| 1. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
-
Commissioning of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer with cosmic rays
- 2010
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 70:3, s. 875-916
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider has collected several hundred million cosmic ray events during 2008 and 2009. These data were used to commission the Muon Spectrometer and to study the performance of the trigger and tracking chambers, their alignment, the detector control system, the data acquisition and the analysis programs. We present the performance in the relevant parameters that determine the quality of the muon measurement. We discuss the single element efficiency, resolution and noise rates, the calibration method of the detector response and of the alignment system, the track reconstruction efficiency and the momentum measurement. The results show that the detector is close to the design performance and that the Muon Spectrometer is ready to detect muons produced in high energy proton-proton collisions.
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| 2. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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Studies of the performance of the ATLAS detector using cosmic-ray muons
- 2011
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 71:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Muons from cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere provide a high-statistics source of particles that can be used to study the performance and calibration of the ATLAS detector. Cosmic-ray muons can penetrate to the cavern and deposit energy in all detector subsystems. Such events have played an important role in the commissioning of the detector since the start of the installation phase in 2005 and were particularly important for understanding the detector performance in the time prior to the arrival of the first LHC beams. Global cosmic-ray runs were undertaken in both 2008 and 2009 and these data have been used through to the early phases of collision data-taking as a tool for calibration, alignment and detector monitoring. These large datasets have also been used for detector performance studies, including investigations that rely on the combined performance of different subsystems. This paper presents the results of performance studies related to combined tracking, lepton identification and the reconstruction of jets and missing transverse energy. Results are compared to expectations based on a cosmic-ray event generator and a full simulation of the detector response.
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| 3. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS Inner Detector commissioning and calibration
- 2010
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 70:3, s. 787-821
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS Inner Detector is a composite tracking system consisting of silicon pixels, silicon strips and straw tubes in a 2 T magnetic field. Its installation was completed in August 2008 and the detector took part in data-taking with single LHC beams and cosmic rays. The initial detector operation, hardware commissioning and in-situ calibrations are described. Tracking performance has been measured with 7.6 million cosmic-ray events, collected using a tracking trigger and reconstructed with modular pattern-recognition and fitting software. The intrinsic hit efficiency and tracking trigger efficiencies are close to 100%. Lorentz angle measurements for both electrons and holes, specific energy-loss calibration and transition radiation turn-on measurements have been performed. Different alignment techniques have been used to reconstruct the detector geometry. After the initial alignment, a transverse impact parameter resolution of 22.1 +/- 0.9 mu m and a relative momentum resolution sigma (p) /p=(4.83 +/- 0.16)x10(-4) GeV(-1)xp (T) have been measured for high momentum tracks.
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| 4. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS Simulation Infrastructure
- 2010
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 70:3, s. 823-874
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The simulation software for the ATLAS Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is being used for large-scale production of events on the LHC Computing Grid. This simulation requires many components, from the generators that simulate particle collisions, through packages simulating the response of the various detectors and triggers. All of these components come together under the ATLAS simulation infrastructure. In this paper, that infrastructure is discussed, including that supporting the detector description, interfacing the event generation, and combining the GEANT4 simulation of the response of the individual detectors. Also described are the tools allowing the software validation, performance testing, and the validation of the simulated output against known physics processes.
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| 5. |
- Adnane, Bouchaib
(author)
-
Optical characterization of Silicon-based self-assembled nanostructures
- 2010
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This PhD thesis summarizes the work carried on the optical characterizations of some Si-based self-assembled nanostructures, particularly SiGe/Si quantum dots (QDs) and nanocrystalline (nc)-Si embedded in mesoporous silica (MS) using photoconductivity (PC), photoluminescence (PL), and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) measurements. The spectroscopic studies of SiGe/Si QDs grown on Si by molecular beam epitaxy revealed for the first time well-resolved PLE resonances. When correlated with numerical analysis, these resonances were directly related to the co-existence of spatially direct (inside the SiGe dot) and indirect (across the Si/Ge interface) recombination processes involving different dot populations selected by the monitored detection energy for PLE acquisition. The characteristics of these two transitions were further studied in detail by PLE (in some case implemented together with selective PL) on various samples, which contained either only one Ge dot layer or multiple Gedot/Si stacks, grown at substrate temperatures ranging from 430 to 580 °C; especially the temperature- and excitation power-dependence of the excitation properties. The results illustrated that the electronic structure of SiGe dots are influenced by size, Ge composition, as well as strain connected, and sometimes a mixed effect. Another attempt of the project was the fabrication of lateral transport mid-infrared photodetectors based on multiple Ge-dot/Si stacked structures. A broadband photoresponsivity of the processed multi-finger detectors was estimated to be about 90 mA/W over 3-15 μm range at 20 K, and the peaked photoresponse was measured at ~10 μm. The origin of the measured photocurrent, as elucidated by photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopies, was related to intersubband absorption of normal incidence infrared radiation corresponding to energies between the ground states of the heavy hole and the light hole in the valence band of the SiGe/Si QDs, and subsequent charge transfer to the Ge 2D wetting layer acting as a conduction channel. The absence of photocurrent in the energy range expected for a transition from the ground state to the first excited state of the heavy hole indicated that the holes in the SiGe dots behave essentially as 2D in character rather than a truly 3D confinement, where the transitions between heavy holes states are not allowed for TE polarized radiation (normal incidence). Finally, Si(or Ge) nanocrystals embedded in mesoporous silica samples prepared by spincoating and atomic layer chemical vapor deposition were optically investigated by means of PL with various excitation powers, together with several attempts using different post rapid thermal annealing processes. The shape and energy position of the PL spectra of the nc-Si embedded in MS samples and a reference MS template without nc incorporation were rather similar, but the luminescence was much more intense for those embedded with nanocrystals. This implies that the emission mechanism for MS samples with or without nc-Si could be the same, i.e., the light emission was governed by the surface properties of silica. The semiconductor nanocrystals played a role by sensitizing the luminescence emission through generating more photo-excited carriers. These carriers were then trapped in the defect state e.g. the interfacial oxygen defect sites and subsequently recombine to increase the PL intensity.
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| 6. |
- Adnane, Bouchaib, et al.
(author)
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Spatially direct and indirect transitions of self-assembled SiGe/Si quantum dots studied by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy
- 2010
-
In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 96:18, s. 181107-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Well-resolved photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra are reported for selfassembled SiGe dots grown on Si(100) by molecular beam epitaxy. The observation of two excitation resonance peaks is attributed to two different excitation/de-excitation routes of interband optical transitions connected to the spatially direct and indirect recombination processes. It is concluded that two dot populations are addressed by each monitored luminescence energy for the PLE acquisition.
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| 7. |
- Annertz, Karin, et al.
(author)
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High-risk HPV and survival in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma : 5-year follow up of a population-based study
- 2014
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In: Acta Oto-Laryngologica. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0001-6489 .- 1651-2251. ; 8:134, s. 843-851
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONCLUSION: No statistically significant 5-year survival difference was seen in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOPSCC) between high-risk HPV-positive and -negative groups in this population-based study. OBJECTIVES: To see if the formerly observed higher risk for recurrence or second primary tumour (SPT) in high-risk HPV-positive patients with OOPSCC corresponds to worse survival. METHODS: A total of 128 consecutive, previously untreated patients with OOPSCC, who were part of a population-based case-control study in southern Sweden during 2000-2004, were included. A mouthwash sample was collected and exfoliated cells were collected with cotton-tipped swabs from the tonsillar fossa and the tumour. Specimens were analysed for HPV DNA using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Disease-specific survival (DSS) and DSS difference between HPV-negative and HPV-positive patients were calculated. The relationship between age, stage, high-risk HPV status and DSS was assessed. Oral and oropharyngeal tumours were assessed separately. RESULTS: Mean DSS in months was 80.7/68.6 (high-risk HPV-negative/high-risk HPV-positive) for oral cavity tumours (p = 0.18) and 67.6/78.3 (high-risk HPV-negative/high-risk HPV-positive) for oropharyngeal tumours (p = 0.47). For oral cavity tumours, age, T status, N status and stage all showed significant differences in DSS. For oropharyngeal tumours, no significant difference regarding DSS was found.
