1. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Long-range angular correlations on the near and away side in p-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV
- 2013
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In: Physics Letters. Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693. ; 719:1-3, s. 29-41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angular correlations between charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV for transverse momentum ranges within 0.5 < P-T,P-assoc < P-T,P-trig < 4 GeV/c. The correlations are measured over two units of pseudorapidity and full azimuthal angle in different intervals of event multiplicity, and expressed as associated yield per trigger particle. Two long-range ridge-like structures, one on the near side and one on the away side, are observed when the per-trigger yield obtained in low-multiplicity events is subtracted from the one in high-multiplicity events. The excess on the near-side is qualitatively similar to that recently reported by the CMS Collaboration, while the excess on the away-side is reported for the first time. The two-ridge structure projected onto azimuthal angle is quantified with the second and third Fourier coefficients as well as by near-side and away-side yields and widths. The yields on the near side and on the away side are equal within the uncertainties for all studied event multiplicity and p(T) bins, and the widths show no significant evolution with event multiplicity or p(T). These findings suggest that the near-side ridge is accompanied by an essentially identical away-side ridge. (c) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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2. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of prompt J/psi and beauty hadron production cross sections at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV
- 2012
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In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALICE experiment at the LHC has studied J/psi production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV through its electron pair decay on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity L-int = 5.6 nb(-1). The fraction of J/psi from the decay of long-lived beauty hadrons was determined for J/psi candidates with transverse momentum p(t) > 1,3 GeV/c and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section for prompt J/psi mesons, i.e. directly produced J/psi and prompt decays of heavier charmonium states such as the psi(2S) and chi(c) resonances, is sigma(prompt J/psi) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 8.3 +/- 0.8(stat.) +/- 1.1 (syst.)(-1.4)(+1.5) (syst. pol.) mu b. The cross section for the production of b-hadrons decaying to J/psi with p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c and vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 is a sigma(J/psi <- hB) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 1.46 +/- 0.38 (stat.)(-0.32)(+0.26) (syst.) mu b. The results are compared to QCD model predictions. The shape of the p(t) and y distributions of b-quarks predicted by perturbative QCD model calculations are used to extrapolate the measured cross section to derive the b (b) over bar pair total cross section and d sigma/dy at mid-rapidity.
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3. |
- Benedict, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Intranasal Insulin Enhances Postprandial Thermogenesis and Lowers Postprandial Serum Insulin Levels in Healthy Men
- 2011
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In: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0012-1797 .- 1939-327X. ; 60:1, s. 114-118
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE Animal studies indicate a prominent role of brain insulin signaling in the regulation of peripheral energy metabolism. We determined the effect of intranasal insulin, which directly targets the brain, on glucose metabolism and energy expenditure in humans.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSIn a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced within-subject comparison, 19 healthy normal-weight men (18-26 years old) were intranasally administered 160 IU human insulin after an overnight fast. Energy expenditure assessed via indirect calorimetry and blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and free fatty acids (FFAs) were measured before and after insulin administration and the subsequent consumption of a high-calorie liquid meal of 900 kcal.RESULTSIntranasal insulin, compared with placebo, increased postprandial energy expenditure, i.e., diet-induced thermogenesis, and decreased postprandial concentrations of circulating insulin and C-peptide, whereas postprandial plasma glucose concentrations did not differ from placebo values. Intranasal insulin also induced a transient decrease in prandial serum FFA levels.CONCLUSIONSEnhancing brain insulin signaling by means of intranasal insulin administration enhances the acute thermoregulatory and glucoregulatory response to food intake, suggesting that central nervous insulin contributes to the control of whole-body energy homeostasis in humans.
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4. |
- Boeckel, Jes-Niels, et al.
