| 1. |
- Pirinen, E., et al.
(författare)
-
Enhanced polyamine catabolism alters homeostatic control of white adipose tissue mass, energy expenditure, and glucose metabolism
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Mol Cell Biol. - 0270-7306. ; 27:13, s. 4953-67
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) is an attractive candidate gene for type 2 diabetes, as genes of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway are coordinatively downregulated by reduced expression of PGC-1 alpha in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes. Here we demonstrate that transgenic mice with activated polyamine catabolism due to overexpression of spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT) had reduced white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, high basal metabolic rate, improved glucose tolerance, high insulin sensitivity, and enhanced expression of the OXPHOS genes, coordinated by increased levels of PGC-1 alpha and 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in WAT. As accelerated polyamine flux caused by SSAT overexpression depleted the ATP pool in adipocytes of SSAT mice and N(1),N(11)-diethylnorspermine-treated wild-type fetal fibroblasts, we propose that low ATP levels lead to the induction of AMPK, which in turn activates PGC-1 alpha in WAT of SSAT mice. Our hypothesis is supported by the finding that the phenotype of SSAT mice was reversed when the accelerated polyamine flux was reduced by the inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis in WAT. The involvement of polyamine catabolism in the regulation of energy and glucose metabolism may offer a novel target for drug development for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
|
|
| 2. |
- Dudarev, S. L., et al.
(författare)
-
The EU programme for modelling radiation effects in fusion reactor materials : An overview of recent advances and future goals
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Journal of Nuclear Materials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-3115 .- 1873-4820. ; 386, s. 1-7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The EU fusion materials modelling programme was initiated in 2002 with the objective of developing a comprehensive set of computer modelling techniques and approaches, aimed at rationalising the extensive available experimental information on properties of irradiated fusion materials, developing capabilities for predicting the behaviour of materials under conditions not yet accessible to experimental tests, assessing results of tests involving high dose rates, and extrapolating these results to the fusion-relevant conditions. The programme presently gives emphasis to modelling a single class of materials, which are ferritic-martensitic EUROFER-type steels, and focuses on the investigation of key physical phenomena and interpretation of experimental observations. The objective of the programme is the development of computational capabilities for predicting changes in mechanical properties, hardening and embrittlement, as well as changes in the microstructure and phase stability of EUROFER and FeCr model alloys occurring under fusion reactor relevant irradiation conditions.
|
|
| 3. |
- Thunem, Atoosa P-J, et al.
(författare)
-
Management of requirements in NPP modernisation projects : Project report 2005
- 2006
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall objective of the project MORE is to improve the means for managingthe large amounts of evolving requirements in Nordic NPP modernisationprojects. In accordance to this objective, the activity will facilitate the industrialutilisation of the research results from the project TACO. On the basis ofexperiences in the Nordic countries, the overall aim of the TACO project hasbeen to identify the best practices and most important criteria for ensuringeffective communication in relation to requirements elicitation and analysis,understandability of requirements to all parties, and traceability of requirements.The project resulted in the development of a traceability model for handlingrequirements from their origins and through their final shapes. Particularemphasis for the MORE project in 2005 was put on utilising a prototype of a tool(TRACE) intended to support an adopted approach to dependable requirementsengineering, suitable for modelling and handling large amounts of requirementsrelated to all stages of the systems development process and not only thosetraditionally including requirements at high-level stages.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Clausen, J, et al.
(författare)
-
Nonclassical dynamics induced by a quantum meter
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. - 1050-2947 .- 1094-1622. ; 72:6, s. 062104-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conventionally, the effect of measurements on a quantum system is assumed to introduce decoherence, which renders the system classical- like. We consider here a microscopic meter, that is, an auxiliary essentially quantum system whose state is measured repeatedly, and show that it can be employed to induce transitions from classical states into inherently quantumlike states. The meter state is assumed to be lost in the environment and we derive a non- Markovian master equation for the dynamic system in the case of nondemolition coupling to the meter; this equation can be cast in the form of an (N-a)th- order differential equation in time, where N-a is the dimension of the meter basis. We apply the approach to a harmonic oscillator coupled to a spin-1/2 2 meter and demonstrate how it can be used to engineer effective Hamiltonian evolution, subject to decoherence induced by the projective meter measurements.
|
|
| 7. |
- Fanta, Samuel, et al.
