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- Ruilope, LM, et al.
(author)
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Design and Baseline Characteristics of the Finerenone in Reducing Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease Trial
- 2019
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In: American journal of nephrology. - : S. Karger AG. - 1421-9670 .- 0250-8095. ; 50:5, s. 345-356
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- <b><i>Background:</i></b> Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. <b><i>Patients and</i></b> <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥25 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup> and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 to ≤5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level α = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049.
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2. |
- Mullins, N., et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association study of more than 40,000 bipolar disorder cases provides new insights into the underlying biology
- 2021
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 53, s. 817-829
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bipolar disorder is a heritable mental illness with complex etiology. We performed a genome-wide association study of 41,917 bipolar disorder cases and 371,549 controls of European ancestry, which identified 64 associated genomic loci. Bipolar disorder risk alleles were enriched in genes in synaptic signaling pathways and brain-expressed genes, particularly those with high specificity of expression in neurons of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Significant signal enrichment was found in genes encoding targets of antipsychotics, calcium channel blockers, antiepileptics and anesthetics. Integrating expression quantitative trait locus data implicated 15 genes robustly linked to bipolar disorder via gene expression, encoding druggable targets such as HTR6, MCHR1, DCLK3 and FURIN. Analyses of bipolar disorder subtypes indicated high but imperfect genetic correlation between bipolar disorder type I and II and identified additional associated loci. Together, these results advance our understanding of the biological etiology of bipolar disorder, identify novel therapeutic leads and prioritize genes for functional follow-up studies. Genome-wide association analyses of 41,917 bipolar disorder cases and 371,549 controls of European ancestry provide new insights into the etiology of this disorder and identify novel therapeutic leads and potential opportunities for drug repurposing.
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- Abrams, M. B., et al.
(author)
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A Standards Organization for Open and FAIR Neuroscience : the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility
- 2021
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In: Neuroinformatics. - : Springer Nature. - 1539-2791 .- 1559-0089.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is great need for coordination around standards and best practices in neuroscience to support efforts to make neuroscience a data-centric discipline. Major brain initiatives launched around the world are poised to generate huge stores of neuroscience data. At the same time, neuroscience, like many domains in biomedicine, is confronting the issues of transparency, rigor, and reproducibility. Widely used, validated standards and best practices are key to addressing the challenges in both big and small data science, as they are essential for integrating diverse data and for developing a robust, effective, and sustainable infrastructure to support open and reproducible neuroscience. However, developing community standards and gaining their adoption is difficult. The current landscape is characterized both by a lack of robust, validated standards and a plethora of overlapping, underdeveloped, untested and underutilized standards and best practices. The International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF), an independent organization dedicated to promoting data sharing through the coordination of infrastructure and standards, has recently implemented a formal procedure for evaluating and endorsing community standards and best practices in support of the FAIR principles. By formally serving as a standards organization dedicated to open and FAIR neuroscience, INCF helps evaluate, promulgate, and coordinate standards and best practices across neuroscience. Here, we provide an overview of the process and discuss how neuroscience can benefit from having a dedicated standards body.
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- Chatzidionysiou, K., et al.
(author)
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Effectiveness of a Second Biologic After Failure of a Non-tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor As First Biologic in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- 2021
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In: Journal of Rheumatology. - : The Journal of Rheumatology. - 0315-162X .- 1499-2752. ; 48:10, s. 1512-1518
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), evidence regarding the effectiveness of a second biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) in patients whose first-ever bDMARD was a non-tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) bDMARD is limited. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the outcome of a second bDMARD (non-TNFi: rituximab [RTX], abatacept [ABA], or tocilizumab [TCZ], separately; and TNFi) after failure of a non-TNFi bDMARD as first bDMARD. Methods. We identified patients with RA from the 5 Nordic biologics registers who started treatment with a non-TNFi as first-ever bDMARD but switched to a second bDMARD. For the second bDMARD, we assessed drug survival (at 6 and 12 months) and primary response (at 6 months). Results. We included 620 patients starting a second bDMARD (ABA 86, RTX 40, TCZ 67, and TNFi 427) following failure of a first non-TNFi bDMARD. At 6 and 12 months after start of their second bDMARD, approximately 70% and 60%, respectively, remained on treatment, and at 6 months, less than one-third of patients were still on their second bDMARD and had reached low disease activity or remission according to the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints. For those patients whose second bMDARD was a TNFi, the corresponding proportion was slightly higher (40%). Conclusion. The drug survival and primary response of a second bDMARD in patients with RA switching due to failure of a non-TNFi bDMARD as first bDMARD is modest. Some patients may benefit from TNFi when used after failure of a non-TNFi as first bDMARD.
