| 1. |
- Shulman, L M, et al.
(author)
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Antibodies to islet cell autoantigens, rotaviruses and/or enteroviruses in cord blood and healthy mothers in relation to the 2010-2011 winter viral seasons in Israel : a pilot study
- 2014
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In: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0742-3071 .- 1464-5491. ; 31:6, s. 681-685
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimsTo determine whether antivirus and/or islet cell antibodies can be detected in healthy pregnant mothers without diabetes and/or their offspring at birth in two winter viral seasons.MethodsMaternal and cord blood sera from 107 healthy pregnant women were tested for islet cell autoantibodies using radioligand binding assays and for anti-rotavirus and anti-CoxB3 antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsGlutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 autoantibodies and rotavirus antibodies, present in both maternal and cord blood sera, correlated with an odds ratio of 6.89 (95% CI: 1.01-46.78). For five, 22 and 17 pregnancies, antibodies to GAD65, rotavirus and CoxB3, respectively, were detected in cord blood only and not in the corresponding maternal serum. In 10 pregnancies, rotavirus antibody titres in the cord blood exceeded those in the corresponding maternal serum by 2.5-5-fold. Increased antibody titres after the 20(th) week of gestation suggested CoxB3 infection in one of the 20 pregnancies and rotavirus in another.ConclusionThe concurrent presence of GAD65 antibodies in cord blood and their mothers may indicate autoimmune damage to islet cells during gestation, possibly caused by cross-placental transmission of viral infections and/or antivirus antibodies. Cord blood antibody titres that exceed those of the corresponding maternal sample by >2.5-fold, or antibody-positive cord blood samples with antibody-negative maternal samples, may imply an active in utero immune response by the fetus. What's new? It has been hypothesized that viral infections initiate islet cell autoimmunity. Previous research suggests an association of viral infection in utero and islet autoimmunity. We found a significant correlation between glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 autoantibodies and anti-rotavirus in healthy mothers at delivery and in cord blood. The presence of antibodies in cord blood with antibody-negative mothers suggests an independent fetal immune response. Our findings support the hypothesis that viral infections during pregnancy damage fetal islet cells, triggering islet autoimmunity.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Abel, I, et al.
(author)
-
Overview of the JET results with the ITER-like wall
- 2013
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 53:10, s. 104002-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Following the completion in May 2011 of the shutdown for the installation of the beryllium wall and the tungsten divertor, the first set of JET campaigns have addressed the investigation of the retention properties and the development of operational scenarios with the new plasma-facing materials. The large reduction in the carbon content (more than a factor ten) led to a much lower Z(eff) (1.2-1.4) during L- and H-mode plasmas, and radiation during the burn-through phase of the plasma initiation with the consequence that breakdown failures are almost absent. Gas balance experiments have shown that the fuel retention rate with the new wall is substantially reduced with respect to the C wall. The re-establishment of the baseline H-mode and hybrid scenarios compatible with the new wall has required an optimization of the control of metallic impurity sources and heat loads. Stable type-I ELMy H-mode regimes with H-98,H-y2 close to 1 and beta(N) similar to 1.6 have been achieved using gas injection. ELM frequency is a key factor for the control of the metallic impurity accumulation. Pedestal temperatures tend to be lower with the new wall, leading to reduced confinement, but nitrogen seeding restores high pedestal temperatures and confinement. Compared with the carbon wall, major disruptions with the new wall show a lower radiated power and a slower current quench. The higher heat loads on Be wall plasma-facing components due to lower radiation made the routine use of massive gas injection for disruption mitigation essential.
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| 4. |
- Na, Zhao, et al.
(author)
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Liquid-phase and solid-phase microwave irradiations for reduction of graphite oxide
- 2014
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In: Chinese Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 1674-1056. ; 23:12, s. 128101-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, two microwave irradiation methods: (i) liquid-phase microwave irradiation (MWI) reduction of graphite oxide suspension dissolved in de-ionized water and N, N-dimethylformamide, respectively, and (ii) solid-phase MWI reduction of graphite oxide powder have been successfully carried out to reduce graphite oxide. The reduced graphene oxide products are thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis, Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption spectral analysis, and four-point probe conductivity measurements. The results show that both methods can efficiently remove the oxygen-containing functional groups attached to the graphite layers, though the solid-phase MWI reduction method can obtain far more efficiently a higher quality-reduced graphene oxide with fewer defects. The I( D)/ I( G) ratio of the solid-phase MWI sample is as low as 0.46, which is only half of that of the liquid-phase MWI samples. The electrical conductivity of the reduced graphene oxide by the solid method reaches 747.9 S/m, which is about 25 times higher than that made by the liquid-phase method.
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| 5. |
- Piao, Yinghua, et al.
