| 1. |
- Sun, J L, et al.
(författare)
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Interactions of sequence variants in interieukin-1 receptor-associated kinase4 and the Toll-like receptor 6-1-10 gene cluster increase prostate cancer risk
- 2006
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - Wake Forest Univ, Sch Med, Ctr Human Genom, Winston Salem, NC 27109 USA. Wake Forest Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth Sci, Winston Salem, NC 27109 USA. Umea Univ, Dept Radiat Sci, Umea, Sweden. Karolinska Inst, Dept Med Epidemiol & Biostat, Stockholm, Sweden. Univ Hosp Uppsala, Reg Oncol Ctr, Uppsala, Sweden. Orebro Univ Hosp, Dept Urol & Clin Med, Orebro, Sweden. Johns Hopkins Med Inst, Dept Urol, Baltimore, MD USA. : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 15:3, s. 480-485
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic or recurrent inflammation has been suggested as a causal factor in several human malignancies, including prostate cancer. Genetic predisposition is also a strong risk factor in the development of prostate cancer. In particular, Toll-like receptors (TLR), especially the TLR6-1-10 gene cluster, are involved in prostate cancer development. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAK) 1 and 4 are critical components in the TLR signaling pathway. In this large case-control study, we tested two hypotheses: (a) sequence variants in IRAK1 and IRAK4 are associated with prostate cancer risk and (b) sequence variants in IRAK1/4 and TLR1-6-10 interacts and confers a stronger risk to prostate cancer. We analyzed 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (four in IRAK1 and seven in IRAK4) among 1,383 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and 780 population controls in Sweden. Although the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in IRAK1 and IRAK4 alone were not significantly associated with prostate cancer risk, one single-nucleotide polymorphism in IRAK4, when combined with the high-risk genotype at TLR6-1-10, conferred a significant excess risk of prostate cancer. In particular, men with the risk genotype at TLR6-1-10 and IRAK4-7987 CG/CC had an odds ratio of 9.68 (P = 0.03) when compared with men who had wildtype genotypes. Our findings suggest synergistic effects between sequence variants in IRAK4 and the TLR 6-1-10 gene cluster. Although this study was based on a priori hypothesis and was designed to address many common issues facing this type of study, our results need confirmation in even larger studies.
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| 2. |
- Sun, J L, et al.
(författare)
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Sequence variants in toll-like receptor gene cluster (TLR6-TLR1-TLR10) and prostate cancer risk
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - Wake Forest Univ, Sch Med, Ctr Human Genom, Winston Salem, NC 27157 USA. Umea Univ, Dept Radiat Sci & Oncol, Umea, Sweden. Karolinska Inst, Dept Med Epidemiol & Biostat, Stockholm, Sweden. Orebro Univ Hosp, Dept Urol & Clin Med, Orebro, Sweden. Univ Uppsala Hosp, Reg Oncol Ctr, Uppsala, Sweden. Johns Hopkins Sch Med, Dept Urol, Baltimore, MD USA. : OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 97:7, s. 525-532
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Chronic inflammation plays an important role in several human cancers and may be involved in the etiology of prostate cancer. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important in the innate immune response to pathogens and in cross-talk between innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Our previous finding of an association of TLR4 gene sequence variants and prostate cancer risk provides evidence for a role of TLRs in prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated whether sequence variants in the TLR6-TLR1-TLR10 gene cluster, residing within a 54-kb region on 4p14, were associated with prostate cancer risk. Methods: We selected 32 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering these three genes and genotyped these SNPs in 96 control subjects from the Cancer Prostate in Sweden (CAPS) population-based prostate cancer case-control study. Five distinct haplotype blocks were inferred at this region, and we identified 17 haplotype-tagging SNPs (htSNPs) that could uniquely describe < 95% of the haplotypes. These 17 htSNPs were then genotyped in the entire CAPS study population (1383 case subjects and 780 control subjects). Odds ratios of prostate cancer for the carriers of a variant allele versus those with the wild-type allele were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Results: The allele frequencies of 11 of the 17 SNPs were statistically significantly different between case and control subjects (P = .04-.001), with odds ratios for variant allele carriers (homozygous or heterozygous) compared with wild-type allele carriers ranging from 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00 to 1.43) to 1.38 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.70). Phylogenetic tree analyses of common haplotypes identified a clade of two evolutionarily related haplotypes that are statistically significantly associated with prostate cancer risk. These two haplotypes contain all the risk alleles of these 11 associated SNPs. Conclusion: The observed multiple associated SNPs at the TLR6-TLR1-TLR10 gene cluster were dependent and suggest the presence of a founder prostate cancer risk variant on this haplotype background. The TLR6-TLR1-TLR10 gene cluster may play a role in prostate cancer risk, although further functional studies are needed to pinpoint the disease-associated variants in this gene cluster.
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| 3. |
- Campana, Pietro Elia, et al.
