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- Dyer, A. H., et al.
(author)
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Cognitive Outcomes of Long-term Benzodiazepine and Related Drug (BDZR) Use in People Living With Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: Results From NILVAD
- 2020
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In: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-8610. ; 21:2, s. 194-200
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Benzodiazepines and related drugs (BDZRs) have been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in later life. Despite this, it remains unclear whether ongoing BDZR use may further accelerate cognitive decline in those diagnosed with mild to moderate AD. Design: This study was embedded within NILVAD, a randomized controlled trial of nilvadipine in mild to moderate AD. Cognition was measured at baseline and 18 months using the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale, Cognitive Subsection (ADAS-Cog). We assessed predictors of long-term BDZR use and analyzed the effect of ongoing BDZR use on ADAS-Cog scores at 18 months. Additionally, the impact of BDZR use on adverse events, incident delirium, and falls over 18-month follow-up was assessed adjusting for relevant covariates. Setting and Participants: 448 participants with mild to moderate AD recruited from 23 academic centers in 9 European countries. Results: Overall, 14% (62/448) were prescribed an ongoing BDZR for the study duration. Increasing total number of (non-BDZR) medications was associated with a greater likelihood of BDZR prescription (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.29). At 18 months, BDZR use was not associated with greater cognitive decline on the ADAS-Cog controlling for baseline ADAS-Cog scores, age, gender, study arm, and other clinical covariates (beta = 1.62, -1.34 to 4.56). However, ongoing BDZR use was associated with a greater likelihood of adverse events [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.19, 1.05-1.34], incident delirium (IRR 2.31, 1.45-3.68), and falls (IRR 1.66, 1.02-2.65) over 18 months that persisted after robust adjustment for covariates. Conclusions and Implications: This study found no effect of ongoing BDZR use on ADAS-Cog scores in those with mild to moderate AD over 18 months. However, ongoing use of these medications was associated with an increased risk of adverse events, delirium, and falls. Thus, BDZR use should be avoided where possible and deprescribing interventions should be encouraged in older adults with AD. (C) 2019 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
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- Amanullah, Rahman, et al.
(author)
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Spectra and Hubble Space Telescope Light Curves of Six Type Ia Supernovae at 0.511 < z < 1.12 and the Union2 Compilation
- 2010
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 716, s. 712-738
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on work to increase the number of well-measured Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at high redshifts. Light curves, including high signal-to-noise Hubble Space Telescope data, and spectra of six SNe Ia that were discovered during 2001, are presented. Additionally, for the two SNe with z > 1, we present ground-based J-band photometry from Gemini and the Very Large Telescope. These are among the most distant SNe Ia for which ground-based near-IR observations have been obtained. We add these six SNe Ia together with other data sets that have recently become available in the literature to the Union compilation. We have made a number of refinements to the Union analysis chain, the most important ones being the refitting of all light curves with the SALT2 fitter and an improved handling of systematic errors. We call this new compilation, consisting of 557 SNe, the Union2 compilation. The flat concordance ΛCDM model remains an excellent fit to the Union2 data with the best-fit constant equation-of-state parameter w = -0.997+0.050 -0.054(stat)+0.077 -0.082(stat + sys together) for a flat universe, or w = -1.038+0.056 -0.059(stat)+0.093 -0.097(stat + sys together) with curvature. We also present improved constraints on w(z). While no significant change in w with redshift is detected, there is still considerable room for evolution in w. The strength of the constraints depends strongly on redshift. In particular, at z >~ 1, the existence and nature of dark energy are only weakly constrained by the data. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with programs HST-GO-08585 and HST-GO-09075. Based, in part, on observations obtained at the ESO La Silla Paranal Observatory (ESO programs 67.A-0361 and 169.A-0382). Based, in part, on observations obtained at the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). Based on observations obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). Based, in part, on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory (Gemini programs GN-2001A-SV-19 and GN-2002A-Q-31). Based, in part on observations obtained at the Subaru Telescope. Based, in part, on data that were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory.
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- de Heus, R. A. A., et al.