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| 8. |
- Barrett, Jennifer H., et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study identifies three new melanoma susceptibility loci
- 2011
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 43:11, s. 1108-1113
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a genome-wide association study for melanoma that was conducted by the GenoMEL Consortium. Our discovery phase included 2,981 individuals with melanoma and 1,982 study-specific control individuals of European ancestry, as well as an additional 6,426 control subjects from French or British populations, all of whom were genotyped for 317,000 or 610,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our analysis replicated previously known melanoma susceptibility loci. Seven new regions with at least one SNP with P < 10(-5) and further local imputed or genotyped support were selected for replication using two other genome-wide studies (from Australia and Texas, USA). Additional replication came from case-control series from the UK and The Netherlands. Variants at three of the seven loci replicated at P < 10(-3): an SNP in ATM (rs1801516, overall P = 3.4 x 10(-9)), an SNP in MX2 (rs45430, P = 2.9 x 10-9) and an SNP adjacent to CASP8 (rs13016963, P = 8.6 x 10(-10)). A fourth locus near CCND1 remains of potential interest, showing suggestive but inconclusive evidence of replication (rs1485993, overall P = 4.6 x 10(-7) under a fixed-effects model and P = 1.2 x 10(-3) under a random-effects model). These newly associated variants showed no association with nevus or pigmentation phenotypes in a large British case-control series.
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| 9. |
- Berggren, Ann-Marie, et al.
(author)
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Variability of Be-10 and delta O-18 in snow pits from Greenland and a surface traverse from Antarctica
- 2013
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-583X .- 1872-9584. ; 294, s. 568-572
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To examine temporal variability of Be-10 in glacial ice, we sampled snow to a depth of 160 cm at the NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling) drilling site in Greenland. The samples span three years between the summers of 2006 and 2009. At the same time, spatial variability of Be-10 in glacial ice was explored through collection of the upper similar to 5 cm of surface snow in Antarctica during part of the Swedish-Japanese traverse from Svea to Syowa station during the austral summer in 2007-2008. The results of the Greenlandic 1 Be snow suggested variable concentrations that apparently do not clearly reflect the seasonal change as indicated by the delta O-18 data. The Be-10 concentration variability most likely reflects also effects of aerosol loading and deposition pathways, possibly in combination with post-depositional processes. The Antarctic traverse data expose a negative correlation between Be-10 and delta O-18, while there are weaker but still significant correlations to altitude and distance to the coast (approximated by the distance to the 70th latitude). These relationships indicate that geographical factors, mainly the proximity to the coast, may strongly affect 1 Be concentrations in snow in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.
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| 10. |
- Bergkvist, Göran, et al.
(author)
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Red fescue undersown in winter wheat suppresses Elytrigia repens
- 2010
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In: Weed Research. - : Wiley. - 0043-1737 .- 1365-3180. ; 50, s. 447-455
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- P>Elytrigia repens (syn. Elymus repens) is a perennial grass weed that is controlled by herbicides or by tillage. Both methods are expensive and may have negative effects on the environment. Therefore, alternative methods of weed control, such as using competition from under-sown perennial forage crops, are of interest. Red fescue can be sown together with winter wheat as a non-flowering understorey crop that has its main growth during late summer and autumn. This study quantified the effect of red fescue and E. repens on wheat biomass and tested the hypothesis that under-sown red fescue reduces the amount of E. repens rhizomes and thus the need for herbicides or tillage. Two field experiments in which winter wheat, red fescue and E. repens were grown in all possible combinations were conducted between 2003 and 2005. Elytrigia repens reduced wheat biomass by 8%, while red fescue had no significant effect on wheat biomass. Red fescue reduced late autumn biomass of E. repens rhizomes by 40%. The results suggest that red fescue sown with winter wheat can reduce propagation of E. repens during summer and autumn, without a significant reduction in wheat biomass.
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| 11. |
- Berndes, Göran, 1966, et al.
(author)
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Strategies For 2nd Generation Biofuels In Eu - Co-firing to stimulate feedstock supply development and process integration to improve energy efficiency and economic competitiveness
- 2010
-
In: Biomass and Bioenergy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-2909 .- 0961-9534. ; 34:2, s. 227-236
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present biofuel policies in the European Union primarily stimulate 1st generation biofuels that are produced based on conventional food crops. They may be a distraction fromlignocellulose based 2nd generation biofuels – and also from biomass use for heat and electricity – by keeping farmers’ attention and significant investments focusing on firstgeneration biofuels and the cultivation of conventional food crops as feedstocks. This article presents two strategies that can contribute to the development of 2nd generation biofuels based on lignocellulosic feedstocks. The integration of gasification-based biofuel plants in district heating systems is one option for increasing the energy efficiency and improving the economic competitiveness of such biofuels. Another option, biomass co-firing with coal,generates high-efficiency biomass electricity and reduces CO2 emissions by replacing coal. It also offers a near-term market for lignocellulosic biomass, which can stimulate development of supply systems for biomass also suitable as feedstock for 2nd generation biofuels. Regardless of the long-term priorities of biomass use for energy, the stimulation of lignocellulosic biomass production by development of near term and cost-effective markets isjudged to be a no-regrets strategy for Europe. Strategies that induce a relevant development and exploit existing energy infrastructures in order to reduce risk and reach lower costs, are proposed an attractive complement the present and prospective biofuel policies.
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| 12. |
- Binyameen, Muhammad, et al.
(author)
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Identification of Plant Semiochemicals and Characterization of New Olfactory Sensory Neuron Types in a Polyphagous Pest Moth, Spodoptera littoralis
- 2014
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In: Chemical Senses. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0379-864X .- 1464-3553. ; 39, s. 719-733
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Phytophagous insects use blends of volatiles released from plants to select hosts for feeding and oviposition. To behaviorally analyze complex blends, we need efficient and selective methods for elucidating neuron types, their ligands, and specificity. Gas chromatography-combined single sensillum recordings (GC-SSRs) from antennal olfactory sensilla of female moth, Spodoptera littoralis revealed 38 physiologically active peaks in the headspace volatile blends from both larvae-damaged cotton plants and lilac flowers. Using GC-combined mass spectrometry, 9 new physiologically active compounds were identified from damaged cotton and 11 from lilac compared with earlier electrophysiological studies using antennae of female S. littoralis. We characterized 14 novel classes of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Among these, we found the first 2 ligands for a frequent type of short trichoid sensillum, for which no ligands were identified earlier. By using GC-SSR, a substantial increase in functional classes of OSNs and active compounds, 40% and 34% more, respectively, compared with recent studies using GC-electroantennogram or SSR using single compounds was detected. Compared with the estimated number of corresponding antennal olfactory receptors, the OSN classes now correspond to 83% of a likely maximum. The many specialist OSNs observed may facilitate behavioral confirmation of key plant volatiles in blends.
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| 13. |
- Brandström, Per, 1959, et al.