(author)
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An extensive Raman spectroscopic investigation of ultrathin Co1-xNixSi2 films grown on Si(100)
- 2012
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 30:4, s. 041511-041518
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultrathin silicide films were formed by starting from 1-8 nm thick Co1-xNix (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1) at 350 degrees C-900 degrees C. For each composition x, there exists a critical thickness above which the transition temperature from monosilicides CoSi and NiSi to a disilicide-like phase increases with increasing film thickness. Below this thickness, the disilicide phase seems to form without exhibiting the monosilicides within the detection resolution limits of transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopic analysis seems to indicate that Ni could be dissolved in the CoSi lattice to a certain fraction despite the fact that CoSi and NiSi are distinct with different crystallographic structures. Moreover, the disorder-induced Raman scattering in NiSi2 is found to be enhanced by Co incorporation. The observed annealing behaviors are attributed to variations in free energy change for phase transition caused by differences in metal thickness.
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| 6. |
- Romanelli, F, et al.
(author)
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Overview of the JET results
- 2011
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 51:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since the last IAEA Conference JET has been in operation for one year with a programmatic focus on the qualification of ITER operating scenarios, the consolidation of ITER design choices and preparation for plasma operation with the ITER-like wall presently being installed in JET. Good progress has been achieved, including stationary ELMy H-mode operation at 4.5 MA. The high confinement hybrid scenario has been extended to high triangularity, lower ρ*and to pulse lengths comparable to the resistive time. The steady-state scenario has also been extended to lower ρ*and ν*and optimized to simultaneously achieve, under stationary conditions, ITER-like values of all other relevant normalized parameters. A dedicated helium campaign has allowed key aspects of plasma control and H-mode operation for the ITER non-activated phase to be evaluated. Effective sawtooth control by fast ions has been demonstrated with3He minority ICRH, a scenario with negligible minority current drive. Edge localized mode (ELM) control studies using external n = 1 and n = 2 perturbation fields have found a resonance effect in ELM frequency for specific q95values. Complete ELM suppression has, however, not been observed, even with an edge Chirikov parameter larger than 1. Pellet ELM pacing has been demonstrated and the minimum pellet size needed to trigger an ELM has been estimated. For both natural and mitigated ELMs a broadening of the divertor ELM-wetted area with increasing ELM size has been found. In disruption studies with massive gas injection up to 50% of the thermal energy could be radiated before, and 20% during, the thermal quench. Halo currents could be reduced by 60% and, using argon/deuterium and neon/deuterium gas mixtures, runaway electron generation could be avoided. Most objectives of the ITER-like ICRH antenna have been demonstrated; matching with closely packed straps, ELM resilience, scattering matrix arc detection and operation at high power density (6.2 MW m-2) and antenna strap voltages (42 kV). Coupling measurements are in very good agreement with TOPICA modelling. © 2011 IAEA, Vienna.
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| 7. |
- Schwan, D., et al.
(author)
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Invited Article: Millimeter-wave bolometer array receiver for the Atacama pathfinder experiment Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (APEX-SZ) instrument
- 2011
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In: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : AIP Publishing. - 1089-7623 .- 0034-6748. ; 82:9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Atacama pathfinder experiment Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (APEX-SZ) instrument is a millimeter-wave cryogenic receiver designed to observe galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from the 12 m APEX telescope on the Atacama plateau in Chile. The receiver contains a focal plane of 280 superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers instrumented with a frequency-domain multiplexed readout system. The bolometers are cooled to 280 mK via a three-stage helium sorption refrigerator and a mechanical pulse-tube cooler. Three warm mirrors, two 4 K lenses, and a horn array couple the TES bolometers to the telescope. APEX-SZ observes in a single frequency band at 150 GHz with 1' angular resolution and a 22' field-of-view, all well suited for cluster mapping. The APEX-SZ receiver has played a key role in the introduction of several new technologies including TES bolometers, the frequency-domain multiplexed readout, and the use of a pulse-tube cooler with bolometers. As a result of these new technologies, the instrument has a higher instantaneous sensitivity and covers a larger field-of-view than earlier generations of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich instruments. The TES bolometers have a median sensitivity of 890 mu K(CMB)root s (NEy of 3.5 x 10(-4) root s). We have also demonstrated upgraded detectors with improved sensitivity of 530 mu K(CMB) root s (NEy of 2.2 x 10(-4) root s). Since its commissioning in April 2007, APEX-SZ has been used to map 48 clusters. We describe the design of the receiver and its performance when installed on the APEX telescope.
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| 8. |
- Shulman, L. M., et al.
