| 1. |
- Aasa, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Cost and health outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention versus thrombolysis in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction-Results of the Swedish Early Decision reperfusion Study (SWEDES) trial.
- 2010
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Ingår i: American heart journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 1097-6744 .- 0002-8703. ; 160:2, s. 322-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In ST-elevation myocardial infarction, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has a superior clinical outcome, but it may increase costs in comparison to thrombolysis. The aim of the study was to compare costs, clinical outcome, and quality-adjusted survival between primary PCI and thrombolysis. METHODS: Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were randomized to primary PCI with adjunctive enoxaparin and abciximab (n = 101), or to enoxaparin followed by reteplase (n = 104). Data on the use of health care resources, work loss, and health-related quality of life were collected during a 1-year period. Cost-effectiveness was determined by comparing costs and quality-adjusted survival. The joint distribution of incremental costs and quality-adjusted survival was analyzed using a nonparametric bootstrap approach. RESULTS: Clinical outcome did not differ significantly between the groups. Compared with the group treated with thrombolysis, the cost of interventions was higher in the PCI-treated group ($4,602 vs $3,807; P = .047), as well as the cost of drugs ($1,309 vs $1,202; P = .001), whereas the cost of hospitalization was lower ($7,344 vs $9,278; P = .025). The cost of investigations, outpatient care, and loss of production did not differ significantly between the 2 treatment arms. Total cost and quality-adjusted survival were $25,315 and 0.759 vs $27,819 and 0.728 (both not significant) for the primary PCI and thrombolysis groups, respectively. Based on the 1-year follow-up, bootstrap analysis revealed that in 80%, 88%, and 89% of the replications, the cost per health outcome gained for PCI will be <$0, $50,000, and $100,000 respectively. CONCLUSION: In a 1-year perspective, there was a tendency toward lower costs and better health outcome after primary PCI, resulting in costs for PCI in comparison to thrombolysis that will be below the conventional threshold for cost-effectiveness in 88% of bootstrap replications.
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| 2. |
- Aasa, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Risk Reduction for Cardiac Events After Primary Coronary Intervention Compared With Thrombolysis for Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Five-Year Results of the Swedish Early Decision Reperfusion Strategy [SWEDES] Trial).
- 2010
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Ingår i: The American journal of cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1913 .- 0002-9149. ; 106:12, s. 1685-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction compares favorably to thrombolysis. In previous studies the benefit has been restricted to the early postinfarction period with no additional risk decrease beyond this period. Long-term outcome after use of third-generation thrombolytics and modern adjunctive pharmaceutics in the 2 treatment arms has not been investigated. This study was conducted to compare 5-year outcome after updated regimens of PPCI or thrombolysis. Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were randomized to enoxaparin and abciximab followed by PPCI (n = 101) or enoxaparin followed by reteplase (n = 104), with prehospital initiation of therapy in 42% of patients. Data on survival and major cardiac events were obtained from Swedish national registries after 5.3 years. PPCI resulted in a better outcome with respect to the composite of death or recurrent myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 0.54, confidence interval 0.31 to 0.95) compared to thrombolysis. This was attributed to a significant decrease in cardiac deaths (hazard ratio 0.16, confidence interval 0.04 to 0.74). The difference evolved continuously over the 5-year follow-up. After adjustment for covariates, a significant benefit remained with respect to cardiac death or recurrent infarction but not for the composite of total survival or recurrent myocardial infarction (p = 0.07). The observed differences were not seen in patients in whom therapy was initiated in the prehospital phase. In conclusion, PPCI in combination with enoxaparin and abciximab compares favorably to thrombolysis in combination with enoxaparin with a risk decrease that stretches beyond the early postinfarction period. Prehospital thrombolysis may, however, match PPCI in long-term outcome.
