| 1. |
- Mason, P, et al.
(författare)
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Octupole signatures in Ba-124,Ba-125
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics G. - : IOP Publishing. - 0954-3899 .- 1361-6471. ; 31:10, s. S1729-S1733
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The gamma decay of the nuclei Ba-121,Ba-125 has been investigated with the EUROBALL array, using the reaction Ni-64+Ni-64 at E-beam = 255 and 261 MeV. Six new E1 transitions have been found in the nucleus Ba-125, suggesting a significant role of octupole correlations in the origin of its parity doublets. The J(pi) = 3(-) level of the nucleus Ba-124 has been identified for the first time. Its excitation energy is in very good agreement with a prediction based on a microscopic model including octupole interactions.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Rana, A., et al.
(författare)
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An edge services framework (esf) for egee, lcg, AND osg
- 2006
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on first experiences with building and operating an Edge Services Framework (ESF) based on Xen virtual machines instantiated via the Workspace Service available in Globus Toolkit, and developed as a joint project between EGEE, LCG, and OSG. Many computing facilities are architected with their compute and storage clusters behind firewalls. Edge Services are instantiated on a small set of gateways to provide access to these clusters via standard grid interfaces. Experience on EGEE, LCG, and OSG has shown that at least two issues are of critical importance when designing an infrastructure in support of Edge Services. The first concerns Edge Service configuration. It is impractical to assume that each virtual organization (VO) using a facility will employ the same Edge Service configuration, or that different configurations will coexist easily. Even within a VO, it should be possible to run different versions of the same Edge Service simultaneously. The second issue concerns resource usage: since Edge Services may become a bottleneck to a site, it is essential that an ESF be able to effectively arbitrate resource usage (e.g., memory, CPU, and networking) among different VOs. By providing virtualization on the level of instruction set architecture, virtual machines allow configuration of independent software stacks for each VM executing on a resource. Modern implementations of this abstraction are extremely efficient and have outstanding fine-grained enforcement capabilities. To securely deploy virtual machines, we use the Workspace Service from the Globus Toolkit, which allows a VO administrator to dynamically launch appropriately-configured system images. In addition, we are developing a library of such images, reflecting the needs of presently participating communities ATLAS, CMS, and CDF. We will report on first experiences building and operating this Edge Services Framework.
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| 4. |
- Rao, Fangwen, et al.
(författare)
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Catecholamine release-inhibitory peptide catestatin (chromogranin A352-372) : Naturally occurring amino acid variant Gly364Ser causes profound changes in human autonomic activity and alters risk for hypertension
- 2007
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 115:17, s. 2271-2281
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND - Chromogranin A, coreleased with catecholamines by exocytosis, is cleaved to the catecholamine release-inhibitory fragment catestatin. We identified a natural nonsynonymous variant of catestatin, Gly364Ser, that alters human autonomic function and blood pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS - Gly364Ser heterozygotes and controls underwent physiological and biochemical phenotyping, including catecholamine production, chromogranin A precursor, and its catestatin product. Case-control studies replicated effects of the gene on blood pressure in the population. Gly364Ser displayed diminished inhibition of catecholamine secretion from cultured neurons. Gly/Ser heterozygotes displayed increased baroreceptor slope during upward deflections (by ≈47%) and downward deflections (by ≈44%), increased cardiac parasympathetic index (by ≈2.4-fold), and decreased cardiac sympathetic index (by ≈26%). Renal norepinephrine excretion was diminished by ≈26% and epinephrine excretion by ≈34% in Gly/Ser heterozygotes. The coalescent dated emergence of the variant to ≈70 000 years ago. Gly364Ser was in linkage disequilibrium with 1 major Chromogranin A promoter haplotype, although promoter haplotypes did not predict autonomic phenotypes. The 364Ser variant was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in 2 independent/confirmatory groups of patients with hypertension; genotype groups differed by ≈5 to 6 mm Hg, and the polymorphism accounted for ≈1.8% of population diastolic blood pressure variance, although a significant gene-by-sex interaction existed, with an enhanced effect in men. CONCLUSIONS - The catestatin Gly364Ser variant causes profound changes in human autonomic activity, both parasympathetic and sympathetic, and seems to reduce risk of developing hypertension, especially in men. A model for catestatin action in the baroreceptor center of the nucleus of the tractus solitarius accounts for these actions.
