1. |
-
- 2019
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
|
|
2. |
|
|
3. |
- Razavi, H., et al.
(author)
-
Hepatitis C virus prevalence and level of intervention required to achieve the WHO targets for elimination in the European Union by 2030: a modelling study
- 2017
-
In: Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-1253. ; 2:5, s. 325-336
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the European Union (EU), treatment and cure of HCV with direct-acting antiviral therapies began in 2014. WHO targets are to achieve a 65% reduction in liver-related deaths, a 90% reduction of new viral hepatitis infections, and 90% of patients with viral hepatitis infections being diagnosed by 2030. This study assessed the prevalence of HCV in the EU and the level of intervention required to achieve WHO targets for HCV elimination. Methods We populated country Markov models for the 28 EU countries through a literature search of PubMed and Embase between Jan 1, 2000, and March 31, 2016, and a Delphi process to gain expert consensus and validate inputs. We aggregated country models to create a regional EU model. We used the EU model to forecast HCV disease progression (considering the effect of immigration) and developed a strategy to acehive WHO targets. We used weighted average sustained viral response rates and fibrosis restrictions to model the effect of current therapeutic guidelines. We used the EU model to forecast HCV disease progression (considering the effect of immigration) under current screening and therapeutic guidelines. Additionally, we back-calculated the total number of patients needing to be screened and treated to achieve WHO targets. Findings We estimated the number of viraemic HCV infections in 2015 to be 3 238 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2 106 000-3 795 000) of a total population of 509 868 000 in the EU, equating to a prevalence of viraemic HCV of 0.64% (95% UI 0.41-0.74). We estimated that 1 180 000 (95% UI 1 003 000-1 357 000) people were diagnosed with viraemia (36.4%), 150 000 (12 000-180 000) were treated (4.6% of the total infected population or 12.7% of the diagnosed population), 133 000 (106 000-160 000) were cured (4.1%), and 57 900 (43 900-67 300) were newly infected (1.8%) in 2015. Additionally, 30 400 (26 600-42 500) HCV-positive immigrants entered the EU. To achieve WHO targets, unrestricted treatment needs to increase from 150 000 patients in 2015 to 187 000 patients in 2025 and diagnosis needs to increase from 88 800 new cases annually in 2015 to 180 000 in 2025. Interpretation Given its advanced health-care infrastructure, the EU is uniquely poised to eliminate HCV; however, expansion of screening programmes is essential to increase treatment to achieve the WHO targets. A united effort, grounded in sound epidemiological evidence, will also be necessary.
|
|
4. |
|
|
5. |
|
|
6. |
- Kilpelainen, TO, et al.
(author)
-
Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity
- 2019
-
In: Nature communications. - London : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 10:1, s. 376-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels.
|
|
7. |
- Marino, A. F., et al.
(author)
-
Keck HIRES spectroscopy of SkyMapper commissioning survey candidate extremely metal-poor stars
- 2019
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 485:4, s. 5153-5167
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present results from the analysis of high-resolution spectra obtained with the Keck HIRES spectrograph for a sample of 17 candidate extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars originally selected from commissioning data obtained with the SkyMapper telescope. Fourteen of the stars have not been observed previously at high dispersion. Three have [Fe/H] <= -3.0, while the remainder, with two more metal-rich exceptions, have -3.0 <= [Fe/H] <= -2.0 dex. Apart from Fe, we also derive abundances for the elements C, N, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn, and for n-capture elements Sr, Ba, and Eu. None of the current sample of stars is found to be carbon-rich. In general, our chemical abundances follow previous trends found in the literature, although we note that two of the most metal-poor stars show very low [Ba/Fe] (similar to-1.7) coupled with low [Sr/Ba] (similar to-0.3). Such stars are relatively rare in the Galactic halo. One further star, and possibly two others, meet the criteria for classification as a r-I star. This study, together with that of Jacobson et al. (2015), completes the outcomes of the SkyMapper commissioning data survey for EMP stars.
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
- Wessel, Jennifer, et al.
