| 1. |
- Gayantha, Kasun, et al.
(författare)
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A multi-proxy reconstruction of the late Holocene climate evolution in Lake Bolgoda, Sri Lanka
- 2017
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Ingår i: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0031-0182 .- 1872-616X. ; 473, s. 16-25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Palaeoclimate investigations in Sri Lanka have been rarely attempted despite being located directly in the path of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone. In this study, a 4.1-m undisturbed sediment core was retrieved from the Bolgoda Lake situated in the western coast of Sri Lanka, and influenced by the strong southwest monsoons. Mollusc shells in the core were dated, and the age-depth model indicated a depositional history extending from 2941 cal yr BP to the present. Grain size, major and trace elements, total organic C and N content and stable C and N isotopes were analysed in freeze-dried sediments to reconstruct the palaeoclimate changes. The multi proxy records in the core revealed four distinct zones that show distinct variations in physical and chemical conditions in the lake associated with climate change. Zone 1 (2941 to 2390 cal yr BP; 385-252 cm) indicated the climate to be warm and humid with intense precipitation. The resulting high lake level helped in organic matter preservation in bottom sediments. Zone 2 (2390 to 1782 cal yr BP; 252-140 cm) indicated an unstable dry period associated with weak precipitation. Consequently, low lake level and intense degradation of organic matter occurred in this zone. Zone 3 (1782 to 1299 cal yr BP; 140-60 cm) indicated a resurgence of intense monsoon along with warm and humid conditions. Zone 4 (1299 cal yr BP to present; 60-0 cm) indicated dry conditions with less intense monsoon, low lake level and extensive degradation of organic matter. Vascular plants were the predominant organic matter source into the lake during the late Holocene. In contrast, algal input was significant between 2390 cal yr BP and 2153 cal yr BP. The palaeoclimate evidences in this study showed an overall weakening trend of SW monsoon during the late Holocene, and this was consistent with changes happening in other locations as in southern and western India. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Werr, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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The functions of methods of change in management consulting
- 1997
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Ingår i: Journal of Organizational Change Management. - : MCB UP Ltd. - 1758-7816 .- 0953-4814. ; 10:4, s. 288-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- States that highly structured methods and tools for bringing about organizational change are frequent features in both the management literature and the practice of management consultants. Reports that, in order to understand the nature and popularity of these methods and tools, a study of the availability and use of methods in business process reengineering BPR projects was carried out in five large consulting companies. Identifies six functions of methods on the basis of this study. Finds that methods play important roles both in the consulting organization and in the consultants interaction with the client in the specific change project. Also reveals that common to the identified functions is an ability to store and transfer knowledge, which contributes to the change process interface for clients and consultants. Shows also that consulting companies with very different professional backgrounds have very similar approaches to BPR projects. Identifies and comments on the similarities between these companies methods in respect of managing change.
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| 3. |
- Di Bartolomeo, G., et al.
(författare)
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The sound of silence: A license to be selfish
- 2019
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Ingår i: Economics Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-1765. ; 182, s. 68-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We theoretically formulate the idea that if a person stays silent in a situation where a promise could have been made, then he or she will subsequently act as if having a license to be selfish. We then report results from an experimental test that provides some support.
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| 4. |
- Zamaratskaia, Galia
(författare)
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Enhancing Nutrition and Palatability: The Development of Cooked Sausages with Protein Hydrolysate from Secondary Raw Materials for the Elderly
- 2023
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Ingår i: Applied Sciences. - 2076-3417. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Currently, there is an increase in the use of preparations from collagen-containing raw materials in the production of meat products. The high functional and technological properties of such preparations make it possible to significantly improve the rheological properties of food products, as well as organoleptic indicators, and enrich meat products with dietary fibers. The aim of this study was to study the effect of an emulsion of 5% protein hydrolysate and 1% purslane powder on herodietic boiled sausages for the elderly. The results showed that the experimental samples of boiled sausages contained 15.44% protein, 6.6% fat, 4.2% carbohydrates and 71.1% moisture; this shows that boiled sausage with the addition of protein hydrolysate contains optimal chemical composition for dietary nutrition, a certain moisture index confirms the excellent consistency of boiled sausage. The change in the peroxide number was studied for 7 days. The results showed that the peroxide number did not change significantly from 2.0 meq/kg to 4.6 meq/kg. Thus, the addition of purslane with antioxidant properties helps to slow down the oxidation of fats and thereby increases the shelf life of boiled herodietic sausage. The results of the study of color characteristics showed stable color formation, which was influenced by an emulsion of collagen and purslane. It was found that products using emulsions from collagen-containing raw materials are characterized by a higher concentration of tyrosine due to the action of proteolytic enzymes (pepsin and trypsin)—from 728.1 mcg/mL (during the first three hours of hydrolysis) to 392.5 mcg/mL (during 6 h of hydrolysis)—which indicates a higher degree of protein digestibility these products. Thus, the addition of an emulsion of 5% protein hydrolysate and 1% purslane powder can be recommended for the production of boiled sausages with improved nutritional and taste properties.