(author)
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Blood Pressure Lowering With Nilvadipine in Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer Disease Does Not Increase the Prevalence of Orthostatic Hypotension
- 2019
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In: Journal of the American Heart Association. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 2047-9980. ; 8:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background-Hypertension is common among patients with Alzheimer disease. Because this group has been excluded from hypertension trials, evidence regarding safety of treatment is lacking. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial assessed whether antihypertensive treatment increases the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in patients with Alzheimer disease. Methods and Results-Four hundred seventy-seven patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease were randomized to the calcium-channel blocker nilvadipine 8 mg/day or placebo for 78 weeks. Presence of OH (blood pressure drop >= 20/>= 10 mm Hg after 1 minute of standing) and OH-related adverse events (dizziness, syncope, falls, and fractures) was determined at 7 follow-up visits. Mean age of the study population was 72.2 +/- 8.2 years and mean Mini-Mental State Examination score was 20.4 +/- 3.8. Baseline blood pressure was 137.8 +/- 14.0/77.0 +/- 8.6 mm Hg. Grade I hypertension was present in 53.4% (n=255). After 13 weeks, blood pressure had fallen by -7.8/-3.9 mm Hg for nilvadipine and by -0.4/-0.8 mm Hg for placebo (P<0.001). Across the 78-week intervention period, there was no difference between groups in the proportion of patients with OH at a study visit (odds ratio [95% CI] 1.1 [0.8-1.5], P 0.62), nor in the proportion of visits where a patient met criteria for OH, corrected for number of visits (7.7 +/- 13.8% versus 7.3 +/- 11.6%). OH-related adverse events were not more often reported in the intervention group compared with placebo. Results were similar for those with baseline hypertension. Conclusions-This study suggests that initiation of a low dose of antihypertensive treatment does not significantly increase the risk of OH in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease.
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- Dongiovanni, P., et al.
(author)
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Transmembrane 6 Superfamily Member 2 Gene Variant Disentangles Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis From Cardiovascular Disease
- 2015
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In: Hepatology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0270-9139 .- 1527-3350. ; 61:2, s. 506-514
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Excess hepatic storage of triglycerides is considered a benign condition, but nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may progress to fibrosis and promote atherosclerosis. Carriers of the TM6SF2 E167K variant have fatty liver as a result of reduced secretion of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs). As a result, they have lower circulating lipids and reduced risk of myocardial infarction. In this study, we aimed to assess whether TM6SF2 E167K affects liver damage and cardiovascular outcomes in subjects at risk of NASH. Liver damage was evaluated in 1,201 patients who underwent liver biopsy for suspected NASH; 427 were evaluated for carotid atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular outcomes were assessed in 1,819 controls from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) cohort. Presence of the inherited TM6SF2 E167K variant was determined by TaqMan assays. In the liver biopsy cohort, 188 subjects (13%) were carriers of the E167K variant. They had lower serum lipid levels than noncarriers (P<0.05), had more-severe steatosis, necroinflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis (P<0.05), and were more likely to have NASH (odds ratio [OR]: 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-2.79) and advanced fibrosis (OR, 2.08; 95% CI: 1.20-3.55), after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, fasting hyperglycemia, and the I148M PNPLA3 risk variant. However, E167K carriers had lower risk of developing carotid plaques (OR, 0.49; 95% CI: 0.25-0.94). In the SOS cohort, E167K carriers had higher alanine aminotransferase ALT and lower lipid levels (P<0.05), as well as a lower incidence of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.39-0.95). Conclusions: Carriers of the TM6SF2 E167K variant are more susceptible to progressive NASH, but are protected against cardiovascular disease. Our findings suggest that reduced ability to export VLDLs is deleterious for the liver. (Hepatology 2015;61:506-514)
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- Lawlor, B., et al.
