| 1. |
- Aghanavesi, Somayeh, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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A multiple motion sensors index for motor state quantification in Parkinson's disease
- 2020
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In: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2607 .- 1872-7565. ; 189
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: To construct a Treatment Response Index from Multiple Sensors (TRIMS) for quantification of motor state in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) during a single levodopa dose. Another aim was to compare TRIMS to sensor indexes derived from individual motor tasks. Method: Nineteen PD patients performed three motor tests including leg agility, pronation-supination movement of hands, and walking in a clinic while wearing inertial measurement unit sensors on their wrists and ankles. They performed the tests repeatedly before and after taking 150% of their individual oral levodopa-carbidopa equivalent morning dose.Three neurologists blinded to treatment status, viewed patients’ videos and rated their motor symptoms, dyskinesia, overall motor state based on selected items of Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III, Dyskinesia scale, and Treatment Response Scale (TRS). To build TRIMS, out of initially 178 extracted features from upper- and lower-limbs data, 39 features were selected by stepwise regression method and were used as input to support vector machines to be mapped to mean reference TRS scores using 10-fold cross-validation method. Test-retest reliability, responsiveness to medication, and correlation to TRS as well as other UPDRS items were evaluated for TRIMS. Results: The correlation of TRIMS with TRS was 0.93. TRIMS had good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.83). Responsiveness of the TRIMS to medication was good compared to TRS indicating its power in capturing the treatment effects. TRIMS was highly correlated to dyskinesia (R = 0.85), bradykinesia (R = 0.84) and gait (R = 0.79) UPDRS items. Correlation of sensor index from the upper-limb to TRS was 0.89. Conclusion: Using the fusion of upper- and lower-limbs sensor data to construct TRIMS provided accurate PD motor states estimation and responsive to treatment. In addition, quantification of upper-limb sensor data during walking test provided strong results. © 2019
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| 2. |
- Aghanavesi, Somayeh, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Motion sensor-based assessment of Parkinson's disease motor symptoms during leg agility tests : results from levodopa challenge
- 2020
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In: IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics. - : IEEE Computer Society. - 2168-2194 .- 2168-2208. ; 24:1, s. 111-118
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative, progressive disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects motor control. The aim of this study was to develop data-driven methods and test their clinimetric properties to detect and quantify PD motor states using motion sensor data from leg agility tests. Nineteen PD patients were recruited in a levodopa single dose challenge study. PD patients performed leg agility tasks while wearing motion sensors on their lower extremities. Clinical evaluation of video recordings was performed by three movement disorder specialists who used four items from the motor section of the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), the treatment response scale (TRS) and a dyskinesia score. Using the sensor data, spatiotemporal features were calculated and relevant features were selected by feature selection. Machine learning methods like support vector machines (SVM), decision trees and linear regression, using 10-fold cross validation were trained to predict motor states of the patients. SVM showed the best convergence validity with correlation coefficients of 0.81 to TRS, 0.83 to UPDRS #31 (body bradykinesia and hypokinesia), 0.78 to SUMUPDRS (the sum of the UPDRS items: #26-leg agility, #27-arising from chair and #29-gait), and 0.67 to dyskinesia. Additionally, the SVM-based scores had similar test-retest reliability in relation to clinical ratings. The SVM-based scores were less responsive to treatment effects than the clinical scores, particularly with regards to dyskinesia. In conclusion, the results from this study indicate that using motion sensors during leg agility tests may lead to valid and reliable objective measures of PD motor symptoms.