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| 5. |
- Rana, A.K.M. Masud, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of health education in managing self-reported arthritis-related illness among elderly persons in rural Bangladesh
- 2008
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Ingår i: Health Education Research. - Oxford : Oxford University Press. - 0268-1153 .- 1465-3648. ; 23:1, s. 94-105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines the impact of health education on prevalenceof and expenditure on treatment of self-reported arthritis-relatedillness among elderly persons in rural Bangladesh. An interventionstudy was conducted, including 1135 elderly persons (60 years)from eight randomly selected villages, four each of an interventionand a control area. The analyses include 839 elderly personswho participated in both pre- and post-intervention surveys(intervention area: n = 425, control area: n = 414). Participantsof the intervention area were further categorized as compliant(n = 315) and non-compliant (n = 110) based on adherence tothe intervention instructions. The intervention that lastedfor 15 months comprised home-based physical exercise, dietaryinstructions and other aspects of management. Results show thatalthough there was no significant difference in self-reportedarthritis-related illness between the compliant and non-compliantgroups at baseline, it was significantly lower in the compliantgroup (71%) at post-intervention compared with the non-compliant(81%). Related monthly expenditure on treatment was significantlyreduced in the compliant group (from Taka 104 to Taka 52) butnot in the other two groups. Logistic regressions further showedthat the control group had a higher probability of increasedtreatment-related expenditure compared with the compliant group(OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4–2.8).
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| 6. |
- Salem, Rany M., et al.
(författare)
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Chromogranin a polymorphisms are associated with hypertensive renal disease
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. - 1046-6673 .- 1533-3450. ; 19:3, s. 600-614
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chromogranin A is released together with epinephrine and norepinephrine from catecholaminergic cells. Specific endopeptidases cleave chromogranin A into biologically active peptide fragments, including catestatin, which inhibits catecholamine release. Previous studies have suggested that a deficit in this sympathetic “braking” system might be an early event in the pathogenesis of human hypertension. Whether chromogranin A (CHGA) polymorphisms predict end-organ complications of hypertension, such as end-stage renal disease, is unknown. Among blacks, we studied common genetic variants spanning the CHGA locus in 2 independent case-control studies of hypertensive ESRD. Two haplotypes were significantly more frequent among subjects with hypertensive ESRD: 1) in the promoter (5′) region, G-462A→T-415C→C-89A, haplotype ATC (adjusted odds ratio = 2.65; P = 0.037), and 2) at the 3′-end, C11825T (3′-UTR, C+87T)→G12602C, haplotype TC (adjusted odds ratio = 2.73, P = 0.0196). Circulating levels of catestatin were lower among those with hypertensive ESRD than controls, an unexpected finding given that peptide levels are usually elevated in ESRD because of reduced renal elimination. We found that the 3′-UTR + 87T variant decreased reporter gene expression, providing a possible mechanistic explanation for diminished catestatin. In summary, common variants in chromogranin A associate with the risk of hypertensive ESRD in blacks.
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| 7. |
- Andgren, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Low-spin collective behavior in the transitional nuclei Mo-86,Mo-88
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physical Review C. Nuclear Physics. - 0556-2813 .- 1089-490X. ; 76:1, s. 014307-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Low-spin structures in Mo-86,Mo-88 were populated using the Ni-58(Ar-36, x alpha yp) heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 111 MeV. Charged particles and gamma rays were emitted in the reactions and detected by the DIAMANT CsI ball and the EXOGAM Ge array, respectively. In addition to the previously reported low-to-medium spin states in these nuclei, new low-spin structures were observed. Angular correlation and linear polarization measurements were performed in order to unambiguously determine the spins and parities of intensely populated states in Mo-88. Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation (QRPA) calculations were performed for the first and second excited 2(+) states in Mo-86 and Mo-88. The results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results, supporting a collective interpretation of the low-spin states for these transitional nuclei.
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| 8. |
- Rana, A.K.M. Masud, et al.
(författare)
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Association of bone and joint diseases with health-related quality of life among older people : a population-based cross-sectional study in rural Bangladesh
- 2009
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Ingår i: Ageing & Society. - : Cambridge University Press. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 29:5, s. 727-743
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examined the cross-sectional association of bone and joint diseases with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 850 randomly sampled people aged 60 or more years in a rural area of Bangladesh. Information about arthritis, back and joint pain was collected through self-reports and two physicians' assessments at a health centre. Health-related quality of life was measured using a multi-dimensional generic instrument designed for older people that has questions on the construct's physical, psychological, social, economic, spiritual and environmental dimensions. Bivariate analyses showed that the most negative effects of bone and joint diseases were on the physical and psychological dimensions. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that joint pain, whether doctor-diagnosed or self-reported, and self-reported back pain were all associated with lower HRQoL scores and accounted for almost 20 per cent of the variation (adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, household size, income, expenditure and occupation). The analyses further revealed that women with self-reported back pain had significantly lower psychological, environmental and overall HRQoL scores than equivalent men, while self-reported joint pain was associated with significantly lower scores only for the environmental dimension. The strong association of bone and joint diseases with HRQoL underscores the importance of regarding these illnesses as public health problems.