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| 5. |
- Ananthakrishnan, Gopal, et al.
(författare)
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Using Imitation to learn Infant-Adult Acoustic Mappings
- 2011
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Ingår i: 12th Annual Conference Of The International Speech Communication Association 2011 (INTERSPEECH 2011), Vols 1-5. - : ISCA. - 9781618392701 ; , s. 772-775
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses a model which conceptually demonstrates how infants could learn the normalization between infant-adult acoustics. The model proposes that the mapping can be inferred from the topological correspondences between the adult and infant acoustic spaces, that are clustered separately in an unsupervised manner. The model requires feedback from the adult in order to select the right topology for clustering, which is a crucial aspect of the model. The feedback Is in terms of an overall rating of the imitation effort by the infant, rather than a frame-by-frame correspondence. Using synthetic, but continuous speech data, we demonstrate that clusters, which have a good topological correspondence, are perceived to be similar by a phonetically trained listener.
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| 6. |
- Krcal, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Scalable Analysis of Fault Trees with Dynamic Features
- 2015
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Ingår i: 2015 45Th Annual IEEE/IFIP International Conference On Dependable Systems And Networks. - 9781479986293 ; , s. 89-100
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fault trees constitute one of the essential formalisms for static safety analysis of various industrial systems. Dynamic fault trees (DFT) enrich the formalism by time-dependent behavior, e.g., repairs or functional dependencies. Analysis of DFT is so far limited to substantially smaller models than those required for, e.g., nuclear power plants. We propose a fault tree formalism that combines both static and dynamic features, called SD fault trees. It gives the user the freedom to express each equipment failure either statically, without modeling temporal information, or dynamically, allowing repairs and other timed interdependencies. We introduce an analysis algorithm for an important subclass of SD fault trees. The algorithm (1) scales similarly to static algorithms and (2) allows for a more realistic analysis compared to static algorithms as it takes into account temporal interdependencies. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the method by an experimental evaluation on fault trees of nuclear power plants.
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| 7. |
- Ribeiro, Luis, et al.
(författare)
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A co-evolving diagnostic algorithm for evolvable production systems : A case of learning
- 2010
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Ingår i: 10th IFAC Workshop on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (2010). - : International Federation of Automatic Control. - 9783902661777 ; , s. 126-131
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the systematic implantation and acceptance of IT in the shop-floor a wide range of Production Paradigms have emerged that exploring these technological novelties promise to revolutionize the way current plant floor operate and react to emerging opportunities and disturbances. With the increase of distributed and autonomous components that interact in the execution of processes current diagnostic approaches will soon be insufficient. While current system dynamics are complex and to a certain extent unpredictable the adoption of the next generation of approaches and technologies comes at the cost of an yet increased complexity. The peer to peer nature of the interactions and the evolving nature of the future systems' structure require a co-evolving regulatory mechanism that to a great deal has to be implemented under the scope of monitoring and diagnosis. In this article a diagnostic algorithm that has the ability to co-evolve with the remaining system, through learning and adaptation to the operational conditions, is presented and discussed.
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| 8. |
- Zamaratskaia, Galia, et al.