(author)
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Adjusted Troponin I for Improved Evaluation of Patients with Chest Pain
- 2018
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In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of cardiac troponins (cTn) is the gold standard for diagnosing myocardial infarction. Independent of myocardial infarction (MI), however, sex, age and kidney function affect cTn levels. Here we developed a method to adjust cTnI levels for age, sex, and renal function, maintaining a unified cut-off value such as the 99th percentile. A total of 4587 individuals enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study were used to develop a model for adjustment of cTn. cTnI levels correlated with age and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in males/females with r(age) = 0.436/0.518 and with (r)(eGFR) = -0.142/-0.207. For adjustment, these variables served as covariates in a linear regression model with cTnl as dependent variable. This adjustment model was then applied to a real-world cohort of 1789 patients with suspected acute MI (AMI) (N = 407). Adjusting cTnI showed no relevant loss of diagnostic information, as evidenced by comparable areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves, to identify AMI in males and females for adjusted and unadjusted cTnI. In specific patients groups such as in elderly females, adjusting cTnI improved specificity for AMI compared with unadjusted cTnI. Specificity was also improved in patients with renal dysfunction by using the adjusted cTnI values. Thus, the adjustments improved the diagnostic ability of cTnI to identify AMI in elderly patients and in patients with renal dysfunction. Interpretation of cTnI values in complex emergency cases is facilitated by our method, which maintains a single diagnostic cut-off value in all patients.
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5. |
- Lehnert, Oliver, et al.
(author)
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Conodonts from the Lower Ordovician of Morocco — Contributions to age and faunal diversity of the Fezouata Lagerstätte and peri-Gondwana biogeography
- 2016
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In: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0031-0182. ; 460, s. 50-61
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study documents conodont faunas of the Fezouata Formation, recovered from the AZ-1 borehole at Adrar Zouggar Mountain and from outcrops near Zagora in south-eastern Morocco. The Fezouata Formation was deposited on the peri-Gondwanan shelf near the South Pole during Early Ordovician times. It is composed of mostly fine-grained siliciclastics and is well known for including beds displaying the exceptionally well preserved Fezouata Biota. Studies on different microfossil groups, including conodonts, increase the diversity recorded from this exceptional ecosystem. Strongly recrystallised conodont elements were extracted from the fine-grained siliciclastic sediments by diluted hydrofluoric acid (HF), which was used for isolating palynomorphs. The material is dominated by simple cone taxa such as Parapaltodus, Semiacontiodus, Scolopodus, Scalpellodus, Drepanoistodus, Acodus, Paltodus, and Cornuodus. In addition, a few elements of early Prioniodus are recovered. This composition allows an estimation of uppermost Tremadocian through basal Floian ages for the fragmented elements because characteristic elements of younger assemblages, including ramiform (e.g., Oepikodus, Baltoniodus) or coniform (e.g., Tropodus, Protopanderodus) apparatuses, have not been recorded. The association is devoid of any warm/tropical and temperate water taxa and is typical for faunas in the cold water environments of the subpolar siliciclastic shelves during Early Ordovician times. The new term of ‘subpolar faunal domain’ is proposed for these conodont associations of low diversity that occur at high southern latitudes during the Early Ordovician. Ecological implications and palaeobiogeographical relationships of the conodont faunas are discussed.
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6. |
- Schmid, M, et al.
(author)
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Short-term sleep loss decreases physical activity under free-living conditions but does not increase food intake under time-deprived laboratory conditions in healthy men
- 2009
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In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9165 .- 1938-3207. ; 90:6, s. 1476-1482
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Short sleep duration is correlated with an increased risk of developing obesity and cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms behind this relation are largely unknown.Objective: We aimed to test the hypothesis that acute sleep loss decreases physical activity while increasing food intake, thereby shifting 2 crucial behavioral components of energy homeostasis toward weight gain.Design: In 15 healthy, normal-weight men, spontaneous physical activity was registered by accelerometry during the entire experiment, and food intake as well as relevant hormones were assessed during a 15-h daytime period after 2 nights of regular sleep (bed time: 2245-0700) and after 2 nights of restricted sleep (bed time: 0245-0700). Experiments were performed in a crossover design.Results: Sleep restriction significantly decreased physical activity during the daytime spent under free-living conditions after the first night of sleep manipulation (P = 0.008). Also, intensities of physical activity were shifted toward lower levels, with less time spent with intense activities (P = 0.046). Total energy intake, feelings of hunger, and appetite as well as ghrelin and leptin concentrations during day 2 remained unaffected by acute sleep restriction.Conclusions: In contrast to our expectation, short-term sleep loss neither increased food intake nor affected concentrations of the hunger-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. However, the observed decrease in daytime physical activity may point to another potentially important behavioral mechanism for the health-impairing influence of sleep loss.
