta-analysis of lipid levels and show that 3-5% of autosomal lipid-associated loci demonstrate sex-biased effects. Finally, we report 21 novel lipid loci identified on the X chromosome. Many of the sex-biased autosomal and X chromosome lipid loci show pleiotropic associations with sex hormones, emphasizing the role of hormone regulation in lipid metabolism.Taken together, our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms through which associated variants lead to altered lipid levels and potentially cardiovascular disease risk.
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| 2. |
- Eriksson, Kimmo, et al.
(author)
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Perceptions of the appropriate response to norm violation in 57 societies
- 2021
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In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Research. - 2041-1723. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Norm enforcement may be important for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation. However, little is known about how preferred responses to norm violations vary across cultures and across domains. In a preregistered study of 57 countries (using convenience samples of 22,863 students and non-students), we measured perceptions of the appropriateness of various responses to a violation of a cooperative norm and to atypical social behaviors. Our findings highlight both cultural universals and cultural variation. We find a universal negative relation between appropriateness ratings of norm violations and appropriateness ratings of responses in the form of confrontation, social ostracism and gossip. Moreover, we find the country variation in the appropriateness of sanctions to be consistent across different norm violations but not across different sanctions. Specifically, in those countries where use of physical confrontation and social ostracism is rated as less appropriate, gossip is rated as more appropriate. Little is known about peoples preferred responses to norm violations across countries. Here, in a study of 57 countries, the authors highlight cultural similarities and differences in peoples perception of the appropriateness of norm violations.
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| 3. |
- Li, Xinyu, et al.
(author)
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Biodegradable MOFilters for Effective Air Filtration and Sterilization by Coupling MOF Functionalization and Mechanical Polarization of Fibrous Poly(lactic acid)
- 2023
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 15:22, s. 26812-26823
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-performance air filtration materials are importantfor addressingthe airborne pollutants. Herein, we propose an unprecedented accessto biodegradable poly-(lactic acid) (PLA)-based MOFilters with excellentfiltering performance and antibacterial activity. The fabricationinvolved a stepwise in situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8) crystals at the surface of microfibrous PLA membranes, followedby mechanical polarization under high pressure and low temperature(5 MPa, 40 degrees C) to trigger the ordered alignment of dipoles inPLA chains and ZIF-8. The unique structural features allowed thesePLA-based MOFilters to achieve an exceptional combination of excellenttensile properties, high dielectric constant (up to 2.4 F/m), andenhanced surface potential as high as 4 kV. Arising from the remarkablesurface activity and electrostatic adsorption effect, a significantincrease (from over 12% to nearly 20%) in PM0.3 filtrationefficiency was observed for the PLA-based MOFilters compared to thatof pure PLA counterparts, with weak relation to the airflow velocities(10-85 L/min). Moreover, the air resistance was controlledat a considerably low level for all the MOFilters, that is, below183 Pa even at 85 L/min. It is worth noting that distinct antibacterialproperties were achieved for the MOFilters, as illustrated by theinhibitive rates of 87 and 100% against Escherichiacoli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The proposed concept of PLA-based MOFilters offersunprecedented multifunction integration, which may fuel the developmentof biodegradable versatile filters with high capturing and antibacterialperformances yet desirable manufacturing feasibility.
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| 4. |
- Alin, Jonas
(author)
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Microwave heating effects on degradation and migration of additives from polypropylene packaging
- 2011
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The effect of different food types, polymer qualities and microwaves on the overall and specific migration during microwave heating of plastic packaging was investigated to better understand the packaging-food interactions and the effect of microwaves on food packaging. This work focuses on the migration of chemical compounds to food simulants from commercially available polypropylene packages. Packages used were made of polypropylene homopolymer (PP), co-polymer (PP-C) and random co-polymer (PP-R). Polymers matrix changes were monitored by following possible changes in crystallinity after microwave heating. Antioxidants Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1010 were present in all the three PP packages. Other volatiles, primarily degradation products of antioxidants, were also detected and identified in the unaged packages. Significant antioxidant degradation took place during microwave heating of the packages in the fatty food simulants 90/10 isooctane/ethanol and ethanol resulting in the formation and migration of degradation products while no degradation of antioxidants was detected during conventional heating of the packages in the fatty food simulants. Antioxidant Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1010 migration rates were otherwise similar during microwave heating as during conventional heating to the fatty food simulants and antioxidant diffusion coefficients were similar to earlier established values obtained during conventional heating. Antioxidant migration rates from the three polymers to fatty food simulants differed largely with respect to PP type and increased with decreasing degree of crystallinity in the materials, PP-R showing the highest migration rate. Swelling in isooctane food simulant caused the antioxidant diffusion coefficients to increase by factors of 100-1000 at 80 ºC and decreased the temperature dependence of antioxidant migration. It also increased the overall migration to above established overall migration limits during both microwave and conventional heating. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was shown to be a valuable new tool for additive migration analysis of compounds not detectable by HPLC or GC-MS.
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| 5. |
- Alinezhad, Saeid, et al.