(author)
-
Low-frequency and rare exome chip variants associate with fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes susceptibility
- 2015
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fasting glucose and insulin are intermediate traits for type 2 diabetes. Here we explore the role of coding variation on these traits by analysis of variants on the HumanExome BeadChip in 60,564 non-diabetic individuals and in 16,491 T2D cases and 81,877 controls. We identify a novel association of a low-frequency nonsynonymous SNV in GLP1R (A316T; rs10305492; MAF = 1.4%) with lower FG (beta = -0.09 +/- 0.01 mmol l(-1), P = 3.4 x 10(-12)), T2D risk (OR[95% CI] = 0.86[0.76-0.96], P = 0.010), early insulin secretion (beta = -0.07 +/- 0.035 pmol(insulin) mmol(glucose)(-1), P = 0.048), but higher 2-h glucose (beta = 0.16 +/- 0.05 mmol l(-1), P = 4.3 x 10(-4)). We identify a gene-based association with FG at G6PC2 (p(SKAT) = 6.8 x 10(-6)) driven by four rare protein-coding SNVs (H177Y, Y207S, R283X and S324P). We identify rs651007 (MAF = 20%) in the first intron of ABO at the putative promoter of an antisense lncRNA, associating with higher FG (beta = 0.02 +/- 0.004 mmol l(-1), P = 1.3 x 10(-8)). Our approach identifies novel coding variant associations and extends the allelic spectrum of variation underlying diabetes-related quantitative traits and T2D susceptibility.
|
|
10. |
- Da Costa, G. S., et al.
(author)
-
The SkyMapper DR1.1 search for extremely metal-poor stars
- 2019
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 489:4, s. 5900-5918
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present and discuss the results of a search for extremely metal-poor stars based on photometry from data release DR1.1 of the SkyMapper imaging survey of the southern sky. In particular, we outline our photometric selection procedures and describe the low-resolution (R approximate to 3000) spectroscopic follow-up observations that are used to provide estimates of effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity ([Fe/H]) for the candidates. The selection process is very efficient: of the 2618 candidates with low-resolution spectra that have photometric metallicity estimates less than or equal to -2.0, 41 per cent have [Fe/H] <= -2.75 and only approximately seven per cent have [Fe/H] > -2.0 dex. The most metal-poor candidate in the sample has [Fe/H] < -4.75 and is notably carbon rich. Except at the lowest metallicities ([Fe/H] < -4), the stars observed spectroscopically are dominated by a 'carbon-normal' population with [C/Fe](1D, LTE) <= +1 dex. Consideration of the A(C)(1D, LTE) versus [Fe/H](1D, LTE) diagram suggests that the current selection process is strongly biased against stars with A(C)(1D, LTE) > 7.3 (predominantly CEMP-s) while any bias against stars with A(C)(1D, LTE) < 7.3 and [C/Fe](1D, LTE) > +1 (predominantly CEMP-no) is not readily quantifiable given the uncertainty in the SkyMapper v-band DR1.1 photometry. We find that the metallicity distribution function of the observed sample has a power-law slope of Delta(Log N)/Delta[Fe/H] = 1.5 +/- 0.1 dex per dex for -4.0 <= [Fe/H] <= -2.75, but appears to drop abruptly at [Fe/H] approximate to -4.2, in line with previous studies.
|
|
11. |
- Nordlander, T., et al.
(author)
-
The lowest detected stellar Fe abundance : the halo star SMSS J160540.18-144323.1
- 2019
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 488:1, s. L109-L113
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the discovery of SMSS J160540.18-144323.1, a new ultra metal-poor halo star discovered with the SkyMapper telescope. We measure [Fe/H] = -6.2 +/- 0.2 (1D LTE), the lowest ever detected abundance of iron in a star. The star is strongly carbon-enhanced, [C/Fe] = 3.9 +/- 0.2, while other abundances are compatible with an alpha-enhanced solar-like pattern with [Ca/Fe] = 0.4 +/- 0.2, [Mg/Fe] = 0.6 +/- 0.2, [Ti/Fe] = 0.8 +/- 0.2, and no significant s- or r-process enrichment, [Sr/Fe] < 0.2 and [Ba/Fe] < 1.0 (3 sigma limits). Population III stars exploding as fallback supernovae may explain both the strong carbon enhancement and the apparent lack of enhancement of odd-Z and neutron-capture element abundances. Grids of supernova models computed for metal-free progenitor stars yield good matches for stars of about 10 M circle dot imparting a low kinetic energy on the supernova ejecta, while models for stars more massive than roughly 20 M circle dot are incompatible with the observed abundance pattern.