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8. |
- Fecchio, Alan, et al.
(author)
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Global drivers of avian haemosporidian infections vary across zoogeographical regions
- 2021
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In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 30:12, s. 2393-2406
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: Macroecological analyses provide valuable insights into factors that influence how parasites are distributed across space and among hosts. Amid large uncertainties that arise when generalizing from local and regional findings, hierarchical approaches applied to global datasets are required to determine whether drivers of parasite infection patterns vary across scales. We assessed global patterns of haemosporidian infections across a broad diversity of avian host clades and zoogeographical realms to depict hotspots of prevalence and to identify possible underlying drivers. Location: Global. Time period: 1994–2019. Major taxa studied: Avian haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Parahaemoproteus). Methods: We amalgamated infection data from 53,669 individual birds representing 2,445 species world-wide. Spatio-phylogenetic hierarchical Bayesian models were built to disentangle potential landscape, climatic and biotic drivers of infection probability while accounting for spatial context and avian host phylogenetic relationships. Results: Idiosyncratic responses of the three most common haemosporidian genera to climate, habitat, host relatedness and host ecological traits indicated marked variation in host infection rates from local to global scales. Notably, host ecological drivers, such as migration distance for Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus, exhibited predominantly varying or even opposite effects on infection rates across regions, whereas climatic effects on infection rates were more consistent across realms. Moreover, infections in some low-prevalence realms were disproportionately concentrated in a few local hotspots, suggesting that regional-scale variation in habitat and microclimate might influence transmission, in addition to global drivers. Main conclusions: Our hierarchical global analysis supports regional-scale findings showing the synergistic effects of landscape, climate and host ecological traits on parasite transmission for a cosmopolitan and diverse group of avian parasites. Our results underscore the need to account for such interactions, in addition to possible variation in drivers across regions, to produce the robust inference required to predict changes in infection risk under future scenarios.
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- Unick, J. L., et al.
(author)
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Four-Year Physical Activity Levels among Intervention Participants with Type 2 Diabetes
- 2016
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In: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. - 0195-9131. ; 48:12, s. 2437-2445
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Physical activity (PA) has numerous health benefits, particularly for those with diabetes. However, rates of long-term PA participation are often poor. Purpose This study examined the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on objectively assessed PA for a 4-yr period among older adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods Data from 2400 participants (age = 59.3 ± 6.9 yr, body mass index = 36.1 ± 5.9 kg·m-2) with accelerometry data from the Look AHEAD trial were included in the analyses. Participants randomized to ILI were instructed to reduce caloric intake and progress to ≥175 min·wk-1 of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA), whereas those randomized to Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) served as the control group. PA was measured at baseline, year 1, and year 4 using an RT3 accelerometer, and bout-related MVPA (PA ≥3 METs, accumulated in bouts of ≥10 min in duration) was calculated. Results Despite no differences at baseline (ILI = 93.4 ± 152.7 vs DSE = 88.4 ± 143.6 min·wk-1), bout-related MVPA was significantly greater in ILI compared with DSE at year 1 (151.0 ± 213.5 vs 87.5 ± 145.1 min·wk-1, P < 0.0001) and year 4 (102.9 ± 195.6 vs 73.9 ± 267.5 min·wk-1, P < 0.001), and more ILI participants achieved ≥175 min·wk-1 at year 1 (29.1% vs 16.3%, P < 0.001) and year 4 (18.3% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001). Forty-one percent of ILI participants who achieved ≥175 min·wk-1 at year 1 maintained this threshold of PA at year 4. However, the majority of ILI participants never achieved the ≥175 min·wk-1 threshold. Conclusions When measured objectively and compared with DSE, ILI engaged in significantly more bout-related MVPA for a 4-yr period. However, future intervention strategies should target the large percentage of individuals who fail to reach the MVPA goal as result of a lifestyle intervention. © 2016 by the American College of Sports Medicine.
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13. |
- Unick, J. L., et al.
