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| 2. |
- Clausen, Thomas Mandel, et al.
(author)
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A simple method for detecting oncofetal chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans in bladder cancer urine
- 2020
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In: Cell Death Discovery. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2058-7716. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Proteoglycans in bladder tumors are modified with a distinct oncofetal chondroitin sulfate (ofCS) glycosaminoglycan that is normally restricted to placental trophoblast cells. This ofCS-modification can be detected in bladder tumors by the malarial VAR2CSA protein, which in malaria pathogenesis mediates adherence of parasite-infected erythrocytes within the placenta. In bladder cancer, proteoglycans are constantly shed into the urine, and therefore have the potential to be used for detection of disease. In this study we investigated whether recombinant VAR2CSA (rVAR2) protein could be used to detect ofCS-modified proteoglycans (ofCSPGs) in the urine of bladder cancer patients as an indication of disease presence. We show that ofCSPGs in bladder cancer urine can be immobilized on cationic nitrocellulose membranes and subsequently probed for ofCS content by rVAR2 protein in a custom-made dot-blot assay. Patients with high-grade bladder tumors displayed a marked increase in urinary ofCSPGs as compared to healthy individuals. Urine ofCSPGs decreased significantly after complete tumor resection compared to matched urine collected preoperatively from patients with bladder cancer. Moreover, ofCSPGs in urine correlated with tumor size of bladder cancer patients. These findings demonstrate that rVAR2 can be utilized in a simple biochemical assay to detect cancer-specific ofCS-modifications in the urine of bladder cancer patients, which may be further developed as a noninvasive approach to detect and monitor the disease.
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| 3. |
- del Río, Miren, et al.
(author)
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Emerging stability of forest productivity by mixing two species buffers temperature destabilizing effect
- 2022
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In: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 59:11, s. 2730-2741
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increasing disturbances in monocultures around the world are testimony to their instability under global change. Many studies have claimed that temporal stability of productivity increases with species richness, although the ecological fundamentals have mainly been investigated through diversity experiments. To adequately manage forest ecosystems, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the effect of mixing species on the temporal stability of productivity and the way in which it is influenced by climate conditions across large geographical areas. Here, we used a unique dataset of 261 stands combining pure and two-species mixtures of four relevant tree species over a wide range of climate conditions in Europe to examine the effect of species mixing on the level and temporal stability of productivity. Structural equation modelling was employed to further explore the direct and indirect influence of climate, overyielding, species asynchrony and additive effect (i.e. temporal stability expected from the species growth in monospecific stands) on temporal stability in mixed forests. We showed that by adding only one tree species to monocultures, the level (overyielding: +6%) and stability (temporal stability: +12%) of stand growth increased significantly. We identified the key effect of temperature on destabilizing stand growth, which may be mitigated by mixing species. We further confirmed asynchrony as the main driver of temporal stability in mixed stands, through both the additive effect and species interactions, which modify between-species asynchrony in mixtures in comparison to monocultures. Synthesis and applications. This study highlights the emergent properties associated with mixing two species, which result in resource efficient and temporally stable production systems. We reveal the negative impact of mean temperature on temporal stability of forest productivity and how the stabilizing effect of mixing two species can counterbalance this impact. The overyielding and temporal stability of growth addressed in this paper are essential for ecosystem services closely linked with the level and rhythm of forest growth. Our results underline that mixing two species can be a realistic and effective nature-based climate solution, which could contribute towards meeting EU climate target policies.
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| 4. |
- Gual, Neus, et al.