|
|
12. |
- Tomaz, S. A., et al.
(author)
-
Gross motor skills of South African preschool-aged children across different income settings
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. - : Elsevier. - 1440-2440 .- 1878-1861. ; 22:6, s. 689-694
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: No studies have investigated gross motor skill (GMS) proficiency of preschool-aged children across different income settings in South Africa. Research from high-income countries suggests that children from low-income settings display poorer GMS proficiency compared to higher-income peers. This study aimed to (1) describe GMS proficiency of preschool-aged children in urban high-income (UH), urban low-income (UL) and rural low-income (RL) settings; and (2) explore differences in proficiency between income settings and sex.Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.Methods: The Test of Gross Motor Development-Edition 2 (TGMD-2) was used to assess GMS. The TGMD-2 gross motor quotient, standardised scores and raw scores were used to describe proficiency.Results: GMS proficiency was assessed in n = 259 3-6-year-old children (n = 46 UH, n = 91 UL, n =122 RL). Overall, 93% of the children were classified as having 'average' or better GMS. According to TGMD-2 standardised scores, the RL children performed significantly better than UH and UL children (p = 0.028 and p= 0.009, respectively). RL children were significantly more proficient than UH and UL children in the strike and horizontal jump when comparing raw scores. Overall, boys performed significantly better than girls in the strike, stationary dribble, kick and leap when comparing raw scores (all p <0.001).Conclusions: This study reports high GMS proficiency in preschool-aged children across income settings in South Africa. The factors associated with higher GMS in low-income settings are not immediately obvious. Thus, future research should explore potential factors and identify opportunities to ensure that GMS proficiency is capitalised on as preschool-aged children enter formal schooling. (C) 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
13. |
- Feitosa, Mary F., et al.
(author)
-
Novel genetic associations for blood pressure identified via gene-alcohol interaction in up to 570K individuals across multiple ancestries
- 2018
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public library science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for hypertension; the mechanism by which alcohol consumption impact blood pressure (BP) regulation remains unknown. We hypothesized that a genome-wide association study accounting for gene-alcohol consumption interaction for BP might identify additional BP loci and contribute to the understanding of alcohol-related BP regulation. We conducted a large two-stage investigation incorporating joint testing of main genetic effects and single nucleotide variant (SNV)-alcohol consumption interactions. In Stage 1, genome-wide discovery meta-analyses in approximate to 131 K individuals across several ancestry groups yielded 3,514 SNVs (245 loci) with suggestive evidence of association (P <1.0 x 10(-5)). In Stage 2, these SNVs were tested for independent external replication in individuals across multiple ancestries. We identified and replicated (at Bonferroni correction threshold) five novel BP loci (380 SNVs in 21 genes) and 49 previously reported BP loci (2,159 SNVs in 109 genes) in European ancestry, and in multi-ancestry meta-analyses (P < 5.0 x 10(-8)). For African ancestry samples, we detected 18 potentially novel BP loci (P< 5.0 x 10(-8)) in Stage 1 that warrant further replication. Additionally, correlated meta-analysis identified eight novel BP loci (11 genes). Several genes in these loci (e.g., PINX1, GATA4, BLK, FTO and GABBR2 have been previously reported to be associated with alcohol consumption. These findings provide insights into the role of alcohol consumption in the genetic architecture of hypertension.
|
|
14. |
- Jacobson, Heather R., et al.
