Influence of a prudent diet on circulating cathepsin S in humans

Abstract Background: Increased circulating cathepsin S levels have been linked to increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and cancer. However, whether cathepsin S is a modifiable risk factor is unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of a prudent diet on plasma cathepsin S levels in healthy individuals. Findings: Explorative analyses of a randomized study were performed in 88 normal to slightly overweight and hyperlipidemic men and women (aged 25 to 65) that were randomly assigned to ad libitum prudent diet, i.e. healthy Nordic diet (ND) or a control group (habitual Western diet) for 6 weeks. Whereas all foods in the ND were provided, the control group was advised to consume their habitual diet throughout the study. The ND was in line with dietary recommendations, e.g. low in saturated fats, sugars and salt, but high in plant-based foods rich in fibre and unsaturated fats. The ND significantly decreased cathepsin S levels (from 20.1 (+/−4.0 SD) to 19.7 μg/L (+/−4.3 SD)) compared with control group (from 18.2 (+/−2.9 SD) to 19.1 μg/L (+/−3.8 SD)). This difference remained after adjusting for sex and change in insulin sensitivity (P = 0.03), and near significant after adjusting for baseline cathepsin S levels (P = 0.06), but not for change in weight or LDL-C. Changes in cathepsin S levels were directly correlated with change in LDL-C

Проблема диагностики болезни Крона у детей

ДЕТИКРОНА БОЛЕЗНЬ /ДИАГНКИШЕЧНИКА ВОСПАЛИТЕЛЬНЫЕ БОЛЕЗНИ /ДИАГНГРАНУЛЕМАИЛЕОСКОПИЯБИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ МАРКЕРЫДИАГНОСТИЧЕСКИЕ МЕТОДЫ ПИЩЕВАРИТЕЛЬНЫЕ /ИСПКОЛОНОСКОПИЯКОМПЬЮТЕРНАЯ ЭНТЕРОГРАФИЯЭНТЕРОГРАФИЯ КОМПЬЮТЕРНА

Hybridization properties of long nucleic acid probes for detection of variable target sequences, and development of a hybridization prediction algorithm

One of the main problems in nucleic acid-based techniques for detection of infectious agents, such as influenza viruses, is that of nucleic acid sequence variation. DNA probes, 70-nt long, some including the nucleotide analog deoxyribose-Inosine (dInosine), were analyzed for hybridization tolerance to different amounts and distributions of mismatching bases, e.g. synonymous mutations, in target DNA. Microsphere-linked 70-mer probes were hybridized in 3M TMAC buffer to biotinylated single-stranded (ss) DNA for subsequent analysis in a Luminex® system. When mismatches interrupted contiguous matching stretches of 6 nt or longer, it had a strong impact on hybridization. Contiguous matching stretches are more important than the same number of matching nucleotides separated by mismatches into several regions. dInosine, but not 5-nitroindole, substitutions at mismatching positions stabilized hybridization remarkably well, comparable to N (4-fold) wobbles in the same positions. In contrast to shorter probes, 70-nt probes with judiciously placed dInosine substitutions and/or wobble positions were remarkably mismatch tolerant, with preserved specificity. An algorithm, NucZip, was constructed to model the nucleation and zipping phases of hybridization, integrating both local and distant binding contributions. It predicted hybridization more exactly than previous algorithms, and has the potential to guide the design of variation-tolerant yet specific probes

Wireless Interface Technologies for Sensor Networks

The main focus of the work presented in this thesis concerns the development and improvement of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) as well as Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs). WSN consist of interlinked, wireless devices (nodes) capable of relaying data wirelessly between the nodes. The applications of WSNs are very broad and cover both wireless fitness monitoring systems such as pulse watches or wireless temperature monitoring of buildings, among others. The topics investigated in the work presented within this thesis covers antenna design, wireless propagation environment evaluation and modeling, adaptive antenna control and wireless nodes system design and evaluation. In order to provide an end-user suitable solution for wireless nodes the devices require both small form factor and good performance in order to be competitive on the marked and thus the main part of this thesis focuses on techniques developed and data collected to help achieve these goals.  Several different prototype systems have been developed which have been used to measure data by the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), GKN Aerospace Sweden AB, the Swedish Transport Administration. The system developed with GKN Aerospace was used to do real-time test measurements inside a running RM12 jet engine and required a substantial amount of measurements, environmental modeling and system validation in order to properly design a wireless system suitable for the harsh and fast fading environment inside a jet engine. For FOI improvements were made on a wearable wireless body area network initially developed during the authors master thesis work. Refinements included work on new generation wireless nodes, antenna packaging and node-supported diversity techniques. Work and papers regarding the design of different types of antennas suitable for wireless nodes are presented. The primary constraints on the presented antennas are the limited electrical size. The types of antennas developed include electrically small helix antennas manufactured both on stretchable substrates consisting of a PDMS substrate with Galinstan as the liquid metal conductors, screen printed silver ink for helix antennas and conformal dual patch antennas for wireless sensor nodes. Other standard type antennas are included on the wireless sensors as well