(författare)
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Contaminants in blood and urine from adolescents in Sweden : Results from the national dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016–17
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I denna rapport sammanfattar vi biomonitoreringen av kemiska föroreningar i blod och urin från deltagarna i matvaneundersökningen Riksmaten ungdom 201617. Data från matvaneundersökningar som denna utgör en viktig vetenskaplig grund för Livsmedelsverkets risk- och nyttovärderingar. De är också viktiga när vi arbetar med riskhantering som kostråd, livsmedelskontroll och livsmedelslagstiftning.Riksmaten ungdom 201617 är en nationell tvärsnittsstudie där Livsmedelsverket undersökt matvanorna hos barn och ungdomar i årskurserna 5 och 8 samt andra året på gymnasiet (dvs. i åldrarna 1112, 1415 respektive 1718 år). Vi bjöd in representativa skolor över hela Sverige för att delta. Samtliga elever i en till två klasser vid de deltagande skolorna tillfrågades. I den här rapporten ingår den delgrupp av deltagare i Riksmaten ungdom 2016–17 där blod- och urinprover samlades in. Vi rekryterade elever från skolorna mellan september 2016 och maj 2017. Av de 259 skolor som blev inbjudna för blod- och urinprovtagning deltog 62 (24 procent). Vid dessa skolor deltog 1 305 av de 2 377 tillfrågade eleverna, varav 1 105 elever (46 procent) både gav fullständig information om matvanor och lämnade blod- och urinprover. 56 procent av deltagarna var flickor. 30 procent gick i årskurs 5, 37 procent i årskurs 8 och 32 procent i årskurs 2 på gymnasiet. Skolorna fanns i regionerna för Sveriges sju arbets- och miljömedicinska enheter (Göteborg, Linköping, Lund, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala och Örebro).I de blod- och urinprover som vi samlade in undersöktes ett brett spektrum av kemiska föroreningar: ämnen som inte längre är godkända för användning men ännu finns i miljön, ämnen som fortfarande produceras och används samt naturligt förekommande metaller. Vi analyserade följande grupper av substanser: klorerade och bromerade persistenta organiska föroreningar, högfluorerade ämnen, metaller, ftalatmetaboliter och flera fenolära ämnen (bl.a. bisfenoler och metaboliter av några bekämpningsmedel).Analysen av klorerade organiska föroreningar i serum visade att halterna var högst av DDT-metaboliten DDE, följt av PCB-153, hexaklorbensen (HCB), PCB-138 och PCB-180. Av den totala halten PCB utgjorde PCB-153, PCB-138 och PCB-180 ca 70 procent. Pojkarna i undersökningen hade högre halter än flickorna av de flesta klorerade föreningar. Halterna av DDE och vissa typer av PCB var dessutom högre bland de äldre deltagarna.Av de högfluorerade ämnena uppmätte vi högst serumhalter av PFOS och PFOA. De högsta halterna fanns hos ungdomar från Ronneby kommun (region Lund), där dricksvattnet tidigare varit kraftigt förorenat av dessa ämnen. Ämnena PFNA, PFHxS och PFOS fanns i högre halter hos pojkar än hos flickor.Nästan alla deltagare hade mätbara halter i blodet av kadmium, kvicksilver, bly, krom, mangan, kobolt och nickel. Aluminium kunde mätas i serum hos hälften av deltagarna. Hos pojkar fanns högre halter av kvicksilver och bly, medan halterna av kadmium var högre hos flickor.Hos 123 av deltagarna undersökte vi om det fanns arsenik i urinen. Alla prover hade mätbara halter av oorganisk arsenik eller minst en av de två analyserade organiska metaboliterna (monometylarsenik ochdimetylarsenik). Högst var halten av dimetylarsenik. Pojkar hade högre totalhalter av arsenik än flickor.Vi analyserade även en rad ftalatmetaboliter och fenolära ämnen i urin från deltagarna. Nästan alla (94100 procent) hade mätbara halter av ftalatmetaboliter och metaboliter till DiNCH (mjukgörare som används som ersättare till ftalater) i urinen. Högst halter fanns av monobutylftalat (MnBP), följt av monoetylftalat (MEP). Fenolära ämnen som kunde mätas i de flesta urinprover (mer än 90 procent) var bisfenol A och S, difenylfosfat (DPP, metabolit till ett fosforbaserat flamskyddsmedel), trikloropyridinol (metabolit till insekticiden klorpyrifos) och 3-fenoxybensoesyra (metabolit till pyretroider, en grupp bekämpningsmedel). Triklosan var mätbart hos 81 procent av deltagarna. Halterna av ftalatmetaboliter, DPP och bisfenol S var något högre hos flickor än hos pojkar. De ftalatmetaboliter och fenolära ämnen som undersöktes är kortlivade och försvinner snabbt ur kroppen. Att de ändå kunde mätas i urin tyder på en kontinuerlig exponering.Sammanfattningsvis kunde vi mäta föroreningar ur alla undersökta substansgrupper hos de flesta deltagare i Riksmaten ungdom 2016–17. Nivåerna var generellt jämförbara med nivåerna i andra studier och inom de intervall som kunde förväntas. Vi såg vissa köns- och åldersrelaterade skillnader i halter. Detta tyder på att det kan finnas skillnader i exponering, upptag eller eliminering mellan kön och åldersgrupper. Deltagarna var dock i olika tillväxtfaser och stadier av puberteten.Att göra en fullständig värdering av riskerna med de halter som uppmätts ligger utanför syftet med denna rapport. För några substanser finns det dock föreslagna halter i människokroppen under vilka det är osannolikt med negativa hälsoeffekter. Detta gäller vissa PCB-varianter, PFOS, PFOA, kvicksilver, bly, några ftalat- och DiNCH-metaboliter, bisfenol