| 1. |
- Abat, E., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) proportional drift tube: design and performance
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A straw proportional counter is the basic element of the ATLAS Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT). Its detailed properties as well as the main properties of a few TRT operating gas mixtures are described. Particular attention is paid to straw tube performance in high radiation conditions and to its operational stability.
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| 2. |
- Abat, E., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS TRT barrel detector
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS TRT barrel is a tracking drift chamber using 52,544 individual tubular drift tubes. It is one part of the ATLAS Inner Detector, which consists of three sub-systems: the pixel detector spanning the radius range 4 to 20 cm, the semiconductor tracker (SCT) from 30 to 52 cm, and the transition radiation tracker ( TRT) from 56 to 108 cm. The TRT barrel covers the central pseudo-rapidity region |eta| < 1, while the TRT endcaps cover the forward and backward eta regions. These TRT systems provide a combination of continuous tracking with many measurements in individual drift tubes ( or straws) and of electron identification based on transition radiation from fibers or foils interleaved between the straws themselves. This paper describes the recently-completed construction of the TRT Barrel detector, including the quality control procedures used in the fabrication of the detector.
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| 3. |
- Abat, E., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS TRT electronics
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS inner detector consists of three sub-systems: the pixel detector spanning the radius range 4cm-20cm, the semiconductor tracker at radii from 30 to 52 cm, and the transition radiation tracker (TRT), tracking from 56 to 107 cm. The TRT provides a combination of continuous tracking with many projective measurements based on individual drift tubes (or straws) and of electron identification based on transition radiation from fibres or foils interleaved between the straws themselves. This paper describes the on and off detector electronics for the TRT as well as the TRT portion of the data acquisition (DAQ) system.
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| 4. |
- Abat, E., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS TRT end-cap detectors
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS TRT end-cap is a tracking drift chamber using 245,760 individual tubular drift tubes. It is a part of the TRT tracker which consist of the barrel and two end-caps. The TRT end-caps cover the forward and backward pseudo-rapidity region 1.0 < vertical bar eta vertical bar < 2.0, while the TRT barrel central eta region vertical bar eta vertical bar < 1.0. The TRT system provides a combination of continuous tracking with many measurements in individual drift tubes ( or straws) and of electron identification based on transition radiation from fibers or foils interleaved between the straws themselves. Along with other two sub-systems, namely the Pixel detector and Semi Conductor Tracker (SCT), the TRT constitutes the ATLAS Inner Detector. This paper describes the recently completed and installed TRT end-cap detectors, their design, assembly, integration and the acceptance tests applied during the construction.
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| 5. |
- Helgadottir, Anna, et al.
(author)
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The same sequence variant on 9p21 associates with myocardial infarction, abdominal aortic aneurysm and intracranial aneurysm
- 2008
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 40:2, s. 217-224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, two common sequence variants on 9p21, tagged by rs10757278-G and rs10811661-T, were reported to be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD)(1-4) and type 2 diabetes (T2D)(5-7), respectively. We proceeded to further investigate the contributions of these variants to arterial diseases and T2D. Here we report that rs10757278-G is associated with, in addition to CAD, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA; odds ratio (OR) 1.31, P = 1.2 x 10(-12)) and intracranial aneurysm (OR = 1.29, P = 2.5 x 10(-6)), but not with T2D. This variant is the first to be described that affects the risk of AAA and intracranial aneurysm in many populations. The association of rs10811661-T to T2D replicates in our samples, but the variant does not associate with any of the five arterial diseases examined. These findings extend our insight into the role of the sequence variant tagged by rs10757278-G and show that it is not confined to atherosclerotic diseases.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Barosi, G., et al.
(author)
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A unified definition of clinical resistance/intolerance to hydroxyurea in essential thrombocythemia : results of a consensus process by an international working group
- 2007
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In: Leukemia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0887-6924 .- 1476-5551. ; 21:2, s. 277-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A widely accepted definition of resistance or intolerance to hydroxyurea (HU) in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) is lacking. An international working group (WG) was convened to develop a consensus formulation of clinically significant criteria for defining resistance/intolerance to HU in ET. To this aim, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multiple-attribute decision-making technique, was used. The steps consisted of selecting the candidate criteria for defining resistance/intolerance; identifying the motivations that could influence the preference of the WG for any individual criterion; comparing the candidate criteria in a pair-wise manner; and grading them according their ability to fulfill the motivations. Every step in the model was derived by questionnaires or group discussion. The WG proposed that the definition of resistance/intolerance should require the fulfillment of at least one of the following criteria: platelet count greater than 600,000/micro l after 3 months of at least 2 g/day of HU (2.5 g/day in patients with a body weight over 80 kg); platelet count greater than 400,000/micro l and WBC less than 2500/micro l or Hb less than 10 g/dl at any dose of HU; presence of leg ulcers or other unacceptable muco-cutaneous manifestations at any dose of HU; HU-related fever.
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| 8. |
- Benn, Diana E, et al.
(author)
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Clinical presentation and penetrance of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndromes.
