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- Elfving, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Dissemination of Spotted Fever Rickettsia Agents in Europe by Migrating Birds
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Migratory birds are known to play a role as long-distance vectors for many microorganisms. To investigate whether this is true of rickettsial agents as well, we characterized tick infestation and gathered ticks from 13,260 migratory passerine birds in Sweden. A total of 1127 Ixodes spp. ticks were removed from these birds and the extracted DNA from 957 of them was available for analyses. The DNA was assayed for detection of Rickettsia spp. using real-time PCR, followed by DNA sequencing for species identification. Rickettsia spp. organisms were detected in 108 (11.3%) of the ticks. Rickettsia helvetica, a spotted fever rickettsia associated with human infections, was predominant among the PCR-positive samples. In 9 (0.8%) of the ticks, the partial sequences of 17kDa and ompB genes showed the greatest similarity to Rickettsia monacensis, an etiologic agent of Mediterranean spotted fever-like illness, previously described in southern Europe as well as to the Rickettsia sp. IrITA3 strain. For 15 (1.4%) of the ticks, the 17kDa, ompB, gltA and ompA genes showed the greatest similarity to Rickettsia sp. strain Davousti, Rickettsia japonica and Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, all closely phylogenetically related, the former previously found in Amblyomma tholloni ticks in Africa and previously not detected in Ixodes spp. ticks. The infestation prevalence of ticks infected with rickettsial organisms was four times higher among ground foraging birds than among other bird species, but the two groups were equally competent in transmitting Rickettsia species. The birds did not seem to serve as reservoir hosts for Rickettsia spp., but in one case it seems likely that the bird was rickettsiemic and that the ticks had acquired the bacteria from the blood of the bird. In conclusion, migratory passerine birds host epidemiologically important vector ticks and Rickettsia species and contribute to the geographic distribution of spotted fever rickettsial agents and their diseases.
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- Eriksson, Per
(författare)
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Avian Influenza Virus : Deciphering receptor interactions and their role in interspecies transmission
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Influenza A virus (IAV) annually infects approximately 5–15 % of the human population, causing ~500,000 deaths globally. Novel IAVs have emerged and spread pandemically in the human population, but have over time established endemic circulation with reduced pathogenicity causing seasonal influenza. The natural reservoir of IAVs is wild waterfowl. The past pandemics have been associated with host switch and have partly or entirely originated from birds, or adapted via passage through pigs (postulated IAV mixing vessel). Understanding IAV interspecies transmission mechanisms is essential for pandemic preparedness. Enzootic circulation of avian IAV (AIV) is concentrated to a few waterfowl species, while other bird species seldom are infected. A species barrier preventing IAV interspecies transmission has been suggested. To investigate IAV host range and mixing vessels, histochemistry studies were conducted with tissues from avian species, pigs, and humans. Virus adaptation to new hosts was studied by challenging tufted ducks and chickens with mallard-derived AIVs, together with AIV receptor tropism and glycoproteomic analysis of receptor distribution. Finally, receptor and tissue tropism in ducks was studied systematically for AIV (H1–16). More abundant AIV attachment to human than pig tissues was observed, questioning the pig mixing vessel theory. Attachment patterns of AIVs to bird tissues was generally broad with abundant attachment to trachea. However, among ducks, pronounced attachment was observed to colon of Anas spp., suggesting that intestinal infection might be restricted to Anas spp., whereas other species may be susceptible to respiratory infection. Tufted ducks and chickens could not be infected by intraesophageal inoculation further supporting this hypothesis. Glycan array analysis revealed 3’SLN, 3’STF, and their fucosylated and sulfated analogues as main AIV receptors. Moreover, AIV Neu5Acα2,6 recognition was widespread. Avian respiratory and intestinal tracts glycoproteomic analysis revealed that avian and mammalian receptor structures are much more similar than earlier thought. Furthermore, observed AIV subtype titer variation in challenged tufted ducks and chickens did not correlate with virus receptor tropism. In summary, this thesis suggests that IAV receptor recognition, in particular α2,3 vs. α2,6 sialylated receptor structures, is less important for the IAV interspecies barrier than previously thought.
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- Gherasim, Alin, et al.
(författare)
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Risk factors and potential preventive measures for nephropatia epidemica in Sweden 2011-2012 : a case-control study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686 .- 2000-8686. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Nephropatia epidemica (NE), a relatively mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by the Puumala virus (PUUV), is endemic in northern Sweden. We aim to study the risk factors associated with NE in this region.METHODS: We conducted a matched case-control study between June 2011 and July 2012. We compared confirmed NE cases with randomly selected controls, matched by age, sex, and place of infection or residence. We analyzed the association between NE and several occupational, environmental, and behavioral exposures using conditional logistic regression.RESULTS: We included in the final analysis 114 cases and 300 controls, forming 246 case-control pairs. Living in a house with an open space beneath, making house repairs, living less than 50 m from the forest, seeing rodents, and smoking were significantly associated with NE.CONCLUSION: Our results could orient public health policies targeting these risk factors and subsequently reduce the NE burden in the region.
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- Johansson, Karl-Axel, et al.
