| 1. |
- Cornelissen, Johannes H C, et al.
(författare)
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Global negative vegetation feedback to climate warming responses of leaf litter decomposition rates in cold biomes
- 2007
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 10:7, s. 619-627
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Whether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long-term carbon sinks into sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem-mediated feedbacks to global climate. Critical are the direction, magnitude and generality of climate responses of plant litter decomposition. Here, we present the first quantitative analysis of the major climate-change-related drivers of litter decomposition rates in cold northern biomes worldwide.Leaf litters collected from the predominant species in 33 global change manipulation experiments in circum-arctic-alpine ecosystems were incubated simultaneously in two contrasting arctic life zones. We demonstrate that longer-term, large-scale changes to leaf litter decomposition will be driven primarily by both direct warming effects and concomitant shifts in plant growth form composition, with a much smaller role for changes in litter quality within species. Specifically, the ongoing warming-induced expansion of shrubs with recalcitrant leaf litter across cold biomes would constitute a negative feedback to global warming. Depending on the strength of other (previously reported) positive feedbacks of shrub expansion on soil carbon turnover, this may partly counteract direct warming enhancement of litter decomposition.
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| 2. |
- Mamhidir, Anna-Greta, et al.
(författare)
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Weight increase in patients with dementia, and alteration in meal routines and meal environment after integrity promoting care.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 16:5, s. 987-96
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. To follow weight changes in patients with moderate and severe dementia and analyse how these changes related to biological and psychological parameters after staff education and support in integrity promoting care. A further aim was to describe meal environment and routines relative to the intervention.Background. Weight loss in patients with dementia and in particular Alzheimer's disease is common. The aetiology appears multifactorial with the meal environment and a decreased independence while eating among the factors.Method. Over a three-month intervention period, an integrity-promoting care training programme was conducted with the staff of a long-term ward. Alzheimer's disease patients, 18 from an intervention ward and 15 from a control ward were included and possible effects were evaluated. Weighing was conducted at the start and after completion of the intervention. Weight changes were analysed in relation to psychological and biochemical parameters. In addition, the staff wrote diaries about, for example changes made in the environment and in their work.Results. The most prominent difference observed was weight increases in 13 of 18 patients compared with two of 15 patients in the control ward. No weight changes were related to the type of dementia. The individual weight changes correlated significantly to changes in the intellectual functions. Relationships between weight change, increased motor function and increased appetite were non-significant. There was no significant relationship between weight changes and changes in biochemical parameters. According to the staff, increased contact with the patients and a more pleasant atmosphere resulted when the meal environment and routines were changed.Relevance to clinical practice. Weight gain in patients with moderate and severe dementia was achieved by adjusting the meal environment to the individual's needs. Staff education was profitable, as increased competence seemed to promote individually adapted feeding situations. Ensuring good meal situations need to be given high priority.
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| 3. |
- Jägerbrand, Annika K, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Plant community responses to 5 years of simulated climate change in meadow and heath ecosystems at a subarctic-alpine site
- 2009
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Ingår i: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0029-8549 .- 1432-1939. ; 161:3, s. 601-610
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change was simulated by increasing temperature and nutrient availability in an alpine landscape. We conducted a field experiment of BACI-design (before/after control/impact) running for five seasons in two alpine communities (heath and meadow) with the factors temperature (increase of ca. 1.5-3.0°C) and nutrients (5 g N, 5 g P per m 2) in a fully factorial design in northern Swedish Lapland. The response variables were abundances of plant species and functional types. Plant community responses to the experimental perturbations were investigated, and the responses of plant functional types were examined in comparison to responses at the species level. Nutrient addition, exclusively and in combination with enhanced temperature increase, exerted the most pronounced responses at the species-specific and community levels. The main responses to nutrient addition were increases in graminoids and forbs, whereas deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, bryophytes, and lichens decreased. The two plant communities of heath or meadow showed different vegetation responses to the environmental treatments despite the fact that both communities were located on the same subarctic-alpine site. Furthermore, we showed that the abundance of forbs increased in response to the combined treatment of temperature and nutrient addition in the meadow plant community. Within a single-plant functional type, most species responded similarly to the enhanced treatments although there were exceptions, particularly in the moss and lichen functional types. Plant community structure showed BACI responses in that vegetation dominance relationships in the existing plant functional types changed to varying degrees in all plots, including control plots. Betula nana and lichens increased in the temperature-increased enhancements and in control plots in the heath plant community during the treatment period. The increases in control plots were probably a response to the observed warming during the treatment period in the region. © Springer-Verlag 2009.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Fläckman, Birgitta, et al.
