| 1. |
- Ahlqvist, Emma, et al.
(författare)
-
High-resolution mapping of a complex disease, a model for rheumatoid arthritis, using heterogeneous stock mice
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - Oxford : Oxford University Press. - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 20:15, s. 3031-3041
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Resolving the genetic basis of complex diseases like rheumatoid arthritis will require knowledge of the corresponding diseases in experimental animals to enable translational functional studies. Mapping of quantitative trait loci in mouse models of arthritis, such as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), using F(2) crosses has been successful, but can resolve loci only to large chromosomal regions. Using an inbred-outbred cross design, we identified and fine-mapped CIA loci on a genome-wide scale. Heterogeneous stock mice were first intercrossed with an inbred strain, B10.Q, to introduce an arthritis permitting MHCII haplotype. Homozygous H2(q) mice were then selected to set up an F(3) generation with fixed major histocompatibility complex that was used for arthritis experiments. We identified 26 loci, 18 of which are novel, controlling arthritis traits such as incidence of disease, severity and time of onset and fine-mapped a number of previously mapped loci. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 2. |
- Albinsson, John, et al.
(författare)
-
Combined use of Iteration, Quadratic Interpolation and an Extra Kernel for high-resolution 2D particle tracking : a first evaluation
- 2010
-
Ingår i: 2010 ieee international ultrasonics symposium. - New York : IEEE Press. - 9781457703829 ; , s. 2000-2003
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A novel 2D particle tracking method, that uses 1) iteration, 2) fast quadratic sub-pixel estimation (with only 28 multiplications per movement), and 3) a previous kernel, has been evaluated and compared with a full-search block-matching method. The comparison with high-frequency ultrasound data (40 MHz) was conducted in silico and on phantoms, which comprised lateral, diagonal, and ellipsoidal movement patterns with speeds of 0–15 mm/s. The mean tracking error was reduced by 68% in silico and 71% for the phantom measurements. When only sub-pixel estimation was used, the decrease in the tracking error was 61% in silico and 57% for the phantom measurements. As well as decreasing the tracking error, the new method only used 70% of the computational time needed by the full-search block-matching method. With a fast method having good tracking ability for high-frequency ultrasound data, we now have a tool to better investigate tissue movements and its dynamic functionality.
|
|
| 3. |
- Argento, Daniela, et al.
(författare)
-
The ‘externalisation’ of local public service delivery : experience in Italy and Sweden
- 2010
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Public Policy. - Olney : InderScience Publishers. - 1740-0600 .- 1740-0619. ; 5:1, s. 41-56
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, the local government sector in European countries has undergone important changes involving, among other things, the externalisation of local public service provision through various forms of corporatisation, public-public collaboration, public-private partnerships and contracting out. An important consequence of these institutional changes has been the recasting of local governance systems through the need for increased cooperation between public and private actors. This article addresses these matters with comparative reference to the experience in Italy and Sweden. In doing so, it considers local governments in their constitutional and legal contexts, leading to more detailed discussions of their externalisation initiatives and resultant organisational forms and governance arrangements. Issues of ownership have been important concerning the significance of 'community' and 'place' in the management of public affairs. © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
|
|
| 4. |
- Asker-Árnason, Lena, et al.
(författare)
-
Picture-elicited written narratives, process and product, in 18 children with cochlear implants
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Communication Disorders Quarterly. - Austin, TX : PRO-ED. - 1525-7401 .- 1538-4837. ; 31:4, s. 195-212
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of the study was to explore the narrative writing of 18 children, ages 11 to 19, with severe and profound hearing impairment who had cochlear implants (CI), compared with the performance of hearing children. Nine of the 18 children had prelingual deafness and 9 children had postlingual deafness. The hearing impairment was progressive in 11 children. The participants thus formed a heterogeneous group, which was split in two ways: according to age at testing and age at implantation. The narratives were collected by means of keystroke logging. The difference between the children with CI and the hearing children was most prominent for two measures: the percentage of pause time (in the group of children older than 13 years) and lexical density. Furthermore, the children implanted after 5 years of age performed more like the hearing children. This group consisted of children with postlingual deafness and also of children who were deafened progressively. Our interpretation is that these children benefited from the early linguistic input. Taking the whole group of participants into consideration, the results reflect linguistic and cognitive processing limitations in complex linguistic tasks like narration for the children with CI in comparison with their hearing peers.