(author)
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Objectively Assessed Physical Activity and Weight Loss Maintenance among Individuals Enrolled in a Lifestyle Intervention
- 2017
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In: Obesity. - : Wiley. - 1930-7381. ; 25:11, s. 1903-1909
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine the relationship between objectively assessed moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and 4-year weight loss (WL) and WL maintenance among individuals with diabetes enrolled in the Look AHEAD trial. Methods: MVPA was measured in a subgroup of lifestyle intervention participants with accelerometry data at baseline and at 1 and 4 years (n = 553; age: 59.7 ± 6.8 y; BMI: 35.5 ± 5.9 kg/m2). Minutes per week of bout-related MVPA were calculated (≥ 3 metabolic equivalents, ≥ 10-min bouts), and adherence to the national physical activity (PA) recommendation for WL maintenance (≥ 250 min/wk) was assessed. Results: Independent of 1-year WL, 4-year MVPA (β = −0.003, SE = 0.002, P = 0.006), but not 1-year MVPA (β = 0.0001, SE = 0.001, P = 0.50), was significantly associated with 4-year WL. Compared with “nonmaintainers” (≥ 10% WL at year 1, but < 10% at year 4; n = 132), WL maintainers (≥ 10% WL at years 1 and 4; n = 103) had higher MVPA at year 1 (253.4 ± 251.8 vs. 163.9 ± 158.2 min/wk, P = 0.002) and year 4 (155.3 ± 180.6 vs. 111.4 ± 154.5 min/wk, P = 0.046). Although 38.8% and 22.3% of WL maintainers engaged in ≥ 250 min/wk at years 1 and 4, respectively, many engaged in < 150 min/wk (year 1: 41%, year 4: 61%). Conclusions: Higher weekly MVPA is associated with greater long-term WL and weight maintenance; however, many individuals are able to maintain ≥ 10% WL while engaging in little MVPA. © 2017 The Obesity Society
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- Arntyr Hellgren, P., et al.
(author)
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Birth trauma in babies born to women with and without type 1 diabetes in Sweden 1998-2012 : relationship with maternal and baby weight
- 2017
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In: 49th Annual Meeting of the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group. ; , s. 66-67
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- We compared birth trauma rates in pregnancies among women with and without type 1 diabetes (DM1) and tested the relationship with maternal body mass index (BMI) and large for gestational age (LGA) as a risk factor. This is a population-based cohort study 1998-2012 using the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR) which includes 99% of Swedish pregnancies. All pregnancies up until gestational week 41 were included. We excluded mothers with other types of diabetes, duplex pregnancies and all pregnancies ending with a caesarean section (51.1% and 16.5% in women with and without DM1 respectively). The incidence of birth trauma was adjusted for BMI, maternal age, parity, Nordic or non-Nordic origin, smoking, chronic hypertensive disease, LGA and the baby ́s sex using logistic regression. This left 2,758 and 783,412 births with complete data among DM1 and control mothers respectively. The mean BMI, maternal age and gestational age at birth in full weeks was 25.6 (SD 4.5), 30.0 (SD 5.1) and 37.9 (SD 1.9) respectively among women with DM1 and 24.2 (SD 4.3), 29.7 (SD 5.1) and 38.9 (SD 1.5) respectively among controls. Preliminary results show that birth trauma rates did not vary significantly with increasing BMI compared with the reference BMI (18.50-24.9 kg/m2) among women with DM1 (odds ratios (OR) with increasing BMI (<18.49, 25.0-29.9, 30.0-34.9, >35.0 kg/m2) were 1.9 (95%CI 0.2-15.7), 1.0 (95%CI 0.7-1.5), 0.5 (95%CI 0.2-1.0), 1.1 (95%CI 0.5-2.4) respectively). Conversely, among controls, the OR for birth trauma increasedwith increasing BMI: 0.7 (95%CI 0.6-0.9), 1.4 (95%CI 1.3-1.5), 1.8 (95%CI 1.6-2.0), and 2.2 (95%CI 1.9-2.4) respectively. However, birth trauma was 3.9 (95%CI 2.7-5.7) and 7.0 (95%CI 6.5-7.5) fold more common after adjustment with LGA among women with andwithout DM1 respectively. We conclude that birth trauma rates are associated with LGA with comparatively greater impact among women without, than with, DM1. LGA is clearly an important outcome in its own right and a predictor of birth trauma. We hypothesise that the reduced risk of birth trauma from LGA among women with DM1 is due to increased monitoring with multiple ultrasounds to determine the fetal growth rate, along with earlier planned delivery (including earlier induction with vaginal delivery ata lower birthweight or caesarean section). While more research is needed to find better ways to reduce LGA in DM1, many of the obese control women would have undiagnosed/untreated GDM due to the Swedish criteria at the time (2 hours >=9.0mmol/l). Besidestreating lower levels of hyperglycaemia during pregnancy, the frequency of growth monitoring in obese mothers to reduce their babies’ risk of birth trauma due to LGA, needs to be evaluated. Life course cost effectiveness analyses would be useful.
