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| 2. |
- Abellán, C., et al.
(författare)
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Challenging Local Realism with Human Choices
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 557, s. 212-216
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A Bell test is a randomized trial that compares experimental observations against the philosophical worldview of local realism , in which the properties of the physical world are independent of our observation of them and no signal travels faster than light. A Bell test requires spatially distributed entanglement, fast and high-efficiency detection and unpredictable measurement settings. Although technology can satisfy the first two of these requirements, the use of physical devices to choose settings in a Bell test involves making assumptions about the physics that one aims to test. Bell himself noted this weakness in using physical setting choices and argued that human 'free will' could be used rigorously to ensure unpredictability in Bell tests. Here we report a set of local-realism tests using human choices, which avoids assumptions about predictability in physics. We recruited about 100,000 human participants to play an online video game that incentivizes fast, sustained input of unpredictable selections and illustrates Bell-test methodology. The participants generated 97,347,490 binary choices, which were directed via a scalable web platform to 12 laboratories on five continents, where 13 experiments tested local realism using photons, single atoms, atomic ensembles and superconducting devices. Over a 12-hour period on 30 November 2016, participants worldwide provided a sustained data flow of over 1,000 bits per second to the experiments, which used different human-generated data to choose each measurement setting. The observed correlations strongly contradict local realism and other realistic positions in bi-partite and tri-partite 12 scenarios. Project outcomes include closing the 'freedom-of-choice loophole' (the possibility that the setting choices are influenced by 'hidden variables' to correlate with the particle properties), the utilization of video-game methods for rapid collection of human-generated randomness, and the use of networking techniques for global participation in experimental science.
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| 3. |
- Alehagen, Urban, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of an Intervention with Selenium and Coenzyme Q(10) on Five Selected Age-Related Biomarkers in Elderly Swedes Low in Selenium: Results That Point to an Anti-Ageing Effect-A Sub-Analysis of a Previous Prospective Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomised Clinical Trial
- 2023
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Ingår i: Cells. - : MDPI. - 2073-4409. ; 12:13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Ageing is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). As no single biomarker reflects the full ageing process, we aimed to investigate five CVD- and age-related markers and the effects of selenium and coenzyme Q10 intervention to elucidate the mechanisms that may influence the course of ageing. Methods: This is a sub-study of a previous prospective double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial that included 441 subjects low in selenium (mean age 77, 49% women). The active treatment group (n = 220) received 200 & mu;g/day of selenium and 200 mg/day of coenzyme Q10, combined. Blood samples were collected at inclusion and after 48 months for measurements of the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), adiponectin, leptin, stem cell factor (SCF) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), using ELISAs. Repeated measures of variance and ANCOVA evaluations were used to compare the two groups. In order to better understand and reduce the complexity of the relationship between the biomarkers and age, factor analyses and structural equation modelling (SEM) were performed, and a structural model is presented. Results: Correlation analyses of biomarker values at inclusion in relation to age, and relevant markers related to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and fibrosis, demonstrated the biomarkers association with these pathological processes; however, only ICAM1 and adiponectin were directly correlated with age. SEM analyses showed, however, that the biomarkers ICAM-1, adiponectin, SCF and OPG, but not leptin, all had significant associations with age and formed two independent structural factors, both significantly related to age. While no difference was observed at inclusion, the biomarkers were differently changed in the active treatment and placebo groups (decreasing and increasing levels, respectively) at 48 months (p & LE; 0.02 in all, adjusted), and in the SEM model, they showed an anti-ageing impact. Conclusions: Supplementation with selenium/Q10 influenced the analysed biomarkers in ways indicating an anti-ageing effect, and by applying SEM methodology, the interrelationships between two independent structural factors and age were validated.
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| 4. |
- Alehagen, Urban, et al.