(author)
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The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: I. Study Design and Study Population Characteristics
- 2010
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In: Journal of Urology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0022-5347 .- 1527-3792. ; 184:1, s. 274-279
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: We compared the rates of febrile urinary tract infection, kidney damage and reflux resolution in children with vesicoureteral reflux treated in 3 ways, including antibiotic prophylaxis, endoscopic therapy and surveillance with antibiotics only for symptomatic urinary tract infection. Materials and Methods: Children 1 to younger than 2 years with grade reflux were recruited into this prospective, open, randomized, controlled, multi-center study and followed for 2 years after randomization. The main study end points were recurrent febrile urinary tract infection, renal status on dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy and reflux status. Outcomes were analyzed by the intent to treat principle. Results: During a 6-year period 128 girls and 75 boys entered the study. In 96% of cases reflux was detected after urinary tract infection. The randomization procedure was successful and resulted in 3 groups matched for relevant factors. Recruitment was slower than anticipated but after patients were entered adherence to the protocol was good. Of the children 93% were followed for the intended 2 years without a treatment arm change. All except 2 patients completed 2-year followup scintigraphy. Conclusions: Recruitment was difficult but a substantial number of children were entered and randomly assigned to 3 groups with similar basic characteristics. Good adherence to the protocol made it possible to address the central study questions.
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| 14. |
- Breimer, Michael, 1951, et al.
(author)
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Glycosphingolipid composition of epithelial cells isolated along the villus axis of small intestine of a single human individual
- 2012
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In: Glycobiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2423 .- 0959-6658. ; 22:12, s. 1721-1730
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A 6-cm fresh proximal ileum surgical specimen from a blood group A(1)Le(a-b+) secretor individual was used for stepwise isolation of epithelial cells from villus tip to crypt bottom by gentle washing with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-containing buffer. Acid and non-acid sphingolipids were prepared from the epithelial cell fractions and the non-epithelial intestinal residue. Molecular information on the sphingolipid composition was obtained without further isolation of individual species by applying thin-layer chromatography using chemical and biological (monoclonal antibodies, cholera toxin, Escherichia coli) detection reagents, mass spectrometry and proton NMR spectroscopy of derivatized glycolipids. In this way, the structure of major and minor saccharides, ceramide components and their relative amounts were obtained. Epithelial cells and non-epithelial residue were distinctly different in their sphingolipid composition. Sphingomyelin was the major single component in both compartments. Characteristic for epithelial cells was the dominance of monoglycosylceramides, sulphatides and blood group fucolipids (mainly Le(b) hexaglycosylceramides and ALe(b) heptaglycosylceramides). The non-epithelial residue had about five times less glycolipids mainly mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-glycosylceramides and gangliosides, including the GM1 ganglioside. The ceramides were more hydroxylated (1-2 additional hydroxyls) in epithelial cell glycolipids compared with the non-epithelial residue. Combined with a separate detailed study on the glycoproteins of the same epithelial cell preparation, this human intestinal sample is the only epithelial cell preparation where both protein- and lipid-linked saccharides are characterized in detail.
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| 15. |
- Brink, Mikael, et al.
(author)
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Multiplex Analyses of Antibodies Against Citrullinated Peptides in Individuals Prior to Development of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 2013
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In: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : Wiley. - 0004-3591 .- 1529-0131. ; 65:4, s. 899-910
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The presence of antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides has been demonstrated to precede the onset of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by several years. The aim of this study was to analyze antibodies against 10 citrullinated autoantigen-derived peptides for reactivity before the onset of RA symptoms. Methods A casecontrol study was conducted within the Medical Biobank of Northern Sweden. The study was performed in 409 individuals, 386 of whom donated 717 blood samples before the onset of symptoms of RA (pre-patients). The median period of time predating the onset of RA was 7.4 years. A total of 1,305 population-based control subjects were also studied. Antibodies to 10 citrullinated peptides, fibrinogen 573 (Fib573), Fib591, Fib3652, Fib72, Fib74, -enolase (citrullinated -enolase peptide 1 [CEP-1]), triple-helical type II collagen peptide C1 (citC1III), filaggrin, vimentin 217 (Vim217), and Vim6075, were analyzed using a microarray system. Results The fluorescence intensity of antibodies against Fib3652, Fib74, CEP-1, citC1III, and filaggrin was significantly increased in pre-patients compared with controls (P < 0.001). The levels of the earliest-detectable antibodies (Fib591 and Vim6075) fluctuated over time, with only a slight increase after the onset of disease. The frequency of antibodies against Fib3652, CEP-1, and filaggrin increased gradually, reaching the highest levels before symptom onset. The frequency of a cluster of antibodies, citC1III, Fib573, and Fib74, increased only slightly before the onset of symptoms but increased prominently after disease onset. The odds ratio for the development of RA in individuals expressing both CEP-1 and Fib3652 antibodies (using data from samples obtained <3.35 years predating symptom onset) was 40.4 (95% confidence interval 19.882.3) compared with having either antibody alone. Conclusion Development of an immune response toward citrullinated peptides is initially restricted but expands with time to induce a more specific response, with levels, particularly those of antibodies against CEP-1, Fib3652, and filaggrin, increasing during the predating time period closer to the onset of symptoms.
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| 16. |
- Burza, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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Laser wakefield acceleration using wire produced double density ramps
- 2013
-
In: Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams. - 1098-4402. ; 16:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A novel approach to implement and control electron injection into the accelerating phase of a laser wakefield accelerator is presented. It utilizes a wire, which is introduced into the flow of a supersonic gas jet creating shock waves and three regions of differing plasma electron density. If tailored appropriately, the laser plasma interaction takes place in three stages: Laser self-compression, electron injection, and acceleration in the second plasma wave period. Compared to self-injection by wave breaking of a nonlinear plasma wave in a constant density plasma, this scheme increases beam charge by up to 1 order of magnitude in the quasimonoenergetic regime. Electron acceleration in the second plasma wave period reduces electron beam divergence by approximate to 25%, and the localized injection at the density downramps results in spectra with less than a few percent relative spread. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.16.011301
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| 17. |
- Dahl-Jensen, D., et al.
(author)
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Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core
- 2013
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 493:7433, s. 489-494
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efforts to extract a Greenland ice core with a complete record of the Eemian interglacial (130,000 to 115,000 years ago) have until now been unsuccessful. The response of the Greenland ice sheet to the warmer-than-present climate of the Eemian has thus remained unclear. Here we present the new North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling ('NEEM') ice core and show only a modest ice-sheet response to the strong warming in the early Eemian. We reconstructed the Eemian record from folded ice using globally homogeneous parameters known from dated Greenland and Antarctic ice-core records. On the basis of water stable isotopes, NEEM surface temperatures after the onset of the Eemian (126,000 years ago) peaked at 8 +/- 4 degrees Celsius above the mean of the past millennium, followed by a gradual cooling that was probably driven by the decreasing summer insolation. Between 128,000 and 122,000 years ago, the thickness of the northwest Greenland ice sheet decreased by 400 +/- 250 metres, reaching surface elevations 122,000 years ago of 130 +/- 300 metres lower than the present. Extensive surface melt occurred at the NEEM site during the Eemian, a phenomenon witnessed when melt layers formed again at NEEM during the exceptional heat of July 2012. With additional warming, surface melt might become more common in the future.
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| 18. |
- Davies, John R., et al.
