| 1. |
- Nilsson, Jan-Eric, et al.
(författare)
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Funktionsupphandling : sammanfattning av kunskapsläge och rekommendationer för fortsatt forskning
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Swedish concept "procurement of function" corresponds to performance contracting in Anglo-Saxon countries. The substance is that principal and agent signs a contract over the construction and maintenance of a specific project based on the services provided to future users, i.e. based on performance of the asset. This is in contrast with contracting base on technical qualities of the new road. VTI has reserved funds to provide an overview of current knowledge in this context. Four separate contributions, together with a short summary, are included in this report. One conclusion is that the experiences of this contractual form are much larger in other countries than in Sweden. We therefore have a lot to learn, not least from our closest neighbours Finland and Norway. International experiences indicate a large and growing interest in this form of contracting and provides reason for further development. A second conclusion is that Sweden in general and VTI in particular has important information of direct relevance for the development of efficient performance contracts. This knowledge must, however, typically be structured and organised along other lines than when the original research was undertaken. The institute should therefore seek to adapt the collection of information of relevance for performance contracts so that it fits in to this new framework. This includes issues such as the measurement of road surface quality and assessment of the additional costs for providing better surface quality on the one hand and the user benefits of improved quality on the other.
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| 2. |
- Bolling, Anne, et al.
(författare)
-
FORMAT - Optimerat vägunderhåll : del I: Praktisk guide för optimerat underhåll, del II: Teknisk slutrapport
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- EU-projektet FORMAT (Fully Optimised Road Maintenance) ingick i EU:s femte ramprogram; "Task 2.2.2/11, Road infrastructure pavement maintenance management" under "Uthållig rörlighet och förändring". Projektet startade den 1 februari 2002 och pågick i tre år.Den översättning och sammanfattning som redovisas i detta VTI notat har delats upp i två delar; Praktisk guide för optimerat vägunderhåll och Teknisk slutrapport.FORMAT-projektet hade följande tekniska och vetenskapliga målsättningar: - Ta fram bättre fungerande, innovativa underhållsåtgärder och metoder som minskar trafikstörningar, i form av köbildning och förbättrad säkerhet, i samband med vägarbeten - Utveckla en heltäckande "cost-benefit" analys som tar hänsyn till alla viktiga aspekter av vägunderhåll, inklusive trafikantkostnader - Utveckla strategier, för säkerheten vid vägarbeten, som omfattar utformningen av vägavstängningar och tidpunkten för åtgärdens genomförande på ett sådant sätt att säkerheten för trafikanter och vägarbetare maximeras - Föreslå metoder, tillvägagångssätt och utrustning för mätning av vägars tillstånd i normal körhastighet för att minimera antalet störande vägavstängningar som krävs för insamling av tillståndsdata.
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| 3. |
- Brorsson, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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A non-synonymous variant in SLC30A8 is not associated with type 1 diabetes in the Danish population
- 2008
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Ingår i: Molecular Genetics and Metabolism. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-7192. ; 94:3, s. 386-388
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genome-wide association scans in type 2 diabetes (T2D) have identified a risk variant, rs13266634 (Arg325Trp), in SLC30A8 on chromosome 8. SLC30A8 encodes a beta-cell specific zinc-ion transporter and rs13266634 has been shown to affect insulin secretion. Recently, autoantibodies for Slc30A8 with high predictive value were demonstrated in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1 D), making this gene an interesting T1 D candidate gene. We genotyped rs13266634 in 3008 cases and controls and 246 families from Denmark. Association to T1 D could not be demonstrated.
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| 4. |
- Florez, J. C., et al.
(författare)
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Association testing of common variants in the insulin receptor substrate-1 gene (IRS1) with type 2 diabetes
- 2007
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Ingår i: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0428 .- 0012-186X. ; 50:6, s. 1209-1217
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims/hypothesis Activation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) is a key initial step in the insulin signalling pathway. Despite several reports of association of the G972R polymorphism in its gene IRS1 with type 2 diabetes, we and others have not observed this association in well-powered samples. However, other nearby variants might account for the putative association signal. Subjects and methods We characterised the haplotype map of IRS1 and selected 20 markers designed to capture common variations in the region. We genotyped this comprehensive set of markers in several family-based and case-control samples of European descent totalling 12,129 subjects. Results In an initial sample of 2,235 North American and Polish case-control pairs, the minor allele of the rs934167 polymorphism showed nominal evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% CI 1.03-1.51, p=0.03). This association showed a trend in the same direction in 7,659 Scandinavian samples (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.96-1.39, p=0.059). The combined OR was 1.20 (p=0.008), but statistical correction for the number of variants examined yielded a p value of 0.086. We detected no differences across rs934167 genotypes in insulin-related quantitative traits. Conclusion/interpretation Our data do not support an association of common variants in IRS1 with type 2 diabetes in populations of European descent.