|
|
| 5. |
- Avendal, Christel
(författare)
-
Social Work in Ghana: Engaging Traditional Actors in Professional Practices
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Journal of Comparative Social Work. - Stavanger : Stavanger University Library. - 0809-9936. ; 6:2, s. 106-124
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In contemporary Ghana, the traditional system and professional social work operate as two parallel systems within the field of social work. The aim of this study was to investigate if and how the teaching of contemporary professional social work in Ghana takes into account traditional actors and practices. The traditional system includes extended family members and traditional authorities such as chiefs or family heads. It formed the social institution that protected and cared for the vulnerable before (Western) social work was introduced as a formal profession in Ghana. A 10-week ethnographic field study was conducted at the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana. The study employed a qualitative, social constructionist approach, interpreting the results within a theoretical framework of social world theory. The empirical material consisted of interviews with students and teachers, participant observation at lectures, and various documents. The main findings of the study were that professional social workers and traditional actors can be seen as members of two subworlds – the subworld of professional social workers and the subworld of traditional actors. Students and teachers discuss interventions from the perspective of social workers and traditional actors. Their ability to take different perspectives seems to be crucial for localisation – the process by which social work is made relevant to local culture and traditions. The interviewees’ accounts reveal how localisation is not only about culture, but also about social structures and practical considerations. The poor state of the social work profession in Ghana affects interventions in a profound way.
|
|
| 6. |
- Behrns, Ingrid, 1961, et al.
(författare)
-
Aphasia and text writing
- 2010
-
Ingår i: International journal of language and communication disorders. - New York, NY : John Wiley & Sons. - 1368-2822 .- 1460-6984. ; 45:2, s. 230-243
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:Good writing skills are needed in almost every aspect of life today, and there is a growing interest in research into acquired writing difficulties. Most of the findings reported so far, however, are based on words produced in isolation. The present study deals with the production of entire texts.Aims:The aim was to characterize written narratives produced by a group of participants with aphasia.Methods & Procedures:Eight persons aged 28–63 years with aphasia took part in the study. They were compared with a reference group consisting of ten participants aged 21–30 years. All participants were asked to write a personal narrative titled ‘I have never been so afraid’ and to perform a picture-based story-generation task called the ‘Frog Story’. The texts were written on a computer.Outcome & Results: The group could be divided into participants with low, moderate, and high general performance, respectively. The texts written by the participants in the group with moderate and high writing performance had comparatively good narrative structure despite indications of difficulties on other linguistic levels.Conclusions & Implications:Aphasia appeared to influence text writing on different linguistic levels. The impact on overall structure and coherence was in line with earlier findings from the analysis of spoken and written discourse and the implication of this is that the written modality should also be included in language rehabilitation.
|
|
| 7. |
- Bengtsson, Åsa, 1967-
(författare)
-
Nyktra kvinnor : Folkbildare, företagare och politiska aktörer. Vita Bandet 1900-1930
- 2011
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this thesis the female Christian temperance union the White Ribbon is in focus. The White Ribbon was founded in Stockholm in 1900 and it was part of the international organization World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU). The organization’s ambition was to create a temperate and moral society, running a variety of philanthropic institutions and adult education, as well as non-alcohol serving restaurants.The aim of the thesis is to study the White Ribbon’s social and political commitment and its ideological approach during the first three decades of the 20th century. The White Ribboners’ ideological approach and culture are problematized in relation to the prevailing and predominant view on women. The organization’s monthly journal has been closely studied and the ideas and practical social and political commitment have been analyzed in a theoretical perspective of social movement theory, according to the Swedish sociologist Håkan Thörn’s methodological framework. This theoretical approach is an instrument to analyze what the White Ribbon identified to be social problems; what was considered to be the reasons for these problems; and what strategy the organization regarded to be the best way to deal with them in order to reach the prognosticated change.The analysis shows that the White Ribbon identified the predominant gender system and the bourgeois view on women as a primary social problem. The organization’s strategy was to eliminate the patriarchal order of the gender system and to change the attitude of people through adult education, information and persuasion. The White Ribbon participated in public debate pursuing temperance and women’s suffrage, and was a lobbyist proposing motions and demanding legislative reforms. The White Ribbon’s ideological approach, as well as their philanthropic activities emanated from a bourgeois ideal of conscientiousness and cultivation, and from an interest in social politics. This was in contrast to the bourgeois view of what the ideal woman should do. From the White Ribboners’ point of view, society could only prosper when women had the same rights as men, and could participate the public sphere and become involved in politics.The study shows that the organization worked hard for equality and democracy, pursuing a feminist and liberal ideology. The White Ribboners regarded themselves, and also acted, as political agents. They introduced and increased women’s possibilities for adult education. They initiated and provided social protection for alcohol addicted women, and for poor and fallen women and girls. These activities must be seen as forms of enterprises and the White Ribboners as entrepreneurs, since these institutions were, in fact, innovations and models for solving problems in order to build a welfare system and to create a temperate and prosperous society. The thesis put forward arguments that the White Ribbon’s social and political work are political innovations and important elements in the process of democratization and, therefore, played an important part in this process.