(author)
-
High-Resolution Spectroscopic Study of Extremely Metal-Poor Star Candidates from the Skymapper Survey
- 2015
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 807:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The SkyMapper Southern Sky Survey is carrying out a search for the most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy. It identifies candidates by way of its unique filter set which allows for estimation of stellar atmospheric parameters. The set includes a narrow filter centered on the Ca II K 3933 angstrom line, enabling a robust estimate of stellar metallicity. Promising candidates are then confirmed with spectroscopy. We present the analysis of Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle high-resolution spectroscopy of 122 metal-poor stars found by SkyMapper in the first two years of commissioning observations. Forty-one stars have [Fe/H] <= -3.0. Nine have [Fe/H] <= -3.5, with three at [Fe/H] similar to -4. A 1D LTE abundance analysis of the elements Li, C, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr, Ba, and Eu shows these stars have [X/Fe] ratios typical of other halo stars. One star with low [X/Fe] values appears to be "Fe-enhanced," while another star has an extremely large [Sr/Ba] ratio: >2. Only one other star is known to have a comparable value. Seven stars are "CEMP-no" stars ([C/Fe] > 0.7, [Ba/Fe] < 0). 21 stars exhibit mild r-process element enhancements (0.3 <= [Eu/Fe] < 1.0), while four stars have [Eu/Fe] >= 1.0. These results demonstrate the ability to identify extremely metal-poor stars from SkyMapper photometry, pointing to increased sample sizes and a better characterization of the metal-poor tail of the halo metallicity distribution function in the future.
|
|
15. |
- Thompson, C., et al.
(author)
-
The Clearance of Serum Human Epididymis Protein 4 Following Primary Cytoreductive Surgery for Ovarian Carcinoma
- 2018
-
In: International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. - : BMJ. - 1048-891X. ; 28:6, s. 1066-1072
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The aim of this study was to examine the clearance of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the immediate postoperative period in patients undergoing maximal effort cytoreductive surgery for ovarian carcinoma. Methods The study was performed at a tertiary gynecologic oncology center. The surgery was performed by accredited gynecological oncologists. Results Preoperative and serial postoperative venous blood samples at 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours were taken from 10 sequential patients. Pretreatment HE4 is considered elevated at greater than 70 pmol/L. Human epididymis protein 4 was greater than 70 pmol/L in 7 patients, including all patients with high-grade serous carcinoma. Patients with preoperative elevation of serum HE4 and complete cytoreduction cleared more than 80% of serum HE4 in the first 4 hours and more than 88% within 5 days of surgery. One patient with incomplete cytoreduction of high-grade serous carcinoma had 66% clearance at 4 hours and a plateau thereafter. Conclusions Human epididymis protein 4 derived from ovarian carcinoma had a short half-life of less than 4 hours in the circulation when cytoreductive surgery was complete. Sustained low HE4 following surgery could be a useful indicator of the completeness of cytoreduction. Plateau or rise in serum HE4 could suggest persistent disease. Comparison of values on day 1 and day 4 or 5 might have value in assessing the completeness of cytoreduction.
|
|
16. |
- Wood, A. R., et al.
(author)
-
A Genome-Wide Association Study of IVGTT-Based Measures of First-Phase Insulin Secretion Refines the Underlying Physiology of Type 2 Diabetes Variants
- 2017
-
In: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0012-1797 .- 1939-327X. ; 66:8, s. 2296-2309
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the physiological mechanisms by which common variants predispose to type 2 diabetes requires large studies with detailed measures of insulin secretion and sensitivity. Here we performed the largest genome-wide association study of first-phase insulin secretion, as measured by intravenous glucose tolerance tests, using up to 5,567 individuals without diabetes from 10 studies. We aimed to refine the mechanisms of 178 known associations between common variants and glycemic traits and identify new loci. Thirty type 2 diabetes or fasting glucose-raising alleles were associated with a measure of first-phase insulin secretion at P < 0.05 and provided new evidence, or the strongest evidence yet, that insulin secretion, intrinsic to the islet cells, is a key mechanism underlying the associations at the HNF1A, IGF2BP2, KCNQ1, HNF1B, VPS13C/C2CD4A, FAF1, PTPRD, AP3S2, KCNK16, MAEA, LPP, WFS1, and TMPRSS6 loci. The fasting glucose-raising allele near PDX1, a known key insulin transcription factor, was strongly associated with lower first-phase insulin secretion but has no evidence for an effect on type 2 diabetes risk. The diabetes risk allele at TCF7L2 was associated with a stronger effect on peak insulin response than on C-peptide-based insulin secretion rate, suggesting a possible additional role in hepatic insulin clearance or insulin processing. In summary, our study provides further insight into the mechanisms by which common genetic variation influences type 2 diabetes risk and glycemic traits.