(author)
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An inherited variant in the gene coding for vitamin D-binding protein and survival from cutaneous melanoma: a BioGenoMEL study
- 2014
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In: Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research. - : Wiley. - 1755-148X .- 1755-1471. ; 27:2, s. 234-243
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An association between low serum vitamin D levels and poorer melanoma survival has been reported. We have studied inheritance of a polymorphism of the GC gene, rs2282679, coding for the vitamin D-binding protein, which is associated with lower serum levels of vitamin D, in a meta-analysis of 3137 melanoma patients. The aim was to investigate evidence for a causal relationship between vitamin D and outcome (Mendelian randomization). The variant was not associated with reduced overall survival (OS) in the UK cohort, per-allele hazard ratio (HR) for death 1.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93, 1.64). In the smaller cohorts, HR in OS analysis was 1.07 (95% CI 0.88, 1.3) and for all cohorts combined, HR for OS was 1.09 (95% CI 0.93, 1.29). There was evidence of increased melanoma-specific deaths in the seven cohorts for which these data were available. The lack of unequivocal findings despite the large sample size illustrates the difficulties of implementing Mendelian randomization.
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| 19. |
- Davies, John R, et al.
(author)
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Inherited variation in the PARP1 gene and survival from melanoma
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 135:7, s. 1625-1633
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the association of an inherited variant located upstream of the poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) gene (rs2249844), with survival in 11 BioGenoMEL melanoma cohorts. The gene encodes a protein involved in a number of cellular processes including single-strand DNA repair. Survival analysis was conducted for each cohort using proportional hazards regression adjusting for factors known to be associated with survival. Survival was measured as overall survival (OS) and, where available, melanoma-specific survival (MSS). Results were combined using random effects meta-analysis. Evidence for a role of the PARP1 protein in melanoma ulceration and survival was investigated by testing gene expression levels taken from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumors. A significant association was seen for inheritance of the rarer variant of PARP1, rs2249844 with OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.16 per allele, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.28, p=0.005, eleven cohorts) and MSS (HR=1.20 per allele, 95% CI 1.01-1.39, p=0.03, eight cohorts). We report bioinformatic data supportive of a functional effect for rs2249844. Higher levels of PARP1 gene expression in tumors were shown to be associated with tumor ulceration and poorer OS. What's new? Although staging systems predict outcome fairly well for melanoma, survival still varies among individual patients. In this meta-analysis, the authors found that inheritance of a rare genetic variant of PARP1 was associated with improved survival of melanoma patients. Increased expression of PARP1 has been associated with poorer outcome, and depletion of PARP1 may reduce both melanoma growth and angiogenesis. The identification of this and other germline variants that affect survival may help to identify key biological pathways active in host/tumor interactions, which may lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets for treating advanced melanoma. Epidemiology
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| 20. |
- Del Missier, Fabio, et al.
(author)
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The Multifold Relationship Between Memory and Decision Making : An Individual-Differences Study
- 2013
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In: Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory and Cognition. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 0278-7393 .- 1939-1285. ; 39:5, s. 1344-1364
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Several judgment and decision-making tasks are assumed to involve memory functions, but significant knowledge gaps on the memory processes underlying these tasks remain. In a study on 568 adults between 25 and 80 years of age, hypotheses were tested on the specific relationships between individual differences in working memory, episodic memory, and semantic memory, respectively, and 6 main components of decision-making competence, In line with the hypotheses, working memory was positively related with the more cognitively demanding tasks (Resistance to Framing, Applying Decision Rules, and Under/Overconfidence), whereas episodic memory was positively associated with a more experience-based judgment task (Recognizing Social Norms). Furthermore, semantic memory was positively related with 2 more knowledge-based decision-making tasks (Consistency in Risk Perception and Resistance to Sunk Costs). Finally, the age-related decline observed in some of the decision-making tasks was (partially or totally) mediated by the age-related decline in working memory or episodic memory. These findings are discussed in relation to the functional roles fulfilled by different memory processes in judgment and decision-making tasks.
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| 21. |
- Desforges, F. G., et al.
(author)
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Dynamics of ionization-induced electron injection in the high density regime of laser wakefield acceleration
- 2014
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In: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 21:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The dynamics of ionization-induced electron injection in high density (similar to 1.2 x 10(19) cm(-3)) regime of laser wakefield acceleration is investigated by analyzing the betatron X-ray emission. In such high density operation, the laser normalized vector potential exceeds the injection-thresholds of both ionization-injection and self-injection due to self-focusing. In this regime, direct experimental evidence of early on-set of ionization-induced injection into the plasma wave is given by mapping the X-ray emission zone inside the plasma. Particle-In-Cell simulations show that this early on-set of ionization-induced injection, due to its lower trapping threshold, suppresses the trapping of self-injected electrons. A comparative study of the electron and X-ray properties is performed for both self-injection and ionization-induced injection. An increase of X-ray fluence by at least a factor of two is observed in the case of ionization-induced injection due to increased trapped charge compared to self-injection mechanism. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
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| 22. |
- Desforges, F. G., et al.
(author)
-
Reproducibility of electron beams from laser wakefield acceleration in capillary tubes
- 2014
-
In: Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5087 .- 0168-9002. ; 740, s. 54-59
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The stability of accelerated electron beams produced by self injection of plasma electrons into the wakefield driven by a laser pulse guided inside capillary tubes is analyzed statistically in relation to laser and plasma parameters, and compared to results obtained in a gas jet. The analysis shows that reproducible electron beams are achieved with a charge of 66 pC +/- 11%, a FWHM beam divergence of 9 mrad +/- 14%, a maximum energy of 120 MeV +/- 10% and pointing fluctuations of 2.3 mrad using 10 mm long, 178 mu m diameter capillary tubes at an electron density of (10.0 +/- 1.5) x 10(18) cm(-3). Active stabilization of the laser pointing was used and laser parameters were recorded on each shot. Although the shot-to-shot laser energy fluctuations can account for a fraction of the electrons fluctuations, gas density fluctuations are suspected to be a more important source of instability. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Folkersen, Lasse, et al.
(author)
-
Association of genetic risk variants with expression of proximal genes identifies novel susceptibility genes for cardiovascular disease
- 2010
-
In: Circulation. - 1942-325X .- 1942-3268. ; 3:4, s. 365-373
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Population-based genome-wide association studies have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with cardiovascular disease or its risk factors. Genes in close proximity to these risk-SNPs are often thought to be pathogenetically important based on their location alone. However, the actual connections between SNPs and disease mechanisms remain largely unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: To identify novel susceptibility genes, we investigated how 166 SNPs previously found to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk and/or predisposing metabolic traits relate to the expression of nearby genes. Gene expression in 577 samples of aorta, liver, mammary artery, and carotid atherosclerotic plaque was measured using expression arrays. For 47 SNPs, the expression levels of proximal genes (located within 200 kb) were affected (P<0.005). More than 20 of these genes had not previously been identified as candidate genes for cardiovascular or related metabolic traits. SNP-associated gene effects were tissue-specific and the tissue specificity was phenotype-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates several instances of association between risk-SNPs and genes immediately adjacent to them. It also demonstrates instances in which the associated gene is not the immediately proximal and obvious candidate gene for disease. This shows the necessity of careful studies of genetic marker data as a first step toward application of genome-wide association studies findings in a clinical setting.
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| 26. |
- Frenning, Göran, et al.
(author)
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The Release of Catanionic Mixtures Embedded in Gels : An Approximate Analytical Analysis
- 2011
-
In: AIChE Journal. - : Wiley. - 0001-1541 .- 1547-5905. ; 57:6, s. 1402-1408
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present an approximate analytical analysis of the release of catanionic mixtures from gels. The starting points are the monomer-mixed micelle equilibrium, described by using regular solution theory, and the one-dimensional diffusion equation. Focusing on a half-infinite planar system, we first point out an exact reduction of the problem to a system of ordinary differential equations. By using the pseudo-steady-state approximation and the integral-balance method, we then derive a single nonlinear equation for the mole fraction of drug in micelles at the extraction front. This equation may be readily solved numerically (or graphically), and once the solution is found, all quantities of interest may be determined in closed form. Comparisons with numerical solutions of the fully nonlinear problem indicate that the errors resulting from the approximations typically do not exceed 10%.