|
|
| 8. |
- Bergsten, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
-
Patterns of background factors related to early RA patients' conceptions of the causes of their disease
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Clinical Rheumatology. - London : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0770-3198 .- 1434-9949. ; 30:3, s. 347-352
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to identify patterns of background factors related to the early RA patients' conceptions of the cause of the disease. Conceptions from a qualitative study formed the basis for the stratification of 785 patients from the Swedish EIRA study answering a question about their own thoughts about the cause to RA. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associations between patients' conceptions and relevant background factors: sex, age, civil status, educational level, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) and smoking habits. The results were presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A conception of family-related strain was strongly associated with being young (OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.33-0.78 for age 58-70 vs. 17-46), female (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.25-0.60 for male vs. female) and having a high level of education (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.54-3.01 for university degree vs. no degree). A conception of being exposed to climate changes was associated with being male (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.24-3.22 for male vs. female), having a low level of education (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.18-0.58 for university degree vs. no degree) and positive Anti-CCP (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.03-2.87 for positive vs. negative Anti-CCP). Linking patients' conceptions of the cause of their RA to background factors potentially could create new opportunities for understanding the complexity of the aetiology in RA. Furthermore, this information is important and relevant in the care of patients with early RA.
|
|
| 9. |
- Bigelius, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
-
The value and meaning of an instrumental occupation performed in a clinical setting
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. - London : Informa Healthcare. - 1103-8128 .- 1651-2014. ; 17:1, s. 4-9
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim was to investigate how patients in a clinical setting, combining acute stroke care and rehabilitation, perceived the value and meaning attached to a commonly used instrumental occupation, namely "Brewing coffee and making an open-face cheese sandwich with sliced vegetable". Another aim was to validate the ValMO model, proposing that value and meaning are related phenomena. Upon performing the occupation, 38 participants answered questionnaires concerning perceived meaning and occupational value. The results showed that the occupation was highly valued by the participants and that it was perceived as meaningful. No age or gender differences were found. The findings confirmed the proposed link between value and meaning. In conclusion, a commonly used and supposedly meaningful occupation was indeed found to be valued and meaningful by the patients and the findings validated the targeted aspects of the ValMO model. This study was unique in its focus on value and meaning in a clinical context. Futures studies should clarify if the link between meaningful occupation and well-being, which has been shown in many studies of everyday situations and is another of the assumptions in the ValMO model, can be proved in clinical contexts as well. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd.
|
|
| 10. |
- Boberg, Pelle, et al.
(författare)
-
The effect of high temperatures on seed germination of one native and two introduced conifers in Patagonia
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Botany. - Chichester : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0107-055X .- 1756-1051. ; 28:2, s. 231-239
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examined the effect of thermal shock on the germination of seeds of three conifers, two introduced (Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa), and one native to Patagonia (Araucaria araucana). Previous research has suggested increased susceptibility to invasions in burnt areas, and therefore, the effect of simulated fire (heat) on seed germination in these native and introduced species was compared. Seeds were heated to two different heat intensities (50°C and 100°C) for 1 or 5 min, which is within the temperature range reached in the upper soil layers during forest fires. Germination tests were then carried out in a growth chamber. The heat treatments had a negative effect on the germination of P. menziesii at temperatures of 100°C, and a negative effect on the germination of P. ponderosa at the temperature of 100°C and the exposure of 5 min. The heat treatments had no affect at all on A. araucana. The species with larger seeds (A. araucana) had higher survival rates after the thermal shocks. Also intraspecific differences in seed sizes possibly point at larger seeds surviving thermal shocks better than smaller seeds. In addition, thermal shock caused a delay in the onset of germination in the two introduced species, while it did not change the time for germination in A. araucana. © The Authors. Journal compilation © Nordic Journal of Botany 2010.
|
|