(författare)
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Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 in an elderly Swedish population low in selenium - positive effects on thyroid hormones, cardiovascular mortality, and quality of life
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1741-7015. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Selenium-dependent deiodinases play a central role in thyroid hormone regulation and metabolism. In many European countries, insufficient selenium intake may consequently lead to adverse effects on thyroid function. In this randomised placebo-controlled double-blind study, we examined the effect of supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 on thyroid hormonal status, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL).METHODS: Free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and TSH were determined in 414 individuals at baseline, and the effect of selenium yeast (200 µg/day) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg/day) supplementation on hormone concentrations, CV mortality and Hr-QoL was evaluated after 48 months using Short Form 36 (SF-36). Pre-intervention plasma selenium was low, mean 67 µg/L, corresponding to an estimated intake of 35 µg/day. Changes in concentrations of thyroid hormones following the intervention were assessed using T-tests, repeated measures of variance, and ANCOVA analyses.RESULTS: In the total population, the group with the lowest selenium concentration at baseline presented with significantly higher levels of TSH and lower levels of fT3 as compared to subjects with the highest selenium concentration. Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for 4 years significantly increased fT3 and rT3, decreased fT4, and diminished the increase in TSH levels compared with placebo treatment (p = 0.03, all). In the placebo group, TSH and fT4 values above the median were associated with an increase in 10-year CV mortality, as compared with the mortality rate among those with TSH and fT4 below the median (p < 0.04, both), with no difference in mortality rate according to TSH and fT4 levels in the active intervention group. Similarly, TSH > median and fT3 < median were associated with a decline in mental Hr-QoL measures vs. TSH < and fT3 > median in the placebo group during 4 years of follow-up, but this was wiped out in the active group.CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 had a beneficial effect on thyroid hormones with respect to CV mortality and Hr-QoL outcomes. The initial deficient selenium status was associated with an impaired thyroid function and the changes in thyroid hormone levels can be explained by increased activity of deiodinases. We conclude that a substantial part of the elderly study population might suffer from suboptimal thyroidal function with adverse clinical implications due to selenium deficiency.TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and has the identifier NCT01443780. Since it was not mandatory to register at the time the study began, the study has been registered retrospectively.
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| 5. |
- Amselem, E., et al.
(författare)
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Editorial Material: Comment on "State-Independent Experimental Test of Quantum Contextuality"
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 110:7, s. 1-1
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this Comment we argue that the experiment describedin the recent Letter does not allow one to make con-clusions about contextuality. Our main criticism is that themeasurement of the observables as well as the preparationof the state manifestly depend on the chosen context.Contrary to that, contextuality is about the behavior ofthesamemeasurement device in different experimentalcontexts.
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| 6. |
- Aydemir, O, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic Variation Within the HLA-DRA1 Gene Modulates Susceptibility to Type 1 Diabetes in HLA-DR3 Homozygotes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 1939-327X .- 0012-1797. ; 68:7, s. 1523-1527
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves the interaction of multiple gene variants, environmental factors, and immunoregulatory dysfunction. Major T1D genetic risk loci encode HLA-DR and -DQ. Genetic heterogeneity and linkage disequilibrium in the highly polymorphic HLA region confound attempts to identify additional T1D susceptibility loci. To minimize HLA heterogeneity, T1D patients (N = 365) and control subjects (N = 668) homozygous for the HLA-DR3 high-risk haplotype were selected from multiple large T1D studies and examined to identify new T1D susceptibility loci using molecular inversion probe sequencing technology. We report that risk for T1D in HLA-DR3 homozygotes is increased significantly by a previously unreported haplotype of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the first intron of HLA-DRA1. The homozygous risk haplotype has an odds ratio of 4.65 relative to the protective homozygous haplotype in our sample. Individually, these SNPs reportedly function as “expression quantitative trait loci,” modulating HLA-DR and -DQ expression. From our analysis of available data, we conclude that the tri-SNP haplotype within HLA-DRA1 may modulate class II expression, suggesting that increased T1D risk could be attributable to regulated expression of class II genes. These findings could help clarify the role of HLA in T1D susceptibility and improve diabetes risk assessment, particularly in high-risk HLA-DR3 homozygous individuals.
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| 7. |
- Ben, Rayana M.C., et al.