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| 5. |
- Fredriksson, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Variation in GYS1 Interacts with Exercise and Gender to Predict Cardiovascular Mortality
- 2007
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 2:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The muscle glycogen synthase gene (GYS1) has been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the metabolic syndrome (MetS), male myocardial infarction and a defective increase in muscle glycogen synthase protein in response to exercise. We addressed the questions whether polymorphism in GYS1 can predict cardiovascular (CV) mortality in a high-risk population, if this risk is influenced by gender or physical activity, and if the association is independent of genetic variation in nearby apolipoprotein E gene (APOE). Methodology/Principal Findings. Polymorphisms in GYS1 (XbaIC>T) and APOE (-219G>T, epsilon 2/epsilon 3/epsilon 4) were genotyped in 4,654 subjects participating in the Botnia T2D-family study and followed for a median of eight years. Mortality analyses were performed using Cox proportional-hazards regression. During the follow-up period, 749 individuals died, 409 due to CV causes. In males the GYS1 XbaI T-allele (hazard ratio (HR) 1.9 [1.2-2.9]), T2D (2.5 [1.7-3.8]), earlier CV events (1.7 [1.2-2.5]), physical inactivity (1.9 [1.2-2.9]) and smoking (1.5 [1.0-2.3]) predicted CV mortality. The GYS1 XbaI T-allele predicted CV mortality particularly in physically active males (HR 1.7 [1.3-2.0]). Association of GYS1 with CV mortality was independent of APOE (219TT/epsilon 4), which by its own exerted an effect on CV mortality risk in females (2.9 [1.9-4.4]). Other independent predictors of CV mortality in females were fasting plasma glucose (1.2 [1.1-1.2]), high body mass index (BMI) (1.0 [1.0-1.1]), hypertension (1.9 [1.2-3.1]), earlier CV events (1.9 [1.3-2.8]) and physical inactivity (1.9 [1.2-2.8]). Conclusions/Significance. Polymorphisms in GYS1 and APOE predict CV mortality in T2D families in a gender-specific fashion and independently of each other. Physical exercise seems to unmask the effect associated with the GYS1 polymorphism, rendering carriers of the variant allele less susceptible to the protective effect of exercise on the risk of CV death, which finding could be compatible with a previous demonstration of defective increase in the glycogen synthase protein in carriers of this polymorphism.
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| 6. |
- Hedström, Ragnar, et al.
(författare)
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Funktionsupphandling av väg- och banhållning : problem och möjligheter
- 2005
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present project has been carried out within the framework of the subject"Competitive procurement in the transport sector". Owing to the increase inthe costs of infrastructure maintenance on roads and railways in recentyears, there is greater interest in developing new forms of contract. Theintention of the ongoing process concerning competitive and performanceoriented procurement is to create the conditions for more effectiveinfrastructure maintenance activity. The problem in performance orientedprocurement is to define relevant performance requirements which are clearlylinked to the effects for the final users. This requires the performancevariables to be measured and evaluated with respect to both the division ofresponsibility between contractor and client and also the perspective of thetravelling public. In the project, a study is made of the possibility ofusing planning models such as the World Bank HDM-4 or other operationallyavailable models/tools in the road sector (e.g. the Swedish RoadAdministration's PMS) in pricing measurable "final results" in conjunctionwith performance oriented procurement. One conclusion which is generallyvalid for both HDM-4 and PMS is that the traffic effect models must becomplemented before they can be fully used for the purpose of pricingmeasurable "final results" in contracts based on performance orientedtendering. On the rail side, there is no counterpart to HDM-4 or PMS. Theperformance variables identified during performance oriented procurements forrail infrastructure maintenance are train delays, track bed condition (via Qand K indices), defect reports and inspection comments. These performancevariables can be measured, monitored and evaluated in economic terms in therelationship between client/contractor and, to some extent, also in relationto the final customer, i.e. the travelling public. There is however no modelavailable which gives an overall description of the effects of theseperformance variables and the economic consequences which these, in turn,have for Banverket and/or society at large. Even though a lot is known withregard to performance oriented procurement of infrastructure maintenance,several issues remain to be solved in both the road and rail sectors. It istherefore essential that continuity for further research should be created inthis field.