|
|
17. |
- Ao, Y., et al.
(author)
-
Deep Submillimeter and Radio Observations in the SSA22 Field. I. Powering Sources and the Ly alpha Escape Fraction of Ly alpha Blobs
- 2017
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 850:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the heating mechanisms and Ly alpha escape fractions of 35 Ly alpha blobs (LABs) at z approximate to 3.1 in the SSA22 field. Dust continuum sources have been identified in 11 of the 35 LABs, all with star formation rates (SFRs) above 100M(circle dot) yr(-1). Likely radio counterparts are detected in 9 out of 29 investigated LABs. The detection of submillimeter dust emission is more linked to the physical size of the Ly alpha emission than to the Ly alpha luminosities of the LABs. A radio excess in the submillimeter/ radio-detected LABs is common, hinting at the presence of active galactic nuclei. Most radio sources without X-ray counterparts are located at the centers of the LABs. However, all X-ray counterparts avoid the central regions. This may be explained by absorption due to exceptionally large column densities along the line-of-sight or by LAB morphologies, which are highly orientation dependent. The median Lya escape fraction is about 3% among the submillimeter-detected LABs, which is lower than a lower limit of 11% for the submillimeter-undetected LABs. We suspect that the large difference is due to the high dust attenuation supported by the large SFRs, the dense large-scale environment as well as large uncertainties in the extinction corrections required to apply when interpreting optical data.
|
|
18. |
- Bessell, Michael S., et al.
(author)
-
Nucleosynthesis in a Primordial Supernova : Carbon and Oxygen Abundances in SMSS J031300.36-670839.3
- 2015
-
In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 806:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- SMSS J031300.36-670839.3 (hereafter SM0313-6708) is a sub-giant halo star, with no detectable Fe lines and large overabundances of C and Mg relative to Ca. We obtained Very Large Telescope-Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) spectra extending to 3060 angstrom showing strong OH A-X band lines enabling an oxygen abundance to be derived. The OH A-X band lines in SM0313-6708 are much stronger than the CH C-X band lines. Spectrum synthesis fits indicate an [O/C] ratio of 0.02 +/- 0.175. Our high signal-to-noise ratio UVES data also enabled us to lower the Fe abundance limit to [Fe/H](< 3D >,NLTE) < -7.52 (3 sigma). These data support our previous suggestion that the star formed from the iron-poor ejecta of a single massive star Population III supernova.
|
|
19. |
|
|
20. |
|
|
21. |
|
|
22. |
|
|
23. |
- Larsson, Susanna C., et al.