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| 3. |
- Alping, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Cancer Risk for Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Rituximab in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
- 2020
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In: Annals of Neurology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0364-5134 .- 1531-8249. ; 87:5, s. 688-699
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Novel, highly effective disease-modifying therapies have revolutionized multiple sclerosis (MS) care. However, evidence from large comparative studies on important safety outcomes, such as cancer, is still lacking.METHODS: In this nationwide register-based cohort study, we linked data from the Swedish MS register to the Swedish Cancer Register and other national health care and census registers. We included 4,187 first-ever initiations of rituximab, 1,620 of fingolimod, and 1,670 of natalizumab in 6,136 MS patients matched for age, sex, and location to 37,801 non-MS general population subjects. Primary outcome was time to first invasive cancer.RESULTS: We identified 78 invasive cancers among treated patients: rituximab 33 (incidence rate [IR] per 10,000 person-years = 34.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 23.7-48.3), fingolimod 28 (IR = 44.0, 95% CI = 29.2-63.5), and natalizumab 17 (IR = 26.0, 95% CI = 15.1-41.6). The general population IR was 31.0 (95% CI = 27.8-34.4). Adjusting for baseline characteristics, we found no difference in risk of invasive cancer between rituximab, natalizumab, and the general population but a possibly higher risk with fingolimod compared to the general population (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.98-2.38) and rituximab (HR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.00-2.84).INTERPRETATION: In this first large comparative study of 3 highly effective MS disease-modifying therapies, no increased risk of invasive cancer was seen with rituximab and natalizumab, compared to the general population. However, there was a borderline-significant increased risk with fingolimod, compared to both the general population and rituximab. It was not possible to attribute this increased risk to any specific type of cancer, and further studies are warranted to validate these findings.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Jonas, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Long emergency department length of stay : A concept analysis
- 2020
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In: International Emergency Nursing. - : Elsevier BV. - 1755-599X .- 1878-013X. ; 53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Emergency Department (ED) Length of stay (LOS) has been associated with poor patient outcomes, which has led to the implementation of time targets designed to keep EDLOS below a specific limit. The cut-offs defining long EDLOS varies across settings and seem to be arbitrarily chosen. This study aimed to clarify the meaning of long EDLOS.METHODS: A concept analysis using the Walker and Avant approach was conducted. It included a literature search aiming to identify all uses of the concept, resulting in a set of defining attributes and a way of measuring the concept empirically.RESULTS: Long EDLOS was primarily used as proxy for other phenomena, e.g. boarding or crowding. The definitions had cut-offs ranging between 4 and 48 h. The attributes defining long EDLOS was waiting, a crowded ED environment and an inefficient organization.DISCUSSION: Time targets are probably more suitable when directed towards and tailored for specific sub-groups of the ED population.
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| 5. |
- Andrews, Carin, et al.
(author)
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Impairments, functional limitations, and access to services and education for children with cerebral palsy in Uganda : a population-based study
- 2020
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In: Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. - : Mac Keith Press. - 0012-1622 .- 1469-8749. ; 62:4, s. 454-462
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: To describe the functional limitations and associated impairments of children with cerebral palsy (CP) in rural Uganda, and care-seeking behaviour and access to assistive devices and education.METHOD: Ninety-seven children with CP (42 females, 55 males; age range 2-17y) were identified in a three-stage population-based screening with subsequent medical examinations and functional assessments. Information on school and access to care was collected using questionnaires. The data were compared with Swedish and Australian cohorts of children with CP. We used the χ2 test and linear regression models to analyse differences between groups.RESULTS: Younger children were more severely impaired than older children. Two-fifths of the children had severe impairments in communication, about half had intellectual disability, and one third had seizures. Of 37 non-walking children, three had wheelchairs and none had walkers. No children had assistive devices for hearing, seeing, or communication. Care-seeking was low relating to lack of knowledge, insufficient finances, and 'lost hope'. One-third of the children attended school. Ugandan children exhibited lower developmental trajectories of mobility and self-care than a Swedish cohort.INTERPRETATION: The needs for children with CP in rural Uganda are not met, illustrated by low care-seeking, low access to assistive devices, and low school attendance. A lack of rehabilitation and stimulation probably contribute to the poor development of mobility and self-care skills. There is a need to develop and enhance locally available and affordable interventions for children with CP in Uganda.WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Development of mobility and self-care skills is lower in Ugandan than Swedish children with cerebral palsy (CP). Older children in Uganda with CP are less impaired than younger children. Untreated seizures and impairments of communication and intellect are common. Access to health services, assistive devices, and education is low. Caregivers lack knowledge and finances to seek care and often lose hope of their child improving.
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| 6. |
- Appelgren, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples from Children and Adults with Central Nervous System Infections.