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| 7. |
- Ihs, Anita, et al.
(författare)
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Utformning av väg och vägyta för säkerhet, komfort och hälsa : en förstudie
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During summer 2002 a special directive about employees' health and security at exposure to risks due to vibrations during work, also called "Physical agents vibration directive" (Directive 2002/44/EC), was adopted by the EC. The member states had until July 6th 2005 to transfer the directive into the national legislation. Certainly the condition of parts of the road network can be such that the vibration levels that professional drivers are exposed to exceed the limits that are given in the vibration directive. VTI has therefore been commissioned to carry out a pilot study including a survey of the responsibility of the Swedish Road Administration (SRA) as well as the interpretation of the directive made by the Swedish Work Environment Authority, but also to study how different designs of the road's longitudinal profile may give rise to vibrations that are harmful or uncomfortable to humans. The present pilot study has included a literature survey concerning vibrations and their influence on humans with particular reference to roads and their design, demonstration measurements of road geometry and vibrations and analyses of these with regard to the directive as well as discussions on suitable measures for health risks or discomfort during travel on road.
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| 8. |
- Jensen, Jan S., et al.
(författare)
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Safety in simple versus complex stenting of coronary artery bifurcation lesions : The nordic bifurcation study 14-month follow-up results
- 2008
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Ingår i: EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology. - 1774-024X. ; 4:2, s. 229-233
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: The risk of stent thrombosis has been reported to increase with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) complexity. The present study reports the pre-specified secondary endpoint of a 14-month stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac events in patients stented with a simple versus a complex bifurcation technique using sirolimus eluting stents (SES). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 413 patients with a coronary bifurcation lesion were randomised to a simple treatment strategy; stenting of main vessel and optional stenting of side branch (MV group), or to a complex stenting strategy; stenting of both main vessel and side branch (MV+SB group). Mortality data were available in all patients and 14-month clinical follow-up data in 395 (96%) of the patients. After 14 months, the rates of definite, probable and possible stent thrombosis (ARC criteria) were 1.0% vs. 0.5%, 1.0% vs. 0% and 0.5% vs. 0% (ns) in the MV and in the MV+SB groups, respectively. Rates of MACE were 9.5% in the MV group and 8.2% in the MV+SB group (ns). Total death was seen in 2.4% vs. 1.0% and non-PCI related myocardial infarction in 2.0% vs. 1.0% in the MV and the MV+SB groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After 14 months, two months after recommended cessation of dual antiplatelet therapy, the rates of stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac events were low and independent of treatment complexity in patients treated with SES for coronary artery bifurcation lesions.
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| 9. |
- Lindholm, Eero, et al.
(författare)
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The -374 T/A polymorphism in the gene encoding RAGE is associated with diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0428 .- 0012-186X. ; 49:Sep 13, s. 2745-2755
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims/hypothesis The receptor for AGE (RAGE) is considered to be mainly an intracellular signal-transducer or pro-inflammatory peptide of possible importance for inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Our aim was to study whether the -374 T/A polymorphism in the gene encoding RAGE (AGER) is associated with diabetes type and presence of diabetic complications. Methods The AGER -374 T/A polymorphism was genotyped in 867 type 1 diabetic patients, 2,467 type 2 diabetic patients and 205 non-diabetic control subjects of Scandinavian origin. Results AGER polymorphism was related to different HLA-DQB1 genotypes and the presence of diabetic complications. Type 1 diabetic patients had a higher frequency of the AGER -374 A/A or T/A genotypes than type 2 diabetic patients (51.1 vs 44.9%, p=0.002) and control subjects (51.1 vs 47.6%, p=0.0006). The RAGE -374 T/A polymorphism was associated with HLA-DQB1 genotypes; patients with HLA risk genotypes had a higher frequency of the A/A or T/A genotypes than patients with other HLA-DQB1 genotypes (60.3 vs 40.3%, p < 0.000001). In type 1 diabetic patients, the frequency of the A/A or T/A genotypes was higher in patients with diabetic nephropathy than without (61.1 vs 46.8%, p=0.006) and with sight-threatening retinopathy than without (56.1 vs 47.6%, p=0.03). In type 2 diabetic patients with HbA(1c) values below the median, the T/T genotype was more frequent in patients with diabetic nephropathy than without (54.3 vs 38.2%, p=0.02). Conclusions/interpretation Our results show an association between the AGER -374 T/A polymorphism and type 1 diabetes. This association was HLA-DQB1-dependent. The polymorphism was associated with diabetic nephropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, in an HbA(1c)-dependent manner in the latter group, and also with sight-threatening retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients.