(författare)
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Guidelines for sampling, measuring and reporting ionized magnesium in undiluted serum, plasma or blood : International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC)
- 2005
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. - 1434-6621 .- 1437-4331. ; 43:5, s. 564-569
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All analyzers with ion-selective electrodes for ionized magnesium (iMg) should yield comparable and unbiased results. The prerequisite to achieve this goal is to reach consensus on sampling, measurement and reporting. The recommended guidelines for sampling, measurement and reporting iMg in plasma ("plasma" refers to circulating plasma and the forms in which it is sampled: the plasma phase of anticoagulated whole blood, plasma separated from blood cells, or serum) or blood, referring to the substance concentration of iMg in the calibrants, will provide results for iMg that are approximately 3% greater than its true concentration, and 4% less than its true molality. Binding of magnesium to proteins and ligands in plasma and blood is pH-dependent. Therefore, pH should be simultaneously measured to allow adjustment of iMg concentration to pH 7.4. The substance concentration of iMg may be physiologically and consequently clinically more relevant than the substance concentration of total magnesium. © 2005 by Walter de Gruyter.
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| 8. |
- Ben Rayana, Mohammed C, et al.
(författare)
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Recommendation for measuring and reporting chloride by ISEs in undiluted serum, plasma or blood
- 2006
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. - 1434-6621 .- 1437-4331. ; 44:3, s. 346-352
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The proposed recommendation for measuring and reporting chloride in undiluted plasma† or blood by ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) will provide results that are identical to chloride concentrations measured by coulometry for standardized normal plasma or blood samples. It is applicable to all current ISEs dedicated to chloride measurement in undiluted samples that meet the requirements. However, in samples with reduced water concentration, results by coulometry are lower than by ion-selective electrode due to volume displacement. The quantity measured by this standardized ISE procedure is called the ionized chloride concentration. It may be clinically more relevant than the chloride concentration as determined by coulometry, photometry or by ISE after dilution of the sample. © 2006 by Walter de Gruyter.
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| 9. |
- Bergersen, L H, et al.
(författare)
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Immunogold detection of L-glutamate and D-serine in small synaptic-like microvesicles in adult hippocampal astrocytes.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Cerebral Cortex. - : Oxford University Press. - 1047-3211 .- 1460-2199. ; 22:7, s. 1690-1697
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glutamate and the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ligand D-serine are putative gliotransmitters. Here, we show by immunogold cytochemistry of the adult hippocampus that glutamate and D-serine accumulate in synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs) in the perisynaptic processes of astrocytes. The estimated concentration of fixed glutamate in the astrocytic SLMVs is comparable to that in synaptic vesicles of excitatory nerve terminals (≈ 45 and ≈ 55 mM, respectively), whereas the D-serine level is about 6 mM. The vesicles are organized in small spaced clusters located near the astrocytic plasma membrane. Endoplasmic reticulum is regularly found in close vicinity to SLMVs, suggesting that astrocytes contain functional nanodomains, where a local Ca(2+) increase can trigger release of glutamate and/or D-serine.
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| 10. |
- Broitman, E., et al.
(författare)
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Mechanical and tribological properties of CNx films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering
- 2001
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Ingår i: Wear. - 0043-1648 .- 1873-2577. ; 248:1-2, s. 55-64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hardness, elasticity, wear rate and friction coefficient of carbon nitride (CNx) films of defined microstructure and composition are presented. CNx films were deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering from a C target in N2/Ar plasma. Films were grown on Si (001), Ni, and HSS substrates to thickness of ~0.5 µm at a total pressure of 3 mTorr with the N2 fraction varied from 0 to 1, and the substrate temperature Ts, varied from ambient to 350°C. The mechanical and tribological properties of the coatings were evaluated by nanoindentation and dry ball-on-disk test. For CNx (0 = x = 0.35) films deposited below 200°C (amorphous structure), the elastic recovery and hardness do not change significantly with increasing N concentration, however, the friction coefficient increases from 0.19 to 0.45, while the coating wear rate is low. For CNx (0 = x = 0.15) films grown at Ts = 350°C, where a transition from a graphite-like to a "fullerene-like" phase occurs, a dramatic increase in hardness and elasticity is observed. Furthermore, the rms surface roughness decreases from 15.0 to 0.4 nm. For 0.15 = x = 0.20, CNx films deposited at Ts = 350°C (fullerene-like phase) exhibit a smooth surface, high hardness and elasticity (~90% recovery), and a coefficient of friction against hard steel of ~0.25. For all substrates, film friction coefficient tends to increase as the nitrogen content in the film is increased. Results also indicate the formation of a transfer layer which improves the tribological properties of the films. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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