(author)
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Nilvadipine in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease: A randomised controlled trial
- 2018
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In: Plos Medicine. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1549-1676. ; 15:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background This study reports the findings of the first large-scale Phase III investigator-driven clinical trial to slow the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease with a dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blocker, nilvadipine. Nilvadipine, licensed to treat hypertension, reduces amyloid production, increases regional cerebral blood flow, and has demonstrated antiinflammatory and anti-tau activity in preclinical studies, properties that could have diseasemodifying effects for Alzheimer disease. We aimed to determine if nilvadipine was effective in slowing cognitive decline in subjects with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. NILVAD was an 18-month, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial that randomised participants between 15 May 2013 and 13 April 2015. The study was conducted at 23 academic centres in nine European countries. Of 577 participants screened, 511 were eligible and were randomised (258 to placebo, 253 to nilvadipine). Participants took a trial treatment capsule once a day after breakfast for 78 weeks. Participants were aged > 50 years, meeting National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's disease Criteria (NINCDS-ADRDA) for diagnosis of probable Alzheimer disease, with a Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score of >= 12 and < 27. Participants were randomly assigned to 8 mg sustained-release nilvadipine or matched placebo. The a priori defined primary outcome was progression on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale-12 (ADAS-Cog 12) in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population (n = 498), with the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of boxes (CDR-sb) as a gated co-primary outcome, eligible to be promoted to primary end point conditional on a significant effect on the ADAS-Cog 12. The analysis set had a mean age of 73 years and was 62% female. Baseline demographic and Alzheimer disease +/- specific characteristics were similar between treatment groups, with reported mean of 1.7 years since diagnosis and mean SMMSE of 20.4. The prespecified primary analyses failed to show any treatment benefit for nilvadipine on the co-primary outcome (p = 0.465). Decline from baseline in ADASCog 12 on placebo was 0.79 (95% CI, -0.07 +/- 1.64) at 13 weeks, 6.41 (5.33 +/- 7.49) at 52 weeks, and 9.63 (8.33 +/- 10.93) at 78 weeks and on nilvadipine was 0.88 (0.02 +/- 1.74) at 13 weeks, 5.75 (4.66 +/- 6.85) at 52 weeks, and 9.41 (8.09 +/- 10.73) at 78 weeks. Exploratory analyses of the planned secondary outcomes showed no substantial effects, including on the CDR-sb or the Disability Assessment for Dementia. Nilvadipine appeared to be safe and well tolerated. Mortality was similar between groups (3 on nilvadipine, 4 on placebo); higher counts of adverse events (AEs) on nilvadipine (1,129 versus 1,030), and serious adverse events (SAEs; 146 versus 101), were observed. There were 14 withdrawals because of AEs. Major limitations of this study were that subjects had established dementia and the likelihood that non-Alzheimer subjects were included because of the lack of biomarker confirmation of the presence of brain amyloid. The results do not suggest benefit of nilvadipine as a treatment in a population spanning mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.
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- Nobili, Serena, et al.
(author)
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Constraining Dust and Color Variations of High-z SNe Using NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope
- 2009
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 700, s. 1415-1427
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present data from the Supernova Cosmology Project for five high redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) that were obtained using the NICMOS infrared camera on the Hubble Space Telescope. We add two SNe from this sample to a rest-frame I-band Hubble diagram, doubling the number of high redshift supernovae on this diagram. This I-band Hubble diagram is consistent with a flat universe (ΩM, ΩΛ) = (0.29, 0.71). A homogeneous distribution of large grain dust in the intergalactic medium (replenishing dust) is incompatible with the data and is excluded at the 5σ confidence level, if the SN host galaxy reddening is corrected assuming RV = 1.75. We use both optical and infrared observations to compare photometric properties of distant SNe Ia with those of nearby objects. We find generally good agreement with the expected color evolution for all SNe except the highest redshift SN in our sample (SN 1997ek at z = 0.863) which shows a peculiar color behavior. We also present spectra obtained from ground-based telescopes for type identification and determination of redshift. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with program GO-07850.
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- Frisoni, G. B., et al.