(author)
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IMAGINE study protocol of a clinical trial : a multi-center, investigator-blinded, randomized, 36-month, parallel-group to compare the effectiveness of motivational interview in rehabilitation of older stroke survivors
- 2020
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In: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 20:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation pathways are crucial to reduce stroke-related disability. Motivational Interviewing (MI), as a person-centered complex intervention, aimed to empower and motivate, and could be a resource to improve rehabilitation outcomes for older stroke survivors. The IMAGINE project aims to assess the impact of MI, as a complement to standard geriatric rehabilitation, on functional improvement at 30 days after admission, compared to standard geriatric rehabilitation alone, in persons admitted to geriatric rehabilitation after a stroke. Secondary objectives include assessing the impact of MI on physical activity and performance, self-efficacy, safety, cost-utility, participants' experiences and functional status at 3 months. METHODS: We will conduct a multicenter randomized clinical trial in three geriatric rehabilitation hospitals in Spain. Older adults after mild-moderate stroke without previous severe cognitive impairment or disability will be randomized into the control or intervention group (136 per group, total N = 272). The intervention group will receive 4 sessions of MI by trained nurses, including the design of a personalized rehabilitation plan agreed between stroke survivors and nurses based on stroke survivors´ goals, needs, preferences and capabilities. Main outcome will be the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). In-hospital physical activity will be measured through accelerometers and secondary outcomes using validated scales. The study includes a process evaluation and cost-utility analysis. DISCUSSION: Final results are expected by end of 2020. This study will provide relevant information on the implementation of MI as a rehabilitation reinforcement tool in older stroke survivors. A potential reduction in post-stroke disability and dependence would increase person's health-related quality of life and well-being and reduce health and social care costs. IMAGINE has the potential to inform practice and policymakers on how to move forward towards shared decision-making and shared responsibilities in the vulnerable population of older stroke survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03434938 , registered on January 2018.
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| 5. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(author)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 6. |
- Lotze, Heike K., et al.
(author)
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Global ensemble projections reveal trophic amplification of ocean biomass declines with climate change
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 116:26, s. 12907-12912
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While the physical dimensions of climate change are now routinely assessed through multimodel intercomparisons, projected impacts on the global ocean ecosystem generally rely on individual models with a specific set of assumptions. To address these single-model limitations, we present standardized ensemble projections from six global marine ecosystem models forced with two Earth system models and four emission scenarios with and without fishing. We derive average biomass trends and associated uncertainties across the marine food web. Without fishing, mean global animal biomass decreased by 5% (+/- 4% SD) under low emissions and 17% (+/- 11% SD) under high emissions by 2100, with an average 5% decline for every 1 degrees C of warming. Projected biomass declines were primarily driven by increasing temperature and decreasing primary production, and were more pronounced at higher trophic levels, a process known as trophic amplification. Fishing did not substantially alter the effects of climate change. Considerable regional variation featured strong biomass increases at high latitudes and decreases at middle to low latitudes, with good model agreement on the direction of change but variable magnitude. Uncertainties due to variations in marine ecosystem and Earth system models were similar. Ensemble projections performed well compared with empirical data, emphasizing the benefits of multimodel inference to project future outcomes. Our results indicate that global ocean animal biomass consistently declines with climate change, and that these impacts are amplified at higher trophic levels. Next steps for model development include dynamic scenarios of fishing, cumulative human impacts, and the effects of management measures on future ocean biomass trends.
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| 7. |
- Mangiarotti, Franco J., et al.
(author)
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Test of Short Model and Prototype of the HL-LHC D2 Orbit Corrector Based on CCT Technology
- 2019
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In: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity (Print). - : IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC. - 1051-8223 .- 1558-2515. ; 29:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the frame of the high-luminosity upgrade project for the large hadron collider, new twin aperture beam orbit corrector magnets will be installed near the recombination dipole (D2). These magnets are 2.2 m long canted cosine theta NbTi dipoles, with two independently powered apertures oriented such that their field vectors are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the beams. A 0.5 m model magnet in single and double aperture configuration and a full-length double aperture prototype were built and tested at CERN. In this paper, the performance of these magnets at 1.9 K in terms of training behavior, quench detection and protection, and other tests is discussed. In addition, the thermal response of the magnet to a hypothetical beam discharge is simulated and analyzed.
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| 8. |
- Mangiarotti, Franco J., et al.