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7. |
- Åkerström, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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Activating mutations in CTNNB1 in aldosterone producing adenomas
- 2016
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension with a prevalenceof 5–10% in unreferred hypertensive patients. Aldosterone producing adenomas (APAs) constitutea large proportion of PA cases and represent a surgically correctable form of the disease. The WNTsignaling pathway is activated in APAs. In other tumors, a frequent cause of aberrant WNT signaling ismutation in the CTNNB1 gene coding for β-catenin. Our objective was to screen for CTNNB1 mutationsin a well-characterized cohort of 198 APAs. Somatic CTNNB1 mutations were detected in 5.1% of thetumors, occurring mutually exclusive from mutations in KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3 and CACNA1D. Allof the observed mutations altered serine/threonine residues in the GSK3β binding domain in exon 3.The mutations were associated with stabilized β-catenin and increased AXIN2 expression, suggestingactivation of WNT signaling. By CYP11B2 mRNA expression, CYP11B2 protein expression, and directmeasurement of aldosterone in tumor tissue, we confirmed the ability for aldosterone production. Thisreport provides compelling evidence that aberrant WNT signaling caused by mutations in CTNNB1 occurin APAs. This also suggests that other mechanisms that constitutively activate the WNT pathway maybe important in APA formation.
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8. |
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9. |
- Åkerström, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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Comprehensive Re-Sequencing of Adrenal Aldosterone Producing Lesions Reveal Three Somatic Mutations near the KCNJ5 Potassium Channel Selectivity Filter.
- 2012
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In: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aldosterone producing lesions are a common cause of hypertension, but genetic alterations for tumorigenesis have been unclear. Recently, either of two recurrent somatic missense mutations (G151R or L168R) was found in the potassium channel KCNJ5 gene in aldosterone producing adenomas. These mutations alter the channel selectivity filter and result in Na(+) conductance and cell depolarization, stimulating aldosterone production and cell proliferation. Because a similar mutation occurs in a Mendelian form of primary aldosteronism, these mutations appear to be sufficient for cell proliferation and aldosterone production. The prevalence and spectrum of KCNJ5 mutations in different entities of adrenocortical lesions remain to be defined.
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10. |
- Åkerström, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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Novel somatic mutations and distinct molecular signature in aldosterone-producing adenomas.
- 2015
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In: Endocrine-Related Cancer. - 1351-0088 .- 1479-6821. ; 22:5, s. 735-744
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) are found in 1.5-3.0% of hypertensive patients in primary care and can be cured by surgery. Elucidation of genetic events may improve our understanding of these tumors and ultimately improve patient care. Approximately 40% of APAs harbor a missense mutation in the KCNJ5 gene. More recently, somatic mutations in CACNA1D, ATP1A1 and ATP2B3, also important for membrane potential/intracellular Ca(2) (+) regulation, were observed in APAs. In this study, we analyzed 165 APAs for mutations in selected regions of these genes. We then correlated mutational findings with clinical and molecular phenotype using transcriptome analysis, immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative PCR. Somatic mutations in CACNA1D in 3.0% (one novel mutation), ATP1A1 in 6.1% (six novel mutations) and ATP2B3 in 3.0% (two novel mutations) were detected. All observed mutations were located in previously described hotspot regions. Patients with tumors harboring mutations in CACNA1D, ATP1A1 and ATP2B3 were operated at an older age, were more often male and had tumors that were smaller than those in patients with KCNJ5 mutated tumors. Microarray transcriptome analysis segregated KCNJ5 mutated tumors from ATP1A1/ATP2B3 mutated tumors and those without mutation. We observed significant transcription upregulation of CYP11B2, as well as the previously described glomerulosa-specific gene NPNT, in ATP1A1/ATP2B3 mutated tumors compared to KCNJ5 mutated tumors. In summary, we describe novel somatic mutations in proteins regulating the membrane potential/intracellular Ca(2) (+) levels, and also a distinct mRNA and clinical signature, dependent on genetic alteration.
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