(author)
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Strategic roadmap for an early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on biomarkers
- 2017
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In: Lancet Neurology. - 1474-4422 .- 1474-4465. ; 16:8, s. 661-676
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be improved by the use of biological measures. Biomarkers of functional impairment, neuronal loss, and protein deposition that can be assessed by neuroimaging (ie, MRI and PET) or CSF analysis are increasingly being used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in research studies and specialist clinical settings. However, the validation of the clinical usefulness of these biomarkers is incomplete, and that is hampering reimbursement for these tests by health insurance providers, their widespread clinical implementation, and improvements in quality of health care. We have developed a strategic five-phase roadmap to foster the clinical validation of biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease, adapted from the approach for cancer biomarkers. Sufficient evidence of analytical validity (phase 1 of a structured framework adapted from oncology) is available for all biomarkers, but their clinical validity (phases 2 and 3) and clinical utility (phases 4 and 5) are incomplete. To complete these phases, research priorities include the standardisation of the readout of these assays and thresholds for normality, the evaluation of their performance in detecting early disease, the development of diagnostic algorithms comprising combinations of biomarkers, and the development of clinical guidelines for the use of biomarkers in qualified memory clinics.
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- Pelusi, S, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence and Risk Factors of Significant Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Without Steatohepatitis.
- 2019
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In: Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. - : Elsevier BV. - 1542-7714. ; 17:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a risk factor for the development of fibrosis. However, fibrosis has been observed in livers of patients without NASH. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of fibrosis in patients without NASH and risk factors for fibrosis.We analyzed data from 1738 subjects (44.9% with severe obesity) in a cross-sectional liver biopsy cohort enrolled at referral centers in Italy and Finland. Biopsy specimens were analyzed histologically by a blinded pathologist at each center, and a diagnosis of NASH was made based on steatosis (≥5% of hepatocytes), hepatocellular ballooning, and lobular inflammation. We also collected data on demographic features, metabolic comorbidities, and genetic factors, and performed logistic regression analyses. Findings were validated using data from 118 consecutive patients with NAFLD who underwent sequential liver biopsies at tertiary referral centers in Italy.In the cross-sectional cohort, 132 of 389 patients (33.9%) with significant fibrosis had no NASH and 39 patients (10.0%) had no inflammation. The dissociation between NASH and fibrosis was significantly greater in patients with severe obesity (P < .005). Steatosis, ballooning, and lobular inflammation each were associated independently with significant fibrosis (P < .001); age, adiposity, fasting hyperglycemia, and the PNPLA3 I148M variant also were associated with fibrosis. In patients without, but not in those with, NASH, significant fibrosis was associated with steatosis grade and the PNPLA3 I148M variant. In patients without NASH, age, fasting hyperglycemia, ballooning, and inflammation were associated with fibrosis. In the validation cohort, 16 of 47 patients (34.0%) with clinically significant fibrosis did not have NASH at baseline. In patients with fibrosis without baseline NASH, worsening of fibrosis (based on later biopsies) was associated with fasting hyperglycemia and more severe steatosis (P= .016).In an analysis of biopsy specimens collected from patients with NAFLD at a single time point, one third of patients with significant fibrosis did not have NASH. We validated this finding in a separate cohort. In patients without NASH, fasting hyperglycemia, severe steatosis, mild inflammation or ballooning, and the PNPLA3 I148M variant identified those at risk of significant fibrosis.
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20. |
- Chetelat, G., et al.
(author)
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Amyloid-PET and 18-F-FDG-PET in the diagnostic investigation of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
- 2020
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In: Lancet Neurology. - 1474-4422 .- 1474-4465. ; 19:11, s. 951-962
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Various biomarkers are available to support the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases in clinical and research settings. Among the molecular imaging biomarkers, amyloid-PET, which assesses brain amyloid deposition, and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) PET, which assesses glucose metabolism, provide valuable and complementary information. However, uncertainty remains regarding the optimal timepoint, combination, and an order in which these PET biomarkers should be used in diagnostic evaluations because conclusive evidence is missing. Following an expert panel discussion, we reached an agreement on the specific use of the individual biomarkers, based on available evidence and clinical expertise. We propose a diagnostic algorithm with optimal timepoints for these PET biomarkers, also taking into account evidence from other biomarkers, for early and differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases that can lead to dementia. We propose three main diagnostic pathways with distinct biomarker sequences, in which amyloid-PET and F-18-FDG-PET are placed at different positions in the order of diagnostic evaluations, depending on clinical presentation. We hope that this algorithm can support diagnostic decision making in specialist clinical settings with access to these biomarkers and might stimulate further research towards optimal diagnostic strategies.