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| 9. |
- Rana, A.K.M. Masud, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of health education on health-related quality of life among elderly persons : results from a community-based intervention study in rural Bangladesh
- 2009
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Ingår i: Health Promotion International. - : Oxford University Press. - 0957-4824 .- 1460-2245. ; 24:1, s. 36-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines the change in health-related quality oflife (HRQoL) among (60 years) elderly persons as a result ofhealth education intervention. A community-based interventionstudy was performed in eight randomly selected villages (Intervention:n = 4; Control: n = 4) in rural Bangladesh. A total of 1135elderly persons was selected for this study. The analyses include839 participants (Intervention: n = 425; Control: n = 414) whoparticipated in both baseline and post-intervention surveys.Participants in the intervention area were further stratifiedinto compliant (n = 315) and non-compliant (n = 110) groupsbased on the reported compliance to the intervention activities.The intervention includes, for example, physical activity, adviceon healthy food intake and other aspects of management. To createan enabling environment, social awareness was provided by meansof information about the contribution of and challenges facedby elderly persons at home and the community, including informationabout elderly persons' health and health care. The interventionactivities were provided to the elderly persons, caregivers,household members and community people for 15 months. The HRQoLwas assessed using a multi-dimensional generic instrument designedfor elderly persons. Multivariate analyses revealed that inthe non-compliant group the probabilities of increased scoreswere less likely in overall HRQoL (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32–0.82).Among the Control group, increased scores were less likely inthe physical (OR 73, 95% CI 0.54–0.99), social (OR 0.37,95% CI 0.27–0.50), spiritual (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.34–0.94),environment (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.26–0.49) dimensions andoverall HRQoL (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32–0.59) (adjusted forage, sex, literacy, marital status and economic status). Thisstudy concludes that provision of community-based health educationintervention might be a potential public health initiative toenhance the HRQoL in old age.
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| 10. |
- Rana, A K M Masud
(författare)
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The impact of health promotion on health in old age : results from community-based studies in rural Bangladesh
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: It is common knowledge that Bangladesh has a high prevalence of illness among its older people and that the government healthcare services offer them inadequate support. Despite this, however, information about older people s health and illnesses as a function of health promotion is scant. Aims: To examine the impact of a health promotion intervention on health in old age; to examine associations between bone and joint diseases and health-related quality of life; and to study associations between social capital and quality of life among older people in rural Bangladesh. Methods: This thesis is compiled based on two intervention studies and two cross-sectional studies. Data for Studies I, III and IV were derived from the Primary Healthcare in Later Life: Improving Services in Bangladesh and Vietnam (PHILL) project. Data for Study II were derived from the Poverty and Health in Aging (PHA) project. The projects were located in one of the 64 districts of Bangladesh and situated 70 kilometers southeast of the capital Dhaka. In the PHILL project, eight villages were selected through simple random selection and all the older people (≥60 years) who were residing in the selected villages (n=1,135) were chosen for the study. In PHA (n=850) older people were selected through simple random selection from two purposively selected research blocks. Health promotion interventions in PHILL included physical activity, advice on healthy food intake and other aspects of management. To create an enabling environment, social awareness was provided by means of information about the contribution of and challenges faced by older people at home and in the community, including information about their health and healthcare. The intervention activities were provided to older people themselves, their caregivers, household members, community people, and healthcare providers for a period of 15 months. During analyses, participants in the intervention area were further stratified into compliant (n=315) and non-compliant (n=110) groups based on reported compliance with the intervention activities. Arthritis-related illness and bone and joint diseases were indicated by the presence of any form of arthritis, joint and back pain. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using a multi-dimensional generic instrument. Quality of life was assessed using a single global question. Results: Study I revealed that older people who adhered to health promotion activities reported significantly less arthritis-related illness and less healthcare expenditure. Study II showed that bone and joint diseases were significantly associated with various dimensions and overall HRQoL. Furthermore, being an elderly woman and being a woman with self-reported joint and back pain were associated with lower scores in various dimensions of HRQoL. Study III indicated that, in the non-compliant group, the probability of increased HRQoL scores was less likely only in overall HRQoL. In the control group, the probability of increased scores was less likely in the physical, social, spiritual, environment dimensions and overall HRQoL. Study IV revealed that low social capital, both at the individual and community levels, was significantly associated with poor quality of life. Conclusions: This thesis suggests that the provision of community-based health promotion intervention among older people could help to both reduce the burden of arthritis-related illness and its related healthcare expenditure, and improve their health-related quality of life.
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