(author)
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Test of the First Full-Length Prototype of the HL-LHC D2 Orbit Corrector Based on Canted Cosine Theta Technology
- 2020
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In: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity (Print). - : IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC. - 1051-8223 .- 1558-2515. ; 30:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the context of CERN's high-luminosity upgrade project (HL-LHC) for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a new double aperture beam orbit corrector magnets will be installed near the recombination dipole (D2). These 2.2 m long NbTi dipoles are built with the canted cosine theta (CCT) technique. The two independently powered apertures are oriented such that their field vectors are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the beams. A full-length double aperture prototype was built and tested at CERN in the SM18 test facility. Here we present the results of powering tests at 1.9 and 4.5 K: training of each aperture, magnetic field quality and cross-talk effects, quench detection system effectiveness, quench protection performance and quench-back with several energy extraction systems.
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| 9. |
- Martínez-Sanz, Marta, et al.
(author)
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Composition and rheological properties of microalgae suspensions : Impact of ultrasound processing
- 2020
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In: Algal Research. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 2211-9264. ; 49
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study the rheological properties of aqueous suspensions of three microalgae species, Nannochloropsis gaditana, Scenedesmus almeriensis and Spirulina platensis, were investigated as a function of solids content, and related to their composition and microstructure. In addition, the impact of ultrasound processing on their structuring ability was also studied. The less rigid character of the Spirulina platensis cell walls (with very low carbohydrate contents) and the presence of extracellular components promoted cell-cell interactions, yielding suspensions which showed a shear thinning behaviour at lower concentrations than Nannochloropsis gaditana and Scenedesmus almeriensis. It is noteworthy that the three species showed different viscoelastic properties at 25 wt.% total solids. Spirulina platensis suspensions showed a more elastic behaviour and lower frequency dependence, characteristic of weak gels, whilst Nannochloropsis gaditana and Scenedesmus almeriensis behaved more like viscous liquids. The ultrasound treatment did not affect the cell wall integrity, but it promoted the release of intracellular components (some of which could have been partially degraded) and disrupted physical interparticle interactions in Nannochloropsis gaditana and Scenedesmus almeriensis. This has an impact on the rheological properties, increasing the viscosity of Nannochloropsis gaditana suspensions, whilst the viscosity of Scenedesmus almeriensis suspensions was reduced. The outcomes of this work give insights into the exploitation of these microalgae species in soft materials for food, pharma and other technological applications.
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| 10. |
- Piroddi, Chiara, et al.
(author)
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Effects of Nutrient Management Scenarios on Marine Food Webs : A Pan-European Assessment in Support of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Marine Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-7745. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Eutrophication is one of the most important anthropogenic pressures impacting coastal seas. In Europe, several legislations and management measures have been implemented to halt nutrient overloading in marine ecosystems. This study evaluates the impact of freshwater nutrient control measures on higher trophic levels (HTL) in European marine ecosystems following descriptors and criteria as defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). We used a novel pan-European marine modeling ensemble of fourteen HTL models, covering almost all the EU seas, under two nutrient management scenarios. Results from our projections suggest that the proposed nutrient reduction measures may not have a significant impact on the structure and function of European marine ecosystems. Among the assessed criteria, the spawning stock biomass of commercially important fish stocks and the biomass of small pelagic fishes would be the most impacted, albeit with values lower than 2.5%. For the other criteria/indicators, such as species diversity and trophic level indicators, the impact was lower. The Black Sea and the North-East Atlantic were the most negatively impacted regions, while the Baltic Sea was the only region showing signs of improvement. Coastal and shelf areas were more sensitive to environmental changes than large regional and sub-regional ecosystems that also include open seas. This is the first pan-European multi-model comparison study used to assess the impacts of land-based measures on marine and coastal European ecosystems through a set of selected ecological indicators. Since anthropogenic pressures are expanding apace in the marine environment and policy makers need to use rapid and effective policy measures for fast-changing environments, this modeling framework is an essential asset in supporting and guiding EU policy needs and decisions.
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