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- Bensch, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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The genome of Haemoproteus tartakovskyi and its relationship to human malaria parasites
- 2016
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In: Genome Biology and Evolution. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1759-6653. ; 8:5, s. 73-1361
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The phylogenetic relationships among hemosporidian parasites, including the origin of Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent malaria parasite of humans, have been heavily debated for decades. Studies based on multiple-gene sequences have helped settle many of these controversial phylogenetic issues. However, denser taxon sampling and genome-wide analyses are needed to confidently resolve the evolutionay relationships among hemosporidian parasites. Genome sequences of several Plasmodium parasites are available but only for species infecting primates and rodents. To root the phylogenetic tree of Plasmodium, genomic data from related parasites of birds or reptiles are required. Here, we use a novel approach to isolate parasite DNA from microgametes and describe the first genome of a bird parasite in the sister genus to Plasmodium, Haemoproteus tartakovskyi Similar to Plasmodium parasites, H. tartakovskyi has a small genome (23.2 Mb, 5,990 genes) and a GC content (25.4%) closer to P. falciparum (19.3%) than to Plasmodium vivax (42.3%). Combined with novel transcriptome sequences of the bird parasite Plasmodium ashfordi, our phylogenomic analyses of 1,302 orthologous genes demonstrate that mammalian-infecting malaria parasites are monophyletic, thus rejecting the repeatedly proposed hypothesis that the ancestor of Laverania parasites originated from a secondary host shift from birds to humans. Genes and genomic features previously found to be shared between P. falciparum and bird malaria parasites, but absent in other mammal malaria parasites, are therefore signatures of maintained ancestral states. We foresee that the genome of H. tartakovskyi will open new directions for comparative evolutionary analyses of malarial adaptive traits.
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- Bergqvist, Joel, et al.
(author)
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Non-infectious rhinitis is more strongly associated with early-rather than late-onset of COPD: data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)
- 2020
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In: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0937-4477 .- 1434-4726. ; 277, s. 1353-1359
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with several co-morbidities and non-infectious rhinitis (NIR) has emerged as a new possible co-morbidity. The primary aim of this study is to confirm a previously reported association between NIR and COPD in a multicentre population over time. The secondary aim is to investigate the course over time of such an association through a comparison between early- and late-onset COPD. Methods This study is part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). A random adult population from 25 centres in Europe and one in Australia was examined with spirometry and answered a respiratory questionnaire in 1998-2002 (ECRHS II) and in 2008-2013 (ECRHS III). Symptoms of non-infectious rhinitis, hay fever and asthma, and smoking habits were reported. Subjects reporting asthma were excluded. COPD was defined as a spirometry ratio of FEV1/FVC < 0.7. A total of 5901 subjects were included. Results Non-infectious rhinitis was significantly more prevalent in subjects with COPD compared with no COPD (48.9% vs 37.1%, p < 0.001) in ECRHS II (mean age 43) but not in ECHRS III (mean age 54). In the multivariable regression model adjusted for COPD, smoking, age, BMI, and gender, non-infectious rhinitis was associated with COPD in both ECRHS II and III. Conclusion Non-infectious rhinitis was significantly more common in subjects with COPD at a mean age of 43. Ten years later, the association was weaker. The findings indicate that NIR could be associated with the early onset of COPD.
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22. |
- Broitman, E., et al.
(author)
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Structural and mechanical properties of diamond-like carbon films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering
- 2003
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In: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. A. Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films. - : American Vacuum Society. - 0734-2101 .- 1520-8559. ; 21:4, s. 851-859
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A systematic study of physical properties of sputter-deposited DLC films was performed as a function of flux ratio and ion energy. The energy and flux ions and neutral atoms impinging on the surface of the growing films were deduced from Langmuir probe measurements and theoretical calculations. The bombardment of growing films by the energetic particles led to changes in microstructure and mechanical properties. Results suggest that the presence of defective graphite formed by subplanted C and Ar atoms is the dominant influence on the mechanical properties of the DLC films.