(författare)
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The quality assurance process for the ARTSCAN head and neck study - a practical interactive approach for QA in 3DCRT and IMRT.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 87:2, s. 290-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: This paper describes the quality assurance (QA) work performed in the Swedish multicenter ARTSCAN (Accelerated RadioTherapy of Squamous cell CArcinomas in the head and Neck) trial to guarantee high quality in a multicenter study which involved modern radiotherapy such as 3DCRT or IMRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was closed in June 2006 with 750 randomised patients. Radiation therapy-related data for every patient were sent by each participating centre to the QA office where all trial data were reviewed, analysed and stored. In case of any deviation from the protocol, an interactive process was started between the QA office and the local responsible clinician and/or physicist to increase the compliance to the protocol for future randomised patients. Meetings and workshops were held on a regular basis for discussions on various trial-related issues and for the QA office to report on updated results. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This review covers the 734 patients out of a total of 750 who had entered the study. Deviations early in the study were corrected so that the overall compliance to the protocol was very high. There were only negligible variations in doses and dose distributions to target volumes for each specific site and stage. The quality of the treatments was high. Furthermore, an extensive database of treatment parameters was accumulated for future dose-volume vs. endpoint evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive QA programme increased the probability to draw firm conclusions from our study and may serve as a concept for QA work in future radiotherapy trials where comparatively small effects are searched for in a heterogeneous tumour population.
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- Kasteng, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Cost-effectiveness of maintenance rituximab treatment after second line therapy in patients with follicular lymphoma in Sweden
- 2008
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 47:6, s. 1029-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Rituximab has significantly improved the prognosis for patients with both indolent and aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. An economic evaluation was carried out to assess the cost-effectiveness in Sweden of rituximab as maintenance therapy for patients with follicular lymphoma in remission after second line therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incremental cost and effectiveness of rituximab maintenance therapy versus observation were evaluated in a health-state transition model. Primary effect measures were quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and life-years gained (LYG). Model state transitions were calculated based on progression-free and overall survival data from the EORTC20981 trial. The analysis was made from the perspective of the healthcare provider, including direct medical costs presented in euro, 2007 value. Effects and costs were discounted at a 3% annual rate. The stability of the base case results were tested in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The evaluation assessed rituximab maintenance therapy to be associated with an incremental cost per QALY gained of euro 12,600 and an incremental cost per LYG of euro 11,200. The average discounted life expectancy for patients on rituximab maintenance was 1.0 year longer than for patients on observation (5.96 vs. 4.94 years). Rituximab maintenance was associated with an additional 0.9 QALY, and total costs per patient were euro 11,500 higher in the treatment arm, compared to observation. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that rituximab maintenance treatment after successful induction therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma in Sweden is cost-effective compared to observation.
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| 8. |
- Lundkvist, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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A new entrance for sustainable gender equality
- 2010
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable regional and business development depends on the access to people motivated to invest their lives in the region and the enterprises. But in a time of demographical changes, urbanization and new values regarding life and work among the next generation the issue of being attractive is crucial for both a region and enterprises. This paper describes the interactive collaboration between a research project and an enterprise in a semirural area in Sweden. A collaboration aiming for a more gender mainstreamed organization in order to retain and attract the best-suited labor for tomorrow. During the long term process the enterprise became more conscious of being a gender equal employer. The interaction gave the enterprise a platform for continued development with gender equality as an important element in developing a strong employer brand.
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- Lundkvist, Hans, 1956-
(författare)
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A proposal for Sustainable Employer Brand : From market and product theory to sustainable development theories
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concept of employer brand involves a multidisciplinary field synthesizing theory from a range of academic disciplines often based on research on large organizations embracing the issues of recruitment and retention. The purpose of this article is to analyze whether theories of sustainable development programs can provide an additional basis for the predominant brand and market literature in order to understand how investments in financial and human resources can become more socially sustainable. The results of a literature review highlight certain similarities indicating that theories from sustainable development programs can support the understanding and practice of employer branding. This will hopefully inspire more deductive and empirical research on how to improve the sustainability of an employer brand. The practical implication is a de-mystification of the concept of employer brand in the eyes of practitioners by suggesting strategies and division of responsibilities when an organization decides to take the first steps to mobilize in "the war for talent."
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| 10. |
- Lundkvist, Hans, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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’Doing Gender’ in a Local and Regional Context : An Innovative Process of Mainstreaming Gender Equality
- 2012
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Ingår i: Promoting Innovation. - Stockholm : VINNOVA–Verket för Innovationssystem. - 9789186517717 ; , s. 291-311
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainable regional and business development depends on access to people motivated to invest their lives in a region and its enterprise. However in a time of demographical changes, urbanisation and new values on life and work among the next generation, the issue of attractiveness is crucial for both a region and its workplaces. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a process methodology for increased gender awareness in an enterprise and to emphasise the relationship between organisational and regional de- velopment. In this context, we use the innovative combination of the two scientific fields, gender and action-research in a collaborative project between researchers and an engineering enterprise in a semi-rural area of Sweden. This collaboration aims for a more gender mainstreamed organisation so as to retain and attract the most suitable labour for the future. During the long-term process, the employer and employees be- came more conscious of the importance of gender-equal issues; a factor we believe to be an important prerequisite of sustainable growth.
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