(author)
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Validation of novel biomarkers for prostate cancer progression by the combination of bioinformatics, clinical and functional studies
- 2016
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The identification and validation of biomarkers for clinical applications remains an important issue for improving diagnostics and therapy in many diseases, including prostate cancer. Gene expression profiles are routinely applied to identify diagnostic and predictive biomarkers or novel targets for cancer. However, only few predictive markers identified in silico have also been validated for clinical, functional or mechanistic relevance in disease progression. In this study, we have used a broad, bioinformatics-based approach to identify such biomarkers across a spectrum of progression stages, including normal and tumor-adjacent, premalignant, primary and late stage lesions. Bioinformatics data mining combined with clinical validation of biomarkers by sensitive, quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), followed by functional evaluation of candidate genes in disease-relevant processes, such as cancer cell proliferation, motility and invasion. From 300 initial candidates, eight genes were selected for validation by several layers of data mining and filtering. For clinical validation, differential mRNA expression of selected genes was measured by qRT-PCR in 197 clinical prostate tissue samples including normal prostate, compared against histologically benign and cancerous tissues. Based on the qRT-PCR results, significantly different mRNA expression was confirmed in normal prostate versus malignant PCa samples (for all eight genes), but also in cancer-adjacent tissues, even in the absence of detectable cancer cells, thus pointing to the possibility of pronounced field effects in prostate lesions. For the validation of the functional properties of these genes, and to demonstrate their putative relevance for disease-relevant processes, siRNA knock-down studies were performed in both 2D and 3D organotypic cell culture models. Silencing of three genes (DLX1, PLA2G7 and RHOU) in the prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and VCaP by siRNA resulted in marked growth arrest and cytotoxicity, particularly in 3D organotypic cell culture conditions. In addition, silencing of PLA2G7, RHOU, ACSM1, LAMB1 and CACNA1D also resulted in reduced tumor cell invasion in PC3 organoid cultures. For PLA2G7 and RHOU, the effects of siRNA silencing on proliferation and cell-motility could also be confirmed in 2D monolayer cultures. In conclusion, DLX1 and RHOU showed the strongest potential as useful clinical biomarkers for PCa diagnosis, further validated by their functional roles in PCa progression. These candidates may be useful for more reliable identification of relapses or therapy failures prior to the recurrence local or distant metastases.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Delekta, Szymon Sollami, et al.
(author)
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Fully inkjet printed ultrathin microsupercapacitors based on graphene electrodes and a nano-graphene oxide electrolyte
- 2019
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In: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 11:21, s. 10172-10177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The advance of miniaturized and low-power electronics has a striking impact on the development of energy storage devices with constantly tougher constraints in terms of form factor and performance. Microsupercapacitors (MSCs) are considered a potential solution to this problem, thanks to their compact device structure. Great efforts have been made to maximize their performance with new materials like graphene and to minimize their production cost with scalable fabrication processes. In this regard, we developed a full inkjet printing process for the production of all-graphene microsupercapacitors with electrodes based on electrochemically exfoliated graphene and an ultrathin solid-state electrolyte based on nano-graphene oxide. The devices exploit the high ionic conductivity of nano-graphene oxide coupled with the high electrical conductivity of graphene films, yielding areal capacitances of up to 313 mu F cm-2 at 5 mV s-1 and high power densities of up to 4 mW cm-3 with an overall device thickness of only 1 mu m.
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| 8. |
- Feng, Zhaoxuan, et al.
(author)
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Nano graphene oxide creates a fully biobased 3D-printed membrane with high-flux and anti-fouling oil/water separation performance
- 2024
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In: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 485
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Facile fabrication of green and renewable bio-based membranes with good anti-fouling and oil/water separation performance is of great importance to solve the oil spills and industrial oily wastewater threatening the ecological environment. Here, a fully biobased oil/water separation membrane with an ordered porous structure was 3D printed ultraviolet-assisted direct ink writing. The components of the bio-ink were obtained by methacrylation of chitosan (CS) and gelatin (GEL) to synthesize methacrylated chitosan (CSMA) and methacrylated gelatin (GELMA), while the nanographene oxide (nGO) was derived from CS through a simple microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization followed by oxidation step. The addition of nGO boosted the printability of the bio-ink, and the anti-fouling property and water permeation flux of the printed membranes. As a result, the membrane M−CSMA/GELMA/nGO-0.7 with the optimal performance possessed a low water contact angle in air of 0°, and high underwater oil contact angle of 161.5°, demonstrating a combination of superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic properties. M−CSMA/GELMA/nGO-0.7 has good corrosion resistance and long service life as evidenced from the separation efficiency of n-heptane/water, which kept above 99.5 % and a high water permeation flux above 38,300 L m−2h−1 after 20 cyclic tests in the harsh aquatic conditions containing 1 M NaCl, 1 M HCl, or 1 M NaOH, respectively. This shows promising potential for real-life applications.
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| 9. |
- Gao, Yan, et al.
(author)
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Synthesis and photophysical and electrochemical properties of a binuclear Ru(bpy)(3)-Cu(III) corrole complex
- 2007
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In: Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines. - 1088-4246 .- 1099-1409. ; 11:06-maj, s. 463-469
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel binuclear Ru-Cu complex, composed of a copper(III)-corrole and a ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine) moicty linked by an amide bond, has been synthesized and characterized by H-1 NMR, UV-vis and mass spectrometry. The steady-state emission and the electrochemical properties were investigated. Compared to the parent [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+), the emission-of the desired complex was substantially quenched when the MLCT of [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) was selectively photoexcited.
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| 10. |
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