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- Aamodt, K., et al.
(author)
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The ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3:S08002
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a general-purpose, heavy-ion detector at the CERN LHC which focuses on QCD, the strong-interaction sector of the Standard Model. It is designed to address the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at extreme values of energy density and temperature in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Besides running with Pb ions, the physics programme includes collisions with lighter ions, lower energy running and dedicated proton-nucleus runs. ALICE will also take data with proton beams at the top LHC energy to collect reference data for the heavy-ion programme and to address several QCD topics for which ALICE is complementary to the other LHC detectors. The ALICE detector has been built by a collaboration including currently over 1000 physicists and engineers from 105 Institutes in 30 countries, Its overall dimensions are 16 x 16 x 26 m(3) with a total weight of approximately 10 000 t. The experiment consists of 18 different detector systems each with its own specific technology choice and design constraints, driven both by the physics requirements and the experimental conditions expected at LHC. The most stringent design constraint is to cope with the extreme particle multiplicity anticipated in central Pb-Pb collisions. The different subsystems were optimized to provide high-momentum resolution as well as excellent Particle Identification (PID) over a broad range in momentum, up to the highest multiplicities predicted for LHC. This will allow for comprehensive studies of hadrons, electrons, muons, and photons produced in the collision of heavy nuclei. Most detector systems are scheduled to be installed and ready for data taking by mid-2008 when the LHC is scheduled to start operation, with the exception of parts of the Photon Spectrometer (PHOS), Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) and Electro Magnetic Calorimeter (EMCal). These detectors will be completed for the high-luminosity ion run expected in 2010. This paper describes in detail the detector components as installed for the first data taking in the summer of 2008.
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- Bousquet, J, et al.
(author)
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Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19: time for research to develop adaptation strategies
- 2020
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In: Clinical and translational allergy. - : Wiley. - 2045-7022. ; 10:1, s. 58-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPARγ:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NFκB: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2α:Elongation initiation factor 2α). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT1R axis (AT1R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity.
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- Pilheden, M., et al.
(author)
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Duplex Sequencing Uncovers Recurrent Low-frequency Cancer-associated Mutations in Infant and Childhood KMT2A-rearranged Acute Leukemia
- 2022
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In: Hemasphere. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 2572-9241. ; 6:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with KMT2A-gene rearrangements (KMT2A-r) have few mutations and a poor prognosis. To uncover mutations that are below the detection of standard next-generation sequencing (NGS), a combination of targeted duplex sequencing and NGS was applied on 20 infants and 7 children with KMT2A-r ALL, 5 longitudinal and 6 paired relapse samples. Of identified nonsynonymous mutations, 87 had been previously implicated in cancer and targeted genes recurrently altered in KMT2A-r leukemia and included mutations in KRAS, NRAS, FLT3, TP53, PIK3CA, PAX5, PIK3R1, and PTPN11, with infants having fewer such mutations. Of identified cancer-associated mutations, 62% were below the resolution of standard NGS. Only 33 of 87 mutations exceeded 2% of cellular prevalence and most-targeted PI3K/RAS genes (31/33) and typically KRAS/NRAS. Five patients only had low-frequency PI3K/RAS mutations without a higher-frequency signaling mutation. Further, drug-resistant clones with FLT3(D835H) or NRAS(G13D/G12S) mutations that comprised only 0.06% to 0.34% of diagnostic cells, expanded at relapse. Finally, in longitudinal samples, the relapse clone persisted as a minor subclone from diagnosis and through treatment before expanding during the last month of disease. Together, we demonstrate that infant and childhood KMT2A-r ALL harbor low-frequency cancer-associated mutations, implying a vast subclonal genetic landscape.
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- Buitenhuis, M, et al.