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| 27. |
- Gernandt, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
A model describing the internal structure of core/shell hydrogels
- 2011
-
In: Soft Matter. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1744-683X .- 1744-6848. ; 7:21, s. 10327-10338
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We apply a theory to the constrained swelling of gel particles, explicitly accounting for the propagation of elastic forces through the particle. This approach, together with conventional thermodynamics of gel swelling, allows modelling of the equilibrium state of gels with properties that are spatially inhomogeneous. In our case we consider both a discrete inhomogeneity in the form of assigning different water solubilities to the core and shell domains of the particle, and a continuous inhomogeneity in allowing the density of chemical cross-links to vary gradually through the network. The model is used to understand the behaviour of temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) core/poly(N-isopropyl methacrylamide) shell microgels investigated in an earlier experimental study. How the swelling of the core and shell is affected by the presence of each other at different temperatures is investigated and explained from a mechanical and thermodynamic perspective.
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| 28. |
- Gernandt, Jonas, 1982-
(author)
-
On the phase behaviour of hydrogels : A theory of macroion-induced core/shell equilibrium
- 2013
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Colloidal macroions are known to interact very strongly with oppositely charged polyionic hydrogels. Sometimes this results in a non-uniform distribution of the macroions within the gel, a phenomenon that is not fully understood. This thesis is a summary of four papers on the development of a theory of the thermodynamics of macroions interacting with hydrogels, aimed at explaining the phenomenon of core/shell separation in spherical gels. It is the first theory of such interactions to use a rigorous approach to whole-gel mechanics, in which the elastic interplay between different parts of the gel is treated explicitly.The thesis shows that conventional theories of elasticity, earlier used on gels in pure solvent, can be generalised to apply also to gels in complex fluids, and that the general features of the phase behaviour are the same if mapped to corresponding system variables. It is found that the emergence of shells is due to attractions between macroions in the gel, mediated by polyions. Since the shell state is unfavourable from the perspective of the shell itself, being deformed from its preferred state, there will be a hysteresis between the uptake and the release of the macroion, like already known to occur with the uptake and release of pure solvent.Due to the elastic interplay, growth of the shell makes further growth progressively more favourable. Thus, unless there is a limited amount of macroions available the system will not reach equilibrium until complete phase transition has taken place. If the amount is limited the core/shell separation can be in equilibrium, so the volume of the solution that the gel is in contact with plays a very important part in determining the thermodynamic resting point of the system. The ability of a macroion/hydrogel to phase separate thus depends on the molecular properties whereas the ultimate fate of such a separation depends on the proportions in number between the ingoing components.
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| 29. |
- Grennfelt, Peringe, et al.
(author)
-
Frisk luft i Sverige : Slutrapport från ett forskningsprogram
- 2013
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Forskningsprogrammet SCARP, Frisk Luft i Sverige, (2006-2012) har omfattat luftvårdsforskning för tillämpning inom internationellt luftvårdsarbete och det nationella miljömålsarbetet. Programmet har varit inriktat mot hälsoeffekter, partiklars ursprung, spridning och omvandling i atmosfären, ekosystemeffekter av kväve samt beslutstödsmodeller. Forskningen kring hälsoeffekter har bland annat visat ökad risk för kardiovaskulära effekter av exponering för luftföroreningar från vägtrafiken. Vidare visar resultaten att partiklar i dieselavgaser ger en direkt påverkan på hjärta och blodkärl, att vedrök ger upphov till inflammationseffekter. SCARPs forskning visar också att exponering för luftföroreningar från vägtrafiken skadar barns luftvägar upp till skolåldern och bland annat påverkar lungfunktionen negativt. Forskningen inom SCARP har också medfört väsentligt förbättrade möjligheter att modellera bildning och dynamik av sekundära organiska partiklar. Kunskapen har applicerats såväl i EMEPs modell för Europa som i en mer forskningsbaserad modell. Ny metodik och emissionsdata har också tagits fram för partikelemissioner. Forskningen kring ekosystemeffekter av kväve har bland annat medfört fortsatt utveckling och applicering av en modell för att beskriva hur kvävenedfallet påverkar markvegetation till exempel vid olika typer av markanvändning. Forskningen har också visat att kvävenedfallet ger begränsade effekter på kväveläckage med undantag för kalavverkning. I delprogrammet kring beslutsstödssystem har arbetet främst varit inriktat mot att applicera den så kallade GAINS-modellen på svenska förhållanden (till exempel effekten av långa transportfordon och användning av biobränslen inom transportsektorn). Forskningen har specifikt använts för att stärka Sveriges arbete internationellt samt för ett deltagande av EECCA-länderna i det internationella luftvårdsarbetet.
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| 30. |
- Hansson, Bengt-Göran, et al.
(author)
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Overview of 345 Supplements published 1934-2011.
- 2012
-
In: Acta Orthopaedica. Supplementum. - : Medical Journals Sweden AB. - 1745-3704 .- 1745-3674 .- 1745-3682. ; 83:348, s. 1-23
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 31. |
- Hansson, Caroline, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Ghrelin Influences Novelty Seeking Behavior in Rodents and Men
- 2012
-
In: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent discoveries indicate an important role for ghrelin in drug and alcohol reward and an ability of ghrelin to regulate mesolimbic dopamine activity. The role of dopamine in novelty seeking, and the association between this trait and drug and alcohol abuse, led us to hypothesize that ghrelin may influence novelty seeking behavior. To test this possibility we applied several complementary rodent models of novelty seeking behavior, i.e. inescapable novelty-induced locomotor activity (NILA), novelty-induced place preference and novel object exploration, in rats subjected to acute ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor; GHSR) stimulation or blockade. Furthermore we assessed the possible association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding ghrelin and GHSR and novelty seeking behavior in humans. The rodent studies indicate an important role for ghrelin in a wide range of novelty seeking behaviors. Ghrelin-injected rats exhibited a higher preference for a novel environment and increased novel object exploration. Conversely, those with GHSR blockade drastically reduced their preference for a novel environment and displayed decreased NILA. Importantly, the mesolimbic ventral tegmental area selective GHSR blockade was sufficient to reduce the NILA response indicating that the mesolimbic GHSRs might play an important role in the observed novelty responses. Moreover, in untreated animals, a striking positive correlation between NILA and sucrose reward behavior was detected. Two GHSR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2948694 and rs495225, were significantly associated with the personality trait novelty seeking, as assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in human subjects. This study provides the first evidence for a role of ghrelin in novelty seeking behavior in animals and humans, and also points to an association between food reward and novelty seeking in rodents. Citation: Hansson C, Shirazi RH, Naslund J, Vogel H, Neuber C, et al. (2012) Ghrelin Influences Novelty Seeking Behavior in Rodents and Men. PLoS ONE 7(12): e50409. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050409
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| 32. |
- Hansson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
An e-participatory map over process methods in urban planning
- 2013
-
In: CeDEM 2013. - : Edition Donau-Universität Krems. - 9783902505309 ; , s. 119-132
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we put the concept of e-participation in a wider perspective. Based on experiences of using participatory process methods in urban planning, we address the importance of communicating underlying epistemological beliefs in various participatory methods. Using eight cases of urban planning, we show how an analysis of the interplay of the concept of agenda, participant, and method can be used when developing strategies for e-participation. The investigation reveals a lack of procedures and methods for actively visualizing different groups’ and individuals’ unequal influence on the participatory processes and decisions. In contrast to the usual governmentally controlled participation models, we propose a map clarifying the epistemological and ontological positions of different participatory methods, bridging various research paradigms and methods while identifying project teams' expectations and common concepts.