Design and Performance of Diversity based Wireless Interfaces for Sensor Network Nodes

The main focus of the work presented in this licentiate thesis concerns antenna design, adaptive antenna control and investigation on how the performance of small wireless nodes can be increased by inclusion of multiple antennas. In order to provide an end-user suitable solution for wireless nodes the devices require both small form factor and good performance in order to be competitive on the marked and thus the main part of this thesis focuses on techniques developed to achieve these goals. Two prototype systems have been developed where one has been used by National Defence Research Agency (FOI) to successfully monitor a test-subject moving in an outdoor terrain. The other prototype system shows the overall performance gain achievable in a wireless sensor node when multiple antennas and antenna beam steering is used. As an example of how to include multiple antennas in a wireless node the concept of using dual conformal patch antennas for wireless nodes is presented. The proposed antenna showed an excess of 10 dB gain when using a single driven antenna element as would be the case in a system utilizing antenna selection combining. When used as a 2-element phased array, up to 19 dB gain was obtained in a multiscattering environment. Using the second order resonance the proposed antenna structure achieves low mutual coupling and a reflection coefficient lower than -15 dB. The presented antenna design shows how a dual antenna wireless node can be designed using discrete phase control with passive matching which provides a good adaptive antenna solution usable for wireless sensor networks. The inclusion of discrete phase sweep diversity in a wireless node has been evaluated and shown to provide a significant diversity gain. The diversity gain of a discrete phase sweep diversity based system was measured in both a reverberation chamber and a real life office environment. The former environment showed between 5.5 to 10.3 dB diversity gain depending on the detector architecture and the latter showed a diversity gain ranging from 1 to 5.4 dB. Also the performance of nodes designed to be placed in a high temperature and multiscattering environment (the fan stage of a jet engine) has been evaluated. The work was carried out in order to verify that a wireless sensor network is able to operate in such a multiscattering environment. It was shown that the wireless nodes are able to operate in an emulated turbine environment based on real-life measured turbine fading data. The tested sensor network was able to transmit 32 byte packages using cyclic redundancy check at 2 Mbps at an engine speed of 13.000 rpm.WISENETWISEJE

Design and Performance of Diversity based Wireless Interfaces for Sensor Network Nodes

The main focus of the work presented in this licentiate thesis concerns antenna design, adaptive antenna control and investigation on how the performance of small wireless nodes can be increased by inclusion of multiple antennas. In order to provide an end-user suitable solution for wireless nodes the devices require both small form factor and good performance in order to be competitive on the marked and thus the main part of this thesis focuses on techniques developed to achieve these goals. Two prototype systems have been developed where one has been used by National Defence Research Agency (FOI) to successfully monitor a test-subject moving in an outdoor terrain. The other prototype system shows the overall performance gain achievable in a wireless sensor node when multiple antennas and antenna beam steering is used. As an example of how to include multiple antennas in a wireless node the concept of using dual conformal patch antennas for wireless nodes is presented. The proposed antenna showed an excess of 10 dB gain when using a single driven antenna element as would be the case in a system utilizing antenna selection combining. When used as a 2-element phased array, up to 19 dB gain was obtained in a multiscattering environment. Using the second order resonance the proposed antenna structure achieves low mutual coupling and a reflection coefficient lower than -15 dB. The presented antenna design shows how a dual antenna wireless node can be designed using discrete phase control with passive matching which provides a good adaptive antenna solution usable for wireless sensor networks. The inclusion of discrete phase sweep diversity in a wireless node has been evaluated and shown to provide a significant diversity gain. The diversity gain of a discrete phase sweep diversity based system was measured in both a reverberation chamber and a real life office environment. The former environment showed between 5.5 to 10.3 dB diversity gain depending on the detector architecture and the latter showed a diversity gain ranging from 1 to 5.4 dB. Also the performance of nodes designed to be placed in a high temperature and multiscattering environment (the fan stage of a jet engine) has been evaluated. The work was carried out in order to verify that a wireless sensor network is able to operate in such a multiscattering environment. It was shown that the wireless nodes are able to operate in an emulated turbine environment based on real-life measured turbine fading data. The tested sensor network was able to transmit 32 byte packages using cyclic redundancy check at 2 Mbps at an engine speed of 13.000 rpm.WISENETWISEJE