- 2020
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In: Cells. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4409. ; 9:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neutrophils operate as part of the innate defence in the skin and may eliminate the Borrelia spirochaete via phagocytosis, oxidative bursts, and hydrolytic enzymes. However, their importance in Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is unclear. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, which is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, involves the extrusion of the neutrophil DNA to form traps that incapacitate bacteria and immobilise viruses. Meanwhile, NET formation has recently been studied in pneumococcal meningitis, the role of NETs in other central nervous system (CNS) infections has previously not been studied. Here, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from clinically well-characterised children (N = 111) and adults (N = 64) with LNB and other CNS infections were analysed for NETs (DNA/myeloperoxidase complexes) and elastase activity. NETs were detected more frequently in the children than the adults (p = 0.01). NET presence was associated with higher CSF levels of CXCL1 (p < 0.001), CXCL6 (p = 0.007), CXCL8 (p = 0.003), CXCL10 (p < 0.001), MMP-9 (p = 0.002), TNF (p = 0.02), IL-6 (p < 0.001), and IL-17A (p = 0.03). NETs were associated with fever (p = 0.002) and correlated with polynuclear pleocytosis (rs = 0.53, p < 0.0001). We show that neutrophil activation and active NET formation occur in the CSF samples of children and adults with CNS infections, mainly caused by Borrelia and neurotropic viruses. The role of NETs in the early phase of viral/bacterial CNS infections warrants further investigation.
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| 7. |
- Azimi Mousolou, Vahid, et al.
(author)
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Hierarchy of magnon mode entanglement in antiferromagnets
- 2020
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In: Physical Review B Condensed Matter. - : American Physical Society. - 0163-1829 .- 1095-3795. ; 102:22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Continuous variable entanglement between magnon modes in Heisenberg antiferromagnets with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction is examined. Different bosonic modes are identified, which allows us to establish a hierarchy of magnon entanglement. We argue that entanglement between magnon modes is determined by a simple lattice-specific parameter, together with the ratio of the strengths of the DM and Heisenberg exchange interactions, and that magnon entanglement can be detected by means of quantum homodyne techniques. As an illustration of the relevance of our findings for possible entanglement experiments in the solid state, a typical antiferromagnet with the perovskite crystal structure is considered, and it is shown that long wave length magnon modes have a maximal degree of entanglement.
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| 8. |
- Baglai, Mikhail, et al.
(author)
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Giant anisotropy of Gilbert damping in a Rashba honeycomb antiferromagnet
- 2020
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In: Physical Review B. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9950 .- 2469-9969. ; 101:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Giant Gilbert damping anisotropy is identified as a signature of strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling in a two-dimensional antiferromagnet on a honeycomb lattice. The phenomenon originates in spin-orbit-induced splitting of conduction electron subbands that strongly suppresses certain spin-flip processes. As a result, the spin-orbit interaction is shown to support an undamped nonequilibrium dynamical mode that corresponds to an ultrafast in-plane Neel vector precession and a constant perpendicular-to-the-plane magnetization. The phenomenon is illustrated on the basis of a two-dimensional s-d-like model. Spin-orbit torques and conductivity are also computed microscopically for this model. Unlike Gilbert damping, these quantities are shown to reveal only a weak anisotropy that is limited to the semiconductor regime corresponding to the Fermi energy staying in the close vicinity of the antiferromagnetic gap.
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| 9. |
- Bergh, Andreas, 1964-, et al.
(author)
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On collegial deliberation as a tool to counteract racism
- 2020
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper analyzes and discusses possibilities and challenges for teachers to use collegial mutual deliberation as a way to counteract racism. A starting point is taken from research on teacher collaboration that has emphasized the importance to locally create conditions for critical discussions that exceed coherence and simple solutions. To do this, we turn to the idea on deliberative communication, which in the paper fills two purposes: First, as a means for a teacher who, supported by us as researchers, leads a discussion about racism with colleagues, and secondly, as a theoretical lens to analyze that same discussion. The study provides theoretical and empirical knowledge about how collegial deliberation potentially can contribute to the development of a communicative teacher community.
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| 10. |
- Bergh, Andreas, 1964-, et al.
(author)
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On teachers professional ambivalence´when colleagues express racism
- 2020
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper sheds light on how teachers act and reflect on their actions in response to expressions of racism among colleagues. The empirical data consists of qualitative interviews with 27 high school teachers in Sweden, but, in order to dig deeper into the experiences of teachers, this paper focuses on three teachers (Tove, Fatima and Hannah). The result points at a professional ambivalence on how to act, since there is no common ground among teachers for how to act when colleagues express racism. To act against racism comes at high costs and very much depends on each teacher’s previous experiences of life and work. Consequently, each teacher is provided a unique space and resource base for reflection and action.
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