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| 10. |
- Liu, Hua, et al.
(författare)
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Low dose Zebularine treatment enhances immunogenicity of tumor cells
- 2007
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Ingår i: Cancer Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-7980 .- 0304-3835. ; 257:1, s. 107-115
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Strategy: We have investigated how alterations in gene expression induced by the demethylating drug Zebularine affect the immune response tumor cells elicit. The rational has been to treat syngeneic rat colon cancer cells with Zebularine at different concentrations and then use these cells to study gene expression of different genes involved in cancer immunogenicity. Gene expressions were monitored by semi-quantitative PCR and real-time PCR. Results: Intriguingly there was a large increase in the production of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) after treatment with 100 mu M Zebularine as compared with untreated tumor cells, whereas treatment with 20 mu M Zebularine caused a significant decrease of the IDO production. After immunization with syngeneic tumor cells, spleen cells were isolated and restimulated in vitro with irradiated tumor cells. Immune reactivity was measured by proliferation, and production of interferon gamma and interleukinl0. The immunogenicity of tumor cells treated in vitro with a low dose of Zebularine increased, whereas it decreased after high dose exposure. The inhibition of immunogenicity by 100 mu M Zebularine was shown to be counteracted by the IDO inhibitor I methyl-tryptophan (1MT), confirming that this effect of Zebularine is mainly caused by IDO induction. Differences using Zebularine-treated or non-treated cells for in vitro restimulation were marginal. Conclusion: Low dose treatment with Zebularine (20 mu M) decreases the production of the immunosuppressive IDO from rat colon cancer cells and enhances their immunogenicity, whereas high dose Zebularine treatment (100 mu M) enhances the IDO production from the cancer cells and suppresses their immunogenicity. This immunosuppression should be considered when cancer is treated with Zebularine or drugs acting in a similar way. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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| 11. |
- Loukopoulos, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Trafikanternas krav på vägars tillstånd : en fokusgruppsstudie
- 2008
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Part of the project "Trafikanters krav på vägars tillstånd" (Motorists' requirements on the condition of road surfaces) consists of a focus group study, in which the aim is to investigate motorists' expectations regarding road-surface conditions and the factors influencing these expectations. The roads examined in this study are those belonging to the state's road network, primarily outside urban areas. Another aim is to see which names and terms motorists use to describe various road-surface problems. The results will be used to aid the design of a questionnaire as part of a later phase of the project. Six focus groups were conducted and, in total, 42 people participated - 15 private motorists (10 males and 5 females) and 27 professional motorists (15 bus drivers and 12 lorry drivers, all male). Two focus groups consisted of private motorists, one group with younger participants and another with older participants, two groups consisted of bus drivers, and two groups of lorry drivers. All participants had experienced a variety of road and driving stretches (e.g., motorways, urban driving, and long-distance driving).
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| 12. |
- Lyssenko, Valeriya, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic prediction of future type 2 diabetes
- 2005
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Ingår i: PLoS Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 2:12, s. 1299-1308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a multifactorial disease in which environmental triggers interact with genetic variants in the predisposition to the disease. A number of common variants have been associated with T2D but our knowledge of their ability to predict T2D prospectively is limited. Methods and Findings: By using a Cox proportional hazard model, common variants in the PPARG (P12A), CAPN10 (SNP43 and 44), KCNJ11 (E23K), UCP2 (-866G>A), and IRS1 (G972R) genes were studied for their ability to predict T2D in 2,293 individuals participating in the Botnia study in Finland. After a median follow-up of 6 y, 132 (6%) persons developed T2D. The hazard ratio for risk of developing T2D was 1.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.7) for the PPARG PP genotype, 1.5 (95% CI 1.0-2.2) for the CAPN10 SNP44 TT genotype, and 2.6 (95% CI 1.5-4.5) for the combination of PPARG and CAPN10 risk genotypes. In individuals with fasting plasma glucose ≥ 5.6 mmol/l and body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2, the hazard ratio increased to 21.2 (95% CI 8.7-51.4) for the combination of the PPARG PP and CAPN10 SNP43/44 GG/TT genotypes as compared to those with the low-risk genotypes with normal fasting plasma glucose and body mass index < 30 kg/m2. Conclusion: We demonstrate in a large prospective study that variants in the PPARG and CAPN10 genes predict future T2D. Genetic testing might become a future approach to identify individuals at risk of developing T2D.