(author)
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Differential regulation of granulopoiesis by the basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional inhibitors Id1 and Id2
- 2005
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In: Blood. - : American Society of Hematology. - 1528-0020 .- 0006-4971. ; 105:11, s. 4272-4281
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inhibitor of DNA binding (Id) proteins function as inhibitors of members of the basic helix-loop-helix family of transcription factors and have been demonstrated to play an important role in regulating lymphopoiesis. However, the role of these proteins in regulation of myelopoiesis is currently unclear. In this study, we have investigated the role of Id1 and Id2 in the regulation of granulopoiesis. Id1 expression was initially upregulated during early granulopoiesis, which was then followed by a decrease in expression during final maturation. In contrast, Id2 expression was up-regulated in terminally differentiated granulocytes. In order to determine whether Id expression plays a critical role in regulating granulopoiesis, Id1 and Id2 were ectopically expressed in CD34(+) cells by retroviral transduction. Our experiments demonstrate that constitutive expression of Id1 inhibits eosinophil development, whereas in contrast neutrophil differentiation was modestly enhanced. Constitutive Id2 expression accelerates final maturation of both eosinophils and neutrophils, whereas inhibition of Id2 expression blocks differentiation of both lineages. Transplantation of beta 2-microglobulin(-/-) nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice with CD34(+) cells ectopically expressing Id1 resulted in enhanced neutrophil development, whereas ectopic expression of Id2 induced both eosinophil and neutrophil development. These data demonstrate that both Id1 and Id2 play a critical, although differential role in granulopolesis.
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- Gronbaek, J. Kjaer, et al.
(author)
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Postoperative speech impairment and cranial nerve deficits after secondary surgery of posterior fossa tumours in childhood : a prospective European multicentre study
- 2022
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In: Child's Nervous System. - : Springer Nature. - 0256-7040 .- 1433-0350. ; 38:4, s. 747-758
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Brain tumours constitute 25% of childhood neoplasms, and half of them are in the posterior fossa. Surgery is a fundamental component of therapy, because gross total resection is associated with a higher progression-free survival. Patients with residual tumour, progression of residual tumour or disease recurrence commonly require secondary surgery. We prospectively investigated the risk of postoperative speech impairment (POSI) and cranial nerve dysfunction (CND) following primary and secondary resection for posterior cranial fossa tumours. Methods In the Nordic-European study of the cerebellar mutism syndrome, we prospectively included children undergoing posterior fossa tumour resection or open biopsy in one of the 26 participating European centres. Neurological status was assessed preoperatively, and surgical details were noted post-operatively. Patients were followed up 2 weeks, 2 months and 1 year postoperatively. Here, we analyse the risk of postoperative speech impairment (POSI), defined as either mutism or reduced speech, and cranial nerve dysfunction (CND) following secondary, as compared to primary, surgery. Results We analysed 426 children undergoing primary and 78 undergoing secondary surgery between 2014 and 2020. The incidence of POSI was significantly lower after secondary (12%) compared with primary (28%, p = 0.0084) surgery. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for tumour histology, the odds ratio for developing POSI after secondary surgery was 0.23, compared with primary surgery (95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.65, p = 0.006). The frequency of postoperative CND did not differ significantly after primary vs. secondary surgery (p = 0.21). Conclusion Children have a lower risk of POSI after secondary than after primary surgery for posterior fossa tumours but remain at significant risk of both POSI and CND. The present findings should be taken in account when weighing risks and benefits of secondary surgery for posterior fossa tumours.
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- Persson, K., et al.
(author)
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Preoperative word-finding difficulties in children with posterior fossa tumours : a European cross-sectional study
- 2024
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In: Child's Nervous System. - 0256-7040 .- 1433-0350. ; 40:1, s. 87-97
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on language prior to surgery. The current crosslinguistic study addresses this gap. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative word-finding difficulties, examined associations with medical and demographic characteristics, and analysed lexical errors. Methods: We included 148 children aged 5–17 years with a posterior fossa tumour. Word-finding ability was assessed by means of a picture-naming test, Wordrace, and difficulties in accuracy and speed were identified by cut-off values. A norm-based subanalysis evaluated performance in a Swedish subsample. We compared the demographic and medical characteristics of children with slow, inaccurate, or combined slow and inaccurate word finding to the characteristics of children without word-finding difficulties and conducted a lexical error analysis. Results: Thirty-seven percent (n = 55) presented with slow word finding, 24% (n = 35) with inaccurate word finding, and 16% (n = 23) with both slow and inaccurate word finding. Children with posterior fossa tumours were twice as slow as children in the norming sample. Right-hemisphere and brainstem location posed a higher risk for preoperative word-finding difficulties, relative to left-hemisphere location, and difficulties were more prevalent in boys than in girls. The most frequent errors were lack of response and semantically related sideordinated words. Conclusion: Word-finding difficulties are frequent in children with posterior fossa tumours, especially in boys and in children with right-hemisphere and brainstem tumours. Errors resemble those observed in typical development and children with word-finding difficulties.
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