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| 5. |
- Abraham, Getahun Yacob
(författare)
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Education for Democracy? : Life Orientation: Lessons on Leadeship Qualities and Voting in South African Comprehensive Schools
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study takes as its starting point how teachers understand, interpret and teach social development aspects of Life Orientation in South African comprehensive schools. The specific focus is on lessons on leadership qualities and voting for third grade learners in four schools, each dominated by either Black, Coloured, White or mixed groups of learners. Field work with an ethnographic approach and a qualitative strategy was used to gain access to empirical data. Policy and curriculum documents, guidelines and textbooks were used. Classroom observations in four classes and interviews with 14 third grade teachers were conducted. Theoretical concepts of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction are applied. Ulf P Lundgren’s Frame Factor Theory is used to study school organization. Basil Bernstein’s Pedagogical Devices are considered when examining the different levels of pedagogical activities. To be a teacher in South Africa one needs to attend at least two years of teacher education after completing high school. Teachers in the classes studied underwent their teacher education during apartheid years. Due to limited in-service training, they sometimes experience problems of understanding and interpreting the learning area, which they usually tackle by consulting documents, colleagues or school authorities. The learners’ understanding varied based on their family background and type of school they attended. There were enormous differences in material, financial and organisational resources between classes and schools. The resources for teaching leadership qualities and voting were not, however, different between the classes. The lessons were teacher dominated and direct transmission was used as a method. The way teachers facilitated the lesson on leadership qualities and voting varied but all showed some democratic shortcomings. Apart from answering questions, learners were neither invited nor encouraged to participate to further their understanding of the theme. Limited aspects of leadership qualities were discussed, individual leaders’ roles were emphasised and the teachers picked candidates for class leaders in three of the classes. It was also evident that the class environments were not suitable for critical or creative thinking and democratic upbringing. The schools reproduced norms, values, languages and cultures of the different groups. Officially, teachers emphasised the common national South African identity. This emphasis on national identity could disguise the injustice some groups experience in society.
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| 6. |
- Abraham, Getahun Yacob
(författare)
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Lektioner om ledarskapskvalitet och röstningsförfarande i sydafrikanska grundskolor
- 2011
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Ingår i: Kapet (avslutad tryckt version). - Karlstad : Karlstads universitet. - 1653-4743. ; 1:1, s. 96-107
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna studie tar sin utgångspunkt i hur lärare undervisar om den sociala utvecklingsdelen av ”Life Orientation” i sydafrikanska grundskolan. Specifikt fokus ligger på lektioner om ledarskapskvalitet och om att rösta för tredjeklasselever i fyra skolor. Var och en av klasserna dominerades av antingen svarta, färgade, vita eller blandade grupper av elever. Ulf P Lundgrens ramfaktorteori användes för att studera skolans organisation. Basil Bernsteins ”Pedagogic device” användes för att förstå olika pedagogiska verksamheter i klassrummet. Fältarbeten med en etnografisk metod och en kvalitativ strategi användes för att få tillgång till empiriska data. Policy- och läroplansdokument, riktlinjer och läroböcker analyserades. Klassrumsobservationer i fyra klasser och intervjuer med 14 tredjeklasslärare genomfördes. För att vara lärare i Sydafrika krävs minst två års lärarutbildning efter avslutad gymnasieskola. Lärarna i de klasser som studerades genomgick sin lärarutbildning under apartheidtiden. På grund av begränsad fortbildning och bristande erfarenheter av den nya läroplanen hade de ibland svårigheter att förstå och tolka det aktuella ämnet. Enorma skillnader i material, ekonomiska och organisatoriska resurser förelåg mellan olika klasser och skolor. Lärarna dominerade lektionerna och direkt överföring användes som metod. Det sätt lärarna höll lektion om ledaregenskap och om att rösta varierade, men alla visade demokratiska brister. Lärarna valde själva kandidater till klassledare i tre av klasserna. Det blev också tydligt att klassernas miljöer inte befrämjade vare sig kritiskt och kreativt tänkande eller demokratisk fostran.
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| 7. |
- Abtahi, Z., et al.
(författare)
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Ethanol production by Mucor indicus at high glucose and ethanol concentrations
- 2010
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Ingår i: Minerva Biotecnologica. - : Edizioni Minerva Medica. - 1120-4826 .- 1827-160X. ; 22:3-4, s. 83-89
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mucor indicus was cultivated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to study its tolerance against high concentration of glucose up to 350 g/L and ethanol up to 120 g/L present in the medium. The fungus could grow well even in 350 g/L glucose and produce ethanol, but it was able to assimilate the entire glucose when its concentration was less than 200 g/L. On the other hand, M. indicus produced ethanol as the main product with yield and concentration up to 0.45 g/g and 73 g/L, respectively, while glycerol, its only major byproduct, was produced up to 24 g/L. However, the fungus was not so tolerant against exogenously added ethanol, and it could not grow with more than 40 g/L added ethanol to the culture. Under aerobic conditions, M. indicus displayed different morphology, switching from long filamentous to yeast-like growth forms by increasing initial glucose concentration. This implies that yeast-like growth can be induced by growing M. indicus at high glucose concentration. Under anaerobic conditions, only one yeast-like form was observed.