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| 13. |
- Lyssenko, Valeriya, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanisms by which common variants in the TCF7L2 gene increase risk of type 2 diabetes.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738. ; 117:8, s. 2155-2163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic variants in the gene encoding for transcription factor-7-like 2 (TCF7L2) have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and impaired beta cell function, but the mechanisms have remained unknown. We therefore studied prospectively the ability of common variants in TCF7L2 to predict future T2D and explored the mechanisms by which they would do this. Scandinavian subjects followed for up to 22 years were genotyped for 3 SNPs (rs7903146, rs12255372, and rs10885406) in TCF7L2, and a subset of them underwent extensive metabolic studies. Expression of TCF7L2 was related to genotype and metabolic parameters in human islets. The CT/TT genotypes of SNP rs7903146 strongly predicted future T2D in 2 independent cohorts (Swedish and Finnish). The risk T allele was associated with impaired insulin secretion, incretin effects, and enhanced rate of hepatic glucose production. TCF7L2 expression in human islets was increased 5-fold in T2D, particularly in carriers of the TT genotype. Overexpression of TCF7L2 in human islets reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In conclusion, the increased risk of T2D conferred by variants in TCF7L2 involves the enteroinsular axis, enhanced expression of the gene in islets, and impaired insulin secretion.
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| 14. |
- Nilsson, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Regulation of skeletal muscle PPAR delta mRNA expression in twins
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Physiology. - : Wiley. - 1469-7793 .- 0022-3751. ; 584:3, s. 1011-1017
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors regulating the expression of genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism in a complex and to some extent unknown manner. Our aim was to study the impact of different factors on PPAR delta mRNA expression in human skeletal muscle on one side, and the impact of PPAR delta mRNA expression on these factors, including glucose and lipid metabolism, aerobic capacity, fibre type composition and lipid profile, on the other side. PPAR delta mRNA levels were quantified by real-time PCR in muscle biopsies from 176 young and elderly monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Young twins had significantly increased PPAR delta mRNA levels compared with elderly twins. A 2 h hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp had no significant effect on PPAR delta mRNA levels. Biometric models were calculated for basal PPAR delta mRNA expression to estimate the degree of genetic versus environmental influence. In both young and elderly twins there was a substantial genetic component influencing basal PPAR delta mRNA levels. In a regression model, the muscle PPAR delta mRNA expression was correlated to birth weight, central adiposity and age. The level of PPAR delta mRNA was also positively correlated with markers for oxidative muscle fibres. However, in this apparently healthy study population, we found no correlations between PPAR delta mRNA expression and aerobic capacity, lipid profile or glucose and lipid metabolism. In conclusion, we provide evidence that mRNA expression of PPAR delta in human skeletal muscle is under genetic control but also influenced by factors such as age, birth weight and central adiposity.
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| 15. |
- Niska, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Mätmetoder för tillståndsbedömning av cykelvägar : en kunskapsöversikt
- 2007
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This is a review of existing knowledge in indices and measuring methods for assessing the condition of cycle paths. The review is to serve as the basis for any further work that VTI may carry out in this area. The condition of the road surface is of significant importance for the comfort and accident risk of cyclists. Objective methods are needed to measure the condition of cycle paths so that the effects of operational and maintenance measures may be studied, and to set up measurable performance requirements. Presently, such methods are not used on cycle paths in Sweden. Instead, manual damage surveys and visual inspections are made; these may provide a lot of detailed information but are subjective and time consuming. Several methods for condition assessment of motor roads do exist, but they do not satisfactorily reflect the impression of cyclists regarding the road surface, and are often made using equipment that can damage the cycle path. There are also a number of hand drawn, lightweight equipments available, but they are both time and resource consuming.
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| 16. |
- Offrell, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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Crack measures and reference systems for a harmonised crack data collection using automatic systems
- 2005
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The increased use of automatic systems for crack data collection has created some interesting questions about suitable crack measures. Traditional measures are sometimes unsuitable or even impossible to obtain using automatic data collection. However, the efficient and fast automatic crack data collection has also increased the numbers of possible measures that can be calculated from the results. Another issue originated from the need of conformance within Europe as well as globally is the necessity of an acceptable reference system that can be used to compare and accept different systems. This paper discusses different cracks measures and possible reference systems. The need for different measures, based on the level of which the application is intended to, is also discussed.