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- Kruse, N., et al.
(author)
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Validation of a quantitative cerebrospinal fluid alpha-synuclein assay in a European-wide interlaboratory study
- 2015
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In: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-4580. ; 36:9, s. 2587-2596
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Decreased levels of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies have been reported, however, not consistently in all cross-sectional studies. To test the performance of one recently released human-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantification of aSyn in CSF, we carried out a round robin trial with 18 participating laboratories trained in CSF ELISA analyses within the BIOMARKAPD project in the EU Joint Program -Neurodegenerative Disease Research. CSF samples (homogeneous aliquots from pools) and ELISA kits (one lot) were provided centrally and data reported back to one laboratory for data analysis. Our study showed that although factors such as preanalytical sample handling and lot-to-lot variability were minimized by our study design, we identified high variation in absolute values of CSF aSyn even when the same samples and same lots of assays were applied. We further demonstrate that although absolute concentrations differ between laboratories the quantitative results are comparable. With further standardization this assay may become an attractive tool for comparing aSyn measurements in diverse settings. Recommendations for further validation experiments and improvement of the interlaboratory results obtained are given. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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22. |
- Maroni, F., et al.
(author)
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Highly Stable Fe3O4/C Composite: A Candidate Material for All Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries
- 2020
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In: Journal of the Electrochemical Society. - : The Electrochemical Society. - 1945-7111 .- 0013-4651. ; 167:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized by a base catalyzed method are tested in an All-Solid-State (ASLB) battery using a sulfide electrolyte. The pristine nanoparticles were morphologically characterized showing an average size of 12 nm. The evaluation of the electrochemical properties shows high specific capacity values of 506 mAhg(-1) after 350 cycles at a specific current of 250 mAg(-1), with very high stability and coulombic efficiency. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published on behalf of The Electrochemical Society by IOP Publishing Limited.
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23. |
- Mazzali, P. A., et al.
(author)
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High-Velocity Features : A Ubiquitous Property of Type Ia Supernovae
- 2005
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 623, s. L37-L40
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Evidence of high-velocity features (HVFs) such as those seen in the near-maximum spectra of some Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia; e.g., SN 2000cx) has been searched for in the available SN Ia spectra observed earlier than 1 week before B maximum. Recent observational efforts have doubled the number of SNe Ia with very early spectra. Remarkably, all SNe Ia with early data (seven in our Research Training Network sample and 10 from other programs) show signs of such features, to a greater or lesser degree, in Ca II IR and some also in the Si II λ6355 line. HVFs may be interpreted as abundance or density enhancements. Abundance enhancements would imply an outer region dominated by Si and Ca. Density enhancements may result from the sweeping up of circumstellar material (CSM) by the highest velocity SN ejecta. In this scenario, the high incidence of HVFs suggests that a thick disk and/or a high-density companion wind surrounds the exploding white dwarf, as may be the case in single degenerate systems. Large-scale angular fluctuations in the radial density and abundance distribution may also be responsible: this could originate in the explosion and would suggest a deflagration as the more likely explosion mechanism. CSM interaction and surface fluctuations may coexist, possibly leaving different signatures on the spectrum. In some SNe, the HVFs are narrowly confined in velocity, suggesting the ejection of blobs of burned material.
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- Norberg, Joakim, et al.