(author)
-
Prognosis of carotid dissecting aneurysms : Results from CADISS and a systematic review
- 2017
-
In: Neurology. - 0028-3878 .- 1526-632X. ; 88:7, s. 646-652
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To determine the natural history of dissecting aneurysm (DA) and whether DA is associated with an increased recurrent stroke risk and whether type of antithrombotic drugs (antiplatelets vs anticoagulants) modifies the persistence or development of DA.METHODS: We included 264 patients with extracranial cervical artery dissection (CAD) from the Cervical Artery Dissection in Stroke Study (CADISS), a multicenter prospective study that compared antiplatelet with anticoagulation therapy. Logistic regression was used to estimate age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios. We conducted a systematic review of published studies assessing the natural history of DA and stroke risk in patients with non-surgically-treated extracranial CAD with DA.RESULTS: In CADISS, DA was present in 24 of 264 patients at baseline. In 36 of 248 patients with follow-up neuroimaging at 3 months, 12 of the 24 baseline DAs persisted, and 24 new DA had developed. There was no association between treatment allocation (antiplatelets vs anticoagulants) and whether DA at baseline persisted at follow-up or whether new DA developed. During 12 months of follow-up, stroke occurred in 1 of 48 patients with DA and in 7 of 216 patients without DA (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval 0.10-7.31; p = 0.88). Published studies, mainly retrospective, showed a similarly low risk of stroke and no evidence of an increased stroke rate in patients with DA.CONCLUSIONS: The results of CADISS provide evidence suggesting that DAs may have benign prognosis and therefore medical treatment should be considered.
|
|
24. |
- Manyema, M., et al.
(author)
-
The associations between interpersonal violence and psychological distress among rural and urban young women in South Africa
- 2018
-
In: Health and Place. - : Elsevier. - 1353-8292 .- 1873-2054. ; 51, s. 97-106
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Approximately 25% of the world's population consists of young people. The experience of violence peaks during adolescence and the early adult years. A link between personal experience of violence and mental health among young people has been demonstrated but rural-urban differences in these associations are less well known in low to middle income countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between interpersonal violence and psychological distress among rural and urban young women.Methods: Data on experiences of violence and psychological distress were collected from a total of 926 nonpregnant young women aged between 18 and 22 years of age in rural and urban sites in South Africa. The General Health Questionnaire-28 was used to assess psychological distress as an indicator of mental health. Generalised structural equation models were employed to assess potential pathways of association between interpersonal violence and psychological distress.Results: Thirty-four percent of the urban young women (n = 161) reported psychological distress compared to 18% of rural young women (n = 81). In unadjusted analysis, exposure to interpersonal violence doubled the odds of psychological distress in the urban adolescents and increased the odds 1.6 times in the rural adolescents. In adjusted models, the relationship remained significant in the urban area only (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.13-3.00). Rural residence seemed protective against psychological distress (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.69). Structural equation modelling did not reveal any direct association between exposure to interpersonal violence and psychological distress among rural young women. Stressful household events were indirectly associated with psychological distress, mediated by violence among young women in the urban area.Conclusion: The relationship between violence and psychological distress differs between urban and rural-residing young women in South Africa, and is influenced by individual, household and community (contextual) factors.
|
|
25. |
- Marino, A. F., et al.
(author)
-
Iron and s-elements abundance variations in NGC 5286 : comparison with 'anomalous' globular clusters and Milky Way satellites
- 2015
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 450:1, s. 815-845
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a high-resolution spectroscopic analysis of 62 red giants in the Milky Way globular cluster (GC) NGC 5286. We have determined abundances of representative light proton-capture, a, Fe-peak and neutron-capture element groups, and combined them with photometry of multiple sequences observed along the colour-magnitude diagram. Our principal results are: (i) a broad, bimodal distribution in s-process element abundance ratios, with two main groups, the s-poor and s-rich groups; (ii) substantial star-to-star Fe variations, with the s-rich stars having higher Fe, e.g. <[Fe/H]>(s-rich) - <[Fe/H]>(s-poor) similar to 0.2 dex; and (iii) the presence of O-Na-Al (anti) correlations in both stellar groups. We have defined a new photometric index, c(BVI) = (B - V) -(V - I), to maximize the separation in the colour-magnitude diagram between the two stellar groups with different Fe and s-element content, and this index is not significantly affected by variations in light elements (such as the O-Na anticorrelation). The variations in the overall metallicity present in NGC 5286 add this object to the class of anomalous GCs. Furthermore, the chemical abundance pattern of NGC 5286 resembles that observed in some of the anomalous GCs, e.g. M 22, NGC 1851, M 2, and the more extreme omega Centauri, that also show internal variations in s-elements, and in light elements within stars with different Fe and s-elements content. In view of the common variations in s-elements, we propose the term s-Fe-anomalous GCs to describe this sub-class of objects. The similarities in chemical abundance ratios between these objects strongly suggest similar formation and evolution histories, possibly associated with an origin in tidally disrupted dwarf satellites.
|
|
26. |
- Norris, Jill M., et al.