(author)
-
Antibodies to islet cell autoantigens, rotaviruses and/or enteroviruses in cord blood and healthy mothers in relation to the 2010-2011 winter viral seasons in Israel: a pilot study
- 2014
-
In: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1464-5491 .- 0742-3071. ; 31:6, s. 681-685
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimsTo determine whether antivirus and/or islet cell antibodies can be detected in healthy pregnant mothers without diabetes and/or their offspring at birth in two winter viral seasons. MethodsMaternal and cord blood sera from 107 healthy pregnant women were tested for islet cell autoantibodies using radioligand binding assays and for anti-rotavirus and anti-CoxB3 antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ResultsGlutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 autoantibodies and rotavirus antibodies, present in both maternal and cord blood sera, correlated with an odds ratio of 6.89 (95% CI: 1.01-46.78). For five, 22 and 17 pregnancies, antibodies to GAD65, rotavirus and CoxB3, respectively, were detected in cord blood only and not in the corresponding maternal serum. In 10 pregnancies, rotavirus antibody titres in the cord blood exceeded those in the corresponding maternal serum by 2.5-5-fold. Increased antibody titres after the 20(th) week of gestation suggested CoxB3 infection in one of the 20 pregnancies and rotavirus in another. ConclusionThe concurrent presence of GAD65 antibodies in cord blood and their mothers may indicate autoimmune damage to islet cells during gestation, possibly caused by cross-placental transmission of viral infections and/or antivirus antibodies. Cord blood antibody titres that exceed those of the corresponding maternal sample by >2.5-fold, or antibody-positive cord blood samples with antibody-negative maternal samples, may imply an active in utero immune response by the fetus. What's new? It has been hypothesized that viral infections initiate islet cell autoimmunity. Previous research suggests an association of viral infection in utero and islet autoimmunity. We found a significant correlation between glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 autoantibodies and anti-rotavirus in healthy mothers at delivery and in cord blood. The presence of antibodies in cord blood with antibody-negative mothers suggests an independent fetal immune response. Our findings support the hypothesis that viral infections during pregnancy damage fetal islet cells, triggering islet autoimmunity.
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| 9. |
- Tang, Z. G., et al.
(author)
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SDC-LiNa carbonate composite and nanocomposite electrolytes
- 2010
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In: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-3199 .- 1879-3487. ; 35:7, s. 2970-2975
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Structural and A.C. impedance analyses were conducted for various ceria-based composite systems. Structural studies showed that the ceria-carbonate composites are two-phase materials, where carbonates were often amorphous. Two phases of ceria and carbonates are mixed at different particle size levels depending on the preparation techniques, especially, employing the NANOCOFC (nanocomposites for advanced fuel cell technology) approach to prepare ceria-LiNaCO3 nanocomposites. General observations from structural analyses are that different preparation techniques resulted in two-phase composite particles in different particle sizes varying from micrometer level to nano-level accompanying also different homogeneity. General observations from impedance analyses are that for the nanocomposites (particle size at nano-scale) more complex grain boundary interface effects are observed compared to that for samples with grains of the micrometer level, but nanocomposites showed enhanced conductivities at the low temperatures. Interfaces and interfacial conduction mechanism can be concluded for such conductivity enhancement. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. All rights reserved.
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| 10. |
- Wang, Zhaoming, et al.
(author)
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Imputation and subset-based association analysis across different cancer types identifies multiple independent risk loci in the TERT-CLPTM1L region on chromosome 5p15.33
- 2014
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 23:24, s. 6616-6633
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase and the latter may play a role in apoptosis. To investigate further the genetic architecture of common susceptibility alleles in this region, we conducted an agnostic subset-based meta-analysis (association analysis based on subsets) across six distinct cancers in 34 248 cases and 45 036 controls. Based on sequential conditional analysis, we identified as many as six independent risk loci marked by common single-nucleotide polymorphisms: five in the TERT gene (Region 1: rs7726159, P = 2.10 × 10(-39); Region 3: rs2853677, P = 3.30 × 10(-36) and PConditional = 2.36 × 10(-8); Region 4: rs2736098, P = 3.87 × 10(-12) and PConditional = 5.19 × 10(-6), Region 5: rs13172201, P = 0.041 and PConditional = 2.04 × 10(-6); and Region 6: rs10069690, P = 7.49 × 10(-15) and PConditional = 5.35 × 10(-7)) and one in the neighboring CLPTM1L gene (Region 2: rs451360; P = 1.90 × 10(-18) and PConditional = 7.06 × 10(-16)). Between three and five cancers mapped to each independent locus with both risk-enhancing and protective effects. Allele-specific effects on DNA methylation were seen for a subset of risk loci, indicating that methylation and subsequent effects on gene expression may contribute to the biology of risk variants on 5p15.33. Our results provide strong support for extensive pleiotropy across this region of 5p15.33, to an extent not previously observed in other cancer susceptibility loci.
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