(author)
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Regional Differences in Effects of APOE epsilon 4 on Cognitive Impairment in Non-Demented Subjects
- 2011
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In: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. - : S. Karger AG. - 1420-8008 .- 1421-9824. ; 32:2, s. 135-142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The APOE epsilon 4 allele is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). APOE epsilon 4 is common in non-demented subjects with cognitive impairment. In both healthy people and people with AD, its prevalence has a north-south gradient across Europe. In the present study, we investigated whether the relation between the APOE epsilon 4 allele and cognitive impairment varied across Northern, Middle and Southern Europe. We also investigated whether a north-south gradient existed in subjects with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and non-amnestic MCI. Methods: Data from 16 centers across Europe were analyzed. Results: A north-south gradient in APOE epsilon 4 prevalence existed in the total sample (62.7% for APOE epsilon 4 carriers in the northern region, 42.1% in the middle region, and 31.5% in the southern region) and in subjects with SCI and amnestic MCI separately. Only in Middle Europe was the APOE epsilon 4 allele significantly associated with poor performance on tests of delayed recall and learning, as well as with the amnestic subtype of MCI. Conclusion: The APOE epsilon 4 allele frequencies in subjects with SCI and amnestic MCI have a north-south gradient. The relation between the APOE epsilon 4 allele and cognition is region dependent.
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41. |
- Pagano, G., et al.
(author)
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Fanconi anaemia proteins : Major roles in cell protection against oxidative damage
- 2003
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In: Bioessays. - : Wiley. - 0265-9247 .- 1521-1878. ; 25:6, s. 589-595
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a cancer-prone genetic disorder that is characterised by cytogenetic instability and redox abnormalities. Although rare subtypes of FA (B, D1 and D2) have been implicated in DNA repair through links with BRCA1 and BRCA2, such a role has yet to be demonstrated for gene products of the common subtypes. Instead, these products have been strongly implicated in xenobiotic metabolism and redox homeostasis through interactions of FANCC with cytochrome P-450 reductase and with glutathione S-transferase, and of FANCG with cytochrome P-450 2E1, as well as redox-dependent signalling through an interaction between FANCA and Akt kinase. We hypothesise that FA proteins act directly (via FANCC and FANCG) and indirectly (via FANCA, BRCA2 and FANCD2) with the machinery of cellular defence to modulate oxidative stress. The latter interactions may co-ordinate the link between the response to DNA damage and oxidative stress parameters (3, 6-12). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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42. |
- Ramenghi, U., et al.
(author)
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Diamond-Blackfan anaemia in the Italian population
- 1999
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In: British Journal of Haematology. - : Wiley. - 0007-1048 .- 1365-2141. ; 104:4, s. 841-8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (DBA) is a congenital disease characterized by defective erythroid progenitor maturation: 30% of patients have congenital malformations. The link between these malformations and defective erythropoiesis is unclear: a defect in a molecule acting both on embryo development and haemopoiesis has been proposed. Inheritance is autosomal dominant in most familial cases, but recessive families have also been reported. Many cases are sporadic. A DBA locus has been mapped on chromosome 19q13.2 (Gustavsson et al, 1997), but several families unlinked to this locus have also been reported (Gustavsson et al, 1998). This paper presents clinical, epidemiological and molecular data for DBA in the Italian population. Segregation analysis of 19q markers in patients with DBA showed exclusion of this locus in 5/12 families with inherited DBA. There was evidently locus heterogeneity for DBA in this population. A new microdeletion was identified in one patient. Other families, in which DBA segregates concordantly with the 19q critical region, suggest incomplete penetrance and expressivity of the DBA gene.
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43. |
- Rodriguez, G, et al.
(author)
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Regional cerebral blood flow asymmetries in a group of 189 normal subjects at rest
- 1991
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In: Brain Topography. - 0896-0267 .- 1573-6792. ; 4:1, s. 57-63
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) asymmetries were studied in 189 subjects (96 males and 93 females) at rest with the 133Xenon inhalation method using a fixed detector system. rCBF asymmetries in the resting condition were very small, nevertheless a significant (p less than 0.001) effect for their topographical distribution was present, reflecting higher rCBF in the right fronto-temporal and left parieto-occipital regions. rCBF asymmetries were not correlated with age, and there were no significant differences between males and females. Asymmetries are therefore useful from a statistical point of view in detecting rCBF abnormalities in the resting condition: they are more stable than absolute values in normal subjects and no matching according to age or sex is required when statistical comparisons are performed.