(author)
-
Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D concentration and risk of islet autoimmunity
- 2018
-
In: Diabetes. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0012-1797 .- 1939-327X. ; 67:1, s. 146-154
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We examined the association between plasma 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and islet autoimmunity (IA) and whether vitamin D gene polymorphisms modify the effect of 25(OH)D on IA risk. We followed 8,676 children at increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes at six sites in the U.S. and Europe. We defined IA as positivity for at least one autoantibody (GADA, IAA, or IA-2A) on two or more visits. We conducted a risk set sampled nested casecontrol study of 376 IA case subjects and up to 3 control subjects per case subject. 25(OH)D concentrationwas measured on all samples prior to, and including, the first IA positive visit. Nine polymorphisms in VDR, CYP24A, CYP27B1, GC, and RXRA were analyzed as effect modifiers of 25(OH)D. Adjusting for HLA-DR-DQ and ancestry, higher childhood 25(OH)D was associated with lower IA risk (odds ratio = 0.93 for a 5 nmol/L difference; 95% CI 0.89, 0.97). Moreover, this association was modified by VDR rs7975232 (interaction P = 0.0072), where increased childhood 25(OH)D was associated with a decreasing IA risk based upon number of minor alleles: 0 (1.00; 0.93, 1.07), 1 (0.92; 0.89, 0.96), and 2 (0.86; 0.80, 0.92). Vitamin D and VDR may have a combined role in IA development in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.
|
|
27. |
- Petrov, Anton S., et al.
(author)
-
Structural Patching Fosters Divergence of Mitochondrial Ribosomes
- 2019
-
In: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0737-4038 .- 1537-1719. ; 36:2, s. 207-219
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) are essential components of all mitochondria that synthesize proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome. Unlike other ribosomes, mitoribosomes are highly variable across species. The basis for this diversity is not known. Here, we examine the composition and evolutionary history of mitoribosomes across the phylogenetic tree by combining three-dimensional structural information with a comparative analysis of the secondary structures of mitochondrial rRNAs (mt-rRNAs) and available proteomic data. We generate a map of the acquisition of structural variation and reconstruct the fundamental stages that shaped the evolution of the mitoribosomal large subunit and led to this diversity. Our analysis suggests a critical role for ablation and expansion of rapidly evolving mt-rRNA. These changes cause structural instabilities that are patched by the acquisition of pre-existing compensatory elements, thus providing opportunities for rapid evolution. This mechanism underlies the incorporation of mt-tRNA into the central protuberance of the mammalian mitoribosome, and the altered path of the polypeptide exit tunnel of the yeast mitoribosome. We propose that since the toolkits of elements utilized for structural patching differ between mitochondria of different species, it fosters the growing divergence of mitoribosomes.
|
|
28. |
- Pilate, J. P., et al.