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| 33. |
- Hansson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Diversity and Public Decision Making
- 2012
-
In: World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology: An International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology. - : World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology. - 2010-376X .- 2070-3740. ; :0071, s. 1678-1683, s. 1678-1683
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Within the realm of e-government, the development has moved towards testing new means for democratic decision-making, like e-panels, electronic discussion forums, and polls. Although such new developments seem promising, they are not problem-free, and the outcomes are seldom used in the subsequent formal political procedures. Nevertheless, process models offer promising potential when it comes to structuring and supporting transparency of decision processes in order to facilitate the integration of the public into decision-making procedures in a reasonable and manageable way. Based on real-life cases of urban planning processes in Sweden, we present an outline for an integrated framework for public decision making to: a) provide tools for citizens to organize discussion and create opinions; b) enable governments, authorities, and institutions to better analyse these opinions; and c) enable governments to account for this information in planning and societal decision making by employing a process model for structured public decision making.
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| 34. |
- Hansson, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
The importance of recognition for equal representation in participatory processes : Lessons from Husby
- 2013
-
In: Footprint. - 1875-1504 .- 1875-1490. ; :13, s. 81-98
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the ambition to involve people on more equal terms, participation often still means that the audience is involved in clearly demarcated parts of the process and attempts to develop more deliberative democratic processes in urban planning often fail due to unequal representation in the participatory process. While sharing the general idea of the value of participatory processes, we will investigate some problematic features involved and suggest how some of these can be remedied. We employ the concept of recognition to analyse the conditions for public participation in a recent case of urban planning in the Stockholm suburb of Husby. This case is particularly interesting as it clearly demonstrates the impact of globalisation on local participatory processes. The results show the importance of broad recognition for equal representation in participatory processes, and the need for a plurality of public spheres to support long-term participation in the development of the common urban space.
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| 35. |
- Hansson, Klas, et al.
(author)
-
Utvärdering av djupdränering och effekt av tätad stödremsa och innerslänt utmed väg 126, Torpsbruk
- 2012
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Djupdränering är en effektiv metod för att reglera grundvattenytan och kan, i samband med väggbygge, rekommenderas som metod i de fall vägen ligger i jordskärning under befintlig markyta i kombination med hög grundvattenyta. Dräneringen måste dock underhållas för att behålla sin effektivitet.Utmed väg 126 nära Torpsbruk har Trafikverket under många år haft problem med bärighet, tjälskott och liknande. Problemen bedöms bero på en kombination av dåliga material och för höga vattenhalter på den aktuella platsen.Försök som VTI gjort på platsen visar att djupdränering är en mycket effektiv metod att reglera grundvattenytan. Detta kunde bekräftas vid dämningsförsöken då grundvattennivåerna steg och sjönk mycket snabbt i samband med pluggning och öppning av djupdräneringen. Djupdränering är även en mycket effektiv metod att reglera vattenhalten i vägen, i synnerhet då grundvattenytan utan djupdränering ligger högt i vägkonstruktionen. Tätning av stödremsa och innerslänt påverkade vattenhaltens dynamik. För att undersöka infiltrationen av regn och vägvatten tätades även en del av stödremsan och innerslänten längs vägen.Resultaten kan användas för att utvärdera om täta innerslänter kan vara lämpligt ur underhållssynpunkt av vägar. För att kunna utvärdera den långsiktiga effekten av en tätad stödremsa och innerslänt på vattenhalterna i vägen måste mätningar pågå under ett eller ett par år till.
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| 36. |
- Hansson, Martin, et al.
(author)
-
Enhanced stability of laser wakefield acceleration using dielectric capillary tubes
- 2014
-
In: Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams. - 1098-4402. ; 17:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The stability of beams of laser wakefield accelerated electrons in dielectric capillary tubes is experimentally investigated. These beams are found to be more stable in charge and pointing than the corresponding beams of electrons accelerated in a gas jet. Electron beams with an average charge of 43 pC and a standard deviation of 14% are generated. The fluctuations in charge are partly correlated to fluctuations in laser pulse energy. The pointing scatter of the electron beams is measured to be as low as 0.8 mrad (rms). High laser beam pointing stability improved the stability of the electron beams.
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| 37. |
- Hansson, Patrik, et al.
(author)
-
Relationship between natural teeth and memory in a healthy elderly population
- 2013
-
In: European Journal of Oral Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0909-8836 .- 1600-0722. ; 121:4, s. 333-340
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The relationship between mastication and cognitive function remains unclear, but both animal and experimental human studies suggest a possible causal relationship. In the present study it was hypothesized that natural teeth are of importance for hippocampus-based cognitive processes, such as episodic long-term memory. A population-based sample of 273 participants (55-80yr of age; 145 women) was investigated in a cross-sectional study. The participants underwent health assessment, completed a battery of cognitive tests, and took part in an extensive clinical oral examination. The number of natural teeth contributed uniquely and significantly to explaining variance (3-4%) in performance on measures of episodic memory and semantic memory over and above individual differences in age, years of education, gender, occupation, living conditions, and medical history. The number of natural teeth did not have an influence on the performance of measures of working memory, visuospatial ability, or processing speed. Within the limitations of the current study, a small, but significant, relationship between episodic memory and number of natural teeth is evident.
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| 38. |
- Helgadottir, Hildur, et al.
(author)
-
High risk of tobacco-related cancers in CDKN2A mutation-positive melanoma families.
- 2014
-
In: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 51:8, s. 545-552
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Germline mutations in the tumour suppressor gene CDKN2A occur in 5-20% of familial melanoma cases. A single founder mutation, p.Arg112dup, accounts for the majority of CDKN2A mutations in Swedish carriers. In a national program, carriers of p.Arg112dup mutation have been identified. The aim of this study was to assess cancer risks in p.Arg112dup carriers and their first degree relatives (FDRs) and second degree relatives (SDRs).
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| 39. |
- Hermansson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
-
Immunotherapy with tolerogenic apolipoprotein B-100–loaded dendritic cells attenuates atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic mice
- 2011
-
In: Circulation. - Stockholm : Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Medicine, Solna. - 1524-4539.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a massive intimal accumulation of low-density lipoprotein that triggers chronic vascular inflammation with an autoimmune response to low-density lipoprotein components. METHODS AND RESULTS: To dampen the inflammatory component of atherosclerosis, we injected hypercholesterolemic huB100(tg) × Ldlr(-/-) mice (mice transgenic for human apolipoprotein B100 [ApoB100] and deficient for the low-density lipoprotein receptor) intravenously with dendritic cells (DCs) that had been pulsed with the low-density lipoprotein protein ApoB100 in combination with the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin-10. DCs treated with ApoB100 and interleukin-10 reduced proliferation of effector T cells, inhibited production of interferon-γ, and increased de novo generation of regulatory T cells in vitro. Spleen cells from mice treated with DCs plus ApoB100 plus interleukin-10 showed diminished proliferative responses to ApoB100 and significantly dampened T-helper 1 and 2 immunity to ApoB100. Spleen CD4(+) T cells from these mice suppressed activation of ApoB100-reactive T cells in a manner characteristic of regulatory T cells, and mRNA analysis of lymphoid organs showed induction of transcripts characteristic of these cells. Treatment of huB100(tg) × Ldlr(-/-) mice with ApoB100-pulsed tolerogenic DCs led to a significant (70%) reduction of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta, with decreased CD4(+) T-cell infiltration and signs of reduced systemic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerogenic DCs pulsed with ApoB100 reduced the autoimmune response against low-density lipoprotein and may represent a novel possibility for treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis.