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44. |
- Rubin, D., et al.
(author)
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Looking Beyond Lambda with the Union Supernova Compilation
- 2009
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 695, s. 391-403
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The recent robust and homogeneous analysis of the world's supernova distance-redshift data, together with cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillation data—provides a powerful tool for constraining cosmological models. Here we examine particular classes of scalar field, modified gravity, and phenomenological models to assess whether they are consistent with observations even when their behavior deviates from the cosmological constant Λ. Some models have tension with the data, while others survive only by approaching the cosmological constant, and a couple are statistically favored over Λ cold dark matter. Dark energy described by two equation-of-state parameters has considerable phase space to avoid Λ and next-generation data will be required to constrain such physics, with the level of complementarity between probes varying with cosmology.
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- van Doorn, Ljcv, et al.
(author)
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Improved Cerebrospinal Fluid-Based Discrimination between Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Controls after Correction for Ventricular Volumes
- 2017
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In: Journal of Alzheimers Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 56:2, s. 543-555
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers may support the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We studied if the diagnostic power of AD CSF biomarker concentrations, i.e., A beta(42), total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), is affected by differences in lateral ventricular volume (VV), using CSF biomarker data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 730 subjects, from 13 European Memory Clinics. We developed a Matlab-algorithm for standardized automated segmentation analysis of T1 weighted MRI scans in SPM8 for determining VV, and computed its ratio with total intracranial volume (TIV) as proxy for total CSF volume. The diagnostic power of CSF biomarkers (and their combination), either corrected for VV/TIV ratio or not, was determined by ROC analysis. CSF A beta(42) levels inversely correlated to VV/TIV in the whole study population (A beta(42): r = -0.28; p < 0.0001). For CSF t-tau and p-tau, this association only reached statistical significance in the combined MCI and AD group (t-tau: r = -0.15; p-tau: r = -0.13; both p < 0.01). Correction for differences in VV/TIV improved the differentiation of AD versus controls based on CSF A beta(42) alone (AUC: 0.75 versus 0.81) or in combination with t-tau (AUC: 0.81 versus 0.91). In conclusion, differences in VV may be an important confounder in interpreting CSF A beta(42) levels.
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- Altavilla, G., et al.
(author)
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Type Ia SNe Along Redshift : The \mathcal {R}(Si II) Ratio and the Expansion Velocities in Intermediate-z Supernovae
- 2009
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 695, s. 135-148
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a study of intermediate-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using empirical physical diagrams which permit the investigation of those SNe explosions. This information can be very useful to reduce systematic uncertainties of the Hubble diagram of SNe Ia up to high z. The study of the expansion velocities and the measurement of the ratio \mathcal {R}(Si II) allow subtyping of SNe Ia as done in nearby samples. The evolution of this ratio as seen in the diagram \mathcal {R}(Si II)-(t) together with \mathcal {R}(Si II)max versus (B - V)0 indicates consistency of the properties at intermediate-z compared with the nearby SNe Ia. At intermediate-z, expansion velocities of Ca II and Si II are found similar to those of the nearby sample. This is found in a sample of six SNe Ia in the range 0.033 <=z<= 0.329 discovered within the International Time Programme of SNe Ia for Cosmology and Physics in the spring run of 2002.7The program run under Omega and Lambda from Supernovae and the Physics of Supernova Explosions within the International Time Programme at the telescopes of the European Northern Observatory (ENO) at La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Two SNe Ia at intermediate-z were of the cool FAINT type, one being an SN1986G-like object highly reddened. The \mathcal {R}(Si II) ratio as well as subclassification of the SNe Ia beyond templates help to place SNe Ia in their sequence of brightness and to distinguish between reddened and intrinsically red supernovae. This test can be done with very high z SNe Ia and it will help to reduce systematic uncertainties due to extinction by dust. It should allow to map the high-z sample into the nearby one.
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