(författare)
-
Pharmacogenetics of cyclosporine in children suggests an age-dependent influence of ABCB1 polymorphisms
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Pharmacogenetics and genomics. - 1744-6872. ; 18:2, s. 77-90
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether variations in the ABCB1, ABCC2, SLCO1B1, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, or NR1I2 genes are associated with the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine in pediatric renal transplant candidates, and whether the effects of these variants are related to age. METHODS: A total of 104 pediatric patients (aged 0.36-16.3 years) were genotyped for 17 putatively functionally significant sequence variations in the ABCB1, SLCO1B1, ABCC2, CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and NR1I2 genes. The patients had undergone a pharmacokinetic study with intravenous and oral ciclosporine (INN, cyclosporin) before renal transplantation. RESULTS: In the whole population, the mean+/-SD cyclosporine oral bioavailability was 0.38+/-0.09, volume of distribution was 2.3+/-0.54 l/kg, and systemic clearance normalized by allometric body weight was 0.88+/-0.16 l/h/kg3/4. The prehepatic extraction ratio was 0.51+/-0.13, and the hepatic extraction ratio was 0.24+/-0.04, the former explaining 95% of the variability in oral bioavailability (P<0.0001). In children older than 8 years, the pre-hepatic extraction was 0.64+/-0.09 in those with the ABCB1 c.2677GG genotype, 0.52+/-0.11 in those with the c.2677GT genotype, and 0.41+/-0.03 in those with the c.2677TT genotype (P=0.021, r2=0.334), leading to corresponding differences in oral bioavailability (0.28+/-0.07, 0.36+/-0.07, and 0.44+/-0.04, respectively; P=0.012, r2=0.372). Similar associations were observed with the ABCB1 c.1236C>T variant and the related haplotype c.1199G-c.1236C-c.2677G-c.3435C (P<0.05). The estimated oral dose requirement and clearance of cyclosporine remained largely unexplained by the genetic variations. CONCLUSIONS: Although these data suggest an age-related effect of ABCB1 polymorphism on oral bioavailability, further studies are required on the predictive value of genotyping for individualization of cyclosporine dosing in children.
|
|
| 8. |
- Hajslová, J., et al.
(författare)
-
Quality of organically and conventionally grown potatoes: Four-year study of micronutrients, metals, secondary metabolites, enzymic browning and organoleptic properties
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Food Additives & Contaminants. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0265-203X. ; 22:6, s. 514-534
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The quality of potatoes from organic and conventional farming was investigated in this study. Tubers of eight potato varieties, organically and conventionally produced at one or two geographical sites in controlled field trials, were collected in four consecutive harvests from 1996–1999. The parameters analysed included nitrate, trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn), vitamin C, potato glycoalkaloids, as well as chlorogenic acid, polyphenol oxidase and rate of tuber enzymic browning. The results indicated lower nitrate content and higher vitamin C and chlorogenic acid content to be the parameters most consistently differentiating organically from conventionally produced potatoes. Elevated concentrations of glycoalkaloids were also observed throughout the experiments in some potato varieties grown in organic farming systems. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the analytical and other data using three PCs confirmed a good separation between the organically and conventionally produced potatoes when studied in single crop years. However, score-plots (objects) and loading-plots (variables) of pooled results from the consecutive harvests showed that between the years’ changes and also variety as well as geographical variations are equally or more important factors determining the quality of potatoes than the farming system. Further studies of various marker compounds of potato quality related to the organic or conventional farming systems should be performed before unbiased information can be given to the consumers.
|
|
| 9. |
- Krigsman, Kristin, et al.
(författare)
-
Refill adherence by the elderly for asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drugs dispensed over a 10-year period
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0269-4727 .- 1365-2710. ; 32:6, s. 603-611
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The objective was to survey prescription refill adherence for preventive asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medication dispensed to patients 60 years and older over a 10-year period. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted based on a Swedish pharmacy record database in the county of Jämtland for the years 1994-2003. Satisfactory refill adherence was set as dispensed refills covering 80-120% of the prescribed treatment time for inhaled corticosteroids, combination products of adrenergics and steroids and anticholinergics. Results and discussion: Only 28% (n=160) of the repeat prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids had been dispensed with a satisfactory refill adherence, 59% showed an undersupply and 12% showed an oversupply. There was no difference in refill adherence in relation to age and gender. However, during the 10-year study period repeat prescriptions being dispensed for 2-4 years showed higher satisfactory refill adherence than those being dispensed for <2 years. Conclusions: Our study shows that over half of the repeat prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids dispensed to patients over 60 years showed an undersupply. Therefore, it is likely that elderly patients on long-term therapy have a non-optimal drug use of their preventive asthma/COPD medication
|
|
| 10. |
- Mannerkoski, Minna K., et al.
