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| 2. |
- Edgecock, T. R., et al.
(författare)
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High intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physical Review Special Topics - Accelerators and Beams. - : American Physical Society. - 1098-4402. ; 16:2, s. 021002-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The EUROnu project has studied three possible options for future, high intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe. The first is a Super Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of pions created by bombarding targets with a 4 MW proton beam from the CERN High Power Superconducting Proton Linac. The far detector for this facility is the 500 kt MEMPHYS water Cherenkov, located in the Frejus tunnel. The second facility is the Neutrino Factory, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of mu(+) and mu(-) beams in a storage ring. The far detector in this case is a 100 kt magnetized iron neutrino detector at a baseline of 2000 km. The third option is a Beta Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of beta emitting isotopes, in particular He-6 and Ne-18, also stored in a ring. The far detector is also the MEMPHYS detector in the Frejus tunnel. EUROnu has undertaken conceptual designs of these facilities and studied the performance of the detectors. Based on this, it has determined the physics reach of each facility, in particular for the measurement of CP violation in the lepton sector, and estimated the cost of construction. These have demonstrated that the best facility to build is the Neutrino Factory. However, if a powerful proton driver is constructed for another purpose or if the MEMPHYS detector is built for astroparticle physics, the Super Beam also becomes very attractive.
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| 3. |
- Glownia, James M., et al.
(författare)
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Time-resolved pump-probe experiments at the LCLS
- 2010
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Ingår i: Optics Express. - 1094-4087. ; 18:17, s. 17620-17630
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first time-resolved x-ray/optical pump-probe experiments at the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) used a combination of feedback methods and post-analysis binning techniques to synchronize an ultrafast optical laser to the linac-based x-ray laser. Transient molecular nitrogen alignment revival features were resolved in time-dependent x-ray-induced fragmentation spectra. These alignment features were used to find the temporal overlap of the pump and probe pulses. The strong-field dissociation of x-ray generated quasi-bound molecular dications was used to establish the residual timing jitter. This analysis shows that the relative arrival time of the Ti:Sapphire laser and the x-ray pulses had a distribution with a standard deviation of approximately 120 fs. The largest contribution to the jitter noise spectrum was the locking of the laser oscillator to the reference RF of the accelerator, which suggests that simple technical improvements could reduce the jitter to better than 50 fs.
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| 5. |
- Markunas, Christina A, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of DNA methylation changes in newborns related to maternal smoking during pregnancy.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 122:10, s. 1147-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with significant infant morbidity and mortality, and may influence later disease risk. One mechanism by which smoking (and other environmental factors) might have long-lasting effects is through epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation.OBJECTIVES: We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) investigating alterations in DNA methylation in infants exposed in utero to maternal tobacco smoke, using the Norway Facial Clefts Study.METHODS: The Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip was used to assess DNA methylation in whole blood from 889 infants shortly after delivery. Of 889 mothers, 287 reported smoking-twice as many smokers as in any previous EWAS of maternal smoking. CpG sites related to maternal smoking during the first trimester were identified using robust linear regression.RESULTS: We identified 185 CpGs with altered methylation in infants of smokers at genome-wide significance (q-value < 0.05; mean Δβ = ± 2%). These correspond to 110 gene regions, of which 7 have been previously reported and 10 are newly confirmed using publicly available results. Among these 10, the most noteworthy are FRMD4A, ATP9A, GALNT2, and MEG3, implicated in processes related to nicotine dependence, smoking cessation, and placental and embryonic development.CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified 10 genes with newly established links to maternal smoking. Further, we note differences between smoking-related methylation changes in newborns and adults, suggesting possible distinct effects of direct versus indirect tobacco smoke exposure as well as potential differences due to age. Further work would be needed to determine whether these small changes in DNA methylation are biologically or clinically relevant. The methylation changes identified in newborns may mediate the association between in utero maternal smoking exposure and later health outcomes.
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| 6. |
- Greene, S. J., et al.
(författare)
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The Prognostic Significance of Heart Rate in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in Sinus Rhythm. Insights From the EVEREST (Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure: Outcome Study With Tolvaptan) Trial
- 2013
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Ingår i: JACC: Heart Failure. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-1779. ; 1:6, s. 488-496
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between heart rate and post-discharge outcomes in patients with hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF) in sinus rhythm. Background: A reduction in heart rate improves clinical outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure and in sinus rhythm, but the association between heart rate and post-discharge outcomes in patients with HHF is presently unclear. Methods: This post-hoc analysis of the EVEREST (Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure: Outcome Study With Tolvaptan) trial examined 1,947 patients with HHF and EF≤40% not in atrial fibrillation/flutter or pacemaker dependent. Results: The median follow-up period was 9.9 months. At baseline, patients with a higher heart rate tended to be younger with lower EF and were more likely to have worse New York Heart Association functional class and higher natriuretic peptide levels. After adjustment for clinical risk factors, baseline heart rate was not predictive of all-cause mortality (p≥ 0.066). However, at≥70 beats/min, every 5-beat increase in 1-week post-discharge heart rate was independently associated with increased all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.13 [95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 1.22]; p= 0.002). Similarly, every 5-beat increase≥70 beats/min in 4-week post-discharge heart rate was predictive of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.12 [95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 1.19]; p= 0.001). Conclusions: In this large cohort of patients with HHF with reduced EF and in sinus rhythm, baseline heart rate did not correlate with all-cause mortality. In contrast, at≥70 beats/min, higher heart rate in the early post-discharge period was independently predictive of death during subsequent follow-up. Further study of post-discharge heart rate as a potential therapeutic target in this high-risk population is encouraged. © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation.
