| 51. |
- Aalders, Johannes Theodor
(author)
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The scale of risk: Conceptualising and analysing the politics of sacrifice scales in the case of informal settlements at urban rivers in Nairobi
- 2018
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In: Erdkunde. - : Erdkunde. - 0014-0015. ; 72:2, s. 91-101
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper investigates the importance of scale for power dynamics in the negotiation of risks connected to urban rivers in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to unequal distribution of wealth, global inequalities in the distribution of risk become increasingly important. Scale as a significant dimension of inequality is discussed in the context of Nairobi’s urban rivers, as water scarcity and flooding events are expected to increase and can both be observed within the highly heterogenic city of Nairobi. The paper attempts to answer the overarching question: how do contested definitions of scale influence the distribution of risks in the case of informal settlement along Nairobi’s urban rivers? This contains a conceptual, as well as an empirical dimension. Regarding the conceptual part, riskscapes are introduced and subsequently expanded to include an explicitly scalar dimension. At that, riskscapes are understood as a contemporaneous (and often contradictory) plurality of material and ideational relations that connect risks with people and the environment. A relational focus on fluidity and movement interprets scalar levels as contingent and political and thus not inherent to entities but as the product of negotiable relations. This conceptual background interfaces with the methodology of multi-sited ethnography, which inspires the method of following the river through the fragmented city of Nairobi. Applying this conceptual framing to the case of urban slum-dwellers in Nairobi, it is argued that women are discursively and materially framed to the household level, where they face the highest flooding risk. The level of the body is identified as a susceptible but often neglected scalar framing and is therefore placed in the centre of empirical scrutiny. This informs the conclusion to regard the poor female body in the case of Nairobi’s urban rivers as a sacrifice-scale where risks produced elsewhere are ‘dumped’, addressing the empirical dimension of the research question. This paper’s main contribution is the conceptual merging of the politics of risk and scale, the substantiation of this argument by a relevant case study and subsequently the spotlighting of dynamics of marginalisation through scalar negotiations of risk. © 2018, Erdkunde. All rights reserved.
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| 52. |
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| 53. |
- Aalkjær, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Sympathetic and Sensory-Motor Nerves in Peripheral Small Arteries.
- 2021
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In: Physiological reviews. - : American Physiological Society. - 1522-1210 .- 0031-9333. ; 101:2, s. 495-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Small arteries, which play important roles in controlling blood flow, blood pressure, and capillary pressure, are under nervous influence. Their innervation is predominantly sympathetic and sensory motor in nature, and while some arteries are densely innervated, others are only sparsely so. Innervation of small arteries is a key mechanism in regulating vascular resistance. In the second half of the previous century, the physiology and pharmacology of this innervation were very actively investigated. In the past 10-20yr, the activity in this field was more limited. With this review we highlight what has been learned during recent years with respect to development of small arteries and their innervation, some aspects of excitation-release coupling, interaction between sympathetic and sensory-motor nerves, cross talk between endothelium and vascular nerves, and some aspects of their role in vascular inflammation and hypertension. We also highlight what remains to be investigated to further increase our understanding of this fundamental aspect of vascular physiology.
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| 54. |
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| 55. |
- Aamodt, A. H., et al.
(author)
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Blood neurofilament light concentration at admittance: a potential prognostic marker in COVID-19
- 2021
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 268, s. 3574-3583
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To test the hypotheses that blood biomarkers for nervous system injury, serum concentrations of neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAp) can serve as biomarkers for disease severity in COVID-19 patients. Methods Forty-seven inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 had blood samples drawn on admission for assessing serum biomarkers of CNS injury by Single molecule array (Simoa), NfL and GFAp. Concentrations of NfL and GFAp were analyzed in relation to symptoms, clinical signs, inflammatory biomarkers and clinical outcomes. We used multivariate linear models to test for differences in biomarker concentrations in the subgroups, accounting for confounding effects. Results In total, 21% (n = 10) of the patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and the overall mortality rate was 13% (n = 6). Non-survivors had higher serum concentrations of NfL (p < 0.001) upon admission than patients who were discharged alive both in adjusted analyses (p = 2.6 x 10(-7)) and unadjusted analyses (p = 0.001). The concentrations of NfL in non-survivors increased over repeated measurements; whereas, the concentrations in survivors were stable. The GFAp concentration was also significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors (p = 0.02). Conclusion Increased concentrations of NfL and GFAp in COVID-19 patients on admission may indicate increased mortality risk. Measurement of blood biomarkers for nervous system injury can be useful to detect and monitor CNS injury in COVID-19.
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| 56. |
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| 57. |
- Aapro, Matti, et al.