(författare)
-
Subjects with intellectual disability and familial need for full-time special education show regional brain alterations : a voxel-based morphometry study
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Pediatric Research. - 0031-3998 .- 1530-0447. ; 66:3, s. 306-311
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subjects attending full-time special education (SE) often have multifactorial background for their cognitive impairment, and brain MRI may show nonspecific changes. As voxel-based morphometry reveals regional volume differences, we applied this method to 119 subjects with cognitive impairments and familial need for full-time SE--graded into three levels from specific disorders of cognitive processes (level 1) to intellectual disability (IQ <70; level 3)--and to 43 age-matched controls attending mainstream education (level 0). Subjects in SE groups had smaller global brain white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid, and total brain volume than controls. Compared with controls, subjects with intellectual disabilities in SE level 3 showed greater regional gray matter volumes bilaterally in the ventral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and smaller regional gray matter volumes in the left thalamus and cerebellar hemisphere. Further, they had greater WM volume in the left frontoparietal region and smaller WM volumes in the posterior limbs of the internal capsules. Subjects in SE level 1 and 2 groups showed the same tendency, but the results were nonsignificant. In conclusion, compared with controls, subjects with intellectual disabilities showed in voxel-based morphometry analysis several regional brain alterations.
|
|
| 11. |
- Moen, Janne, et al.
(författare)
-
Factors associated with multiple medication use in different age groups
- 2009
-
Ingår i: The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. - 1060-0280 .- 1542-6270. ; 43:12, s. 1978-1985
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Multiple medicine use among elderly persons is likely to be the result of treatment regimens developed over a long period of time. By learning more about how multiple medication use develops, the quality of prescribing may be improved across the adult lifespan. OBJECTIVE: To describe patterns of multiple medicine use in the general Swedish population and its association with sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health status factors. METHODS: Data from a cross-sectional population health survey collected during 2001-2005 from 2816 randomly selected Swedish residents (age 30-75 y; response rate 76%) were analyzed. Multiple medicine use was restricted to prescription drugs and defined as the 75th percentile; that is, the 25% of the study group using the highest number of drugs per individual. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the respondents used some kind of drug, 51.5% used one or more prescription drug, 38.4% used one or more over-the-counter (OTC) medication, and 8.3% used one or more herbal preparation. The cutoff amounts defining multiple medicine use were: 2 or more medications for 30- to 49-year-olds, 3 or more for 50- to 64-year-olds, and 5 or more for 65- to 75-year-olds. No association between use of multiple medicines and use of OTC drugs or herbal preparations was found. When drugs were classified into therapeutic subgroups, 76.3% of those aged 30-49 years, 97.9% of those aged 50-64 years, and 100% of those aged 65-75 years were taking a unique combination of drugs. Multivariate analyses showed that diabetes and poor self-rated health were associated with multiple medicine use in all age cohorts. Female sex and hypertension were associated with multiple medicine use among those aged 30-49 and 50-64 years, current smoking among those aged 50-64 years, and obesity among those aged 65-75 years. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple medicine use was associated with morbidity and poor self-rated health across all age groups. The vast majority of users of multiple drugs are taking a unique combination of medications.
|
|
| 12. |
- Moen, Janne, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
-
"I don't know how many of these [medicines] are necessary.." - a focus group study among elderly users of multiple medicines
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Patient Education and Counseling. - : Elsevier BV. - 0738-3991 .- 1873-5134. ; 74:2, s. 135-141
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The growing prevalence of multiple medicine use among elderly challenges health care. The aim was to conduct an exploratory study describing multiple medicine use from the elderly patient's perspective. METHODS: Twelve focus groups of 29 men and 30 women 65 years of age or older, using five or more medicines were analysed qualitatively. RESULTS: Initially the participants reported no problems with using multiple medicines; they felt fortunate that medicines existed and kept them alive. However, negative attitudes were also revealed, both similar to those presented in studies on lay experience of medicine-taking and some that appear more specific to users of multiple medicines. The foremost of these was that acceptance of medicines depends on not experiencing adverse effects and worrying whether multiple medicine use is 'good' for the body. Furthermore, participants' perception of their medicines depended on interaction with doctors, i.e. trusting 'good' doctors. CONCLUSION: The participants revealed co-existing accounts of both immediate gratitude and problems with using multiple medicines. Furthermore, the patient-doctor relationship coloured their attitudes towards their medicines. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Importance of the patient-doctor relationship for treatment success is highlighted. Moreover, to be able to capture both accounts of the elderly in this study an appropriate consultation length is needed.