(author)
-
A three-dimensional inverse method for the design of sails
- 2016
-
In: Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects Part B: International Journal of Small Craft Technology. - : Royal Institution of Naval Architects. - 1740-0694. ; 158, s. 73-87
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper investigates an inverse process for the design of yacht sails. The method is described and then applied to the design of optimal sails for a specific yacht The proposed inverse method generates the three-dimensional shapes of a headsail and mainsail from prescribed loading (i.e. differential pressure) distributions, accounts for the effect of the sea surface, and also simulates the twist and shear of the incoming flow. The uncoupled iterative routine solves a sequence of analysis steps so that the sail shapes are deformed in such a way that their updated loading distributions converge to the specified target distributions. During each iteration equations derived from two-dimensional Thin Aerofoil Theory, calculate a geometry correction from the difference between the current and target loading distributions. This correction is applied to the sail geometry, and a vortex lattice method code calculates the updated three-dimensional differential pressure distributions, which are again compared to the target distributions. Usually only five iterations are required to converge to sail shapes that have the target loading distributions. The inverse method has been validated by inverting the traditional way of analysing sails, i.e. a set of sails with known geometry has been analysed and the loading distributions on the headsail and mainsail were calculated. These distributions were then used as an input for the inverse code. It was found that the difference in camber between the original sails and the calculated geometry is less than 0.01% of camber at the mid-span of the sails. The second part of the paper presents two methods for the design of optimal sails for a yacht One of the methods uses the more traditional analysis approach, while the other employs the inverse method described in this paper. The optimisation is performed for a Transpac 52 yacht in 12 knots (6.5 m/s) of true wind speed to obtain the best velocity made good. Results from both methods are presented and discussed and it is found that the results in terms of boat speed are similar although the trims differ slightly. However, the new inverse method is approximately nine times faster than the traditional analysis approach.
|
|
29. |
|
|
30. |
- Smolcic, V., et al.
(author)
-
The XXL Survey: XXIX. GMRT 610 MHz continuum observations
- 2018
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 620
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the 25 square-degree GMRT-XXL-N 610 MHz radio continuum survey, conducted at 50 cm wavelength with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) towards the XXL Northern field (XXL-N). We combined previously published observations of the XMM-Large Scale Structure (XMM-LSS) field, located in the central part of XXL-N, with newly conducted observations towards the remaining XXL-N area, and imaged the combined data-set using the Source Peeling and Atmospheric Modeling (SPAM) pipeline. The final mosaic encompasses a total area of 30:4 square degrees, with rms <150 μJy beam-1 over 60% of the area. The rms achieved in the inner 9.6 square degree area, enclosing the XMM-LSS field, is about 200 μJy beam-1, while that over the outer 12.66 square degree area (which excludes the noisy edges) is about 45 μJy beam-1. The resolution of the final mosaic is 6.5 arcsec. We present a catalogue of 5434 sources detected at ≥7 × rms. We verify, and correct the reliability of, the catalog in terms of astrometry, flux, and false detection rate. Making use of the (to date) deepest radio continuum survey over a relatively large (2 square degree) field, complete at the flux levels probed by the GMRT-XXL-N survey, we also assess the survey's incompleteness as a function of flux density. The radio continuum sensitivity reached over a large field with a wealth of multi-wavelength data available makes the GMRTXXL- N 610 MHz survey an important asset for studying the physical properties, environments and cosmic evolution of radio sources, in particular radio-selected active galactic nuclei (AGN).
|
|
31. |
- Yang, J., et al.
(author)
-
Vitamin D and probiotics supplement use in young children with genetic risk for type 1 diabetes
- 2017
-
In: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0954-3007 .- 1476-5640. ; 71:12, s. 1449-1454
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background/Objectives:Vitamin D and probiotics are nutrients of interest in the context of type 1 diabetes (T1D). We assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with vitamin D and probiotic supplementations among young children with genetic risk of T1D.Subjects/Methods:Use of supplements during the first 2 years of life was collected prospectively from 8674 children in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study.Results:Single and/or multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements were reported by 81% of the children. The majority of participants in Finland, Germany and Sweden (97-99%) and 50% in the United States received vitamin D supplements that were mostly MVMs. Probiotics use varied from 6% in the United States to 60% in Finland and was primarily from probiotics-only preparations. More than 80% of the vitamin D and probiotics supplementation was initiated during infancy, and more than half of the uses lasted longer than a year. Being the first child, longer duration of breastfeeding, born in a later year, older maternal age and higher maternal education level were associated with both vitamin D and probiotics use. Shorter gestational age and mother not smoking during pregnancy were associated with a higher likelihood of probiotics supplementation only.Conclusions:Vitamin D and probiotics supplementations are popular in children 0-2 years old and are associated with common factors. Data documented here will allow evaluation of the relationship between early childhood dietary intake and the development of islet autoimmunity and progression to T1D.
|
|