(författare)
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Suitable and optimal locations for implementing photovoltaic water pumping systems for grassland irrigation in China
- 2017
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Ingår i: APPLIED ENERGY. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 185, s. 1879-1889
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Grassland plays a key role for the food security of China because of the large number of livestock raised in those areas. Thus, grassland degradation due to climate change and overgrazing is considered as one of the most severe environmental and economic threat for the future sustainable development of China. Photovoltaic water pumping systems for irrigation can play a fundamental role for the conservation of grassland areas. This paper investigates the geospatial distribution of the technically suitable grassland locations for the implementation of photovoltaic water pumping systems. The technically suitable grassland areas were taken as starting point to assess the optimal locations. The assessment of the optimal locations was conducted using a spatially explicit optimization model of renewable energy systems based on the cost minimization of the whole forage supply chain. The results indicate that the photovoltaic water pumping systems provide high potential for improving forage productivity, contributing to meet the local demand. The optimal areas are highly sensitive to several environmental and economic parameters such as increased forage potential yield, forage management costs, forage water requirements, ground water depth, forage price and CO2 price. Most of the optimal areas are selected when the market forage price ranges from 300 to 500 $/tonne DM, indicating that the forage produced using PVWP technology for irrigation is already competitive compared to the imported forage.
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| 4. |
- Duggan, D., et al.
(författare)
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Two genome-wide association studies of aggressive prostate cancer implicate putative prostate tumor suppressor gene DAB2IP
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 99:24, s. 1836-1844
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The consistent finding of a genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer suggests that there are germline sequence variants predisposing individuals to this disease. These variants could be useful in screening and treatment. Methods: We performed an exploratory genome-wide association scan in 498 men with aggressive prostate cancer and 494 control subjects selected from a population-based case-control study in Sweden. We combined the results of this scan with those for aggressive prostate cancer from the publicly available Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) Study. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that showed statistically significant associations with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer based on two-sided allele tests were tested for their association with aggressive prostate cancer in two independent study populations composed of individuals of European or African American descent using one-sided tests and the genetic model (dominant or additive) associated with the lowest value in the exploratory study. Results: Among the approximately 60000 SNPs that were common to our study and CGEMS, we identified seven that had a similar (positive or negative) and statistically significant (P<.01) association with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer in both studies. Analysis of the distribution of these SNPs among 1032 prostate cancer patients and 571 control subjects of European descent indicated that one, rs1571801, located in the DAB2IP gene, which encodes a novel Ras GTPase-activating protein and putative prostate tumor suppressor, was associated with aggressive prostate cancer (one-sided P value =. 004). The association was also statistically significant in an African American study population that included 210 prostate cancer patients and 346 control subjects (one-sided P value =. 02). Conclusion: A genetic variant in DAB2IP may be associated with the risk of aggressive prostate cancer and should be evaluated further.
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| 5. |
- Huang, X., et al.
(författare)
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Design and optimization of a novel phase change photovoltaic thermal utilization structure for building envelope
- 2023
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Ingår i: Renewable energy. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0960-1481 .- 1879-0682. ; 218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The building envelope is of great significance for building thermal comfort, and photovoltaic heat (PV/T) can be effectively utilized through phase change heat storage technology to reduce heating energy consumption. In this paper, a phase change heat storage structure with subzone rotation is proposed for the building envelope. A numerical model of a triplex-tube LHTES unit is established by using the enthalpy-porosity method and verified by experimental data. The study employs the Taguchi method to select rotation speed in different regions and fin/tube wall material as variables. The effects of different variables on heat release rate and solidification time are investigated, and the interaction of each parameter on solidification performance is analyzed through signal-to-noise ratio. The findings indicate that when the inner and outer tube speeds are 0.3 rpm and 0.5 rpm, respectively, compared to the initial model where both inner and outer tube speeds are 0.1 rpm, the average temperature response rate and the average heat release rate are increased by 51.47% and 61.04%, respectively. Meanwhile, the solidification time is shortened by 40.49%. However, the release of the total heat is reduced by 0.66%. The study concludes that increasing rotation speed or solidification consistency of PCM in different areas is of great value in enhancing overall solidification performance. Finally, the specific effect of increasing regional rotation speed on the solidification process is studied through temperature/flow rate monitoring in the unit.
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| 6. |
- Liu, J., et al.
(författare)
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Investment decision on carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies : A real option model based on technology learning effect
- 2022
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies are crucial to achieving carbon neutrality targets. However, assessing the investment value and timing comprehensively is still challenging for CCU due to uncertainties in technologies and markets from a long-term perspective. In order to assist decision making, this work develops a new real option investment decision model based on the technology learning effect. In particular, the component-based two-factor technology learning curve approach is proposed to predict the future costs for each component. To verify this model, it is used to analyze two CCU processes, including the enhanced oil recovery using CO2 (CO2-EOR) and methanol synthesis from captured CO2 (CO2-MET). Results show that the proposed model can effectively predict the technology cost curve and find the optimal investment decision for the two applications considering various uncertainties. It is also found that the oil price at least needs to be over 80 $/barrel for CO2-EOR and the methanol price needs to be over 580 $/ton for CO2-MET respectively to trigger immediate investment. Comparatively, investing in CO2-MET projects is more economical than in CO2-EOR projects.