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| 40. |
- Holmdahl, Gundela, 1956, et al.
(author)
-
The Swedish Reflux Trial in Children: II. Vesicoureteral Reflux Outcome.
- 2010
-
In: The Journal of urology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1527-3792 .- 0022-5347. ; 184:1, s. 280-285
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: We compared reflux status in children with dilating vesicoureteral reflux treated in 3 groups, including low dose antibiotic prophylaxis, endoscopic therapy and a surveillance group on antibiotic treatment only for febrile urinary tract infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 203 children 1 to younger than 2 years with grade III-IV reflux were recruited into this open, randomized, controlled trial. Endoscopic treatment was done with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer. The main end point was reflux status after 2 years. Data were analyzed by the intent to treat principle. RESULTS: Reflux status improved in all 3 treatment arms. Of patients in the prophylaxis, endoscopic and surveillance groups 39%, 71% and 47%, respectively, had reflux resolution or downgrading to grade I-II after 2 years. This was significantly more common in the endoscopic than in the prophylaxis and surveillance groups (p = 0.0002 and 0.0030, respectively). After 1 or 2 injections 86% of patients in the endoscopic group had no or grade I-II reflux but recurrent dilating reflux was seen in 20% after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic treatment resulted in dilating reflux resolution or downgrading in most treated children. After 2 years endoscopic treatment results were significantly better than the spontaneous resolution rate or downgrading in the prophylaxis and surveillance groups. However, of concern is the common reappearance of dilating reflux after 2 years.
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| 41. |
- Klingenberg, Roland, et al.
(author)
-
Depletion of FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells promotes hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis
- 2013
-
In: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 123:3, s. 1323-1334
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease promoted by hyperlipidemia. Several studies support FOXP3-positive regulatory T cells (Tregs) as inhibitors of atherosclerosis; however, the mechanism underlying this protection remains elusive. To define the role of FOXP3-expressing Tregs in atherosclerosis, we used the DEREG mouse, which expresses the diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor under control of the Treg-specific Foxp3 promoter, allowing for specific ablation of FOXP3(+) Tregs. Lethally irradiated, atherosclerosis-prone, low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr(-/-)) mice received DEREG bone marrow and were injected with DT to eliminate FOXP3(+) Tregs. Depletion of Tregs caused a 2.1-fold increase in atherosclerosis without a concomitant increase in vascular inflammation. These mice also exhibited a 1.7-fold increase in plasma cholesterol and an atherogenic lipoprotein profile with increased levels of VLDL. Clearance of VLDL and chylomicron remnants was hampered, leading to accumulation of cholesterol-rich particles in the circulation. Functional and protein analyses complemented by gene expression array identified reduced protein expression of sortilin-1 in liver and increased plasma enzyme activity of lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and phospholipid transfer protein as mediators of the altered lipid phenotype. These results demonstrate that FOXP3(+) Tregs inhibit atherosclerosis by modulating lipoprotein metabolism.
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| 42. |
- Lekander, Mats, et al.
(author)
-
Cytokines and memory across the mature life span of women
- 2011
-
In: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0036-5564 .- 1467-9450. ; 52:3, s. 229-235
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Increasing evidence suggests a role of the immune system in modulation of cognition, but details on affected memory systems are largely lacking. We therefore aimed to study the relation between selected cytokines and subsets of memory, and the impact of age in these relations. From a random population-based sample (the Betula Prospective Cohort Study), 298 women (age 45-90) were studied in terms of episodic recall and recognition, semantic fluency and knowledge, and prospective memory. Circulating cytokines of relevance for cognition and aging were measured with ELISA. Levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and sIL-2R were significantly and negatively associated with most cognitive variables, while the opposite was true for IL-1 beta. Age shared substantial variance with both cytokines and memory, and turned most correlations non-significant when controlled for together with education, BMI and presence of disease. Interactions between age and cytokines were further analyzed in multiple regressions. For IL-6, significant negative interactions with age were found for semantic fluency (p < 0.05) and prospective memory (p < 0.01), and for sIL-2R in predicting semantic knowledge (p < 0.05), indicating an increased negative impact of these cytokines on memory with increasing age. In conclusion, the study indicates a relation between cytokines and memory that appears to be largely mediated by age, and supports the suggestion that cytokine dysregulation with higher age may interact with cognitive aging.
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| 43. |
- Levin, Malin, 1973, et al.
(author)
-
Rip2 deficiency leads to increased atherosclerosis despite decreased inflammation.
- 2011
-
In: Circulation research. - 1524-4571. ; 109:11, s. 1210-8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The innate immune system and in particular the pattern-recognition receptors Toll-like receptors have recently been linked to atherosclerosis. Consequently, inhibition of various signaling molecules downstream of the Toll-like receptors has been tested as a strategy to prevent progression of atherosclerosis. Receptor-interacting protein 2 (Rip2) is a serine/threonine kinase that is involved in multiple nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activation pathways, including Toll-like receptors, and is therefore an interesting potential target for pharmaceutical intervention.
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| 44. |
- Lindgren, David, et al.
(author)
-
Isolation and characterization of progenitor-like cells from human renal proximal tubules.
- 2011
-
In: American Journal of Pathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-2191 .- 0002-9440. ; 178:2, s. 828-837
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The tubules of the kidney display a remarkable capacity for self-renewal on damage. Whether this regeneration is mediated by dedifferentiating surviving cells or, as recently suggested, by stem cells has not been unequivocally settled. Herein, we demonstrate that aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity may be used for isolation of cells with progenitor characteristics from adult human renal cortical tissue. Gene expression profiling of the isolated ALDH(high) and ALDH(low) cell fractions followed by immunohistochemical interrogation of renal tissues enabled us to delineate a tentative progenitor cell population scattered through the proximal tubules (PTs). These cells expressed CD24 and CD133, previously described markers for renal progenitors of Bowman's capsule. Furthermore, we show that the PT cells, and the glomerular progenitors, are positive for KRT7, KRT19, BCL2, and vimentin. In addition, tubular epithelium regenerating on acute tubular necrosis displayed long stretches of CD133(+)/VIM(+) cells, further substantiating that these cells may represent a progenitor cell population. Furthermore, a potential association of these progenitor cells with papillary renal cell carcinoma was discovered. Taken together, our data demonstrate the presence of a previously unappreciated subset of the PT cells that may be endowed with a more robust phenotype, allowing increased resistance to acute renal injury, enabling rapid repopulation of the tubules.
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| 45. |
- Ljungberg, Jessica K., et al.
(author)
-
A Longitudinal Study of Memory Advantages in Bilinguals
- 2013
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:9, s. e73029-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Typically, studies of cognitive advantages in bilinguals have been conducted previously by using executive and inhibitory tasks (e.g. Simon task) and applying cross-sectional designs. This study longitudinally investigated bilingual advantages on episodic memory recall, verbal letter and categorical fluency during the trajectory of life. Monolingual and bilingual participants (n= 178) between 35-70 years at baseline were drawn from the Betula Prospective Cohort Study of aging, memory, and health. Results showed that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals at the first testing session and across time both in episodic memory recall and in letter fluency. No interaction with age was found indicating that the rate of change across ages was similar for bilinguals and monolinguals. As predicted and in line with studies applying cross-sectional designs, no advantages associated with bilingualism were found in the categorical fluency task. The results are discussed in the light of successful aging.
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| 46. |
- Londo, Marc, et al.