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| 17. |
- Offrell, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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Repeatability in crack data collection on flexible pavements : Comparision between surveys using video cameras, laser cameras, and a simplified manual survey
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of transportation engineering. - 0733-947X .- 1943-5436. ; 131:7, s. 552-562
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Crack data can be collected using manual or automatic surveys. Traditionally, manual methods are used, and they are still the most common. Changing into automatic systems will enhance the efficiency of data collection as well as the objectivity. In this study the repeatability of an automatic crack data collection system using video images was evaluated. Ten repetitive measurements were made on a 10-km-long road section. Cracking was measured using six laser cameras attached to the same vehicle.The results from the two methods were compared. Simultaneously, a simplified manual windshield survey was conducted by three different persons, and the repeatability obtained was used for comparison with the repeatability established using the image and laser method, respectively. The correlation between repeated measurements using the two automatic systems was high, while the repeatability for the manual, subjective method was low. Suitable measures for crack characterization are discussed.
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| 18. |
- Rebetz, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Fiber mediated receptor masking in non-infected bystander cells restricts adenovirus cell killing effect but promotes adenovirus host co-existence.
- 2009
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 4:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The basic concept of conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAD) as oncolytic agents is that progenies generated from each round of infection will disperse, infect and kill new cancer cells. However, CRAD has only inhibited, but not eradicated tumor growth in xenograft tumor therapy, and CRAD therapy has had only marginal clinical benefit to cancer patients. Here, we found that CRAD propagation and cancer cell survival co-existed for long periods of time when infection was initiated at low multiplicity of infection (MOI), and cancer cell killing was inefficient and slow compared to the assumed cell killing effect upon infection at high MOI. Excessive production of fiber molecules from initial CRAD infection of only 1 to 2% cancer cells and their release prior to the viral particle itself caused a tropism-specific receptor masking in both infected and non-infected bystander cells. Consequently, the non-infected bystander cells were inefficiently bound and infected by CRAD progenies. Further, fiber overproduction with concomitant restriction of adenovirus spread was observed in xenograft cancer therapy models. Besides the CAR-binding Ad4, Ad5, and Ad37, infection with CD46-binding Ad35 and Ad11 also caused receptor masking. Fiber overproduction and its resulting receptor masking thus play a key role in limiting CRAD functionality, but potentially promote adenovirus and host cell co-existence. These findings also give important clues for understanding mechanisms underlying the natural infection course of various adenoviruses.
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| 19. |
- Saxena, Richa, et al.
(författare)
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Common single nucleotide polymorphisms in TCF7L2 are reproducibly associated with type 2 diabetes and reduce the insulin response to glucose in nondiabetic individuals
- 2006
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Ingår i: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 1939-327X .- 0012-1797. ; 55:10, s. 2890-2895
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recently, common noncoding variants in the TCF7L2 gene were strongly associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in samples from Iceland, Denmark, and the U.S. We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across TCF7L2 in 8,310 individuals in family-based and case-control designs from Scandinavia, Poland, and the U.S. We convincingly confirmed the previous association of TCF7L2 SNPs with the risk of type 2 diabetes (rs7903146T odds ratio 1.40 [95% CI 1.30-1.50], P = 6.74 x 10(-20)). In nondiabetic individuals, the risk genotypes were associated with a substantial reduction in the insulinogenic index derived from an oral glucose tolerance test (risk allele homozygotes have half the insulin response to glucose of noncarriers, P = 0.003) but not with increased insulin resistance. These results suggest that TCF7L2 variants may act through insulin secretion to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
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| 20. |
- Saxena, Richa, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide association analysis identifies loci for type 2 diabetes and triglyceride levels
- 2007
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 1095-9203 .- 0036-8075. ; 316:5829, s. 1331-1336
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- New strategies for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) require improved insight into disease etiology. We analyzed 386,731 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 1464 patients with T2D and 1467 matched controls, each characterized for measures of glucose metabolism, lipids, obesity, and blood pressure. With collaborators (FUSION and WTCCC/UKT2D), we identified and confirmed three loci associated with T2D - in a noncoding region near CDKN2A and CDKN2B, in an intron of IGF2BP2, and an intron of CDKAL1 - and replicated associations near HHEX and in SLC30A8 found by a recent whole-genome association study. We identified and confirmed association of a SNP in an intron of glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) with serum triglycerides. The discovery of associated variants in unsuspected genes and outside coding regions illustrates the ability of genome-wide association studies to provide potentially important clues to the pathogenesis of common diseases.
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| 21. |
- Sjögren, Leif, et al.