A samt triklosan. Våra resultat visar att de flesta svenska ungdomar har halter i sina kroppar som utifrån nuvarande kunskap sannolikt inte utgör någon risk för hälsan. Vissa individer hade emellertid högre halter av PFOS eller bly. Detta gällde framför allt bly. Där hade 7 procent av deltagarna blodhalter över Efsas referenspunkt för ökad risk för kronisk njursjukdom hos vuxna och 13 procent hade halter över referenspunkten för påverkan på hjärnans utveckling hos foster och små barn. Detta understryker vikten av att ytterligare minska exponeringen för bly från alla källor. Vi kan heller inte utesluta att det finns grupper i Sverige med högre exponering för kemiska föroreningar än deltagarna i Riksmaten ungdom 2016–17.Halterna av föroreningar varierade mycket mellan de som deltog i undersökningen. För att kunna bedöma och hantera risker är det viktigt att undersöka möjliga orsaker till dessa variationer. Därför kommer Livsmedelsverket att fortsätta utvärdera data från Riksmaten ungdom 2016–17. Detta kommer vi att göra genom att studera samband mellan halter av kemiska föroreningar och faktorer som kost, sociodemografi och livsstil.
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| 9. |
- von Haartman, Robin, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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A Longitudinal Comparison of Sustainability Learning between Men and Women in Engineering and Nursing Programmes
- 2017
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Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 9:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For many years, Higher education institutions have been engaging with sustainability, many focussing on environmental ones. In this context, two phenomena have arisen that have, usually, been studied separately: (1) engineering schools have been at the forefront of sustainability efforts; and (2) women have tended to be more concerned about of environmental sustainability than men are. This paper is aimed at analysing the differences in perception between engineering students and nursing students at the University of Gävle, Sweden. Engineering and nursing programmes are practice-oriented with different foci on sustainability and usually being dominated by male and female students, respectively. The data for this article were based on two surveys carried out during 2010 and 2013, in which the same students answered the same questions at the beginning and at the end of their studies. Principal component analysis and regressions were carried out to analyse the survey answers. The results show that engineering programmes and gender affect actions positively. The results also show that engineering students increased their sustainability performance significantly more than nursing students. To improve environmental sustainability, it is important to promote the presence of women in engineering schools, and at the same time, social science oriented programmes (such as nursing) could learn from the efforts and action taken by engineering schools, so that sustainability is taught and learnt in a more holistic way.
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| 10. |
- Aleksandrova, Krasimira, et al.
(författare)
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A prospective study of the immune system activation biomarker neopterin and colorectal cancer risk
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : Oxford University Press. - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 107:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Neopterin may be relevant for colorectal cancer (CRC) development, as a biomarker of cellular immune activity exerting pleiotropic effects on cellular ageing, oxidative stress, and inflammation. So far, the association between prediagnostic neopterin and colon and rectal cancer risk has not been evaluated in human populations. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort using data on plasma concentrations of total neopterin (T-N, sum of neopterin and 7,8-dihydroneopterin) in 830 incident CRC case patients (561 colon and 269 rectal) matched within risk sets to 830 control participants. A subsequent replication study used data from the Hordaland Health Study, where 173 CRC case patients have been diagnosed among 6594 healthy participants over 12 years of follow-up. Results: After multivariable adjustment for a priori chosen CRC risk factors, a "U-shaped" association of T-N with CRC was revealed. Compared with the second quintile of the T-N distribution, the relative risks for the first, third, fourth, and fifth quintiles were 2.37 (95% CI = 1.66 to 3.39), 1.24 (95% CI = 0.87 to 1.77), 1.55 (95% CI = 1.08 to 2.22), and 2.31 (95% CI = 1.63 to 3.27), respectively. Replication of these associations within the Hordaland Health Study yielded similar results. No differences have been observed when the associations were explored by colon and rectal cancer site (two-sided P-difference = .87) and after excluding case patients diagnosed within the first four follow-up years. Conclusions: These novel findings provide evidence of the role of both suppressed and activated cell-mediated immunity as reflected by prediagnostic T-N concentrations in the development of CRC.
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