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| 7. |
- Wilcox, K. S., et al.
(författare)
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Issues related to development of new antiseizure treatments
- 2013
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Ingår i: Epilepsia. - : Wiley. - 0013-9580. ; 54, s. 24-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This report represents a summary of the discussions led by the antiseizure treatment working group of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)/American Epilepsy Society (AES) Working Groups joint meeting in London (London Meeting). Wereview here what is currently known about the pharmacologic characteristics of current models of refractory seizures, both for adult and pediatric epilepsy. In addition, we address how the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)-funded Anticonvulsant Screening Program (ASP) is evolving to incorporate appropriate animal models in the search for molecules that might be sufficiently novel to warrant further pharmacologic development. Wealso briefly address what we believe is necessary, going forward, to achieve the goal of stopping seizures in all patients, with a call to arms for funding agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, and basic researchers.
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| 8. |
- Carlström, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Superoxide Dismutase 1 Limits Renal Microvascular Remodeling and Attenuates Arteriole and Blood Pressure Responses to Angiotensin II via Modulation of Nitric Oxide Bioavailability
- 2010
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Ingår i: Hypertension. - 0194-911X .- 1524-4563. ; 56:5, s. 907-913
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oxidative stress is associated with vascular remodeling and increased preglomerular resistance that are both implicated in the pathogenesis of renal and cardiovascular disease. Angiotensin II induces superoxide production, which is metabolized by superoxide dismutase (SOD) or scavenged by NO. We investigated the hypothesis that SOD1 regulates renal microvascular remodeling, blood pressure, and arteriolar responsiveness and sensitivity to angiotensin II using SOD1-transgenic (SOD1-tg) and SOD1-knockout (SOD1-ko) mice. Blood pressure, measured telemetrically, rose more abruptly during prolonged angiotensin II infusion in SOD1-ko mice. The afferent arteriole media: lumen ratios were reduced in SOD1-tg and increased in SOD1-ko mice. Afferent arterioles from nontreated wild types had graded contraction to angiotensin II (sensitivity: 10(-9) mol/L; responsiveness: 40%). Angiotensin II contractions were less sensitive (10(-8) mol/L) and responsive (14%) in SOD1-tg but more sensitive (10(-13) mol/L) and responsive (89%) in SOD1-ko mice. Arterioles from SOD1-ko had 4-fold increased superoxide formation with angiotensin II at 10(-9) mol/L. N-G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester reduced arteriole diameter of SOD1-tg and enhanced angiotensin II sensitivity and responsiveness of wild-type and SOD1-tg mice to the level of SOD1-ko mice. SOD mimetic treatment with Tempol increased arteriole diameter and normalized the enhanced sensitivity and responsiveness to angiotensin II of SOD1-ko mice but did not affect wild-type or SOD1-tg mice. Neither SOD1 deficiency nor overexpression was associated with changes in nitrate/nitrite excretion or renal mRNA expression of NO synthase, NADPH oxidase, or SOD2/SOD3 isoforms and angiotensin II receptors. In conclusion, SOD1 limits afferent arteriole remodeling and reduces sensitivity and responsiveness to angiotensin II by reducing superoxide and maintaining NO bioavailability. This may prevent an early and exaggerated blood pressure response to angiotensin II.
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| 10. |
- Davies, Kerrie A., et al.
(författare)
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Underdiagnosis of Clostridium difficile across Europe : the European, multicentre, prospective, biannual, point-prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalised patients with diarrhoea (EUCLID)
- 2014
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Ingår i: The Lancet - Infectious diseases. - : Elsevier. - 1473-3099 .- 1474-4457. ; 14:12, s. 1208-1219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Variations in testing for Clostridium difficile infection can hinder patients' care, increase the risk of transmission, and skew epidemiological data. We aimed to measure the underdiagnosis of C difficile infection across Europe.Methods: We did a questionnaire-based study at 482 participating hospitals across 20 European countries. Hospitals were questioned about their methods and testing policy for C difficile infection during the periods September, 2011, to August, 2012, and September, 2012, to August, 2013. On one day in winter, 2012-13 (December, 2012, or January, 2013), and summer, 2013 (July or August), every hospital sent all diarrhoeal samples submitted to their microbiology laboratory to a national coordinating laboratory for standardised testing of C difficile infection. Our primary outcome measures were the rates of testing for and cases of C difficile infection per 10 000 patient bed-days. Results of local and national C difficile infection testing were compared with each other. If the result was positive at the national laboratory but negative at the local hospital, the result was classified as undiagnosed C difficile infection. We compared differences in proportions with the Mann-Whitney test, or McNemar's test if data were matched.Findings: During the study period, participating hospitals reported a mean of 65.8 tests (country range 4. 6-223.3) for C difficile infection per 10 000 patient-bed days and a mean of 7.0 cases (country range 0.7-28.7) of C difficile infection per 10 000 patient-bed days. Only two-fifths of hospitals reported using optimum methods for testing of C difficile infection (defined by European guidelines), although the number of participating hospitals using optimum methods increased during the study period, from 152 (32%) of 468 in 2011-12 to 205 (48%) of 428 in 2012-13. Across all 482 European hospitals on the two sampling days, 148 (23%) of 641 samples positive for C difficile infection (as determined by the national laboratory) were not diagnosed by participating hospitals because of an absence of clinical suspicion, equating to about 74 missed diagnoses per day.Interpretation: A wide variety of testing strategies for C difficile infection are used across Europe. Absence of clinical suspicion and suboptimum laboratory diagnostic methods mean that an estimated 40 000 inpatients with C difficile infection are potentially undiagnosed every year in 482 European hospitals.
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