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| 7. |
- Liu, L., et al.
(författare)
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Forecasting the occurrence of extreme electricity prices using a multivariate logistic regression model
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extreme electricity prices occur with a higher frequency and a larger magnitude in recent years. Accurate forecasting of the occurrence of extreme prices is of great concern to market operators and participants. This paper aims to forecast the occurrence probability of day-ahead extremely low and high electricity prices and investigate the relative importance of different influencing variables. The data obtained from the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) were employed, including historical prices (one day before and one week before), reserve capacity, load demand, variable renewable energy (VRE) proportion and interconnector flow. A Multivariate Logistic Regression (MLgR) model was proposed, which showed good forecasting capability in terms of model fitness and classification accuracy with different thresholds of extreme prices. In addition, the performance of the MLgR model was verified by comparing with two other models, i.e., Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Radical Basis Function (RBF) neural network. Relative importance analysis was performed to quantify of the contribution of the variables. The proposed method enriches the theories of electricity price forecast and advances the understanding of the dynamics of extreme prices. By applying the model in practice, it will contribute to promoting the management of operation and establishment of a robust energy market.
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| 8. |
- Liu, S., et al.
(författare)
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Performance analysis of two-stage compression transcritical CO2 refrigeration system with R290 mechanical subcooling unit
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 189
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as refrigerant is driven by the need to phase down the traditional synthetic refrigerant so as to mitigate the warming climate. In this study, the thermal performance of a two-stage compression transcritical CO2 refrigeration system with R290 mechanical subcooling unit is conducted. The goal is to obtain the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of five different mechanical subcooling systems under the optimal subcooling temperature and compressor discharge pressure. The two-throttling and two-stage compression high-pressure mechanical subcooling system is found to have a higher COP. When the evaporation temperature is −30 °C, the COP of the two-throttling and two-stage compression high-pressure mechanical subcooling system is improved by 76.74%. The COP of the two-throttling and two-stage compression high-pressure mechanical subcooling system is 1.52 at an ambient temperature of 40 °C, which is 21.87% higher than that of the two-throttling and two-stage compression low-pressure mechanical subcooling system. The power consumption ratio of one-throttling and two-stage compression low-pressure mechanical subcooling system is significantly higher than that of other systems. From a comprehensive analysis of the proposed four systems, the two-throttling and two-stage compression high-pressure mechanical subcooling system has the best performance over all other systems.
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| 9. |
- Liu, Z., et al.
(författare)
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Innovative ladder-shaped fin design on a latent heat storage device for waste heat recovery
- 2022
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Latent heat energy storage system provides an alternative solution to solving the imbalance problem of energy supply and demand. To improve the phase change efficiency, a novel ladder-shaped fin is proposed to accelerate melting process. Under the same mass of fin materials, two groups of fin shapes (totally eight cases) are innovatively designed. Upon being verified by experiments in literature, numerical models account for comprehensive descriptions on melting front propagation with emphasizing temperature development and free convection in the liquid phase. Results demonstrate that the ladder-shaped fins can better optimize the melting channel of phase change material than the straight fin. Compared to the original straight fin case, a maximal 52.2% of the total melting time can be saved. The angle change of fins has a significant effect on reducing the melting time of the whole PCM. In Group I where fins are arranged vertically and horizontally, the total melting time is much shorter than that of each corresponding case in Group II (45° from the vertical axis). For the original straight fin in Group II, a 36.8% reduction in total melting time is obtained if turning fins by 45°clockwise. To be conclusive, it is more beneficial to add fins to mobile heat accumulators than to have no fins, saving more energy charging time.
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| 10. |
- Lu, F., et al.
(författare)
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Experimental study on thermal performance of transcritical CO 2 air source heat pump for space heating
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy Procedia. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 1876-6102. ; , s. 5913-5919
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Employing transcritical CO 2 heat pump system for space heating is an effective way to solve the issue of air pollution during the heating season in China. Thus, an experimental setup is developed to study the thermal performance of the transcritical CO 2 air source heat pump system used for space heating. The test results show that a maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.88 is obtained at the optimum discharge pressure and the ambient temperature of 10 o C. The optimal high pressure is nearly a constant with the value of about 8.5 MPa for the ambient temperature in the range of -15~10 o C. The system COP increases with the ambient temperature increasing, and the outlet temperature of the gas cooler is a dominant influencing factor on the thermal performance of the heat pump system. Little difference can be found between the gas cooler outlet temperatures with the variation in ambient temperatures.
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