(författare)
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Acceptance testing for road surface monitoring vehicles in Finland
- 2008
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- VTI has carried out acceptance testing of companies that would like to do road surface monitoring in Finland. This has been done on commission of the Finnish Road Administration. This kind of acceptance testing has been done in Sweden by VTI in cooperation with the Swedish Road Administration several times (four times). With the experience of the tests in Sweden a test method adjusted for the Finnish needs have been composed. The purpose of the method is to accept or reject the participating companies for doing either object or network measurements or both. This is done by checking the validity and repeatability for the object part and the reproducibility for the network part. The tests for the object part involve measurements at test sections including measuring with reference methods as well as repeated measurements on a route. For the reproducibility test, done at the network measuring acceptance, runs with different combinations of vehicles and drivers/operators are carried out. The tests give answers to questions like: - The technical skill to measure according to the procurement specifications. - The ability and type of organisation to take care of and process data under given circumstances like this test. - The ability to deliver data of right quality in time. To be accepted as a contractor of network level measurements the company also has to be accepted for object measurements.
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| 22. |
- Sjögren, Leif, et al.
(författare)
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Design an up to date rut depth monitoring profilometer, requirements and limitations
- 2005
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sweden has a long tradition in road surface condition monitoring. There are two measures that have dominated the estimation of the road surface condition; namely rut depth and IRI (International Roughness Index). Rut depth is the estimate of unevenness in the transverse and IRI in the longitudinal direction of the road. Deformation or wear that shows up as rut depth are common in Sweden. One big reason is that there is a law to use winter tyres (usually studded) during the winter season. Yet another reason is the actual loads that are transported. To detect differences in wear origin certain specifications is needed to be fulfilled in the design of the monitoring device. This report will deal with findings and conclusions made from years of experience in Sweden. The organized road surface monitoring scheme started in the end of 1970: s. The result is stored in the Swedish PMS (Pavement Management System). Almost all paved roads maintained by the government have been monitored every year. In this paper the result is focused on 10 years of data from one of the seven regions in Sweden. The length of measured roads in this region, Mälardalen is approximately 3000 km per year. A mean transverse profile is stored every 20 meter of measured road. Each profile is estimated from 17 sensors.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Sjögren, Leif
(författare)
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Road surface measuring in Sweden or Europe?
- 2005
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Ingår i: Reprint from 6th International Conference on Managing Pavements 19–24 October 2004. - Linköping : Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut. ; , s. 1-10
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since 1987, road surface condition data has been collected in an organized way in Sweden. In the past, the data collection was done within the Road Administration. Today this is done by private companies, on commercial basis following the result of a procurement process. The improvement and development of equipment is mainly to be done by the commercial actors. There is a need for a European or worldwide standard. This report will address how to choose equipment and operator with respect to requirements such as necessary accuracy and data quality and suggestions of possible future measures and equipment as well as a proposal for a worldwide test procedure standard.
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| 26. |
- Sjögren, Leif, 1953-
(författare)
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The use of road surface characteristics to predict consequences for winter road maintenance
- 2006
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper consists of three parts that investigate how to use road surface characteristics in winter road management. The first part is a review of an investigation about summer and winter road unevenness. The two other parts are technical discussions how to use some specific road surface characteristics from experiences derived from summer road surface conditions.In Sweden the condition of the paved roads are measured regularly. The measurements are carried out in the summer. An investigation has been done showing that the condition varies between different seasons. This leads to the question: Do we measure the road condition at the right time? Can we predict the change in road condition from one season to another?This investigation was done using longitudinal road profiles and analysis of IRI (International Roughness Index). Unevenness within wavelengths of 3 to 10 meter was found to be most affected by seasonal changes. To demonstrate the use of road surface characteristics for safety related purposes a 3D model was created. The model was then used to detect ponds that were large enough to be risk areas for aquaplaning.Another investigation was done to find out the relation between rut depth and snow removal. Another use of road surface characteristics could be to locate areas that are prone to become slippery. To do this the actual summer road smoothness expressed as macro texture is suggested to be used as indicator. The rougher and more stone rich the pavement is the more the risk of binding snow and creating icy condition increases.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Sjögren, Marketa, et al.