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| 8. |
- Adekunle, Kayode
(författare)
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Bio-based Composites from Soybean Oil Thermosets and Natural Fibers
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In order to reduce over-dependency on fossil fuels and to create an environment that is free of non-degradable plastics, and most importantly to reduce greenhouse gas emission, bio-based products are being developed from renewable resources through intense research to substitute conventional petrochemical-based plastics with renewable alternatives and to replace synthetic fibers with natural fibers. Many authors have done quite a lot of work on synthesizing polymers from renewable origin. Polylactic acid (PLA) has been developed and characterized, and it was found that it has enormous potential and can serve as an alternative to conventional thermoplastics in many applications. Modification of the plant oil triglycerides has been discussed by many authors, and research is still going on in this area. The challenge is how to make these renewable polymers more competitive in the market, and if possible to make them 100% bio-based. There is also a major disadvantage to using a bio-based polymer from plant oils because of the high viscosity, which makes impregnation of fibers difficult. Although natural fibers are hydrophilic in nature, the problem of compatibility with the hydrophobic matrix must be solved; however, the viscosity of the bio-based resin from plant oils will complicate the situation even more. This is why many authors have reported blending of the renewable thermoset resin with styrene. In the process of solving one problem, i.e reducing the viscosity of the renewable thermoset resin by blending with reactive diluents such as styrene, another problem which we intended to solve at the initial stage is invariably being created by using a volatile organic solvent like styrene. The solution to this cycle of problems is to synthesize a thermoset resin from plant oils which will have lower viscosity, and at the same time have higher levels of functionality. This will increase the crosslinking density, and they can be cured at room temperature or relatively low temperature. In view of the above considerations, the work included in this thesis has provided a reasonable solution to the compounded problems highlighted above. Three types of bio-based thermoset resins were synthesized and characterized using NMR, DSC, TGA, and FT-IR, and their processability was studied. The three resins were subsequently reinforced with natural fibers (woven and non-woven), glass fibers, and Lyocell fiber and the resulting natural fiber composites were characterized by mechanical, dynamic mechanical, impact, and SEM analyses. These composites can be used extensively in the automotive industry, particularly for the interior components, and also in the construction and furniture industries. Methacrylated soybean oil (MSO), methacrylic anhydride-modified soybean oil (MMSO), and acetic anhydride-modified soybean oil (AMSO) were found to be suitable for manufacture of composites because of their lower viscosity. The MMSO and MSO resins were found to be promising materials because composites manufactured by using them as a matrix showed very good mechanical properties. The MMSO resin can completely wet a fiber without the addition of styrene. It has the highest number of methacrylates per triglyceride and high crosslink density.
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| 10. |
- Adekunle, Kayode, et al.
(författare)
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Biobased Composites Prepared by Compression Molding with a Novel Thermoset Resin from Soybean Oil and a Natural-Fiber Reinforcement
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Polymer Science. - : John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. - 0021-8995 .- 1097-4628. ; 116:3, s. 1759-1765
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biobased composites were manufactured with a compression-molding technique. Novel thermoset resins from soybean oil were used as a matrix, and flax fibers were used as reinforcements. The air-laid fibers were stacked randomly, the woven fabrics were stacked crosswise (0/90 ), and impregnation was performed manually. The fiber/resin ratio was 60 : 40. The prepared biobased composites were characterized by impact and flexural testing. Scanning electron microscopy of knife-cut cross sections of the specimens was also done to investigate the fiber–matrix interface. Thermogravimetric analysis of the composites was carried out to provide indications of thermal stability. Three resins from soybean oil [methacrylated soybean oil, methacrylic anhydride modified soybean oil (MMSO), and acetic anhydride modified soybean oil] were used as matrices. The impact strength of the composites with MMSO resin reinforced with air-laid flax fibers was 24 kJ/m2, whereas that of the MMSO resin reinforced with woven flax fabric was between 24 and 29 kJ/m2. The flexural strength of the MMSO resin reinforced with air-laid flax fibers was between 83 and 118 MPa, and the flexural modulus was between 4 and 6 GPa, whereas the flexural strength of the MMSO resin reinforced with woven fabric was between 90 and 110 MPa, and the flexural modulus was between 4.87 and 6.1 GPa.
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