- 2006
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In: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 91:3, s. 827-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONTEXT: The identification of mutations in genes encoding peptides of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndromes has necessitated clear elucidation of genotype-phenotype associations.OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine genotype-phenotype associations in a cohort of patients with pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndromes and succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) or subunit D (SDHD) mutations.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The International SDH Consortium studied 116 individuals (83 affected and 33 clinically unaffected) from 62 families with pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma syndromes and SDHB or SDHD mutations. Clinical data were collected between August 2003 and September 2004 from tertiary referral centers in Australia, France, New Zealand, Germany, United States, Canada, and Scotland.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were collected on patients with pheochromocytomas and/or paragangliomas with respect to onset of disease, diagnosis, genetic testing, surgery, pathology, and disease progression. Clinical features were evaluated for evidence of genotype-phenotype associations, and penetrance was determined.RESULTS: SDHB mutation carriers were more likely than SDHD mutation carriers to develop extraadrenal pheochromocytomas and malignant disease, whereas SDHD mutation carriers had a greater propensity to develop head and neck paragangliomas and multiple tumors. For the index cases, there was no difference between 43 SDHB and 19 SDHD mutation carriers in the time to first diagnosis (34 vs. 28 yr, respectively; P = 0.3). However, when all mutation carriers were included (n = 112), the estimated age-related penetrance was different for SDHB vs. SDHD mutation carriers (P = 0.008).CONCLUSIONS: For clinical follow-up, features of SDHB mutation-associated disease include a later age of onset, extraadrenal (abdominal or thoracic) tumors, and a higher rate of malignancy. In contrast, SDHD mutation carriers, in addition to head and neck paragangliomas, should be observed for multifocal tumors, infrequent malignancy, and the possibility of extraadrenal pheochromocytoma.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Bengt I., 1946, et al.
(author)
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A new oral direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran etexilate, compared with enoxaparin for prevention of thromboembolic events following total hip or knee replacement: the BISTRO II randomized trial
- 2005
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In: J Thromb Haemost. - 1538-7933. ; 3:1, s. 103-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Dabigatran etexilate is an oral direct thrombin inhibitor undergoing evaluation for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following orthopedic surgery. METHODS: In a multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind study, 1973 patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement were randomized to 6-10 days of oral dabigatran etexilate (50, 150 mg twice daily, 300 mg once daily, 225 mg twice daily), starting 1-4 h after surgery, or subcutaneous enoxaparin (40 mg once daily) starting 12 h prior to surgery. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of VTE (detected by bilateral venography or symptomatic events) during treatment. RESULTS: Of the 1949 treated patients, 1464 (75%) patients were evaluable for the efficacy analysis. VTE occurred in 28.5%, 17.4%, 16.6%, 13.1% and 24% of patients assigned to dabigatran etexilate 50, 150 mg twice daily, 300 mg once daily, 225 mg twice daily and enoxaparin, respectively. A significant dose-dependent decrease in VTE occurred with increasing doses of dabigatran etexilate (P < 0.0001). Compared with enoxaparin, VTE was significantly lower in patients receiving 150 mg twice daily [odds ratio (OR) 0.65, P = 0.04], 300 mg once daily (OR 0.61, P = 0.02) and 225 mg twice daily (OR 0.47, P = 0.0007). Compared with enoxaparin, major bleeding was significantly lower with 50 mg twice daily (0.3% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.047) but elevated with higher doses, nearly reaching statistical significance with the 300 mg once-daily dose (4.7%, P = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of dabigatran etexilate, commenced early in the postoperative period, was effective and safe across a range of doses. Further optimization of the efficacy/safety balance will be addressed in future studies.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Irwin, D. E., et al.
(author)
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Overactive bladder is associated with erectile dysfunction and reduced sexual quality of life in men
- 2008
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In: Journal of Sexual Medicine. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1743-6109 .- 1743-6095. ; 5:12, s. 2904-10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction (ED), is greater in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including overactive bladder (OAB), than in men without LUTS. Aim. To evaluate the prevalence of ED, the impact of urinary symptoms on sexual activity and sexual enjoyment, and sexual satisfaction in men with OAB. Methods. A nested case-control analysis was performed on data from a subset of men with (cases) and without (controls) OAB frequency-matched for age (5-year age strata) and country from the EPIC study. Respondents were asked about OAB symptoms (using the 2002 International Continence Society [ICS] definitions) and sexual activity. Sexually active respondents were asked about ED, sexual enjoyment, and overall satisfaction with their sex lives. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with ED. Main Outcome Measures. The percentage of cases and controls reporting ED, a reduction in the frequency of sexual activity or enjoyment of sexual activity because of urinary symptoms, and overall satisfaction with their sex lives was determined for cases and controls. Results. A total of 502 cases and 502 controls were matched for age strata and country. Significantly more cases (14%) reported reduced sexual activity because of urinary symptoms compared with controls (4%; P
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| 12. |
- Irwin, D. E., et al.
