A
bstract
The production of prompt D
s
+
mesons was measured for the first time in collisions of heavy nuclei with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The analysis was performed on a data sample of Pb-Pb ...collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair,
s
N
N
,
of 2.76 TeV in two different centrality classes, namely 0–10% and 20–50%. D
s
+
mesons and their antiparticles were reconstructed at mid-rapidity from their hadronic decay channel D
s
+
→
ϕπ
+
, with
ϕ
→ K
−
K
+
, in the transverse momentum intervals 4 <
p
T
< 12GeV/
c
and 6 <
p
T
< 12 GeV/
c
for the 0–10% and 20–50% centrality classes, respectively. The nuclear modification factor
R
AA
was computed by comparing the
p
T
-differential production yields in Pb-Pb collisions to those in proton-proton (pp) collisions at the same energy. This pp reference was obtained using the cross section measured at
s
=
7
TeV and scaled to
s
=
2.76
TeV. The
R
AA
of D
s
+
mesons was compared to that of non-strange D mesons in the 10% most central Pb-Pb collisions. At high
p
T
(8 <
p
T
< 12 GeV/
c
) a suppression of the D
s
+
-meson yield by a factor of about three, compatible within uncertainties with that of non-strange D mesons, is observed. At lower
p
T
(4 <
p
T
< 8 GeV/
c
) the values of the D
s
+
-meson
R
AA
are larger than those of non-strange D mesons, although compatible within uncertainties. The production ratios D
s
+
/D
0
and D
s
+
/D
+
were also measured in Pb-Pb collisions and compared to their values in proton-proton collisions.
Whilst cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers for amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies are accurate for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), their broad ...implementation in clinical and trial settings are restricted by high cost and limited accessibility. Plasma phosphorylated-tau181 (p-tau181) is a promising blood-based biomarker that is specific for AD, correlates with cerebral Aβ and tau pathology, and predicts future cognitive decline. In this study, we report the performance of p-tau181 in >1000 individuals from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), including cognitively unimpaired (CU), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD dementia patients characterized by Aβ PET. We confirmed that plasma p-tau181 is increased at the preclinical stage of Alzheimer and further increases in MCI and AD dementia. Individuals clinically classified as AD dementia but having negative Aβ PET scans show little increase but plasma p-tau181 is increased if CSF Aβ has already changed prior to Aβ PET changes. Despite being a multicenter study, plasma p-tau181 demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy to identify AD dementia (AUC = 85.3%; 95% CI, 81.4-89.2%), as well as to distinguish between Aβ- and Aβ+ individuals along the Alzheimer's continuum (AUC = 76.9%; 95% CI, 74.0-79.8%). Higher baseline concentrations of plasma p-tau181 accurately predicted future dementia and performed comparably to the baseline prediction of CSF p-tau181. Longitudinal measurements of plasma p-tau181 revealed low intra-individual variability, which could be of potential benefit in disease-modifying trials seeking a measurable response to a therapeutic target. This study adds significant weight to the growing body of evidence in the use of plasma p-tau181 as a non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic tool for AD, regardless of clinical stage, which would be of great benefit in clinical practice and a large cost-saving in clinical trial recruitment.
The Knowledge Economy Powell, Walter W.; Snellman, Kaisa
Annual review of sociology,
01/2004, Letnik:
30, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We define the knowledge economy as production and services based on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technical and scientific advance, as well as rapid ...obsolescence. The key component of a knowledge economy is a greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources. We provide evidence drawn from patent data to document an upsurge in knowledge production and show that this expansion is driven by the emergence of new industries. We then review the contentious literature that assesses whether recent technological advances have raised productivity. We examine the debate over whether new forms of work that embody technological change have generated more worker autonomy or greater managerial control. Finally, we assess the distributional consequences of a knowledge-based economy with respect to growing inequality in wages and high-quality jobs.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasingly prevalent worldwide, and disease‐modifying treatments may soon be at hand; hence, now, more than ever, there is a need to develop techniques that allow ...earlier and more secure diagnosis. Current biomarker‐based guidelines for AD diagnosis, which have replaced the historical symptom‐based guidelines, rely heavily on neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling. While these have greatly improved the diagnostic accuracy of AD pathophysiology, they are less practical for application in primary care, population‐based and epidemiological settings, or where resources are limited. In contrast, blood is a more accessible and cost‐effective source of biomarkers in AD. In this review paper, using the recently proposed amyloid, tau and neurodegeneration AT(N) criteria as a framework towards a biological definition of AD, we discuss recent advances in biofluid‐based biomarkers, with a particular emphasis on those with potential to be translated into blood‐based biomarkers. We provide an overview of the research conducted both in CSF and in blood to draw conclusions on biomarkers that show promise. Given the evidence collated in this review, plasma neurofilament light chain (N) and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau; T) show particular potential for translation into clinical practice. However, p‐tau requires more comparisons to be conducted between its various epitopes before conclusions can be made as to which one most robustly differentiates AD from non‐AD dementias. Plasma amyloid beta (A) would prove invaluable as an early screening modality, but it requires very precise tests and robust pre‐analytical protocols.
COVID-19 shocked health and economic systems leaving millions of people without employment and safety nets. The pandemic disproportionately affects people with substance use disorders (SUDs) due to ...the collision between SUDs and COVID-19. Comorbidities and risk environments for SUDs are likely risk factors for COVID-19. The pandemic, in turn, diminishes resources that people with SUD need for their recovery and well-being. This article presents an interdisciplinary and international perspective on how COVID-19 and the related systemic shock impact on individuals with SUDs directly and indirectly. We highlight a need to understand SUDs as biopsychosocial disorders and use evidence-based policies to destigmatize SUDs. We recommend a suite of multi-sectorial actions and strategies to strengthen, modernize and complement addiction care systems which will become resilient and responsive to future systemic shocks similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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