(author)
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Identifying critical steps towards improved access to innovation in cancer care: a European CanCer Organisation position paper
- 2017
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In: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 82, s. 193-202
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2017 In recent decades cancer care has seen improvements in the speed and accuracy of diagnostic procedures; the effectiveness of surgery, radiation therapy and medical treatments; the power of information technology; and the development of multidisciplinary, specialist-led approaches to care. Such innovations are essential if we are to continue improving the lives of cancer patients across Europe despite financial pressures on our healthcare systems. Investment in innovation must be balanced with the need to ensure the sustainability of healthcare budgets, and all health professionals have a responsibility to help achieve this balance. It requires scrutiny of the way care is delivered; we must be ready to discontinue practices or interventions that are inefficient, and prioritise innovations that may deliver the best outcomes possible for patients within the limits of available resources. Decisions on innovations should take into account their long-term impact on patient outcomes and costs, not just their immediate costs. Adopting a culture of innovation requires a multidisciplinary team approach, with the patient at the centre and an integral part of the team. It must take a whole-system and whole-patient perspective on cancer care and be guided by high-quality real-world data, including outcomes relevant to the patient and actual costs of care; this accurately reflects the impact of any innovation in clinical practice. The European CanCer Organisation is committed to working with its member societies, patient organisations and the cancer community at large to find sustainable ways to identify and integrate the most meaningful innovations into all aspects of cancer care.
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| 58. |
- Aapro, Matti, et al.
(author)
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The MAGIC survey in hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer: When might multigene assays be of value?
- 2017
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In: Breast. - : Elsevier BV. - 0960-9776 .- 1532-3080. ; 33, s. 191-199
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2017 Background A modest proportion of patients with early stage hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Traditionally, treatment recommendations are based on clinical/pathologic criteria that are not predictive of chemotherapy benefit. Multigene assays provide prognostic and predictive information that can help to make more informed treatment decisions. The MAGIC survey evaluated international differences in treatment recommendations, how traditional parameters are used for making treatment choices, and for which patients treating physicians feel most uncertain about their decisions. Methods The MAGIC survey captured respondents' demographics, practice patterns, relevance of traditional parameters for treatment decisions, and use of or interest in using multigene assays. Using this information, a predictive model was created to simulate treatment recommendations for 672 patient profiles. Results The survey was completed by 911 respondents (879 clinicians, 32 pathologists) from 52 countries. Chemo-endocrine therapy was recommended more often than endocrine therapy alone, but there was substantial heterogeneity in treatment recommendations in 52% of the patient profiles; approximately every fourth physician provided a different treatment recommendation. The majority of physicians indicated they wanted to use multigene assays clinically. Lack of reimbursement/availability were the main reasons for non-usage. Conclusions The survey reveals substantial heterogeneity in treatment recommendations. Physicians have uncertainty in treatment recommendations in a high proportion of patients with intermediate risk features using traditional parameters. In HR+, HER2− patients with early disease the findings highlight the need for additional markers that are both prognostic and predictive of chemotherapy benefit that may support more-informed treatment decisions.
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| 59. |
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| 60. |
- Aarestrup, K., et al.
(author)
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Survival and progression rates of anadromous brown trout kelts Salmo trutta during downstream migration in freshwater and at sea
- 2015
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In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. - : Inter-Research Science Center. - 0171-8630 .- 1616-1599. ; 535, s. 185-195
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The marine migration of post-spawning anadromous fish remains poorly understood. The present study examined survival and progression rates of anadromous brown trout Salmo trutta L. after spawning (kelts) during downriver, fjord, and sea migration. Kelts (n = 49) were captured in the Danish River Gudenaa, tagged with acoustic transmitters and subsequently recorded by automatic receivers. Kelts spent on average 25 d moving down the 45 km river and through the brackish fjord. The fish entered the Kattegat Sea between 14 April and 30 May. Eighteen of the 49 kelts disappeared in the river and fjord during outward migration, likely due to mortality. Survival was not significantly related to gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity, suggesting that physiological adaptation to saltwater may be less critical for adults compared to juveniles (smolts). Of the 31 fish that entered the Kattegat Sea, 45% survived and returned to the fjord. The duration of the entire marine migration, from leaving to entering the river, was on average 163 d. The fish returned from the Kattegat Sea to the fjord between 22 July and 21 October. Upon return, the fish spent 1-90 d passing through Randers Fjord, with most individuals completing the reach within 4 d, suggesting that the kelts spent limited time foraging after returning to the fjord. The total survival during the entire marine migration, including the fjord, was a minimum of 29%. Our study provides data that are important for management of anadromous brown trout, and the high survival highlights that kelts may represent a valuable resource for both population reproduction and recreational fisheries.
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