(författare)
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The search for putative unifying genetic factors for components of the metabolic syndrome.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Diabetologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0428 .- 0012-186X. ; 51, s. 2242-2251
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors contributing to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes but unifying mechanisms have not been identified. Our aim was to study whether common variations in 17 genes previously associated with type 2 diabetes or components of the metabolic syndrome and variants in nine genes with inconsistent association with at least two components of the metabolic syndrome would also predict future development of components of the metabolic syndrome, individually or in combination. METHODS: Genetic variants were studied in a large prospective study of 16,143 non-diabetic individuals (mean follow-up time 23 years) from the Malmö Preventive Project. In this study, development of at least three of obesity (BMI >/= 30 kg/m(2)), dyslipidaemia (triacylglycerol >/= 1.7 mmol/l and/or lipid-lowering treatment), hypertension (blood pressure >/= 140/90 mmHg and/or antihypertensive medication) and hyperglycaemia (fasting plasma glucose >/= 5.6 mmol/l and/or known diabetes) was defined as development of the metabolic syndrome. The risk of developing at least three components of the metabolic syndrome or the individual components was calculated by logistic regression adjusted for age at baseline, follow-up time and sex. RESULTS: Polymorphisms in TCF7L2 (rs7903146, OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04-1.17, p = 0.00097), FTO (rs9939609, OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14, p = 0.0065), WFS1 (rs10010131, OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13, p = 0.0078) and IGF2BP2 (rs4402960, OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13, p = 0.021) predicted the development of at least three components of the metabolic syndrome in both univariate and multivariate analysis; in the case of TCF7L2, WFS1 and IGF2BP this was due to their association with hyperglycaemia (p < 0.00001, p = 0.0033 and p = 0.027, respectively) and for FTO it was due to its association with obesity (p = 0.004). A polymorphism in the GCKR gene predicted dyslipidaemia (rs1260326, OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09-1.22, p < 0.00001) but not the metabolic syndrome. None of the studied polymorphisms was associated with more than two components of the metabolic syndrome. A composite genotype score of the 17 polymorphisms associated with type 2 diabetes predicted the development of at least three components of the metabolic syndrome (OR 1.04, p < 0.00001) and the development of hyperglycaemia (OR 1.06, p < 0.00001). Carriers of >/=19 risk alleles had 51 and 72% increased risk of developing at least three components of the metabolic syndrome and hyperglycaemia, respectively, compared with carriers of
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| 29. |
- Steigen, Terje K., et al.
(författare)
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Randomized study on simple versus complex stenting of coronary artery bifurcation lesions : the Nordic bifurcation study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 114:18, s. 1955-1961
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background - The optimal stenting strategy in coronary artery bifurcation lesions is unknown. In the present study, a strategy of stenting both the main vessel and the side branch ( MV + SB) was compared with a strategy of stenting the main vessel only, with optional stenting of the side branch ( MV), with sirolimus-eluting stents. Methods and Results - A total of 413 patients with a bifurcation lesion were randomized. The primary end point was a major adverse cardiac event: cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, or stent thrombosis after 6 months. At 6 months, there were no significant differences in rates of major adverse cardiac events between the groups ( MV + SB 3.4%, MV 2.9%; P = NS). In the MV + SB group, there were significantly longer procedure and fluoroscopy times, higher contrast volumes, and higher rates of procedure-related increases in biomarkers of myocardial injury. A total of 307 patients had a quantitative coronary assessment at the index procedure and after 8 months. The combined angiographic end point of diameter stenosis > 50% of main vessel and occlusion of the side branch after 8 months was found in 5.3% in the MV group and 5.1% in the MV + SB group ( P = NS). Conclusions - Independent of stenting strategy, excellent clinical and angiographic results were obtained with percutaneous treatment of de novo coronary artery bifurcation lesions with sirolimus-eluting stents. The simple stenting strategy used in the MV group was associated with reduced procedure and fluoroscopy times and lower rates of procedure-related biomarker elevation. Therefore, this strategy can be recommended as the routine bifurcation stenting technique.
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
- Zeggini, Eleftheria, et al.
(författare)
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Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data and large-scale replication identifies additional susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes
- 2008
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 40:5, s. 638-645
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified multiple loci at which common variants modestly but reproducibly influence risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D)(1-11). Established associations to common and rare variants explain only a small proportion of the heritability of T2D. As previously published analyses had limited power to identify variants with modest effects, we carried out meta-analysis of three T2D GWA scans comprising 10,128 individuals of European descent and similar to 2.2 million SNPs (directly genotyped and imputed), followed by replication testing in an independent sample with an effective sample size of up to 53,975. We detected at least six previously unknown loci with robust evidence for association, including the JAZF1 (P=5.0 x 10(-14)), CDC123-CAMK1D (P=1.2 x 10(-10)), TSPAN8-LGR5 (P=1.1 x 10(-9)), THADA (P=1.1 x 10(-9)), ADAMTS9 (P=1.2 x 10(-8)) and NOTCH2 (P=4.1 x 10(-8)) gene regions. Our results illustrate the value of large discovery and follow-up samples for gaining further insights into the inherited basis of T2D.
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