|
|
| 13. |
- Moen, Janne, 1980-
(författare)
-
Multiple Medicine Use : Patients’ and general practitioners’ perceptions and patterns of use in relation to age and other patient characteristics
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- There are widespread concerns about the increasing use of multiple medicines. The aims of this thesis were to identify older patients' and general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes to and experiences of multiple medicine use, as well as to describe patterns of multiple medicine use in different age groups in association with patient-related factors. An additional aim was to contribute to scientific methodological development by providing an empirical example of the application of the Lehoux, Poland, & Daudelin template for the analysis of interaction in focus groups. Data were collected via qualitative focus group discussions and from a cross-sectional community-based population survey conducted during 2001-2005. The patients revealed co-existing accounts of both immediate gratitude that medicines exist and problems with using multiple medicines such as worrying whether multiple medicine use is 'good' for the body. The patient-doctor relationship coloured their attitudes towards their treatment and care. The GPs at times felt insecure, though surrounded by treatment guidelines. Lack of communication with hospital specialists was perceived to reduce treatment quality, while influence of patient pressure was thought to contribute to the development of multiple medicine use. An interaction analysis helped in appreciating and clarifying the contexts in which results from the content analysis were created. Further discussion is needed on how to best report these results. Different cut-offs are useful in defining multiple medicine use in different age groups. Vast majorities of users of multiple medicines were found to have unique medicine combinations. Multiple medicine use was found to be associated with morbidity and poor self-rated health across all age groups.
|
|
| 14. |
- Nilsson, J Lars G., et al.
(författare)
-
Asthma/COPD drugs reflecting disease prevalence, patient adherence and persistence
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1747-6348 .- 1747-6356. ; 3:1, s. 93-101
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this review is to discuss the methodological issues involved in using pharmacy-record databases of drug sales in pharmacoepidemiology and to illustrate the usefulness of such data in estimating disease prevalence, patient adherence and persistence to therapy. Recent studies show that asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence increases with age. The volume of acquired asthma/COPD drugs per patient also increases with age and was approximately 2.5-times higher for patients aged 60-69 years compared with patients aged 20-29 years. Despite this, there is a comparatively low interest in asthma/COPD research involving elderly individuals. Published asthma/COPD-prevalence data and drug-treatment-prevalence data correspond reasonably well. Short- as well as long-term studies on drug acquisition indicate that approximately a third of patients have drugs available to cover at least 80% of the prescribed treatment time. Only approximately a tenth of the patients acquired steroids or steroid combinations, corresponding to one daily defined dose per day over a 5-year treatment period. It is probable that asthma/COPD is undertreated in all age groups.
|
|
| 15. |
- Salo, Janne, et al.
(författare)
-
Non-Markovian decay and decoherence in open quantum systems
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Decoherence, Entanglement and Information Protection in Complex Quantum Systems. - DORDRECHT : SPRINGER. - 1402032811 ; , s. 235-238
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interaction between a quantum system and its surroundings - be it another similar quantum system, a thermal reservoir, or a measurement device - breaks down the standard unitary evolution of the system alone and introduces open quantum system behaviour. Coupling to a fast-relaxing thermal reservoir is known to lead to an exponential decay of the quantum state, a process described by a Lindblad-type master equation. In modem quantum physics, however, near isolation of individual quantum objects, such as qubits, atoms, or ions, sometimes allow them only to interact with a slowly-relaxing near-environment, and the consequent decay of the atomic quantum state may become nonexponential and possibly even nonmonotonic. Here we consider different descriptions of non-Markovian evolutions and also hazards associated with them, as well as some physical situations in which the environment of a quantum system induces non-Markovian phenomena.
|
|
| 16. |
- Sivertsen, Terje, et al.
(författare)
-
The TACO approach for traceability and communication of requirements
- 2005
-
Ingår i: COMPUTER SAFETY, RELIABILITY, AND SECURITY, PROCEEDINGS. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag GmbH. ; , s. 317-329
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper outlines the main achievements of the TACO project. The overall objective of the TACO project was to improve the knowledge about principles and best practices related to the issues concretised in the TACO preproject. On the basis of experiences in the Nordic countries, the project aimed at identifying the best practices and most important criteria for ensuring effective communication in relation to requirements elicitation and analysis, understandability of requirements to all parties, and traceability of requirements through the different design phases. It is expected that the project will provide important input to the development of guidelines and establishment of recommended practices related to these activities.
|
|
| 17. |
|
|