(författare)
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Despite shattered expectations a willingness to care for elders remains with education and clinical supervision
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 21:3, s. 379-389
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim was to describe nursing home (NH) caregivers' work experiences while receiving education and clinical supervision for 2 years. Working in elder care seems to be losing its attraction especially with organizational changes, cutbacks and changes in work place conditions. Clinical supervision has been reported to increase job satisfaction and creativity. Semi-structured interviews from caregivers working at an NH in Sweden were conducted, at the start and again at 12 and 24 months. At about 12 months the caregivers were informed of planned cutbacks. Content analysis was the method used to analyse the interviews from seven caregivers who participated throughout the entire period. Findings show that the value of a caring milieu was one category generated by the subcategories: experiences related to work activities and changes, and experiences related to relationships. The value of knowledge was the other category that was influenced by the experiences related to the different backgrounds and the experiences related to increased knowledge gained from the support through education and clinical supervision. The categories contained positive as well as negative influences on care. The initial focus on practical duties associated with the opening of the NH shifted towards caregiver activities with the elders they spoke warmly about. After 2 years the caregivers' willingness to care continued despite their disappointment in the worsened working conditions. The main theme that resulted was: Despite shattered expectations a willingness to care for elders remained. Continued education and clinical supervision seems to be one factor behind the retained willingness. These findings demonstrate that support and caregiver involvement in educational programmes are important during times of change and when disappointments arise in the workplace.
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| 6. |
- Wennman-Larsen, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
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Development in quality of relationship between the significant other and the lung cancer patient as perceived by the significant other
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Oncology Nursing. - : Elsevier BV. - 1462-3889 .- 1532-2122. ; 12:5, s. 430-435
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To prospectively explore the quality of the relationship between significant others and patients during lung cancer. based on the perceptions of the significant others.Method: In a sample of 91 significant others, longitudinal data were collected during the first year after diagnosis, and explored on group level and as individual patterns over time.Results: Relational quality was skewed towards high quality, although 30% of the significant others reported low levels close to diagnosis. Forty-eight percent reported stability in the quality of their relationship during the disease trajectory. Within this group, 36% reported low levels of relational quality. Fifty-two percent reported change in quality of relationship and four typical patterns of change were identified. Two showed approximate linear changes in either a positive direction (15%) or a negative direction (49%), and two showed non-linear changes with a temporary ascending curve (11%) or a descending curve (26%). This implies that a change towards low levels of relational quality was most common.Conclusion: The present results show that illness may be a trigger for change in relational quality, which may have implications for future family-centred practice and research, since previously high relational quality has been linked to improved emotional well-being. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Hammarström, Per, 1960-
(författare)
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Nationens styvbarn : Judisk samhällsintegration i några Norrlandsstäder 1870-1940
- 2007
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Ingår i: Svensk kyrkotidning. - Stockholm : Carlsson Bokförlag. - 0346-2153. ; :51-52, s. 664-