Technology development for genome and polymorphism analysis

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is widely expected to provide a multitude of benefits in areas of medical research. There is, however, a growing disparity between the rate of SNP discovery and the development of effective technologies for large scale SNP scoring. This thesis outlines the development of a SNP scoring technology termed dynamic allele-specific hybridization (DASH). The first publication describes the basic concept of DASH. The strategy involves a short PCR spanning the SNP position, with one PCR primer biotinylated. Via biotin-streptavidine affinity capture the PCR product is bound to the surface of a microtiter plate well. Rinsing in alkali removes the nonbiotinylated strand and then hybridization of an allele-specific oligonucleotide probe to the bound target is done. In the presence of a double strand specific fluorescent dye the probe- target duplex is slowly heated whilst fluorescence is monitored. Denaturation of a duplex where the probe is complementary to the SNP allele will cause a drop in fluorescence at a higher temperature than will a probe mismatching at the polymorphic position. Genotypes are obtained by interpretation of the denaturation profiles. The second publication is an investigation of how truncated oligonucleotide impurities on a surface affect hybridization. It is well known that DNA chips created by photolithography suffer from carrying such impurities, but the effect of these contaminants upon hybridization has not previously been investigated. Impurities were modeled (oligonucleotides of different lengths) in ratios reported from in situ array creation by photolithography. Subsequent hybridization experiments where denaturation profiles were generated gave insight in how impurities influence hybridization. The third publication describes a simple routine for array creation on different surfaces by centrifugation. The centrifugation array concept was later implemented in the second generation of DASH (see below). The fourth manuscript included in the thesis describes a tool for automated DASH assay design. Secondary structure formation in the hybridization target molecule may compete with the allelespecific probe and can cause an assay to fail. However, by careful assay design it is possible to essentially eliminate secondary structure problems and DASH assay failures Strategies for efficient assay design has been developed and implemented in a DASH-assay design software. The fifth manuscript describes high throughput implementation of DASH. The new system, which we have termed DASH-2, involves small volume multiplex PCR and multiplex melting temperature analysis on arrays created by centrifugation. A new system of generating hybridization signals, termed FRET, offers possibilities for multiplexed analysis by separating the assays spectrally. The system is highly flexible (any plate format, PCR multiplexing, serial and parallel array processing, spectralmultiplexing of hybridization probes), thus supporting a wide range of applications, scales and objectives

Design and Performance of Diversity based Wireless Interfaces for Sensor Network Nodes

The main focus of the work presented in this licentiate thesis concerns antenna design, adaptive antenna control and investigation on how the performance of small wireless nodes can be increased by inclusion of multiple antennas. In order to provide an end-user suitable solution for wireless nodes the devices require both small form factor and good performance in order to be competitive on the marked and thus the main part of this thesis focuses on techniques developed to achieve these goals. Two prototype systems have been developed where one has been used by National Defence Research Agency (FOI) to successfully monitor a test-subject moving in an outdoor terrain. The other prototype system shows the overall performance gain achievable in a wireless sensor node when multiple antennas and antenna beam steering is used. As an example of how to include multiple antennas in a wireless node the concept of using dual conformal patch antennas for wireless nodes is presented. The proposed antenna showed an excess of 10 dB gain when using a single driven antenna element as would be the case in a system utilizing antenna selection combining. When used as a 2-element phased array, up to 19 dB gain was obtained in a multiscattering environment. Using the second order resonance the proposed antenna structure achieves low mutual coupling and a reflection coefficient lower than -15 dB. The presented antenna design shows how a dual antenna wireless node can be designed using discrete phase control with passive matching which provides a good adaptive antenna solution usable for wireless sensor networks. The inclusion of discrete phase sweep diversity in a wireless node has been evaluated and shown to provide a significant diversity gain. The diversity gain of a discrete phase sweep diversity based system was measured in both a reverberation chamber and a real life office environment. The former environment showed between 5.5 to 10.3 dB diversity gain depending on the detector architecture and the latter showed a diversity gain ranging from 1 to 5.4 dB. Also the performance of nodes designed to be placed in a high temperature and multiscattering environment (the fan stage of a jet engine) has been evaluated. The work was carried out in order to verify that a wireless sensor network is able to operate in such a multiscattering environment. It was shown that the wireless nodes are able to operate in an emulated turbine environment based on real-life measured turbine fading data. The tested sensor network was able to transmit 32 byte packages using cyclic redundancy check at 2 Mbps at an engine speed of 13.000 rpm.WISENETWISEJE