(author)
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Population-based survey of urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and other lower urinary tract symptoms in five countries: results of the EPIC study
- 2006
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In: Eur Urol. - : Elsevier BV. - 0302-2838. ; 50:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Estimate the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI), overactive bladder (OAB), and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among men and women in five countries using the 2002 International Continence Society (ICS) definitions. METHODS: This population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and December 2005 in Canada, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom using computer-assisted telephone interviews. A random sample of men and women aged >/= 18 yr residing in the five countries and who were representative of the general populations in these countries was selected. Using 2002 ICS definitions, the prevalence estimates of storage, voiding, and postmicturition LUTS were calculated. Data were stratified by country, age cohort, and gender. RESULTS: A total of 19,165 individuals agreed to participate; 64.3% reported at least one LUTS. Nocturia was the most prevalent LUTS (men, 48.6%; women, 54.5%). The prevalence of storage LUTS (men, 51.3%; women, 59.2%) was greater than that for voiding (men, 25.7%; women, 19.5%) and postmicturition (men, 16.9%; women, 14.2%) symptoms combined. The overall prevalence of OAB was 11.8%; rates were similar in men and women and increased with age. OAB was more prevalent than all types of UI combined (9.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The EPIC study is the largest population-based survey to assess prevalence rates of OAB, UI, and other LUTS in five countries. To date, this is the first study to evaluate these symptoms simultaneously using the 2002 ICS definitions. The results indicate that these symptoms are highly prevalent in the countries surveyed.
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| 13. |
- Irwin, D. E., et al.
(author)
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Understanding the elements of overactive bladder: questions raised by the EPIC study
- 2008
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In: BJU International. - 1464-410X. ; 101:11, s. 1381-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence of frequency and nocturia and the bother they impose in a population-based sample of men and women using current International Continence Society (ICS) definitions of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and commonly used alternative definitions of these LUTS to emphasize the importance of standardizing the definitions when evaluating overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome; we also describe the spectrum of LUTS and bother they impose in this population with OAB. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Several validated disease-specific measures were used in a population-based, cross-sectional telephone survey of adults aged >or=18 years in five countries. The population with OAB was defined as those participants who answered 'yes' to questions about urgency or urgency urinary incontinence according to ICS standards. The prevalence of daytime frequency and nocturia within the OAB population was examined using two different criteria for each symptom. Frequency was defined using the current ICS definition (i.e. subject's perception of whether they urinated too often during the day) or more than eight daytime voids. Nocturia was defined according to the ICS definition of having to wake once or more per night to void and using the threshold of waking twice or more per night to urinate. Urinary symptom bother within the OAB population was compared using the different criteria for frequency and nocturia. RESULTS: In all, 1434 participants (502 men and 932 women) were classified as having OAB; 31% of men and 25% of women with OAB had daytime frequency consistent with the ICS definition. The ICS-defined frequency identified a population with a varied distribution of reported daytime voiding frequencies; most respondents reported frequencies below the threshold of nine daytime voids. The ICS-defined daytime frequency was reported as bothersome by more than half of the OAB population (46% of men, 66% of women). Of the OAB population, approximately 75% reported one or more nocturia episodes per night, and approximately 40% reported two or more per night. The proportion of the OAB population that was bothered by nocturia increased markedly as the number of nocturia episodes increased. Among those with OAB, the most prevalent combination of OAB symptoms was urgency and nocturia. More than half of those with OAB reported urgency combined with three or more other LUTS (including voiding and postmicturition symptoms), and the number of LUTS reported increased with age. The proportion of the population reporting symptom bother increased as the number of reported LUTS in that population increased. CONCLUSIONS: The ICS definitions for daytime frequency as 'the subject's perception of urinating too often' and for nocturia as 'one or more episodes per night' adequately described bladder symptoms within the OAB population when assessed by the level of symptom bother. Urgency was uncommon in isolation and did not alone impose as high a level of bother as when combined with other LUTS. In this population, the most predominant manifestation of OAB was a combination of urgency with one or more other OAB symptoms. Symptom bother became more common as the number of symptoms reported increased. LUTS other than the defining symptoms of OAB were also highly prevalent within the OAB population.
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| 14. |
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| 17. |
- Soranzo, Nicole, et al.
(author)
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A genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 22 loci associated with eight hematological parameters in the HaemGen consortium
- 2009
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 41:11, s. 38-1182
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The number and volume of cells in the blood affect a wide range of disorders including cancer and cardiovascular, metabolic, infectious and immune conditions. We consider here the genetic variation in eight clinically relevant hematological parameters, including hemoglobin levels, red and white blood cell counts and platelet counts and volume. We describe common variants within 22 genetic loci reproducibly associated with these hematological parameters in 13,943 samples from six European population-based studies, including 6 associated with red blood cell parameters, 15 associated with platelet parameters and 1 associated with total white blood cell count. We further identified a long-range haplotype at 12q24 associated with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction in 9,479 cases and 10,527 controls. We show that this haplotype demonstrates extensive disease pleiotropy, as it contains known risk loci for type 1 diabetes, hypertension and celiac disease and has been spread by a selective sweep specific to European and geographically nearby populations.
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