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka vilken ekonomisk och social ställning den judiska minoriteten intog i det svenska samhället under perioden 1870 till 1940. Tidigare forskning har riktat stor uppmärksamhet mot rättsliga och politiska aspekter av den svenska judenhetens historia, mer sällan mot judarna och samhället i en bredare bemärkelse. Andra studier har lyft fram antisemitism på svensk mark utan att koppla fenomenet till en social nivå.Genom en undersökning av hur judiska invandrare, med ursprung i Östeuropa, successivt fogades in i några svenska lokalsamhällen, tar denna avhandling ett bredare grepp på frågan om judarna och samhället. Här undersöks hur den svenska judenheten integrerades i samhället efter det att emancipationen gett judarna fulla medborgerliga och politiska rättigheter. Judarnas ekonomiska och sociala ställning undersöks, liksom den sociala antisemitism som drabbade judarna. Studien rör sig i gränslandet mellan social- och kulturhistoria. Undersökningen visar att merparten av judarna i Sundsvall, en betydelsefull handelsstad i norra Sverige, fick sin försörjning genom en föga lönsam gårdfarihandel under början av undersökningsperioden. Sedan butiks- och grosshandelsrörelser började grundas inleddes en långsam socioekonomisk klättring. I takt med de ekonomiska framgångarna ökade judarnas sociala status, med engagemang i föreningslivet och lokalpolitiken. De framgångsrika familjerna tonade ner sin judiska identitet till förmån för en borgerlig och nationell kultur.Ungefär hälften av den judiska gruppen fick aldrig uppleva framgången utan förblev en marginaliserad grupp, med småhantverk eller gårdfarihandel som försörjningsbas. Det stora flertalet av denna underklass saknade svenskt medborgarskap. En social klyfta vidgades gentemot den judiska borgerligheten. Under hela undersökningsperioden var antisemitismen en kulturell kod i majoritetssamhället, oavsett integration och socioekonomisk framgång. Mycket tyder på att det sociala klimatet blev mer fientligt gentemot judarna efter 1920. Studien visar att nationalstaten Sverige lämnade litet utrymme för multikulturella strukturer. Judarna accepterades som nationens styvbarn men knappast som fullvärdiga svenskar.
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| 9. |
- Huang, Zhen, et al.
(författare)
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Pancreatic islet blood flow is selectively enhanced by captopril, irbesartan and pravastatin, and suppressed by palmitate
- 2006
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Ingår i: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. - : Elsevier. - 0006-291X .- 1090-2104. ; 49, s. 378-378
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diabetic patients are often treated with a lipid lowering statin and an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor antagonist against hypertension or albuminuria. These drugs may also improve glucose tolerance, but the mechanism for this remains elusive. We now studied whether these drugs and the fatty acid palmitate influence insulin secretion in vivo in rats through effects on islet blood perfusion. Whole pancreatic blood flow was markedly increased by captopril and irbesartan, and decreased by palmitate. Islet blood flow was significantly and preferentially enhanced by captopril, irbesartan, and pravastatin, and suppressed by palmitate. Both captopril and irbesartan raised serum insulin concentrations significantly. However, glycemia was not affected in any group. In conclusion, the present study suggests that a local pancreatic RAS and pravastatin may be selectively controlling pancreatic islet blood flow and thereby influencing insulin secretion. The antidiabetic actions of statins and RAS inhibitors might in part occur through the beneficial direct islet effects shown here. Conversely, free fatty acids that are elevated in type 2 diabetic patients may contribute to an impaired nutritive islet blood flow and thereby further aggravate the diabetic state by limiting the supply of insulin needed to curb hyperglycemia.
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| 10. |
- Björck, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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Self-image and treatment drop-out in eating disorders
- 2008
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Ingår i: Psychology and Psychotherapy. - Leicester, UK : British Psychological Society. - 1476-0835 .- 2044-8341. ; 81:1, s. 95-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Drop-out from treatment is a serious problem in eating disorders which remains poorly understood. The present study investigated whether self-image and interpersonal theory could help to explain why eating disorder patients drop out of treatment. Method: Intake data on eating disorder patients who terminated treatment prematurely (N=54) were compared with patients who had completed treatment (N=54) and those who were still in treatment after 12 months (N=54). Self-image was assessed using the structural analysis of social behaviour (SASB), and comparisons were made on demographic and clinical variables. Results: Patients who dropped out had initially presented with less negative self-image and fewer psychological problems compared with remainers. Low levels of SASB self-blame discriminated drop-outs from completers and remainers and significantly predicted treatment drop-out. Discussion: Drop-out in eating disorders appears to be a complex phenomenon, not necessarily as pathological as often assumed. There may be important differences in the treatment goals of drop-outs and therapists; patients who drop out may be choosing to disengage at a time when symptom improvement creates space for closer examination of interpersonal issues.
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