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- Comasco, Erika, 1982-, et al.
(author)
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Supraphysiological hormonal status, anxiety disorders, and COMT Val/Val genotype are associated with reduced sensorimotor gating in women
- 2015
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In: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4530 .- 1873-3360. ; 60, s. 217-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pregnancy is a period characterized by a supraphysiological hormonal status, and greater anxiety proneness, which can lead to peripartum affective symptoms with dramatic consequences not only for the woman but also for the child. Clinical psychiatry is heavily hampered by the paucity of objective and biology-based intermediate phenotypes. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response, a neurophysiological measure of sensorimotor gating, has been poorly investigated in relation to anxiety and in pregnant women. In the present study, the PPI of healthy non-pregnant women (n=82) and late pregnant women (n=217) was investigated. Age, BMI, depression and anxiety symptoms, tobacco use, and antidepressant medication were considered. We investigated and provided evidence of lower PPI: (i) in healthy pregnant women compared to healthy non-pregnant controls, (ii) in pregnant women with anxiety disorders compared to healthy pregnant women, (iii) in pregnant women with anxiety disorders using SSRI compared to un-medicated pregnant women with anxiety disorders, and (iv) in healthy pregnant women carrying the COMT Val158Met Val/Val genotype compared to Met carriers. Altogether, a reduced sensorimotor gating as an effect of supraphysiological hormonal status, anxiety disorders, SSRIs, and catecholaminergic genotype, implicate the putative relevance of lower PPI as an objective biological correlate of anxiety proneness in pregnant women. These findings call for prospective studies to dissect the multifactorial influences on PPI in relation to mental health of pregnant women.
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- Enzell, Jonas, et al.
(author)
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Realistic numerical simulations of concrete dam failures
- 2023
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dam failures may have catastrophic consequences, including the release of largeamounts of water, significant property damage, and loss of life. However, safety assessments ofconcrete gravity and buttress dams often rely on simplified methods that do not consider the interactionbetween monoliths, the shape of the foundation or the presence of stiff abutments. Numericalmodeling can be a valuable tool for analyzing the stability of these dams, but it can bedifficult to validate these models due to a lack of documented dam failures. This paper presentsthe results of a numerical study examining the ability of dynamic finite element analyses to simulatedam failures. The study used the results from a series of physical model tests as a case studyfor validation. It was found that the numerical model was able to accurately reproduce the failuremode and breach development observed in the physical model tests and capture the effect of theloading rate on the failure mode and time for the failure to develop. Simulations were also performedin prototype scale to verify that the model tests were representative of a real dam failure.Further research is needed to determine the reliability of the numerical models under differentloading conditions and in realistic geological settings. However, these findings suggest that numericalmodeling can be a valuable tool for analyzing the stability of concrete gravity and buttressdams and predicting the development of failures.
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25. |
- Ferraguti, Martina, et al.
(author)
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Environmental, geographical and time-related impacts on avian malaria infections in native and introduced populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus), a globally invasive species
- 2023
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In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : Wiley. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 32:5, s. 809-823
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: The increasing spread of vector-borne diseases has resulted in severe health concerns for humans, domestic animals and wildlife, with changes in land use and the introduction of invasive species being among the main possible causes for this increase. We explored several ecological drivers potentially affecting the local prevalence and richness of avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) populations. Location: Global. Time period: 2002–2019. Major taxa studied: Avian Plasmodium parasites in house sparrows. Methods: We analysed data from 2,220 samples from 69 localities across all continents, except Antarctica. The influence of environment (urbanization index and human density), geography (altitude, latitude, hemisphere) and time (bird breeding season and years since introduction) were analysed using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) and random forests. Results: Overall, 670 sparrows (30.2%) were infected with 22 Plasmodium lineages. In native populations, parasite prevalence was positively related to urbanization index, with the highest prevalence values in areas with intermediate urbanization levels. Likewise, in introduced populations, prevalence was positively associated with urbanization index; however, higher infection occurred in areas with either extreme high or low levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, the number of parasite lineages increased with altitude and with the years elapsed since the establishment of sparrows in a new locality. Here, after a decline in the number of parasite lineages in the first 30 years, an increase from 40 years onwards was detected. Main conclusions: Urbanization was related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced bird populations. In invaded areas, altitude and time since bird introduction were related to the number of Plasmodium lineages found to be infecting sparrows.
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