(author)
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The REFUEL EU road map for biofuels in transport: Application of the project’s tools to some short-term policy issues
- 2010
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In: Biomass and Bioenergy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-2909 .- 0961-9534. ; 34:2, s. 244-250
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current hot debate on biofuels calls for a balanced and realistic long-term strategy forbiofuels. The REFUEL project provides several ingredients for such a strategy. Analyses inthis project indicate that domestically produced biofuels can cover a significant share of EUfuel demand in the coming decades, with the EU-12 new member states and Ukraine asmost promising regions. This potential can be realised with residual streams and onexisting agricultural land, without conversion of e.g. nature reserves. Second generationbiofuels are essential for the long-term success of biofuels due to their superior performancein many ways. But generally, the key challenge for the near future would be how toenhance the development of biofuels in a responsible way, i.e. stimulating the productionchains with the best performance, and preventing negative impacts e.g., by paying carefulattention to possible system impacts of biofuel production such as indirect land usechanges and rising food prices. Finally, 2nd generation biofuels require specific policy: theprecursor role of 1st generation is overrated, both in technical terms as well as in their roleas market precursors. When it comes to synergies, 2nd generation biofuels might benefitmore from other developments in the energy sector, such as initiatives in co-firing ofbiomass for (heat and) power, than from 1st generation biofuels, also because of the publicresistance that the latter induce.
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| 48. |
- Massoud, Al-Shimaà A A, 1980, et al.
(author)
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Effects of Different Substituents on the Crystal Structures and Antimicrobial Activities of Six Ag(I) Quinoline Compounds
- 2013
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In: Inorganic Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0020-1669 .- 1520-510X. ; 52:7, s. 4046-4060
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The syntheses and single crystal X-ray structures of [Ag(5-nitroquinoline)(2)]NO3 (1), [Ag(8-nitroquinoline)(2)]NO3 center dot H2O (2), [Ag(6-methoxy-8-nitroquinoline)(NO3)](n) (3), [Ag(3-quinolinecarbonitrile)(NO3)](n) (4), [Ag(3-quinolinecarbonitrile)(2)]NO3 (5), and [Ag(6-quinolinecarboxylic acid)(2)]NO3 (6) are described. As an alternative to solution chemistry, solid-state grinding could be used to prepare compounds 1 and 3, but the preparation of 4 and 5 in this way failed. The Ag(I) ions in the monomeric compounds 1, 2, 5, and 6 are coordinated to two ligands via the nitrogen atoms of the quinoline rings, thereby forming a distorted linear coordination geometry with Ag-N bond distances of 2.142(2)-2.336(2) angstrom and N-Ag-N bond angles of 163.62(13)degrees-172.25(13)degrees. The 1D coordination polymers 3 and 4 contain Ag(I) centers coordinating one ligand and two bridging nitrate groups, thereby forming a distorted trigonal planar coordination geometry with Ag-N bond distances of 2.2700(14) and 2.224(5) angstrom, Ag-O bond distances of 2.261(4)-2.536(5) angstrom, and N-Ag-O bond angles of 115.23(5)degrees-155.56(5)degrees. Hirshfeld surface analyses of compounds 1-6 are presented as d(norm) and curvedness maps. The d(norm) maps show different interaction sites around the Ag(I) ions, i.e., Ag center dot center dot center dot Ag interactions and possible O-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot N, and C-H center dot center dot center dot C hydrogen bonds. Curvedness maps are a good way of visualizing pi-pi tacking interactions between molecules. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 1, 2, and 6 were screened against 15 different multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria isolated from diabetic foot ulcers and compared to the antimicrobial activities of the clinically used silver sulfadiazine (SS). Compound 2 showed activity similar to SS against this set of test organisms, being active against all strains and having slightly better average silver efficiency than SS (5 vs 6 mu g Ag/mL). Against the standard nonresistant bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Streptococcus pyogenes, compound 1 performed better than silver nitrate, with an average MIC of 6 mu g Ag/mL versus 18 mu g Ag/mL for the reference AgNO3. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses of compounds 3 and 6 in DMSO/MeOH confirm the two-coordinated Ag+ complexes in solution, and the results of the H-1 NMR titrations of DMSO solutions of 5-nitroquinoline and 8-nitroquinoline with AgNO3 in DMSO suggest that 5-nitroquinoline is more strongly coordinated to the silver ion.
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| 49. |
- Nagy, Edit, et al.
(author)
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Valvular osteoclasts in calcification and aortic valve stenosis severity
- 2013
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In: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 168:3, s. 2264-2271
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Bone remodeling in calcified aortic valves is thought to originate from microfractures at multiple sites of the valve, at which osteoclasts and osteoblasts are recruited. The aim of the present study was to assess circulating mediators of bone homeostasis, correlate them to the severity of stenosis and explore the spatio-temporal distribution of bone turnover in different parts of calcified aortic valve tissue.METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma and explanted aortic valves were obtained from 46 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement surgery. Plasma levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), receptor activator of nuclear-κB (RANK) ligand and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2/Cbfa1) exhibited a significant correlation to the severity of aortic stenosis. mRNA levels in normal, thickened and calcified parts of aortic valves assessed by quantitative real-time PCR were significantly elevated in calcified parts of valves for TRAP (5.08 ± 1.6-fold, P<0.001) RANK ligand (8.6 ± 4.2-fold, P<0.001) and RANK (1.98 ± 0.78-fold, P=0.015). In an age, gender and aortic valve anatomy-adjusted multivariable regression analysis the local transcript levels of TRAP correlated significantly with echocardiographic parameters quantifying stenosis severity in early stages, whereas the expression level of Runx2/Cbfa1 was a predictor of the stenosis severity in advanced stages.CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a critical role of bone turnover as a determinant of aortic stenosis severity.
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| 50. |
- Paramel, Geena, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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CARD8 gene encoding a protein of innate immunity is expressed in human atherosclerosis and associated with markers of inflammation
- 2013
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In: Clinical Science. - London, United Kingdom : Portland Press. - 0143-5221 .- 1470-8736. ; 125:8, s. 401-407
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inflammation is a key factor in the development of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. It is promoted through the inflammasome, a molecular machine that produces IL (interleukin)-1 beta in response to cholesterol crystal accumulation in macrophages. The CARD8 (caspase recruitment domain 8) protein modulates this process by suppressing caspase 1 and the transcription factor NF-kappa B (nuclear factor kappa B). The expression of CARD8 mRNA was examined in atherosclerotic vascular tissue and the impact on MI (myocardial infarction) of a polymorphism in the CARD8 gene determined. CARD8 mRNA was analysed by microarray of human atherosclerotic tissue and compared with transplant donor arterial tissue. Microarray analysis was performed for proximal genes associated with the rs2043211 locus in plaque. The CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism was analysed by genotyping of two Swedish MI cohorts, FIA (First Myocardial Infarction in Northern Sweden) and SCARF (Stockholm Coronary Atherosclerosis Risk Factor). The CRP (C-reactive protein) level was measured in both cohorts, but the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 beta, IL-18, TNF (tumour necrosis factor) and MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein) were measured in sera available from the SCARF cohort. CARD8 mRNA was highly expressed in atherosclerotic plaques compared with the expression in transplant donor vessel (P < 0.00001). The minor allele was associated with lower expression of CARD8 in the plaques, suggesting that CARD8 may promote inflammation. Carriers of the minor allele of the rs2043211 polymorphism also displayed lower circulating CRP and lower levels of the pro-atherosclerotic chemokine MCP-1. However, no significant association could be detected between this polymorphism and MI in the two cohorts. Genetic alterations in the CARD8 gene therefore seem to be of limited importance for the development of MI.
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